This remarkable oral history project was undertaken by Duke University's Center for Documentary Studies from 1993 to 1995. The project was funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities and its primary purpose was to record and preserve the living memory of African American life during the age of legal segregation in the American South from the 1890s to the 1950s. It is the largest single collection of Jim Crow-era oral histories in the world: visitors to the site can listen to over 175 hours of recordings. Additionally, there are over 10,000 pages of transcripts from the interviews, which "capture the vivid personalities, poignant personal stories, and behind-the-scenes decision-making" that made up the African American experience in the South during this period.