HIST 268 Oral History Interviews: African Americans and the University of Delaware collection

The oral history interviews in this collection were collected by the students in Dr. Roger Horowitz’s HIST 268 section, “Oral History: African Americans and the University of Delaware” class, offered first in the fall semester of 2021 and offered a second time during the fall semester of 2023.

Series I, 2021 Interviews, includes the interviews conducted during the first iteration of this course in 2021. Students conducted 25 interviews, with participants drawn from two principal communities: African American alumni of the University of Delaware and residents of the Newark, Delaware’s New London Road/Cleveland Avenue neighborhood. Their recollections are framed by Delaware’s troubled experience with de jure and de facto racial discrimination, as interviewees reflect on their experiences living in Newark and/or attending the University of Delaware in the 1950s-1980s.

As part of the course, students were trained in the methodology of oral history and learned about the history of racial discrimination in Delaware. The interview with Dr. James Newton, a former faculty member at the University of Delaware, was conducted by Dr. Horowitz during a class session as part of this training. Additional information about the experiences of Black residents in Newark and students at the University of Delaware was drawn from historical documents including transcripts of previous interviews of Black residents of Newark from MSS 0642, New London Road/Cleveland Avenue oral histories and research materials, articles printed in the University of Delaware Review from 1950-1988, and the 1969 report, "The Black Student and the University of Delaware," colloquially called "The Scarpitti Report." Students used this information to create a collaborative list of interview topics and themes to pursue with interview subjects.

Interview participants were initially recruited by Dr. Horowitz and Denise Hayman, a member of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority and former resident of Newark. After confirming their interest, participants were connected with students, who were coached through contacting interviewees for initial exploratory interviews, gathering biographical data and information about interviewees’ relationships to Newark and the University of Delaware. This information, along with the interview topics discussed by the class, were used to create personalized agendas for each interview.

Interviews were conducted in November and December, 2021. The interviews were conducted either in-person or using the online conferencing software Zoom. After collecting the interviews, students were instructed to select, summarize, and transcribe a set of short clips covering interview highlights, which were curated into an online exhibition, Oral History Interviews: African Americans and the University of Delaware, which launched in summer 2022.

Topics covered in interviews with Newark residents include childhood activities, the New London Road community, employment in Newark, the relationship between African American residents and University of Delaware, and the expansion of the University of Delaware into the New London Road neighborhood. Topics from alumni interviews include the African American community on campus, the founding of Black fraternities and sororities at University of Delaware, the Center for Black Culture, and the racial climate at University of Delaware.

Brief biographical details about each interviewee are included in the finding aid.

Series II, 2023 interviews, includes interviews conducted by students in the second iteration of the course. Students in this section conducted an additional 10 interviews.