The Historic Sounds of Coolidge
Written by Selina Musuta Monday, 02 June 2008 18:33
On Dec 19, Radio Rootz partnered with the Oral History Project in a community building event that featured 40 years of stories from Coolidge alumni.
Alumni included: DC Deputy Fire Chief, a jazz musician whose work included the Cosby Show's theme song, former Black Panther and accomplished anthropologist, and Coolidge's current principal.
In December 2007, Selina Musuta of Radio Rootz DC and Ingrid Drake
of The Oral History Project hosted the Sounds of Coolidge: Past,
Present, and Future, a public showcase of the radio work produced by
Calvin Coolidge Senior High School students.
Selina and Ingrid have been working with Coolidge students over the year teaching the how tos of researching, interviewing, recording, and editing
The audio celebration garnered the attention of 40 alumni, administrators, teachers, students, and community members. Event
participants were able to hear from The Oral History Project archives,
40 years of stories from Coolidge alumni - including student activism,
fashion, and music as well as youth produced radio pieces from Radio
Rootz’s 2007 Youth Media Project. Not only was it a night to share
audio. It was also a night for alumni that attended to share stories
about the trouble they caused, laugh at the clothes they wore, and
express their Coolidge pride. The event also inspired a
cross-generational dialogue about the level of political consciousness
amongst today’s youth.
