UH Embarks on Oral History of Hurricane Harvey
As Hurricane Harvey inundated Houston, a group text message began ricocheting between researchers at the University of Houston Center for Public History. Assured everyone was safe, the focus quickly shifted to what stands to become the biggest oral history project ever undertaken by the university.
“We were all in our homes watching this event unfold and thought, ‘We need to document this right away’,” said Monica Perales, Center for Public History director.
And with that, “Resilient Houston: Documenting Hurricane Harvey” became the center’s newest and most significant oral history project to date. Its mission is to find and record untold stories about life during and after the storm. It is a collaborative, interdisciplinary effort between faculty, staff and students, who are using their connections to gather stories from the city’s diverse communities and various industries torn apart by the storm.