Saddest Days Oral History collection

The Saddest Days Oral History collection contains digital and analog recordings and transcriptions of 175 interviews conducted in the wake of Hurricane Katrina from September 2005 to July 2006. The vast majority of the interviews were conducted in seven southern states, which make up the area to which most of the displaced persons from the Gulf Coast region were evacuated. Overall, the interviews were conducted in approximately twenty different cities or towns. The target population for the project was primarily African Americans; however, individuals identified with a diverse range of racial or ethnic identities. Overall, more than seventy-five percent identified as African American, with the remainder split between Afro-Hondurans and European Americans. A total of sixteen individuals conducted the interviews. A majority of the interviews were conducted by D’Ann R. Penner and Cynthia Garza. In addition, Penner wrote up extensive field notes when interviewees preferred not to be recorded and these notes are included in the collection. The collection also contains supplementary documentary and photographic materials given by the interviewers or interviewees. Digital copies of a recruitment flyer, press release, and interview protocols are present.