The Dig

Pie Down Here w/ Robin D.G. Kelley

14 snips
Aug 27, 2025
Robin D.G. Kelley, a UCLA history professor and author known for his studies on social movements and radicalism, shares fascinating reflections on his interviews with 1930s Alabama sharecroppers. He emphasizes the significance of oral history in shaping collective memory and identity. Kelley also discusses the powerful grassroots activism of that era, highlighting the struggles of Black workers and the dynamics of labor movements amidst racial challenges. His insights reveal the enduring impact of community empowerment in shaping modern social movements.
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INSIGHT

Oral History As Past-Present Dialogue

  • Robin D.G. Kelley frames oral history as a dialogue between past and present that shapes memory.
  • He emphasizes that interviewees' present viewpoints influence how they recount events.
ANECDOTE

First Research Trip With Broken Gear

  • Kelley recalls his first Deep South trip in 1986 with poor equipment and taped-over cassettes.
  • He admits the technical limits made some recordings, like Lemon Johnson's, difficult to hear.
ANECDOTE

Nanny Washburn’s Porch Stories

  • Nanny Washburn showed Kelley photos and sang workers' songs while describing harsh sharecropper winters.
  • She recounted near-starvation winters and the minimal 'furnishings' landlords provided.
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