Alex Harris is a documentary photographer, author, and professor emeritus at the Center for Documentary Studies in Durham, North Carolina. The over 700 black-and-white and color photographs in the collection span his career, and include projects exploring the landscapes and peoples of Alaska, the American South, New Mexico, and Cuba; portraits of older reading volunteers and students in Philadelphia; students on strike at Yale University; counter-culture people at a Rainbow Gathering in Arizona; the artist's son tethered to his game device; elderly people living on their own in North Carolina; the interior of author Reynolds Price's home; and movie production sets in the South. The gelatin silver and inkjet prints range in size from 8x10 inch reference prints to 24x36 inch exhibit prints. Harris's professional papers document his collaborations with other photographers and writers on books and exhibitions, including anthropologist Gertrude Duby Blom, naturalist E.O. Wilson, and South African photographers; they also cover his long career at Duke University, as teacher, author, and co-founder of the Center for Documentary Studies and its publication, DoubleTake. In addition to the paper records, there are many recorded oral histories and interviews. Acquired as part of the Archive of Documentary Arts at Duke University.

The over 700 black-and-white and color photographs in the collection date from Harris's earliest photographic work as a graduate student at Yale University, to his more recent work documenting movie sets in the South. The subjects range widely, and include the landscapes and peoples of Alaska, the American South, New Mexico, and Cuba; portraits of older reading volunteers and students in Philadelphia; students on strike at Yale University; counter-culture people at a Rainbow Gathering in Arizona; the artist's son going about his day, tethered to his gaming device; elderly people living on their own in central North Carolina; views of the art-filled interiors of author Reynolds Price's home; and movie production sets in the South. The gelatin silver and inkjet prints range in size from 8x10 inch reference prints to 24x36 inch exhibit prints.

The remaining series house Harris's papers, which document collaborations with other photographers and writers, including Gertrude Duby Blom and E.O. Wilson, and South Africa photographers; they also document his career at Duke University as a teacher, author, and co-founder of the Center for Documentary Studies (CDS) and its serial publication, DoubleTake. The Publicity and Audiovisual Materials Series contains recordings of lectures as well as publicity for exhibits and publications. The Correspondence Series includes not only Harris's exchanges with other photographers, friends, and professionals, but also grant applications, research notes, drafts and proofs, print materials, and some photographs. The DoubleTake files consist mainly of materials generated during the planning stages and early years of the magazine's existence. Materials on Harris's extensive collaborations on other publications, documentary projects, and related exhibitions make up the large Project Files Series, which includes many oral histories and interviews related to his projects, mostly on cassette tapes (use copies must be made for access). The Teaching Materials Series comprises syllabi, student writings and slides, and other materials from classes taught by Harris mainly through the CDS at Duke University. Finally, the Proof Prints Series contains a small number of proof prints related to various projects.

The Behind the Veil: Documenting African-American Life in the Jim Crow South project was undertaken by Duke University's Center for Documentary Studies from 1990-2005. Its goal was to record and preserve African American experiences in the American South from the 1890s to the 1950s. Materials in the Behind the Veil project collection date from about 1864 to 2011, with the bulk dating from the 1990s; earlier dates represent original image content rather than the reproduction date. The collection comprises over 1200 oral history interviews with associated transcripts and administrative files, several thousand historic and contemporary photographs, and project records, which include paper and electronic administrative files and audiovisual recordings. Oral histories were conducted in 19 locations, chiefly in the South; topics represented in these recordings include childhood, religion, education, politics, celebrations and other events, family histories, work histories and military service, and details about segregation and the effects of racism in the South. Acquired as part of the John Hope Franklin Research Center for African American History and Culture at Duke University.

Materials in the Behind the Veil project collection date from about 1864 to 2011, with the bulk dating from the 1990s; earlier dates represent original image content rather than the reproduction date. The core component of the collection comprises over 1200 oral histories conducted by Behind the Veil interviewers with African Americans in cities, towns, and rural locations in Georgia; Arkansas; Michigan; Alabama; North Carolina; Los Angeles, California; Mississippi; Tennessee; Kentucky; Louisiana; Virginia; South Carolina, and Florida. The majority of the interviews were conducted during summers between 1993 to 1995, with additional interviews added from 1995 to 2004. These interviews, originally recorded by Behind the Veil staff and volunteers on audiocassettes, have been digitized; in addition, all other project records and images are currently being digitized and will be made available as they are ingested into the Duke Digital Repository.

A second core component consists of over 2100 historical and contemporary photographic images in the form of black-and-white and color slides, photographic prints, and negatives. These form several large groups: donated historical materials imaged at interview locations by BTV staff; contemporary photographs taken by staff as they gave interviews and explored local communities; and photographs of BTV staff at work, BTV offices, and project events and training. Historic images in slide format include many photographs of African American individuals and families dating from the 1880s to the mid-20th century; they also include images of documents such as news clippings, military papers, political ephemera, school diplomas, and brief publications. The images are described in more detail in their listings in this collection guide.

