Deep Roots: African American Histories in the Imperial Valley

The Deep Roots Oral History Project exhibit is part of a collection of lived experiences as told by some of Imperial Valley’s earliest African American residents and their descendants.

The exhibit presents some of the participants’ histories using a mixture of video, audio and interactive components to create an intimate and immersive experience.

The oral history project was started in 2020 as a collaborative effort between the nonprofit Imperial Valley Social Justice Committee and San Diego State University-Imperial Valley.

Visitors are encouraged to share their own personal experiences by using the custom-made telephone booth outfitted with a recording device to add to the oral history collection.

An archive of the videos and transcripts of the participants’ interviews will be housed at the SDSU-IV library in Calexico for the community and scholars to access.