For the Record is a growing archive of firsthand stories from Black Americans across regions, generations, and identities. Through audio, video and written interviews, we’re preserving the memories, experiences, traditions, and everyday moments that together tell a fuller story of Black life, and in doing so, a fuller story of America.
We launched the project in 2026 as the United States prepared to mark the 250th anniversary of its founding. But the idea began years earlier.
Capital B launched in 2022, just as the national conversation around race shifted from public reckoning to political battles over how race, history, and identity should be taught — and whether some stories should be told at all. As we reported on book bans, curriculum restrictions, and efforts to diminish Black history in public life, we kept asking: What stories gets to shape America’s historical record? And what is at risk if Black stories are left out?
So we made a plan to do what the Black press has always done: document the truth. We wanted to connect younger generations with Black elders with firsthand memories of segregation, the Civil Rights Movement, and other defining moments in American history.
But then the stakes grew. As Black Americans lost rights and Black history came under renewed attack after the 2024 presidential election, the project took on new urgency.
The push to bury the ugly parts of America’s story is real. But the stories of Black ingenuity, courage, artistry, and accomplishment are also at risk. And now younger generations are living through a new reality — one where they enjoy fewer rights than the generation before.
So For the Record became an attempt to preserve it all. You’ll find accounts from civil rights activists and educators alongside artists, entrepreneurs, craftspeople, and neighbors whose stories may never have made the news — but who nonetheless help explain Black America.
For the Record carries forward a tradition Black communities have practiced for generations: preserving our history by telling it to one another. In collaboration with our partners at PushBlack, we’re continuing to collect stories from Black communities across the country, because the work of preserving our history is never finished.
You don’t need to be a public figure to participate. If your story says something about Black life in America, we’d love to help preserve it.
For the Record is an oral history project from Capital B that collects memories, family stories, and firsthand accounts that help explain what it has meant to be Black in America across generations. Together, these recollections create a growing public archive of Black life that helps preserve a fuller and more accurate record of American history.
For the Record welcomes stories about Black life in America from the people who lived them and the families who carry their legacies forward. You do not need to be a writer, historian, journalist, or public figure to participate.
We’d love to hear your specific, firsthand memories of moments in history. Examples include:
Not necessarily. Some of the most impactful stories in the archive didn’t get widespread attention. For the archive, we are looking for stories connected to both a personal experience and the history of the country. This could be a landmark community event, a family tradition, a change at an institution, a cultural trend, or a shared experience with people you know. The stories that resonate most are those that help future generations better understand Black life in America.
You can submit your story using video, audio, or text by following the instructions on this page.
The Capital B team will review every submission and yours may be selected for the archive. A member of our team may follow up with you for additional details, photographs, or context beforehand.
Selected stories will become part of the For the Record public archive. Some stories will also be featured on capitalbnews.org. Submissions may be edited for length and clarity before they are published. While every submission may not become a standalone entry in the archive, stories may appear in several ways throughout the project, including:
Yes! You may share stories about family members, ancestors, mentors, community leaders, or other people whose experiences you are connected to. Please include as much detail as you can about the people in your submission.
We highly encourage you to share photos, letters, newspaper clippings, family records, and other historical materials that can help bring your story to life.
Because Black history is American history. As America approaches its 250th anniversary, we want to ensure that the memories, experiences, and voices of Black people are preserved in a public record that future generations can access, learn from, and build upon. Many of the most important stories in American history were never recorded in textbooks or featured in the media. We want this archive to help change that.
Future generations will be asking what life in America was really like during this moment in our nation’s story. They will want to hear from the public officials, scholars, and famous figures. But they will also want to hear from everyday people whose experiences shape this country.
For the Record is an investment in preserving all of those voices. Your support helps ensure those stories remain accessible and continue to grow for generations to come.
Become a Capital B member with a tax-deductible gift and help build an archive that will grow, educate, and inspire for years to come.
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