I have been a volunteer at the DeKalb History Center archive for around three years and in that time, I have grown as a historian. As a volunteer for the DHC archive, I research African-American life in DeKalb County, Georgia using a combination of primary and secondary sources. I try to access where the center’s information is lacking regarding African-American history and to bring that history to life in blog posts. My research is conducted independently and in conjunction with other volunteers and interns at the center. A component of my role in the center is taking the information I gathered and creating blog posts that engage with the public and communicate history to a wider audience via social media and the DHC blog. I did not realize the amount of response I would receive from the community. The head archivist and coordinator for the center, told me about the positive responses from their audiences and how they were commenting and engaging with the content. My work at the center has given me a defined purpose.
I always wanted to major in history, but before volunteering I had always thought my focus would be on European history. However, I found that I was connecting more with the content I was writing about at the DHC than I had originally thought I would. Volunteering at the DeKalb History Center has reinforced the importance of oral histories and the amount of historical and cultural knowledge that a researcher can gain from them especially in the African-American community. In a community that has historically used non-written means of communication to impart collective knowledge and history, oral histories become central in the process of researching and understanding African-American communities. Additionally, I have come to understand the importance of making culture and history available to the public. I now plan my future goals around this outlook and seek skills to help me achieve my goals.
