The Eliot Oral History Project was an effort by Eliot residents to record stories of the neighborhood’s past, and to grow diverse, meaningful relationships within our community.

In 2009 residents of the Eliot Neighborhood were inspired to begin recording the stories of their neighborhood. The community has a rich cultural background, from the jazz clubs of Williams Avenue to the breakfast programs served by the Black Panther Party. The following year, thanks to a grant from the Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods, six youth from Boise Eliot School teamed up with neighbors Laurie Simpson and Arlie Sommer to interview elders from the community.

Students prepared for each interview by researching the neighborhood’s history and learning interviewing techniques. Every person that was interviewed recommended more wonderful storytellers and the project continued to interview residents with the help of Port City Development Center, the Ivy School, and numerous other neighborhood entities.

We hope that you too will be inspired to reach out to your neighbor and listen to their stories.