Regarding Richard…

Richard Pryor’s Peoria is a digital archive that was created by Scott Saul, a professor from the University of California, Berkeley. Scott had written and published a biography on Richard called Becoming Richard Pryor. Having collaborated with other scholars, Scott collected the archival materials he had used in the creation of that work, including oral accounts of those from Richard’s hometown who had personally known him, and placed them in this digital medium. This digital archive is part of a bigger project called The Spatial History Project. Its purpose is to bring awareness to the growing uses and possibilities of digital histories that are becoming more prominent in the world of humanities. Although this is Scott’s specific goal, his project provides the public with other important uses.

Scott’s project, Richard Pryor’s Peoria, gives a clear sense of what digital histories can do and how they work. It can be considered a template so that others who are interested in creating their own digital history projects may know where to start and what to consider while planning themselves. The website itself is incredibly user friendly and visually appealing. The colour scheme suits the topic of focus and Scott utilized many different features that make the project interactive and easy to navigate through. Under the “People” tab, you can either click on it directly and come to an overview of the people who were the most influential toward Richard, accompanied with a simple social network analysis, or you can select one of the individuals under that category and be directed to a case study on each person. The same goes for the other three categories, although the overviews are supplemented with components that suit that topic, such as a timeline for the “Eras” tab and map for the “Places” tab.

In addition to providing guidance on the creation of digital collections, Scott’s project also provides individuals with a useful archive for further research on an assortment of topics. Since the collection not only focusses on Richard Pryor, but Peoria, Illinois, and events which had occurred throughout the 1940s and 1950s, individuals looking for information surrounding those places, times and events can use Scott’s information for their own purposes. Richard lived when segregation was still common, crime was committed openly, people were pushing for human rights, and the world was at war for the second time. Scott not only describes how each of those circumstances affected Richard as he grew up; he also addresses them as stand-alone subjects that can be addressed individually. This allows the public to educate itself on one of many unknown places in the world and realize how global affairs affect every corner of the planet.

While being relatively thorough in the presentation of his information, Scott’s project also has some downfalls regarding its overall purpose and the way he went about obtaining information on Richard and the town of Peoria. As interesting and engaging as Scott’s project is, its target audience is limited to a small group of people who may be interested in information about Richard Pryor and where he grew up. This indicates that only few will visit the website or even know of its existence. For Scott, this may be fine since it is only a small project and is not in need of a large audience. On the other hand, how effective is Scott’s project if it only reaches a small handful of individuals? Richard Pryor’s Peoria only covers small details of larger events. If anyone were to try and start their research with this website, say on World War II for instance, they would not get very far and may not even know where to start elsewhere. With regards to Richard himself, the same case could be made. Scott has a decent collection of information on Richard and those who lived with him, but in general, information is still limited. This begs the question, did Scott use everything he possibly could find on each person and event or did he systematically simplify it? The project is, after all, a companion to the written biography he created beforehand.

One other weakness the project is prone to is the type of materials Scott used for his research. In the “About the Site” section of the project, Scott mentions his use of in-person interviews with people who knew Richard personally. Oral histories can be very helpful in bringing light to certain subjects that could be overlooked or not even mentioned in written documents. Unfortunately, they can also distort facts and lead the researcher into uncertain territory. Personal memories can be unreliable and the use of oral histories can lead the researcher into being susceptible to lies and biases. Even if Scott was aware of these concerns while researching, there is no way for him to be sure that the information he received from his interviews was completely correct since not all information can be fact checked.

As a whole, Scott’s digital project Richard Pryor’s Peoria, is well put together. It is clear that Scott took part in extensive research on Richard Pryor and Richard’s hometown. It is unclear how long the project took to complete but it would be fair to say that Scott and his team worked on this project long enough to provide the public with a smoothly operating and appealing website which is filled with fascinating and thought-provoking material. Though the project will only catch the attention of a small number of viewers and is possibly limited in factual information, it succeeds in exemplifying what a digital history project can look like and what it can do. Richard Pryor was a significant man who existed during a significant era and Scott Saul tastefully placed him back in the spotlight, furthering both digital histories and an awareness of what Richard had experienced throughout his time here on Earth.