About 1Question
Oral tradition. It is how we know those stories from Uncle Charles' summer fishing trips, and Aunt Jenny's pound cake recipe. It is how we reminisce on the stories that have made us laugh throughout the years and the moments that have brought us to tears. It is how we remember the wisdom of the ancestors, and the lessons from loved ones long since passed on.
Each of these conversations, anecdotes, and stories, exchanged amongst friends, family members, and across generations, are a part of the larger oral tapestry of long memories that breathe life into the Black Experience.
The 1Question project seeks to compile these stories of triumph and tragedy, success and failure, love and loss, and all of the moments, from the marvelous to the mundane, to preserve memories, and share the experiences of people throughout the African Diaspora.
We invite you to take some time and find a special person, choose one question, and have a special conversation.
Add your Story
Participating in the 1Question project is simple
1. Select a digital recording device, preferably one with a microphone attached. If you are using a cell phone, an attached microphone will provide better sound quality than simply using the phone's speaker mode to record.
2. Find a quiet place with little or no background noise from air conditioners, televisions, fans, etc.
3. Sit as close as possible to ensure the microphone and device pick up each voice clearly.
4. The device should be set to the highest quality recording setting.
5. Click this link to upload the recording, along with a picture of the two participants to the 1Question website.
Click here to choose a question
Conversations
At the heart of the 1Question Project are the conversations, the stories, the personal testimonies and expressions of feelings between friends, family members and loved ones. We invite you to listen to the conversations below and hope you are encouraged and inspired to participate by adding your unique voice and story to the 1Question oral history archive.
The Experience
While the goal of the 1Question project is to build an archive of unique conversations that present a diverse depiction of the Black Experience, there are some topics that speak to specific aspects of that experience. In this section 1Question will focus on conversations centered around topics of historic and cultural significance and those dealing with news and events particularly relevant to the Black community.