The remainder of the collection consists of project administrative records. These files - in paper and electronic format - include National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) grant information; correspondence; staffing records; meeting notes and minutes; outreach; files on publication and exhibit projects; and information on classes, seminars, and training given for students and project staff.

The Behind the Veil collection not only focuses on the experiences of individuals, but also reflects the importance of black institutions as the backbone of black communities. The interviews, documents and photographs reflect the crucial role that black churches, fraternal societies, women's clubs, and political organizations played in African American community life. The testimony of educators and students from historically black colleges, agricultural schools and institutes enrich conventional beliefs about black agency in segregated schools.

Although the focus of the interviews was on the Jim Crow era, the life history format of most interviews led informants to comment on events after segregation. Information about civil rights struggles in the 1960s, African American participation in desegregation within local communities, and post-1965 activism and community work are also included in many Behind the Veil interviews. The interviews in this collection also raise crucial questions about the shape of memory and the creation of narratives that can inform not only research in oral history but also literature and anthropology. Research into black religion can be enriched by the voices of Behind the Veil. Studies that examine oppression and resistance could be informed by the rich documentary record of labor and social culture that the collection presents. The Behind the Veil collection illuminates innumerable topics, time periods, and research interests.

Consumer Reports is a product testing and consumer advocacy nonprofit organization based in Yonkers, N.Y., founded in 1936. The oral history project was organized by Sybil Shainwald and the staff of the Center for the Study of Consumer Movements (CSCM) to capture reminiscences of senior Consumers Union staff and others active in the consumer movement. The collection includes articles and clippings; audiocassettes; biographical sketches, lectures, speeches, and other background information; correspondence and memoranda; prject procedures and guidelines; prospective interviewee and contact lists; transcripts of recordings; workflow and legal release forms and other materials that document the establishment and operation of the oral history project. Interviewees include A.J Isserman; Arthur Kallet; Colston E. Warne; Edward Brecher; Edward Reich; Esther Peterson; Florence Mason; Henry Harap; Irving Michelson; Leland Gordon; Monte Florman; Paul Kern; Sidney Shainwald; Sybil Shainwald; and William L. Nunn. Acquired as part of the John W. Hartman Center for Sales, Advertising & Marketing History.

The collection includes articles and clippings; audiocassettes; biographical sketches, lectures, speeches, and other background information; correspondence and memoranda; prject procedures and guidelines; prospective interviewee and contact lists; transcripts of recordings; workflow and legal release forms and other materials that document the establishment and operation of the oral history project. Interviewees include A.J Isserman; Arthur Kallet; Colston E. Warne; Edward Brecher; Edward Reich; Esther Peterson; Florence Mason; Henry Harap; Irving Michelson; Leland Gordon; Monte Florman; Paul Kern; Sidney Shainwald; Sybil Shainwald; and William L. Nunn.

Collection consists of computer files comprising oral histories conducted by students with Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transexual, or Queer (LGBTQ) Duke alumni. The oral histories document the inviduduals' experiences as members of the LGBTQ community before, during, and after their time at Duke. The alumni attended Duke between the mid-1970s and 2000s and describe experiences at and around Duke and Durham, North Carolina from a variety of perspectives and time periods. The oral histories were collected as part of the Spring 2015 class LGBTQ History and Activism: Duke, Durham, and Beyond. Computer files include audio files (WAV and MP3), field notes and tape logs (DOC and DOCX), and the occasional supporting document file.

Collection consists of computer files comprising oral histories conducted by students with LGBTQ Duke alumni in 2015 and 2016. The oral histories document the inviduduals' experiences as members of the LGBTQ community before, during, and after their time at Duke. The alumni attended Duke between the mid-1970s and 2000s and describe experiences at and around Duke and Durham, North Carolina from a variety of perspectives and time periods.

Some interviews also compare the LGBTQ experience at Duke and in Durham to other locations around the country over different time periods.

The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies (JCPES) is a nonprofit American research and public policy institution, or think tank, founded in 1970 to aid black elected officials in creating effective policy and successfully serve their constituents. The collection includes subject files, writings, publications, photographs, audiovisual materials, and electronic records pertaining to JCPES events, programs, and projects especially of concern to African Americans in the late 20th century. Collection acquired as part of the John Hope Franklin Research Center for African and African American History and Culture.

The collection is comprised of administrative records for the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, and includes correspondence, memoranda, budgets, funding reports, publications, policy research studies, conference materials, photographs, audiovisual media, and electronic records. Areas of study include healthcare, HIV/AIDS, minority business, television violence, young fathers, education, and minority community representation.

