The Civil Rights History Project: Survey of Collections and Repositories

Washington State Legislature oral history

Repository: Washington State Archives. State Archives Branch.

Collection Description (CRHP): Funded by public and private monies, this ongoing oral history program includes interviews of Washington State legislators. The oral histories are audio-recorded and a few related video tapes are part of this collection as well as photographs. Transcripts, which are published in book form, are available. A number of interviews deal with the civil rights movement. Sam Smith, an African American legislator, is one of the interviewees. Other interviewees who deal with the movement include Joel M. Pritchard, Ray Moore, and Richard O. Barnes.

Access Copy Note: The oral history materials are archived in the Secretary of State, Oral History Programs collection series of the Washington State Archives, and duplications of some material are archived at libraries across the state. In addition, published transcripts are available for accessing at http://apps.leg.wa.gov/oralhistory/histories.aspx.

Collection URL: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/oralhistory/

Digital Status: Partial

Extent: audio cassettes; digital sound recordings; video recordings; photographs; approximately 20 transcripts (book format)

Language: English

Related Archival Items: Some interviewees, such as Sam Smith, have their papers as well in the state archives or other materials in other collections. Washington State Archives also maintains the Legacy Project, another state-sponsored oral history initiative that deals with politics and government.

Interviewees: Sam Smith, Joel M. Pritchard, Ray Moore, Richard O. Barnes

Rights (CRHP): Contact the repository which holds the collection for information on rights

Subjects:

African American politicians--Washington (State)
African Americans--Politics and government
Civil rights--Cases
Washington (State)--Politics and government

Genres:

Interviews
Photographs
Sound recordings
Transcripts
Videorecordings