Shoestring Parents and Neighbors to Participate in Oral History Project

“I hope everyone can hear this project with an open mind and take something from it,” says Kimberly Cotton, an Operation Shoestring parent about her experience recording and creating oral histories here at Shoestring. With the support of the American Council of Learned Societies, Shoestring is hosting a postdoctoral fellow, Dr. Alison Turner,  who is facilitating a community-based oral history project. Along with Dr. Turner, nine Shoestring community members are serving as a committee that developed interview questions and spent this summer interviewing different central Jackson residents. Committee members like Kimberly are currently conducting interviews with dozens of people living in central Jackson to record their stories, knowledge, and memories about  “raising children” in Shoestring neighborhoods and the experience of being raised in central Jackson. Audio and transcripts from the project will be archived at the Margaret Walker Center and shared in a variety of methods with our community.  

Kimberly has two sons, fifth grader Bishop and first grader Boston. Both children are enrolled in our Project Rise afterschool and summer camp program, and Kimberly is a frequent participant in our parent program as well.“I was interested to hear all the different views people have about how they were raised, and how they are raising their kids in Jackson,” explained Kimberly about why she wanted to take part in our oral history project. “I love sitting down to our meetings, fellowshipping, and listening to each other. It’s just nice to have the fellowship of the other women in the group.”

Kimberly says that while she loves interviewing people, she’s most excited to see the outcome of the entire project. “Whatever we decide to do with the final product, I want to see when it’s all put together and transcribed. It’s nice to see things come together like that.”

While this process will run the entire summer and into the fall, Kimberly feels like she’s already gained a lot from it. She’s been impressed not only by the diversity of viewpoints she’s heard, saying that “not everyone has the same viewpoint on raising children. Everyone doesn’t do it the same. It doesn’t come with a manual, you know?” That diversity of experience is why she is so hopeful that the Shoestring and wider Jackson community can experience this project later this year. “I hope people take something from this project, and do more than just read or listen. They can really learn something from it.” 

At Operation Shoestring, we’re working to help create greater equity and opportunity for residents of central Jackson and serve as a catalyst for that work in the larger community. From uplifting the voices of Shoestring families and promoting self-advocacy through oral history projects, to providing safe spaces for kids and families to learn, connect and create, we’re working towards a more hopeful future for us all.