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Conclusion

In Homegrown: Engaged Cultural Criticism, bell hooks states, “When we use memory as a tool to reclaim lost and stolen histories, it is always in the interest of our freedom and self-determination” (110). This project has brought me freedom. It has been a source of healing for me. Through these narratives, I have learned that I am not alone in this fight. Many came before me. More will come after me. I have survived Dartmouth because of the Black women who have surrounded me with their love, passion, and strength. In a space that has continually tried to break and silence me, they offered me comfort. They cried and laughed with me. They made me feel whole again. As my time at Dartmouth comes to an end, I cannot express enough gratitude for the Black women on this campus that have held me up when I felt that I did not have the strength to continue.

This project is only the beginning. The 14 oral histories documented in this study are a piece of a much larger, rich, resilient narrative. This cannot be the end of the effort to recover and preserve these histories. I have only scratched the surface. I believe there are many ways in which this work can continue to grow. Future researchers can resume documenting the oral histories of Black women, allowing them to tell their stories in their voices. Others can conduct archival research, using sources such as The Dartmouth and copies of the Aegis to learn more about the experiences of Black women at the College. The materials in Rauner Library will also be fruitful in such research. I believe that art, photography, and poetry are other mediums through which the stories of Black women can be expressed and shared.

This work does not start or stop with me. Although dominant society continually tries to silence and control our narratives, they are ours and only ours. Our voices will be heard. We will speak our truths.

Artwork created by Samantha Modder, Dartmouth ’17
Samantha’s Online Portfolio