Decatur 200 – StoryCorps

We’re Building an Audio Archive of Decatur!

In honor of Decatur’s 200th anniversary, the City of Decatur is partnering with StoryCorps to record, uplift and archive our community’s stories. You’re invited to take part!

RECORD WITH STORYCORPS

StoryCorps is a national nonprofit that helps everyday Americans record, preserve, and share their stories. Since 2003, StoryCorps has given over half a million Americans the chance to record interviews about their lives. The organization preserves the recordings in its archive at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress. If you have a connection to Decatur, we invite you to choose someone you care about, and interview each other.

Ask and answer questions like: Who has been the biggest influence on your life? What are you proudest of? What does it mean to be “from” Decatur?

There’s no “right” or “wrong” way to have a StoryCorps conversation, and you can use the free StoryCorps Connect online platform to record in the comfort of your own home. All you need is a strong internet connection, access to a laptop or desktop computer with a microphone, and an open heart.

Listen to an edited story from a StoryCorps conversation.
Record Your Interview

How recording works

You’ll use the StoryCorps Virtual Recording Booth (powered by StoryCorps Connect) to record your conversation. 

Step 1

Decide if you and your partner want to record in the same room or record from different locations.

Step 2

When you’re ready to record, create a free StoryCorps online account, then you’ll enter the StoryCorps Virtual Recording Booth. 

Step 3

Hit “Start Recording Audio“, follow the prompts to introduce yourself, and dig into your conversation!

Step 4

When you’ve finished, you’ll be prompted to save your recording as part of the Decatur Collection in the StoryCorps Archive.
Record Your Interview

Recording faq

Everyone! The goal is to create an archive that represents our community as much as possible. Your stories, and the stories of your loved ones, are an important piece.
Choose someone you care about – a loved one, a friend, a mentor, a neighbor, etc – whose experiences or wisdom you want to document and celebrate.
StoryCorps conversations are meant to be spontaneous, authentic, and unscripted. We’ve developed a list of great questions to inspire your conversation, but ultimately what you talk about during your recording is entirely up to you. Follow your curiosity, and use this as an opportunity to ask the questions you’ve always wanted to ask, or document special stories you want to preserve.
When you complete your interview, it will automatically be saved in the StoryCorps archive as part of the Decatur Collection. You’ll have the ability to control the privacy settings for your interview in the archive – with the option to either make your interview public, or to make it accessible only to other StoryCorps online archive users. (You can also delete recordings, and record new interviews, if you need to.) You can adjust your privacy settings at any time.
The City of Decatur will be celebrating and sharing this interview archive locally as part of various Decatur community engagement projects, education projects and for research purposes. It will not be used for any commercial or advertising purposes. We’re excited to share these projects as they come together! For more information, please contact Renae Jackson [email protected]

Why should i participate?

Recording with StoryCorps is an opportunity to:

Honor someone you care about.

Take time to talk about the things that matter most with someone who has played an important role in your life. 

Build understanding.

Your recording will help students, researchers, & more understand the variety of lived experiences in our community.

Create a legacy for the future.

You’ll be part of history, with your story preserved in the Library of Congress and Decatur Collection. 

Mark this milestone.

Use this occasion to reflect on the past, think about the future, and take stock of what’s important.
Record Your Interview

Supported by the community of decatur

Organizations across our community are taking part in helping to build this archive, including:

Legacy Decatur


Agnes Scott College
City Schools of Decatur
Decatur Arts Alliance
L’Arch Atlanta
Global Village Project
Listen to Stories from Decatur
These Decatur residents are honoring the 200 years of Decatur through sharing and preserving 200 stories of the community!

“I’m excited for the opportunity to capture and preserve the stories of our community. This is our chance to learn about the diversity and vast experiences of the people connected to Decatur.”

Neeraja Panchapakesan Decatur Resident + StoryCorps Ambassador

want to learn more?

Learn more about the Decatur Bicentennial

Listen to Stories from Decatur

Learn more about StoryCorps