The first set of student oral history projects comes from the awe-inspiring classroom of Kimberly Thomas, a History/Social Studies educator in Val Verde Unified School District. Kimberly is one the lead facilitators for this year's oral history project and, along with...

In her foreword to Judith Flores Carmona and Kristen V. Luschen’s co-edited collection Crafting Critical Stories (2014), Rina Benmayor writes, “To repeat the oft-cited phrase from Chicana writer Cherrie Moraga, telling one’s story enables a 'theorizing from the flesh,’...

My English Composition students have had to complete oral histories for the past few years now, and recently I have recommended that they ask their narrator (interviewee) to bring a photo or an item for their interview. With this small move, I’ve noticed their oral his...

A few years back I came across a phrase that has captivated me for some time. That phrase was “holding space.” A strange phrase, but nonetheless an important one. So, what is it? Holding space is the process of actively listening and bearing witness to someone else whi...

I come from a tradition of storytelling and storytellers. I have heard my mom’s and dad’s stories about growing up and, now, I tell my children stories about my brothers and my childhood. Many of these stories have served as counter-narratives, as challenges to dominan...