Oral History group with (from left) Michelle Padrón, Moraes Eduardo Barbosa, London Newton and Queue. Photo by Camille Nevarez-Hernandez
The Western North Carolina Historical Association (WNCHA) will host two History Hour webinars in June to mark Pride Month. These include Queer Voices of the Past and Present: Documenting, Remembering, and Celebrating LGBTQ Lives in Western North Carolina, presented by Dr. Travis Rountree, and Stories From the LGBTQIA+ Archive of Western NC, presented by Dr. Amanda Wray.
Rountree is an assistant professor and vice president of the Appalachian Studies Association at Western Carolina University. He’s also a board member for Blue Ridge Pride and chair of Sylva Pride. Last year, Rountree and his colleagues at the university received an internal grant to expand a collection of oral narratives of LGBTQ+ voices in the Jackson County area. “There has always been an LGBTQ+ community here in Jackson County and we need to recognize that while celebrating those who are new here, including new members of the community and students,” he says. Rountree’s presentation takes place on Zoom at 6 p.m. on Thursday, June 2.
Wray, an associate professor at UNC Asheville, has been working with several UNCA student interns and Blue Ridge Pride to record and archive oral history interviews and catalogue newspapers, scrapbooks and other materials that document the lives of the regional LGBTQ+ community. “My presentation will share storytelling snippets across 50 years of LGBTQ+ history,” she says.
“I really hope everyone will leave this event inspired to ask more questions and listen deeply to the people in their life. There is no one better to record your family history than you. For many LGBTQIA+ folks, our family is mostly chosen, because blood can reject you, which is why we are working to document the diverse LGBTQIA+ community of Southern Appalachia.” Wray’s presentation takes place on Zoom at 6 p.m. on Thursday, June 16.
For more information or to register for these events, visit WNCHistory.org.
