Oral History Interviewer

Job Description

The HistoryMakers, a national (501 ) ( c) (3) not for profit video oral history archive headquartered in Chicago, Illinois (http://www.thehistorymakers.org), seeks to hire an experienced, full-time oral historian with extensive knowledge of the African American life, history and culture to conduct 4-7 hour videotaped interviews of African Americans across a variety of disciplines(i.e. arts, law, business, law, religion, STEM, the military, sports, etc.) as part of The HistoryMakers’ national, interactive archive. The HistoryMakers is experiencing tremendous growth and seeks to move to the next stage. 
 
 

Job Requirements

Requirements. The interviewer must demonstrate a passion for conducting oral histories and be well versed in African American history, including knowledge of national and local movements, events, and organizations. The interviewer will work closely with a regional videographer to ensure all interviews are done in a quality manner. The interviewer must be able to put the subject at ease. The interviewer must conduct each interview according to The HistoryMakers' standards, complete necessary paperwork, and be willing to travel as deemed necessary or appropriate. 

Training. Prior to conducting video oral histories, the interviewer must complete an extensive training period as a researcher and evaluator. In this role, the oral historian/researcher will be responsible for conducting extensive background research and writing outlines and bios prior to each interview, as well as completing post-interview evaluations in accordance with The HistoryMakers’ procedures and standards.
 
The ideal candidate will have: 

• 3 or more years of previous oral history African American subject matter interviewing experience;
• Strong people skills;
• Strong research and writing skills;
• Passion for The HistoryMakers' mission;
• Stamina and expertise in Microsoft Office; 

The candidate will be responsible for, among other things: 

• Making sure all paperwork is completed for each HistoryMaker; 
• Completing 200 interviews a year.

Salary Range:  $60,000.00 - $80,000.00 per year

 
The HistoryMakers 
 
The HistoryMakers, the nation’s largest African American video oral history archive(www.thehistorymakers.org), is a one-of-a-kind collection, housed permanently at the Library of Congress. Its website (www.thehistorymakers.org), accessed by millions worldwide, is sited in Wikipedia and used as a “go to” reference tool. Its digital archive(https://da.thehistorymakers.org) has been licensed by colleges, universities, K-12 schools and public libraries for use by faculty, students and patrons and is growing in popularity in the wake of COVID19 and the focus on online learning. Within the next few years, The HistoryMakers will become the digital repository for the Black experience: providing much needed content, role models, success pathways and frameworks for a 21st century citizenry that has become increasingly less tolerant, divisive and economically and educationally disparate.  
 
Please send resumes to:
The HistoryMakers
1900 S. Michigan Ave. | Chicago, IL 60616
info@thehistorymakers.org

 
 

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