tina history

Historical Memorial Project: Project Proposal The African American Experience in North Carolina

Due: Week 12 Points: 50 points

What Is the Project Proposal? Before you begin creating your historical memorial, you need to decide what story you want your memorial to tell and why that story matters. The proposal is the first step in your semester-long project. It gives you an opportunity to introduce your topic, explain its historical importance, and describe your initial idea for the memorial. You are not writing a formal 1–2 page paper. Instead, you will answer the questions below in complete sentences. Your answers should be thoughtful and specific. When you answer all of the questions, your responses should be approximately one page. Your proposal will also help me ensure your topic is appropriate for the project before you move forward with your research. Before You Begin Your topic must focus on African American history in North Carolina. You may focus on:

● A historical person ● An event ● A movement ● A community ● An institution ● Another topic related to African American history in North Carolina, with instructor approval

You should choose a topic that gives you enough historical information to research, and that could reasonably be represented through a public memorial or public history project.

Proposal Questions: Make sure you answer each question completely, as feedback will be provided based on your answers. Question 1: What is your topic?: Identify the person, event, movement, community, or institution you would like to focus on. Be specific. Your response should:

● Clearly identify your topic. ● Include the location in North Carolina when relevant. ● Give the dates or time period when relevant.

Example: Instead of saying “Civil Rights,” you could focus on the Greensboro Sit-ins of 1960 and their significance to the Civil Rights Movement in North Carolina.

Question 2: What is the historical importance of your topic? Why is this topic important to North Carolina history? Think about:

● What happened? ● Who was involved? ● What did this person, event, movement, community, or institution accomplish? ● How did it affect African Americans in North Carolina? ● How did it affect North Carolina more broadly?

You do not need to provide a complete history of your topic here. Give me enough background to understand why your topic matters. Question 3: Why should this history be remembered today? Public memorials are about memory. They help communities decide what stories should be remembered and shared with future generations. Explain why you think your topic deserves public recognition today. Consider:

● Is this history well-known? ● Has this history been overlooked or forgotten? ● What can people today learn from this history? ● Why is this story still relevant?

Question 4: What type of memorial are you considering? Choose the type of public memorial you are currently considering. Possible options include:

● Monument or memorial ● Historical marker ● Mural ● Museum exhibit ● Walking tour ● Public art installation ● Digital memorial ● Another public history project

Your response should identify the type of memorial and briefly explain why you think this format would work well for your topic. You are making a proposal, so your idea can change as you continue your research. Question 5: Where would your memorial be located? Identify a possible location for your memorial. Your location should be connected to your topic. For example, your memorial might be located:

● At the site where an event occurred ● In the community where someone lived or worked

● At an institution connected to the history ● In a public space where visitors could learn about the history

Briefly explain why this location makes sense for your memorial. Question 6: What do you want visitors to learn? Imagine that your memorial has been completed and someone visits it. What is the one major idea, lesson, or message you want that visitor to take away? Your answer should begin by thinking about the purpose of your memorial, not just what information you will include.

Preliminary Research You do not need to have completed all of your research yet. However, you should begin identifying sources that can help you learn more about your topic. Primary Sources: List two primary sources you may use in your project. Examples include:

● Photographs ● Newspapers ● Letters ● Speeches ● Government documents ● Oral histories ● Interviews ● Maps ● Advertisements ● Historical records

List Primary Source 1: List Primary Source 2: Secondary Source: List one secondary source that can help you understand your topic. Examples include:

● Scholarly books ● Journal articles ● Academic websites ● Historical studies

Secondary Source: Note: These sources are preliminary. You may find additional or different sources as your research develops.

A Note About Your Proposal Your proposal is not your final project. You are expected to develop and refine your ideas as you conduct more research. Your topic, memorial design, location, or sources may change as you learn more. The goal of this assignment is simply to establish a strong starting point for your Historical Memorial Project. Think like a public historian: What story should we remember? Why does it matter? And how can we help the public understand it?