11 September 2012

9/11 Oral Histories in the BDC

Courtesy of Wikipedia
Please note: Broken links have been removed and appointments are now required to access the materials inside the BDC Research Room. -- gmc 9 September 2021

One of the local reactions to the events of 9-11 is a small unique collection of oral histories recorded as part of the September Project, 2004. The September Project's goal was that: "On Saturday, September 11th, 2004, people across the nation will go to public spaces to participate collectively and think creatively about our country, our government, and our media. With public libraries as host, The September Project will help facilitate talks and roundtables, public forums, and performances in towns and cities across the US."

On that Saturday morning, Fran Hays (then a Beaufort Branch Reference Librarian, now the Branch Manager) set up a cassette tape recording station for people from our community to share their memories of that tragic day in 2001. Almost a dozen Beaufort residents and visitors offered their oral history recollections and reflections on what was the 3rd anniversary of the terrorist attack.

These oral histories are first-hand reflections on the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and Flight 93, and the consequences of the terrorist attacks on American freedoms, with a lapse of three years to process one's grief, emotions, and reactions. The recordings were placed in the BDC for permanent retention upon conclusion of the project. Beloved BDC docent, Hugh Folk, transcribed the oral histories in 2008. Charmaine Concepcion and I recently reviewed, edited, and added explanatory content to the transcriptions.  

You'll have to drop by the BDC Research Room to hear the audio recordings. 

No comments: