“The Second Side” A Historical Retelling of African American History in Iberia Parish

“The Second Side” is an exhibit that expresses the narratives of African Americans throughout Iberia Parish and their experiences with oppression spanning the early 1900s to the early 2000s. This exhibit documents these experiences through a series of oral histories completed by high school students during the early 1990s to the early 2000s from three high schools in Iberia Parish:  New Iberia High School, Westgate High School, and Jeanerette Senior High School.  “The Second Side” is a testament that while histories of marginalized communities are not always written, they are necessary for inclusive history-making. This growing archive of oral histories will allow you to understand the richness of African American life in Iberia Parish while exploring the topics of education, desegregation, labor, economics, and community life.

“The Second Side” stems from the saying, “There are two sides to every story.” Throughout traditional American history, most of the accounts revolve around wealthy and/or white experiences. This holds true in southern Louisiana, where most of the accounts of marginalized communities are overshadowed by White American identities and Cajun culture. “The Second Side” is devoted to paving a way for African Americans to tell their version of their own life stories through their voices while contributing to history-making. 

 Listen to the audio recordings on each page to gain full access to our current database of oral history from Iberia Parish locals.