Integrating Oral History Into The Classroom Curriculum

A Tool For Helping Students Understanding The American And African-American Experience

Abstract

Most American high-school graduates have not taken courses that examine the experiences of minorities in the United States. Many come from towns and communities where few African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Native Americans reside. Some have never had direct contact with a member of a minority culture. Into this experiential void go impressions drawn from radio, television, films, documentaries, newspapers, and magazines. More often than not, the information students, who belong to the majority culture, get from the media prejudicially reinforces stereotypical images of minority populations.