DeBorah Ault, a Robert F. Smith summer intern at the Museum of the Grand Prairie at Lake of the Woods Forest Preserve will present “A Community Conversation: Exploring Local African American Oral Histories from The Doris Hoskins Collection,” at the Champaign Public Library Douglass Branch, 504 E Grove St, Champaign, IL 61820, 2-3:30 p.m.
The Museum of the Grand Prairie was awarded a Robert Frederick Smith Fund Summer Internship in collaboration with the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African American History and Culture. This collaboration provides the appointed intern the opportunity to index, catalog, and engage the community in the Doris K. Wylie Hoskins Archive Oral History Collection.
The collection of oral histories was digitized in 2021 through funds provided by a bequest from former museum volunteer Frieda Mumm. These oral histories were recorded in the latter half of the 20th century by Doris Hoskins to capture the memories of prominent African American residents of Champaign County and are a treasure trove of vital information about their experiences.
Ault recently graduated from Brandeis University in Education and Business. She plans a career in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion work. Ault will publish her findings on social media and facilitate a panel discussion about the oral histories at CU Days in August.
“The Forest Preserve District is fortunate to have DeBorah Ault leading this important work on the Doris Hoskins Oral History Collection at the Museum of the Grand Prairie. We are grateful to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture and its Robert Frederic Smith Fund and the Forest Preserve Friends Foundation for their support of the internship,” said Lorrie Pearson, Executive Director.
Ault’s presentation will cover the lived experiences of African Americans in Champaign and Urbana through the oral histories found in the Doris Hoskins collection. It is being hailed as “the premiere opportunity to listen to stories from this archival collection and have a community conversation with an engaging panel who can contextualize these historical gems.”
The event is made possible with a collaboration between The Museum of the Grand Prairie, The Champaign Public Library: Douglass Branch, and The Champaign Park District. Refreshments and air conditioning will be provided. Current public health guidelines will be followed; programs may be altered or canceled due to weather or COVID-19 related concerns. FREE. For more info: (217) 586-2612 or museum@ccfpd.org.
About the National Museum of African American History and Culture
Since its opening on Sept. 24, 2016, the National Museum of African American History and Culture has welcomed nearly 8 million visitors. Occupying a prominent site adjacent to the Washington Monument on the National Mall in Washington, DC, the nearly 400,000-square-foot museum is the nation’s largest and most comprehensive cultural destination devoted exclusively to exploring, documenting and showcasing the African American story and its impact on American and world history. For more information about the museum, visit Nmaahc.si.edu or follow @NMAAHC on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
About the Robert F. Smith Internship program
The National Museum of African American History and Culture’s Robert F. Smith Internship Program seeks to build pathways for historically underrepresented individuals to grow successful careers in the cultural sector. The Museum selects and provides funding for interns located onsite with the Museum and offsite at select African American museums, art galleries and museums of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), cultural institutions and historic sites, or other related institutions with projects dedicated to the study and preservation of African American history and culture. All internship opportunities with this program focus on work related to digital imaging, media preservation, digital preservation of personal and community objects, digital content management, collections information management, recording and preserving oral histories, or digital filmmaking.
