Fairgoers share stories for history

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — In honor of the nation’s 250th birthday, Conservation World visitors during the Illinois State Fair had a chance to record their stories, memories and hopes for future generations.

Illinois Humanities partnered with the Illinois America 250 Commission and StoryCorps Studies for Illinois Voices 250, a statewide time capsule of conversations with people from all 102 counties.

This project celebrates and preserves the voices of everyday Illinoisans: who we are, what we care about and what we think is important about this moment in our country’s history.

By documenting diverse stories, reflections and memories from people across the state, Illinois Voices 250 will create a lasting record.

As part of the celebration, fairgoers had an opportunity to sit down with a friend or family member and record a meaningful conversation about the stories, memories and hopes that have shaped their lives.

Participants will be encouraged to discuss questions such as:

• What family story do you want future generations to remember?

• When have you felt most proud or most conflicted about this country?

• What kind of future do you hope to see by America’s 300th anniversary?

Recorded conversations will become part of a special collection at the American Folklife Center at the U.S. Library of Congress, helping preserve the experiences and perspectives of Illinoisans for future generations.

The format encourages less interviews and more conversation, according to Robert “Bobby” White, Illinois Humanities senior director of programs.

“It’s a time capsule at the 250th, really thinking about things like what does it mean to be an Illinoisan. What do you want future generations to know about this moment in American history? What does the pursuit of happiness mean to you? Things like that are just the prompts. So, it’s really not an interview, it’s get going and start talking with each other,” he said.

“We have a goal of getting all 102 counties in Illinois represented. For us, public humanity is getting people together as a community, talking to each other and doing some critical thinking together. It’s part of democracy.

“We get so focused on voting and politics, but this is the other part of it and there’s maybe some muscles that aren’t as well toned as they used to be in our society these days.”

The project to reach 102 counties started at the beginning of the summer.

“We had a lot of stops around the Fourth of July, but any time there’s been been a major 250th event, we’ve tried to be there,” White said.

“We’re also doing farmers markets and festivals in different communities across the state. We’ll be going through probably September.”

Record Your Own

This time capsule of recordings will be digitally stored at the Library of Congress.

“You can go to a search for Illinois Voices 250 and listen to the stories. You can also record your own there. You don’t have to wait for us to sit here and record you. Folks can go on to those web pages and signup for a free StoryCorps account and you can record your own story. There’s also a setup where you can patch somebody else in so they don’t have to be together to have that kind of conversation,” White said.

As of the afternoon of Aug. 14, the second day of the fair, about one-third of the Illinois counties are represented in the interviews.

“I often think about this work as just making sure that people have the chance to connect outside of the regular context of just going to the store, going to school, or work,” White said.

“For this project in particular, you can listen to all the different stories from all the different counties and hear more about your fellow Illinoisan and what their experiences are. That, to me, is really part of the glue for democracy.”