They created a number of Arts Projects to put writers and artists back to work. It happened in the 1930s that they created the federal writers project and started to collect slave testimony. It was kind of like the 19 thirties was the last opportunity to collect the oral histories of the last generation of African Americans who had experienced slavery firsthand before they passed away. They actually created through that project that only lasted a few years, 1936 to 1939, that project created the largest repository of ex slave testimony that we have within the united states. Winding up with over 2300 interviews that are largely Available Online at the library of congress website. Anyone who is interested can go in and use those. Scholars have used them to dramatically transform the way they right about the history of slavery and emancipation and kind of reconsider. That my book took a slightly different turn by looking at the ex slave project to look at the racial politics of the 1930s.
Experienced slaevry firsthand before they passed away. They had created through that project that lasted only a few years, 1936 to 1939, that project created the largest repository of exslave testimony we have in the united states, winding up with over 2300 exslave interviews that are now largely Available Online at the library of congress website. Anyone who is interested can go in and use those. Scholars have used them to dramatically transform the way they write about the history of slavery and emancipation and kind of reconsider that. My book took a slightly different turn or different tact by looking at the exslave collection as its known to look at the racial politics of the 1930s and really to see what does it tell us about race and the federal government and attempts to rewrite a National Historical narrative during the kind of moment of economic crisis and kind of a nationwide crisis in terms of the sense of national identity. What are the racial politics at the time . Well, y
Available to the public for research and we host an ample number of programs. Thisevening , Anthony Pangaro who is a good friend of the Historical Society will do the honors of introducing our speaker. I wanted to take a moment to greet everyone and welcome you to the massachusetts Historical Society so without further ado i turn it over to Anthony Pangaro. [applause] good evening everyone, thank you gavin. Gavin has put together a terrific number of programs at massachusetts historical including definitive conversations about the era well over ayear ago which is where i first met liz. Its a pleasure for me to have a pleasant task of introducing liz and the book. How to begin . This is a book about a lifetimes work, about a career based in the strong premise that cities were important and vital to civilization,vital to this country, not only the world and i think liz has captured it. Ill let you her tell you about the book but ill tell you one story about it which lets you know how i f
Will turn it over to tony. [applause] thank you gavin has put on a number of programs here including some definitive conversations well over a year ago which is where i first met him. Its a pleasure for me to have the task of introducing. Before i began its a lifetime of a career based in the premise vital to civilization and i think liz has captured that i will tell you one story about ed how i felt about him. The first time i met him i was about 25 years old the first week in the urban Development Corporation although i knew the agency and very anxious to go to work for him again. It happened on a very odd day we were working at the Burlington House we were the only tenants in the building at the time because the fisher brothers couldnt find anybody else to be set a very difficult time of year. So they elected to sign a lease with the state agency. But that particular day that had run a frontpage story to set up the private building from the 46th floor. [laughter] and to say the leas
If this is the first time for you to visit a special welcome to you. We have a fabulous library which is available to the public for research this evening tony from the Historical Society will do the honors so well take a moment to greet everyone and now we will turn it over to tony. [applause] thank you gavin has put on a number of programs here including some definitive conversations well over a year ago which is where i first met him. Its a pleasure for me to have the task of introducing. Before i began its a lifetime of a career based in the premise vital to civilization and i think liz has captured that i will tell you one story about ed how i felt about him. The first time i met him i was about 25 years old the first week in the urban Development Corporation although i knew the agency and very anxious to go to work for him again. It happened on a very odd day we were working at the Burlington House we were the only tenants in the building at the time because the fisher brothers c