Preserving & Protecting History
How To Preserve Your Stories
Deposit Photos. Used with permission.
“At some point, we have to go further and personalize as well as contextualize our conversation with the past.” – Robert Tracy McKenzie
This is a powerful and true statement.
Preserving history by documenting projects is just the beginning. Who you become at the end of this process or in the maturity of it is what will really establish the historical record and give voice to the documentation for many of us.
In your own way, you will become an expert in this area.
You will become the family historian and genealogist.
You will become the community historian.
You will become the narrator of someone’s past.
You will reveal and memorialize the pioneer.
You will become the voice of the marginalized.
You will become the artifact expert.
You will become the storyteller.
You will become the illustrator.
You will evoke the passions in people that cause them to care about your cause.
You will become THE VOICE of the history you have curated.
How is this possible? Well, your citizen journalism and diligence in documenting just might bring you to this place. Your desire for authenticity, consistency, and CREDIBILITY overtime establishes you. Where you once sought understanding, you have now put a significant number of pieces together that you’ve formulated clearer view of the puzzle.
And now, you have positioned yourself to accurately interpret the past, within your measure, through the artifacts. All histories begin with people who want to TELL STORIES OR CONVEY NARRATIVES. The Bible is LIVING proof of this.
Not only do we have the history of God, but believers spend their lives rehearsing His narrative, interpreting its artifacts, and seeking deeper truths both spiritually and naturally. What does this mean? Well, it means that we preserve histories not only by the artifacts; but by carrying it to the ears and hearts of others.
We BECOME an intricate part of the story, and the story becomes preserved in us.
When you complete your scribal project:
Reflect upon it.
Describe the motivation behind this project.
Discuss why it is important to you.
Discuss why others should care.
How does this project fit within the scope of a bigger picture?
What have you learned from the journey? (Answer once the project is finished)
What does this project bring today and the future? (Answer once the project is finished)
How should this project be remembered?
HOW TO TELL YOUR STORY
In my view, I believe it is important for those who complete their scribal projects to be the "owner" of that story and "the voice of that story" - leaving little room for the misinterpretation of the documentation from the project creators perspective. For example, I could create a 30-minute video introduction or write a detailed article about my journey in documenting my sister's COVID-19 experience.
My point is this, I can become a living part of my scribal project by "presenting" the story to others in conversation or in structured environments even in lecture form. The possibilities, depending on the scribal project, could be limitless.
Here are some examples of people talking about the stories they've documented. In the first example, we hear Henry Louis Gates talk about his journey in genealogy and African American history. In the second video, you see an interview with Joe Cross as he talks about his journey in exposing issues of health. Look at how they PERSONALIZE their experiences... and become a part of the story.
Remember, it is important for those who are documenting to be able to tell their stories. Disclaimer: Don't become overwhelmed by their depth of knowledge. In this sense, these are extreme examples. Your project might now have this complexity or even the goals they have! That's okay. Just remember that what you have IS IMPORTANT to your audience. (These are issues of documentation that personally interest me concerning marginalized groups. As a result, I used them as examples.)