Ruth Edmonds Hill facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ruth Edmonds Hill
Ruth Edmonds Hill in 2015
Born	Ruth Edmonds
Other names	Sister Ruth
Occupation	Scholar, oral historian, oral storytelling editor, journal editor, educator, historic preservation advocate
Spouse(s)	Brother Blue

Ruth Edmonds Hill (March 5, 1925 – April 15, 2023) was an American scholar and educator. She was an expert in oral history, which means collecting and preserving people's spoken memories. Ruth Edmonds Hill also helped save historic places.

She worked at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University. Ruth Edmonds Hill was very important among storytellers, especially in the United States. Her husband was Dr. Hugh Morgan Hill, known as Brother Blue. People sometimes called her Sister Ruth. Her mother, Florence Edmonds, was also a part of Ruth's famous oral history work. Ruth Edmonds Hill earned degrees from Simmons College and the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Ruth Edmonds Hill is best known for leading the Black Women Oral History Project. This project was at the Schlesinger Library at Harvard University. It collected the life stories of many Black women. This work is seen as a major achievement in oral history.

She also recorded interviews with people from different backgrounds. This included people from Cambodia and Chinese Americans. She traveled widely for her research. After her husband Brother Blue passed away in 2009, Ruth Edmonds Hill helped organize events to remember him.

Ruth Edmonds Hill: A Life of Stories and History

Ruth Edmonds Hill dedicated her life to preserving important stories. She made sure that the voices of many people were heard and remembered. Her work helped us understand history better.

Family History and Saving Old Homes

Ruth Edmonds Hill's mother was Florence Edmonds. Florence was a health care specialist from Pittsfield, Massachusetts. She was one of the women interviewed for Ruth's Black Women Oral History Project.

Ruth Edmonds Hill was also the great-granddaughter of Reverend Samuel Harrison. He was born in 1818 to enslaved parents. Reverend Harrison became a pastor and fought for equal pay. He helped Black soldiers serving in the Union Army during the Civil War.

Reverend Harrison was a chaplain for the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. This was the first all-Black infantry regiment in the Civil War. Their brave story was shown in the movie Glory.

Saving the Samuel Harrison House

In 2004, Ruth Edmonds Hill worked to save her great-grandfather's home. The Samuel Harrison House in Pittsfield was old and needed repairs. The city wanted to tear it down. Ruth Edmonds Hill asked the Massachusetts Historical Commission to help. She explained how important Reverend Harrison was. The Commission agreed to save the house.

A documentary film, A Trumpet at the Walls of Jericho, helped gain support. It told Reverend Harrison's story. With help from Congressman John Olver, money was raised to fix the house. In 2006, the Samuel Harrison House became a National Register of Historic Places landmark. This means it is a very important historic site.

In 2008, Ruth Edmonds Hill attended the start of renovations. After much work, the house became a museum about Black history.

The Black Women Oral History Project

In the 1970s, the Radcliffe College Schlesinger Library started a special project. They wanted to collect the memories of older Black women. Ruth Edmonds Hill led this important effort.

From 1976 to 1981, Ruth and her team interviewed 71 women. They recorded their life stories. This project created a valuable collection of experiences. It showed the strength and courage of Black women in America.

Important Women in the Project

The Black Women Oral History Project included many amazing women. Their stories are now kept at the Schlesinger Library. Here are a few examples:

• Frances Mary Albrier (1898–1987): A civil rights activist and union organizer.
• Florence Edmonds (1889–1983): Ruth's mother, a health care specialist.
• Maida Springer Kemp (born 1910): A leader in labor, women's, and civil rights movements.
• Era Bell Thompson: A journalist and editor.
• Margaret Walker: A writer who earned two advanced degrees in English.

These women's stories have been studied and shared widely. They help us learn about American history from different points of view.

Publications and Exhibitions

Ruth Edmonds Hill's work led to many books and exhibitions. These shared the stories from the Black Women Oral History Project with more people.

• Black Women Oral History Project: From the Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America (1992)
• Women of Courage exhibition (1991): This show featured photographs and stories. It traveled to different places.
• Guide to the Transcripts of the Black Women Oral History Project (1990): This book helped researchers find information in the project's interviews.
• Women of Courage: An Exhibition of Photographs book (1984): This book shared the powerful images and stories from the exhibition.

Honors and Awards

Ruth Edmonds Hill received many honors for her important work.

• She was on the Editorial Board of The Oral History Review. This is a journal from Oxford University.
• In 2009, her husband Brother Blue received the W. E. B. Du Bois Medal from Harvard University. Ruth Edmonds Hill accepted the award for him. It honored his dedication to storytelling.
• The League for the Advancement of New England Storytelling (LANES) has an award named after Ruth and Brother Blue. It is called the Brother Blue (Hugh Morgan Hill) and Ruth Hill Award. It honors people who greatly support storytelling.
• She was also on the Board of Trustees for the Samuel Harrison Society. This group works to preserve the Samuel Harrison House.