Meet Scranton Stories Participants and Project Organizers
Area residents can meet with participants of Scranton’s Story: Our Nation’s Story who shared their stories, as well as organizers of the two-year, multifaceted project that was supported by a National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) grant, at a Meet and Greet public reception at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 4, in The University of Scranton’s Weinberg Memorial Library. The reception is offered free of charge, however, registration is required to attend.The University of Scranton will host a free, public reception Meet and Greet with the organizers of “Scranton Stories” and local residents who shared their oral history through the project, which was supported by a National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) grant.
The Meet and Greet reception, which takes place Thursday, April 4, at 6:30 p.m., features portrait photographs with a citation about the chosen location and personal statements and quotes from each oral history interview participant. The reception will take place in the fifth floor Charles Kratz Scranton Heritage Room of the Weinberg Memorial Library. Light refreshments will be served.
The oral history project is part of “Scranton’s Story, Our Nation’s Story,” a multifaceted two-year initiative that seeks to illustrate and preserve the unique story of Scranton and relate it to the history of the United States. The project, which involved multiple community partners, responds to the NEH special initiative “A More Perfect Union” which will commemorate the upcoming 250th anniversary of the United States.
Premiered in the fall 2023, the exhibition showcases portraits taken by photographer Byron Maldonado and links to the 25 oral histories featuring 33 community members, giving voice to a broad array of Scranton experiences and connecting them to our national story.
“The Scranton Stories oral history collection provides a mosaic, bringing forward rich and authentic narratives that honor the longstanding histories of this region and expand how we understand the Scranton area and who belongs in it today. The stories include local Black heritage, migration stories from the industrial era to more recent journeys from Latin America as well as Africa, Asia and the Middle East. There are experiences of reentry and recovery, economic struggle and small business creation; interviewees include educators and artists, faith leaders and civic advocates, and more,” said Julie Schumacher Cohen, Scranton Stories project director and assistant vice president for community engagement and government affairs at the University.
To RSVP, visit www.surveymonkey.com/r/ScrantonStoriesReception. To view all 25 Scranton Stories, visit www.scranton.edu/stories and via YouTube here: www.youtube.com.
The exhibit can also be seen in the Heritage Room, free of charge, during library hours now through to April 21. For more information contact Michael Knies at 570-941-6341 or Michael.knies@scranton.edu.
