Texas After Violence General Collection

2007-2023

The Texas After Violence General Collection is the first oral history project conducted by TAVP staff and volunteers. The purpose of the collection is to capture and document the impact that the death penalty has had on individuals, families, and communities and to facilitate dialogue surrounding capital punishment and its resulting trauma. Throughout the collection, the agency and integrity of the narrators are forefronted through person-centered approaches to interviewing. 

The collection contains 16 oral history interviews in video format. The scope of the collection has since grown to include oral histories surrounding state violence and its lasting emotional, social, and physical implications as experienced by individuals, family members, communities, and advocates. These oral histories document experiences from different perspectives such as family members, advocates in academia and faith-based organizations, lawyers, and law enforcement workers.