Columbia Center for Oral History Portal > Forty Percent oral history collection on gun violence in America, 2017-2020
| Project: | Forty Percent oral history collection on gun violence in America,
(see all project interviews) | Phys. Desc. : | Transcripts: 1106 pages sound files : digital preservation master | | Location: | Columbia Center for Oral History | | Full CLIO record >> |
Biographical NoteThe Forty Percent oral history project was undertaken by Holly Werner-Thomas, an oral historian, writer, and gun violence prevention (GVP) advocate. The collection title underlines the prevalence of gun violence in the United States, referencing a statistic that, in their lifetimes, forty percent of Americans will be shot or know someone who has been shot. In initiating this avowedly political project, Werner-Thomas sought to document experiences beyond the initial episodes of violence. Interviews also addressed the mostly invisible aftermath of that trauma, including drawn-out legal battles, lost earnings, and lifelong medical and psychological complications. She also sought to examine narrators' feelings of being left behind in a culture that quickly forgets and moves on. At the outset of interviewing, Werner-Thomas was already involved in the GVP community. In 2012, she had founded the Washington, DC chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America (MDA). Interviewing for the collection began in 2017, while Werner-Thomas was in Columbia University's Oral History Master of Arts program. Narrators were located via a variety of means. In September of 2017, Werner-Thomas put out a call via Facebook, then a call via the social media of the Everytown Survivor Network (the Everytown Survivor Network and MDA are both part of the organization Everytown for Gun Safety). Narrators were also sought via word of mouth and GVP community events. Between 2017 and 2020, Werner-Thomas traveled around the country and collected eleven life history interviews.
Scope and ContentsThe Forty Percent oral history collection on gun violence in America documents the experiences of survivors of gun violence. Interviews record the initial episodes of violence but also the aftermath including enduring health and psychological challenges, the legal system, and financial burdens. Some narrators experienced gun violence firsthand, while others are parents, siblings, or other family members of murder victims. The collection documents a wide range of contexts of gun violence. Some narrators describe experiences with domestic violence and speak to how gun violence accompanies other modes of physical or psychological abuse. Other narrators experienced gun violence within the context of inner-city drug dealing cultures. Some narrators describe random brushes with crime. Certain interviews touch on the ease with which shooters with mental health issues obtained firearms. Other interviews address suicide. Stories of gun violence are distributed across the country including Washington, DC; New York City; Florida; Virginia; Arizona; Washington State; Minnesota; and Alabama. Many narrators also describe how their personal experiences with gun violence catalyzed involvement in the gun violence prevention (GVP) community. Organizations discussed include Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America (MDA), Everytown Survivor Network, Everytown for Gun Safety, Wheelchairs Against Guns (WAG), and Domestic Violence Wears Many Tags. Narrators also analyze gun culture in the United States, many of them commenting on gun ownership in their own families or communities. They discuss the political environment around guns including legislative activities, major mass shooting events of the 2010s, and the lobbying power of the firearms industry
The collection's narrators are Betsy Dale Adams; Kenny Barnes, Sr.; Bruce Compton; LaShea Cretain; Marie Garine Delus; Queen Afi Gaston; Kim Gatbunton; Lisette Johnson; Rachael Joseph; Kareem Nelson; Deborah Parker; Elizabeth Partoyan; Kate Ranta; Kim Russell; and Cheryl Stumbo
SubjectsAccess ConditionsCopyright for each interview is held by the narrator. The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York hold non-exclusive licenses to enable library activities
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