Destee's Thoughts Interviewing Our Elders

Destee

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Peace and Blessings Family,

I am sooooo excited !!! :jumping: :jumping: :jumping:

I don't think this idea of mine is new, unique, or original ... actually, it is probably an innate part of us.

Verbally telling the stories of our lives, passing them down from one to the other.

Well, with technology being what it is, we can hear the voices of our Elders, record them, and have the stories to share ... in their own voice ... for years to come!

I'm sooooooo excited !!! :jumping: :jumping: :jumping:

Okay ... so ... as i thought on this, i thought wait ... i have an Elder ... my Mother-in-Law, who is 86 years old !!! :toast:

She has lived a long time, seen a lot, and not each and every one of us have an 86 year old we can go to, and ask questions of!

In addition, far too often, we let our Elders become Ancestors, without ever capturing their stories!

We should not let this happen anymore! It makes no sense at all!

So i'd like to encourage you all to consider the Elders in your Family (70+), and ask them to share with us.

They don't have to have a computer, as the interviews can be over the phone.

My question to you all is ... what questions should we ask them?

I'm thinking that we should have about 10 questions or so, that each Elder can respond to, as well as providing any additional information or stories they'd like.

So Family ... what questions should we be asking our Elders?

What do we need to know from them, before they leave us?

Oh Boy ... i'm soooooooo excited !!! :jumping: :jumping: :jumping:

Looking forward to your questions and suggestions.

Much Love and Peace.

:heart:

Destee
 
Finally!!

Beautiful Destee! Beautiful Goddess Auset333!! I'm so glad finally someone has picked up on this vision. I've been hearing the Ancestors screaming at us about this idea for a long time. This is the core reason why I am studying Videocasting now, as well as DVD authoring.

For some reason, the Elders love talking to me. I don't know what it is. For the time I was a child, Elders always shared things with me they would never tell other children. Even now.

Here in Atlanta, we have a wealth of Elders who walked with Dr. King, some who "protected" Malcolm. I talk to these Elders all the time. And I'm thinking to myself, now why isn't anyone interviewing these Men and Women who were actually there?? I figured, fate wanted me to be the one to do it. Because, this is the honest truth. Some of these Elders have very valuable information that they won't tell anyone BUT us.

Just today, I spoke with a Gentlemen who wanted to reproduce some of the old newspapers he had. I was busy with another project, and I was going to tell him maybe next week. But I felt something, something told me- no-no-no. This is an Elder who paved a way for many of us here today. Guess what.

I checked the newspapers he had. He has been collecting a black newspaper published back in july 15, 1936. I will try to get a copy from him later. I was shocked that some of the material discussed in the paper, could be read right off this very forum. As if time hasn't moved an inch for Black folks since 1936.

There was an article in it that said Blacks shouldn't buy from businesses that don't hire them. I said to myself, we are going through this same thing right now! Still!

Our greatest sin as a nation, I've always said is that we have lost touch with our Elders. We need to improve that relationship. They have allot to teach us, and most of them are at the age where they love to talk, and we need to learn to love to listen. I love to listen to the Elders.

This is big. This is needed. No backing down. Let's do it. Action, Action, Action.
 
Thank You Sister Goddess and Brother MetaSaience.

Family ... we need to come up with the (final 10) questions as quickly as possible, as i have an Elder waiting in the wings already! :D

I'd like for us to have the list ready, so that each Elder may receive the same questions (in advance).

So far, i've come up with the following. As you'll notice, each number has several questions, but they are all related (i think). I want the questions to be good, allowing this to be our own oral history, which means they've got to be really good! :)

So of course mine may not qualify ... but here goes ...


1. Please tell us about yourself, whatever you'd like us to know about you!

2. Were you raised with both your Mother and Father? On a farm, in the city? What was your Family life like, lots of siblings, etc? Where in the Family do you fall, oldest, youngest, etc.? Please tell us the story.

3. Have you been married? How many children? How long were you married? What were some of the sacrifices and challenges of making strong, lasting, and loving marriages? What would you say to encourage young people today, to help them make lasting relationships?

4. What were the race conditions like when and where you grew up?

5. Were you ever discriminated against, because you are Black? If so, would you share some of those stories with us? When did it happen, where were you, how old, tell us the whole story!



Brother OldSoul ... if you are reading ... please give us some ideas for questions. You always encourage us to ask the right questions, so, if ever there was a time to ask the right ones ... i think it's now! :)

Okay Family ... we're harvesting our own oral history, from those who lived it, before us.

What questions need to be asked?

:heart:

Destee
 
Beloved MWkg MS:

As always, I am honored to be in the presence of the Truth and reality in you.
-----------------------------------------------
MS: For some reason, the Elders love talking to me. I don't know what it is. For the time I was a child, Elders always shared things with me they would never tell other children. Even now.
---------------------------------------------------------
Beloved, I sense that they saw a wise Old Soul in you. The same happens to me also.

Just like a Womb gender whose breast is full with Milk after given birth, the elders are so full of Knowledge, and they are bursting to share it with those who will listen to them attentively. Every womb gender who have given birth and had the Full Hard breast milk expereince knows the Freedom when that Breast Milk is gone. Elders get energized when we listen to them, because by listening to them we are taping into their Power of their knowledge.

We Behead ourselves of Much Knowledge, over standing and Wisdom when we are separated from the Divine Elders, and we wonder why we are confused, struggling...and the likes of. Our struggles is telling us we need to reconnect.

When we are disconnected from the Source, the Extra Support Elders are, we Cut the Cord to our Life line.

Beloved Destee, those are good questions.

What I encourage our people to do is to video tape our elders answering these questions and make enough copies to give others in the family.



:qqb018: :qqb018: :qqb018:
 
1. Did you personally know any relatives that were enslaved?

2. If yes, How did the family handle that?

3. Did you grow up on a plantation?

4. Did the elders share stories with you?

5. Would you mind sharing some of the stories with us?

6. What was it like for you growing up during segregation?

7. Who were your childhood friends? What did yall do for fun and what did yall talk about?

8. How did you feel about being born black?

9. If you could go back and do something different, what would that be?

Oh yeah, a few more!

10. How far back can you trace your relatives?

11. Did you ever leave home? If yes, how old were you and why did you decide to leave?

12. If your parents raised you, what are some of your most cherished memories about them?

:heart:
 

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