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Uni High-WILL Oral History Project 2013-2014 Project Overview

Every year, University Laboratory High School students, in collaboration with radio journalists at WILL/Illinois Public Media, initiate an oral history project. This is a two-year-long process of inquiry into a topic of broader social relevance, as seen through the lens of our local community. In their 8th grade social studies classes, students delve into the background surrounding the topic, and conduct oral history interviews with individuals in the Champaign-Urbana community who have a connection to the topic. Students conduct these interviews at the WILL studios, then transcribe and use them as primary sources in beginning to tell a story about the broader topic. Building on this work, a smaller team of high school students then selects segments from the entire set of interviews and uses them to craft a one-hour radio documentary, a series of shorter radio spots, and web-based created content, all of which are disseminated through Illinois Public Media.

Our goal for this year’s oral history project is to explore the right to marry in contemporary American society. This project examines changes in laws, ideas, attitudes and practices regarding interracial, intercultural and same-sex marriage from the perspectives of individuals, couples, and families in east central Illinois from the 20th century to the present. We also seek to understand the experiences of people in non-traditional marriages, and how such experiences have evolved as laws and perspectives, in our local community and in the broader nation, have changed over time.

In 1948, California became the first state to declare the hitherto existing ban on interracial marriage unconstitutional. Through the next two decades, other states followed California’s lead, and in 1967, in Loving v. Virginia, the Supreme Court struck down any remaining state laws prohibiting interracial marriage. The court also declared that marriage was a “basic civil right.” Not only did this decision mark a major milestone in the struggle for interracial marriage equality, but it also provided fuel for another rights-based movement, the rallying for marriage of same-sex couples. One response to this fledgling movement was the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), passed by Congress in 1996, which explicitly defined marriage as being strictly between a man and a woman.

Thus, even as individual states legalized same-sex marriage in the years following the passing of DOMA, same-sex couples married in those states did not receive the federal benefits associated with state-sanctioned (i.e., heterosexual) marriages, including Social Security survivor benefits, immigration rights, joint tax filings, and family and medical leave benefits. Not only were these couples denied federal benefits, but their marriages were not necessarily recognized in any way when they travelled outside their home state.

On June 26, 2013, section 3 of DOMA was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court, making it clear that any same-sex couples married in a state allowing such marriage would be recognized as eligible for federal benefits. The Court also struck down Proposition 8, a ballot initiative banning same-sex marriage in California that originated in 2009 after the state legalized same-sex marriage that same year. As momentous as these milestones are, advocates of same-sex marriage have more work cut out for them, for as of July 2013, only thirteen states had legalized same-sex marriage.

Such historical milestones affect the evolution of attitudes and practices in Champaign-Urbana. As a result, we are interested in exploring these developments in the history of our local community. We also have another local interest: the battle for same-sex marriage in Illinois is very much an ongoing one, with a bill having passed the state Senate but been stalled in the House. Given these developments, this is a timely period in which to explore local efforts to advocate for and educate people about same-sex marriage. The Champaign-Urbana community plays host to people involved with a number of organizations, including the statewide campaign known as Illinois Unites for Marriage, the Champaign County Uniting Pride organization, and the LGBT Resource Center serving University of Illinois students. These groups and people have contributed and continue to contribute to the making of milestones such as the ones we described earlier. One of the stories we wish to tell through this oral history project is about the efforts of these people.

Yet another goal of this project is to explore some of the struggles and controversies surrounding non-traditional marriages: What has made the prospect of interracial, intercultural, or same-sex marriages unfeasible or worrisome to some people? How have times changed, and in what ways does the present situation recall parallels with circumstances in the past? In what ways are the movements for interracial, intercultural, and same-sex marriage similar to and different from each other? How have the movements for interracial, intercultural, and same-sex marriages impacted the lives of people in our community and our society? In short, our goal with this project is to create a cohesive narrative about how individuals, couples, organizations, and communities have been involved in working towards the right to marry for all citizens, regardless of race, ethnic background, religious affiliation or sexual orientation.

In order to better understand all aspects of efforts for marriage equality, we hope to interview people from the following categories from whom we know we will be able to glean insights: > > > > We also intend for our set of interviewees to encompass a range of demographics, including age, race, gender, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status.
 * Couples who are in same-sex, interracial, or intercultural partnerships or marriages
 * Individuals who have grown up in families with interracial, same-sex, or intercultural partnerships or marriages, or as close friends of people in such relationships
 * Individuals who have been involved in preparing couples for or officiating at interracial, intercultural or same-sex marriages (as counselors, clergy members, government officials)
 * Individuals who have been active in advocating for interracial/same-sex/intercultural marriage rights

If you’re aware of anyone who falls into any of these categories and may be willing to share their experiences with us, please contact us and/or pass our project overview to any interested parties. Because interviews must be conducted in person at the WILL studios in Urbana, all of our interviewees must be from the central Illinois area. However, we also welcome suggestions of relevant contacts as well as other sources (books, audio, video, websites, archives, or other pertinent materials), for background information. Thank you in advance!

The 2013-2014 Uni High/WILL Oral History Project student producers, Uni High Class of 2015: lerbach@illinois || Simone Gewirth gewirth@illinois.edu || Alice Hu alicehu@illinois.edu || Vinay Koshy vkoshy@illinois.edu || Ema Ondrejckova ondrejck@illinois.edu || Nafisa Syed syd@illinois.edu ||
 * Linus Erbach

Dept. of Social Studies University Laboratory High School jmorford@illinois.edu (217) 333-6307 || Kimberlie Kranich (WILL project manager) Director of Community Engagement Illinois Public Media kranich@illinois.edu (217) 244-5072 ||
 * Janet Morford (faculty sponsor)