January 28, 2005

Library of Congress contact: Anneliesa Clump Behrend aclump@loc.gov

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS’S VETERANS HISTORY PROJECT AND THE ASSOCIATION FOR THE STUDY OF AFRICAN AMERICAN LIFE AND HISTORY

To Collect Wartime Memories from African-American Veterans

During Black History Month and throughout the year, the Library of Congress and the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) urge all African American veterans to share their wartime memories with the Veterans History Project, a national archive.

The Library of Congress’s Veterans History Project collects and archives first-hand accounts of U.S. wartime veterans to honor their service and share their stories with current and future generations. In addition, the Veterans History Project collects and archives the personal accounts of U.S. civilians, including USO, Red Cross, and war industry workers, whose valiant work supported our Armed Forces.

Individuals, family members, veterans, civic groups and organizations are invited to interview African American veterans by contacting the Veterans History Project, where staff will provide guidance to ensure that an audio or video interview be made and preserved at the Library of Congress as part of the permanent record of our nation's history. To date the Veterans History Project has nearly 25,000 individual submissions.

“All wartime memories need preserving and by recording these first-hand accounts, we honor the veteran’s service,” stated Diane Kresh, director of the Veterans History Project.

The Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) was founded on September 9, 1915, by Dr. Carter Godwin Woodson and five others, in Chicago, Illinois. Dr. Woodson is the founder of Black History Month and each year ASALH establishes the theme for Black History Month.

To learn more about the Veterans History Project, visit the Web site at http://www.loc.gov/vets/.

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