During Get Free, Georgia Dusk conducted “mini-oral histories” with attendees to document their Black feminist consciousness building and grassroots organizing. These recordings are the first group oral histories we’ve done - each narrator shared their stories in a room of other attendees listening intently and compassionately. What wasn’t recorded were the nodding heads, reminiscing faces, and vigorous notetaking of the attendees patiently waiting for the recording to stop so that they talk more with one another about the stories they shared.

Ashby and Dartricia improvised with this format and found a collaborative energy that opened the space to fruitful discussion. Well aligned with the popular education principles used in our previous workshops, the 2-part “We Tell Our Own Stories” sessions grounded attendees in the historical significance of the gathering and encouraged them to claim their own stake in the Black feminist historical record.