Among its many publications, JCPES published FOCUS magazine from 1972 to 2011, which covered national issues for an audience largely comprised of black elected officials (BEOs). The collection also includes oral histories of Joint Center founders and influencers, interview transcripts, an extensive history of JCPES, materials from the The Joint Center South Africa office which provided post-Apartheid political assistance activities, and original Southern Regional Council publications.

Other materials include interviews/oral histories with founders Louis Martin, educator Kenneth B. Clark who was the first African American president of the American Psychological Association; and McGeorge Bundy, who served as United States National Security Advisor to Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson on foreign and defense policy from 1961 through 1966. Interviews and transcripts that add historical perspective to African American issues are conversations with Southern black mayors; African American architect and social activist Carl Anthony; and Ernest Green, one of the Little Rock Nine.

Conferences included forums, roundtables, and speeches from notable figures, elected officials, and congressional members including Maya Angelou, Joe Biden, Cory Booker, Edward Brooke, Ron Brown, Carol Moseley Braun, George H.W. Bush, Barbara Bush, Henry Cisneros, Shirley Chisholm, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Charles Diggs, John Hope Franklin, Jesse Jackson, Maynard Jackson, Valerie Jarrett, Barbara Jordan, Vernon Jordan, Jack Kemp, Coretta Scott King, John Lewis, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Barack Obama, Colin Powell, Charles Rangel, Ronald Reagan, Kasim Reed, Condoleezza Rice, Susan Rice, Donna Shalala, Rodney Slater, Doug Wilder, and Andrew Young. Joint Center historical notes compiled by Darlene Clark Hine are included, as well as Juan Williams' historical publication The Joint Center: Portrait of a Black Think Tank. The files and speeches of Joint Center past presidents Eddie N. Williams; Togo West, Jr.; Ralph Everett, Esq.; and past vice president Eleanor Farrar add insight to the Joint Center's mission of illuminating concerns and trends affecting 20th century African Americans to the legislative influencers most able to effect change.

The Printed Materials and Publications series was added to the collection in 2021 by former JCPES employee Margaret Simms. Some of these titles are duplicated elsewhere in the collection.

The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Duke is a non-degree-granting program for adults. Collection includes administrative records, publications, catalogs, photographs, oral histories, and other material related to OLLI at Duke and its history.

Collection includes administrative materials, including publications, catalogs, photographs, and other material related to OLLI at Duke and its history, as well as administrative material from Duke Continuing Studies, such as annual reports. Additionally, 29 oral histories created in 2022 with administrators and instructors detail the history of the program.

Oral history interviews with Palestinian students and artists, created by Duke students for the course AMES 204FS, "Documenting the Middle East," taught by Nancy Kalow.

Seventeen oral history interviews with students and artists from Palestine and the Palestinian diaspora, created by classes led by instructor Nancy Kalow between 2017 and 2020. For each interview, students in the class created notes and transcripts, as well as 4-minute audio projects distilled from the interviews, for a Duke Service-Learning website, "Arabic Communities:" https://sites.duke.edu/arabiccommunities/palestine/. The interviewees shared stories of their daily lives, cultural traditions, Palestinian identity, experiences living in refugee camps, their educational experiences, family stories, observations and stories about living under occupation, and their personal and professional interests and activities.

Oral histories, transcriptions, videos, and fieldnotes created by students in Doc Studies 321S-01/ AMES 320S at Duke University/Center for Documentary Studies, 2015-2022. The courses were facilitated by CDS Faculty member Nancy Kalow, AMES faculty member miriam cooke, and AMES faculty member Maha Houssami.

Forty oral history interviews created by students in the Duke University course AMES 320S, in the Department of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, led by instructors Nancy Kalow, Maha Houssami, and Miriam Cooke. Interviewees included refugees from Iraq, Sudan, and Syria. Interviews were conducted in person and via Skpe. Interviews were in English or translated to English, and students transcribed the audio and wrote fieldnotes. The public-facing edited versions (approximately four minutes each) of the interviews were posted on Duke Service-Learning's Arabic Communities website.

Nine interviews with alumnae of the Duke University Woman's College conducted by Carolyn Murray Happer from 2003 to 2004. Also includes one recording of alumnae reminisces from the 75th anniversary celebration of the Woman's College Library in 2006. Interviewees discuss their experiences and perceptions from their years at Duke University during the period of the co-ordinate college which existed from 1930 to 1972. Subjects interviewed include several class leaders, a member of the Duke family, and others who have had long established ties to the school after graduation. Also includes one recording of alumnae reminisces from the 75th anniversary celebration of the Woman's College Library in 2006.

Carolyn Murray Happer interviewed nine alumnae who graduated from the period of 1931 to 1947. Her goal was to document the experiences and perceptions of women who attended Duke University during this period. In particular she wanted to know why they selected and how the Woman's College figured into that decision. She also explored her subject's position and negative experiences at Duke. Her interviewees include several class leaders, a member of the Duke family, and others who have had long established ties to the school after graduation.