Deep Roots: African American Histories in the Imperial Valley

720 Heber Avenue,Calexico CA 92231

06 April, 2023

Description

The Deep Roots Oral History Project exhibit is part of a collection of lived experiences as told by some of Imperial Valley’s earliest African American residents and their descendants. The exhibit presents some of the participants’ histories using a mixture of video, audio and interactive components to create an intimate and immersive experience. The oral history project was started in 2020 as a collaborative effort between the nonprofit Imperial Valley Social Justice Committee and San Diego State University-Imperial Valley. Visitors are encouraged to share their own personal experiences by using the custom-made telephone booth outfitted with a recording device to add to the oral history collection. An archive of the videos and transcripts of the participants’ interviews will be housed at the SDSU-IV library in Calexico for the community and scholars to access.