A student-led initiative to capture and preserve the history of South Phoenix, Arizona
During March 2026, the South Phoenix Oral History Project’s “Spring Break in the Archives” allowed students to research historical materials, including digitizing photos, compiling art by Clendolyn Corbin, and analyzing Winstona Aldridge’s personal photographs. Student work will enhance future public access and educational events.
Spring 2026 Over the course of several weeks, 22 history students at South Mountain Community College put their research into action. Informed by coursework content,
…And the importance of local history Dr. Cherland will be speaking at the Valley Leadership gathering on March 7th. Her talk will introduce participants to
Brief introduction to the new community archive at South Mountain Community College
A short film by the South Phoenix Oral History Project. In partnership with the Storytelling Institute. South Mountain Community College, 2025.
Dr. Summer Cherland will be speaking at the Black Collections Symposium at Arizona State University on October 17th, 2024. She is on a panel organized
Dr. Summer Cherland’s talk, “Where is South Phoenix: In Four Stories” explores Phoenix history from Territorial Arizona to the contemporary period, and includes a discussion
ABC15’s story on South Phoenix History.
Verna McClain never made a lot of money. But she made a major impact. You too, can make a difference in the lives of students
By Summer Cherland Join us to celebrate the launch of a new book about oral history, culturally relevant teaching, and student-centered teaching. The book, written
Guidelines for using South Phoenix Oral History Project content and multimedia in your research, presentations, and publications
HISTORY | DIVERSITY | OPPORTUNITY Announcing the South Phoenix Historic Driving Tour! Explore South Phoenix history from its ancient origins to contemporary possibility. The tour
Take a look at our South Phoenix history archive as it is being built.
How the South Phoenix Oral History Project Started, and Why It Matters In 2017, a group of students decided to research the history of their
Over the last couple of years, Ele Anedda – an international researcher who was trained at Columbia University’s Oral History Program – studied the effects
Resistance, Community Control, and Higher Education in South Phoenix, 1977‒1981 Learn more about the origins of South Mountain Community College and the South Phoenix Oral History
Join us for this four-day intensive summer camp. Open to incoming high school juniors and seniors. Learn about your community’s heritage. Document and preserve our
JOIN US ON JULY 11 FOR A FREE VIRTUAL PROGRAM! Recent Journal of Arizona History author Summer Cherland will discuss higher education in South Phoenix,
The holidays are a great time to collect family tales. They’re also a good time for sharing and discussing generational and historical stories. This year,
Complete our survey on the boundaries and landmarks of South Phoenix
From SMCC’s Media Release: South Mountain Community College has been selected as a top-ten finalist in two of the three available categories for a prestigious
Summer reflects on an a-ha moment with narrator Garry Walters.
Click to read what we’ve been up to this summer!
The South Phoenix Oral History Project and the Storytelling Institute at South Mountain Community College invite you to relive your memories of “cruising down,” working
Date correction: July 19-23rd. Join us for this interactive, intensive multi-day workshop for oral historians. Participants will learn to analyze and index completed oral histories
Southphoenixoralhistory.com is getting a new look! Please forgive any confusion or visual clutter as we revamp our website this summer!
Have you enjoyed learning more about South Phoenix and local history? Are you interested in giving back to the community? The South Phoenix Oral History
Hear from the faculty founders:
Celebrating 40 Years of South Mountain Community College A new documentary from the South Phoenix Oral History Project
From Website to Archive: Designing Metadata for the South Phoenix Oral History Project In this piece, oral historian Eleonora Anedda will explore SPOH’s approach to
It’s Time for Us: The South Phoenix Oral History Project
is student-led, student-researched, student-published, student-sustaining.
Dr. Summer Cherland is speaking at the American Anthropological Association Conference in Tampa on 11/22/24. Click here for her slides.
South Phoenix Oral History Project 