The NPHM Oral History Archive and Corps

The National Public Housing Museum believes that storytelling is a potent social and civic tool, and strives to harness the power of narrative for social impact through its Oral History Archive and Corps.

The NPHM Oral History Archive holds over 150 interviews with current and former residents of traditional public housing and Section 8 housing, as well as those with other, self-defined meaningful relationships to publicly-funded housing. The Archive’s aim is to advance a more nuanced and human portrayal of those who live with public assistance; we strive to be of use to academics and researchers, but even more so to artists, organizers, the general public, and public housing residents themselves. From the inception of our Oral History programming through our current work towards building a forward-facing Archive, relationship building and co-creating with public housing residents is at the forefront of our praxis. The Archive also informs the Museum’s work in creating permanent exhibitions and engaging programs.

The NPHM Oral History Corps are a dedicated group of community members who have been rigorously trained in the practices and philosophies of oral history by the Museum since 2017. Our Beauty Turner Academy of Oral History Training, a 10-week paid and Zoom-based program, is the entry point for becoming a member of the Oral History Corps. Graduates of the Training can refine their skills and add to the Oral History Archive through the Beauty Turner Academy Apprenticeships (Fall-Spring). In line with the disability justice tenet of “Nothing about us without us,” the Corps is primarily made up of people with lived experience in publicly-funded housing, or other meaningful connections to publicly-funded housing. We strive towards making oral history training as accessible as possible for the national public housing community, and encourage graduates to use oral history ethics and methods in their lives and work.

If you are a current or former resident interested in sharing your story with the Museum, please reach out to Liú Chen at lchen@nphm.org or fill out the form below. See the Beauty Turner Academy page for more information about the program and application process.

We are working on a forthcoming page that highlights the impact of the many partners who have informed our Oral History work and approach, including Suzanne Snider and the Oral History Summer School, Dr. Barbara Ransby, Skyla Hearn, Elissa Blount Moorhead, and Dr. Eve L. Ewing, as well as the Chicago Housing Authority.


In 2020, we started sharing out audio from our archives in a podcast called Out of the Archives. In each episode, we share a diverse range of stories told by public housing residents from our Archive.


Be sure to visit your favorite streaming platform to engage with the entire series! You can find Out of the Archives on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Anchor, Breaker, and RadioPublic.

A beige poster reading with photo of public housing resident Nakia Herron. Nakia is a Black man wearing glasses and wearing a tightknit hat and white dashiki. Text reads "April 14, 2022 / Celebrate National Fair Housing Month / It’s Certain Things I Think are Human Rights.” / Out of the Archives. With logos of streaming services, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Anchor, Breaker, Radio Public and the NPHM’s logo.


Timuel Black 102nd Birthday Audio Interview

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The NPHM celebrates the life of activist, historian, and scholar Dr. Timuel Black. Tim was a decorated World War II veteran, educator, author, labor leader, civil rights activist, and oral historian who fought passionately for justice and equity for all.


For years, Tim and his wife, NPHM Board Member Zenobia Johnson-Black, have been vocal supporters of and advocates for the Museum and its mission to promote, preserve, and propel the right of all people to a place where they can live and prosper. Tim's work has been an essential influence on our efforts to document and share stories, especially those that lay outside of the mainstream narratives of American history.

In celebration of Tim’s 100th birthday, poet Nate Marshall, retired law professor and activist Bernadine Dorhn, poet Kevin Coval, cultural activist Jane Saks, and oral historian Colette Payne shared stories of how Tim’s work has affected their own pursuits, as well as the field of oral history at large. You can listen to that audio piece below.

In 2020, NPHM Corps member Shakira Johnson interviewed Dr. Tim in celebration of his 102nd birthday. The two spoke of the importance of having faith in the future, Dr. Tim's family history, and more. You can watch the interview below.

As we take time to celebrate Tim's accomplished life, we remain steadfast in our dedication to continuing his work to create a more just world for all.

The future site of the National Public Housing Museum will feature an Oral History Recording Studio named in Tim’s honor.


The work of the Oral History Archive has been supported by funding from the Illinois Arts Council and the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, Illinois Humanities, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, the Terra Foundation for American Art, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Oral History Association, and Allstate Insurance. This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services through IMLS Grant MA-20-19-0659-19.

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