“The Story of Us,” a performance that tells the stories of LGBTQI life at UNC-Chapel Hill, premieres on Saturday, April 15, at the FedEx Global Education Center’s Mandela Auditorium. The performance features stories collected by the Southern Oral History Program and archived in Wilson Special Collections Library. Now, they are being brought to life by Carolina actors from Hollywood and Broadway.
The Story of Us has roots in a larger collaboration among the Carolina Pride Alum Network, Wilson Special Collections Library, the Southern Oral History Program and the Department of Communication. Since fall of 2020, an initiative called The Story of Us: Documenting and Preserving LGBTQIA Carolina History has collected oral histories of LGBTQIA Carolina students, alums, faculty and staff.
The oral histories recorded for the Story of Us become part of a permanent collection at Wilson Special Collections Library. The project ensures that LGBTQIA history at Carolina is preserved and accessible.
Those stories also form the basis of “Queerolina: Experiences of Place and Space through Oral Histories.” The digital exhibition centers around an interactive map that links recordings of oral histories to specific spaces at UNC-Chapel Hill, across North Carolina, and beyond.
The Story of Us and Queerolina continue to grow as Tar Heels contribute their stories. To learn more, contact the University Archives at archives@unc.edu or complete an online oral history interest form.
