Beulah M. Davis Special Collections: USDA Forest Service Oral History Collection

The African American History in the USDA Forest Service Oral History Project is a collection of oral histories documenting the centuries-long experiences of African American rangers throughout the United States.  The project was directed by Dr. Brett Berliner of the Morgan State History Department, and seven University graduate students–Lisette Abdiruhman, Kai Clemons, Damita Green, Le’Evelynn Hammett, Felicia Odejide, Stanley Price, and Tenesha Talley. Together, they uncovered a rich tapestry of events and encounters lived by sixty-four African American foresters. 

Among the many individual stories of their employment, some of the most interesting are that many foresters did not know that the National Parks Service and the USDA Forest Service are not the same organizations. Many employees became such because of their rural upbringings and their life-long connections to nature and forests in particular in which many grew up. Growing up in agricultural communities instilled their understanding of the benefits of animal and land stewardship, leading many to their Forest Service work. For women interviewees, their participation in the Girls Scouts encouraged many to develop a love for natural preservation and stewardship. A career in forestry for many African Americans was given little consideration in the early 1900s, a history that follows decades of negative or deadly experiences in the forest. 

This priceless assembly of distinctive African American voices brings another, hidden history of the Black Experience to life.

African American History in the USDA Forest Service Oral History Project
Prepared by Brett A. Berliner, Ph.D.
May 2025