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Kimberly Truong
Professor Matthews
Hist 2110
12/2/14
The Underestimated Value of Oral History
History is usually taught through textbooks, newspapers, and photographs, but
oral history can be used to provide a historical source for ordinary people who might not
be in the historical records. Politicians and activists may show up frequently in text
documents and the media, but the rest of the public rarely does. Ordinary people fall
through the cracks. Oral history is acknowledged as a conversation between two
individuals about a piece of the past that has historical significance. Through that you
learn about their thoughts, goals, setbacks, family histories, and life experiences. We do
not use oral history as the ultimate source, but more as a guide, because facts and
memories get distorted over time. For my oral history I chose Dr. Mavis Clark, a part-
time professor at Georgia State University. I selected her for my oral history project
because she has a lot to say about history and how it changed her life and because she
speaks with passion. Dr. Clark lived an ordinary life, and from that I learned that the
events that happened throughout history shaped each and every one of our lives, not just
lives of “famous” people. Oral histories from everyday people can shape how students
learn history because they experience a connection with history though someone they are
familiar with. History may not be an easy subject to learn, but with oral histories there is
a hands-on experience that helps you dive into the past and changes the way history is
understood. Oral history somehow makes history livelier.
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Dr. Mavis Clark discloses that she was born in Brooklyn, New York but grew up
in Detroit, Michigan. She attended college in Houston, Texas, where she received her
masters and doctorate degree. Prior to working at Georgia State University, she worked at
Georgia Perimeter College for 19 years along with administrating statewide certification
for American Sign Language interpreters. She grew up without a father, but from stories
her mother told her, her father is Jamaican and her parents met in New York. Dr. Clark’s
family tree only dates back to her great-great grandparents who were freed slaves. Her
grandfather was born in Birmingham, Alabama. Her family moved to Detroit following
her grandfather in the car industry.
Oral histories help give a descriptive look on how a place was at a certain time
period. A lot of history can be analyzed by Dr. Clark’s description of her town and her
