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i n Our Fami l i e s
By Jo-Ann Johnston
With the availability of genealogy tools for the public’s use
and prime-time television shows about people exploring
their lineages, more people are becoming aware that their
relatives lives’ refl ect history and that the stories of everyday
people are worth knowing and sharing.
Holiday gatherings can provide an opportunity to have meaningful
conversations with older family members about their
formative years and family history. One of Saint Leo’s history
professors, Dr. Heather Parker, was interviewed last year
about ways people can ask relatives to share recollections.
Fruitful conversations resemble oral histories, which Parker is experienced
in collecting using formal methods. But everyone, she said, can use
some common interviewing techniques to engage with older relatives even
if no book, archive, or collection is planned. Her advice circulated nationally
in fall 2017 through an Associated Press story that included her as a source.
Parker recommended that interested parties ask family members
in advance to bring photos to the next get-together, with a promise to
handle them gently. If you can, she said, bring a portable scanner to
preserve digital images of the photographs, or use a smart phone with
adequate memory to do so. A magnifying glass will be handy, too, she
said, because details from the backgrounds in the photos might give
clues about the time-period and location in which the photo was taken.
When it comes to personal stories that people may tell, Parker advised
listeners against being visibly shocked if any disturbing information
is disclosed as this could discourage the relative from continuing
to tell the story. She also cautioned against prying or being too pushy
if people don’t want to go into details, as older generations in America
might have a diff erent sense of privacy than their younger counterparts.
On her website africanamericanpasco.org, Parker dispenses even
more guidance for those who want to conduct detailed research,
perhaps beyond the boundaries of their own families. For instance, she
conducted research on African-American families who live currently or
lived in prior generations around University Campus in Pasco County,
FL. Theirs is a little-represented history. Many groups including African-
Americans have not been included in national or local history books and
were overlooked by city or community newspapers, but Parker employed
recommended historical methods to help address the void.
Her website even includes a link to a site providing consent forms
for people willing to provide interviews that can be formally archived.
Parker also discusses on the website ways to fi nd and approach interview
and other types of records and documents. •
subjects, as well as the related use of photographs, census records,
8 FALL 18 Spirit Magazine
Dr. Heather Parker has off ered this photo
from her own family to illustrate ways
that descendants can delve into their history
through images. This photo shows
Parker’s grandmother, Isabelle, on the
left, and Isabelle’s sister Ruth on the
right. They are both single young ladies in
this photo. The cars in the background, as
well as the purses, outfi ts, and hairstyles
are clues that this was taken in the 1940s.
And the fact that the young ladies are
leaning against the tree informally rather
than standing upright indicates the image
was not taken by a parent or authority
fi gure, but someone they were comfortable
with and maybe out for a bit of fun.
Photo courtesy: Heather R. Parker
/africanamericanpasco.org