Southern Oral History Program

“You Don’t Have to Be Famous for Your Life to Be History”

These words, spoken by Nell Sigmon when she was interviewed by the Southern Oral History Program in 1979, serve as our unofficial motto, reminding us of the extraordinary significance of ordinary lives and guiding our efforts to seek out and record memories of the southern past.

People make sense of their lives through story. The South is especially rich in storytellers, yet many of them leave no written record, and modern forms of communication have made personal letters and diaries virtually obsolete. A sense of urgency therefore informs our work, for the memories we preserve in sound and on paper might otherwise be lost. Oral history allows us to use those stories to explore the private dimension of public careers, add new voices to the historical record, track the creation and re-creation of historical memory, and present history to the public in creative new forms.

Start searching our collection.

Since 1973, the SOHP has worked to preserve the voices of the southern past. UNC students and faculty have interviewed more than 4,000 men and women—from mill workers to civil rights leaders to future presidents of the United States. Made available through UNC’s renowned Southern Historical Collection and, increasingly, through the innovative use of web-based technologies, these interviews capture the vivid personalities, poignant personal stories, and behind-the-scenes decision-making that bring history to life.

The SOHP’s mission is to

• Create an unparalleled archive of sound recordings documenting life in the 20th-century South.
• Provide students with research opportunities and encourage them to combine scholarship with public service.
• Make history accessible through community-based workshops and collaborations with the public schools.
• Produce publications and documentaries that offer a fresh understanding of southern history.

We welcome your interest and invite you to contact us with questions or comments.