oral history

Tell weldon’s stories with oral history

Weldon In Action is undertaking an oral history project focused on filming and recording the stories of current and former residents who grew up in Weldon in the twentieth century.  Then, Weldon bustled with commercial and cultural activities. A number of citizens who grew up then are still around, and we need to hear their experiences, to know what life was like then, and to engage them in building a historical legacy for future generations.

A major part of our initial effort will be to video those who were teachers and former students of Ralph J. Bunche school, the school that served African-American students from 1905 until 1972 when all students attended a new consolidated high school.

Additionally, we want to relive the stories of fishermen who have plied the waters of the Roanoke River for decades, who know its bounty and respect its power.  Others can tell us about working in lumber yards, farming nearby fertile lands, and selling merchandise on Washington Avenue on Saturdays when the streets overflowed with people coming to town.  Churches were central to the cultural life of the town; their bells and songs rang out on Sundays.  Families gathered for the big Sunday meal and took drives in the countryside to observe the maturing of tobacco, peanuts and cotton fields, the basis of the local economy.

There were hard times: Depression in the 1930s and War in the 1940s.  Weldon fulfilled its patriotic role and bounded back to prosperity in the 1950s.  Life was good again and you, or people you know, can record that history in personal tales that tell what life was really like.

Documentaries of the participants will be published and made available through libraries for information and research, through schools for education, on the web and through social media for entertainment, and during events celebrating Weldon’s history.  Eventually, kiosks in parks and QR codes on markers will direct observers to individual stories.

Achieving this goal will require substantial funding, which we hope to obtain through grants, in-kind support, fundraising events, and individual contributions. We welcome and appreciate your donation.  We invite volunteers to join our efforts and tell their stories.