Skip to main content

The Rural South

The collard sandwich, a Lumbee dish. Image courtesy of the Southern Foodways Alliance
The collard sandwich, a Lumbee dish. Image courtesy of the Southern Foodways Alliance.

The Southern Oral History Program is conducting a series of related projects that involve the histories and cultures of the rural south. Professor Seth Kotch of American Studies, one of SOHP’s Affiliated Faculty, is collaborating with us on “Back Ways: The Social Experience of Rural Segregation,” a project that combines the strengths of oral history and geography to understand institutionalized racism in rural counties in the twentieth century. We are beginning with Orange and Alamance Counties in North Carolina; you can follow our progress on the project page or the student-run blog. SOHP Director Malinda Maynor Lowery is researching the rural south through foodways and the histories of Native American southerners. Our Spring 2015 Introduction to Oral History course also had a research focus on oral histories of the rural south, and in addition to learning the skills of oral history, students created a set of digital humanities projects:

Stay tuned for more information on these exciting projects!

Who We Are

The Southern Oral History Program in the Center for the Study of the American South conducts original research on the history and culture of the American South. Since 1974, we have collected more than 5,000 interviews with southerners from all walks of life, from politicians to activists, business owners to millworkers, educators to artists. These interviews make up a rich record of life in the American South in the voices of those who experienced it.