Unlocking Family Histories in African Diaspora Communities Through Photo Elicitation Technique

The fabrics of family history, particularly within the African and Diaspora communities, is often intricate, non-linear, and rich with untold stories of resilience, unity, and groundbreaking effort. Yet, these invaluable narratives, the very “blueprints” for the next generation often remain hidden, trapped behind the reluctance of elders to share or the lack of effective tools to ask the right questions. 

Learn How to Leverage Your Story through our Story To Asset Framework.            

Drawing from the insights of memory experts Bridget Badoe McQuick and Obehi Ewanfoh, this article outlines a powerful, ethical, and creative methodology designed to unlock these multigenerational stories: Photo Elicitation for effective storyteling.  

This approach marries the proven psychological technique of Photo Elicitation with the communal dynamics of Group Storytelling to create a rich archive of family legacy. 

The Strategic Foundation: Photo Elicitation as a Key 

The biggest obstacle in documenting history is often the initial response: “I don’t have a story to tell.” The breakthrough strategy, as identified in the discussion, is called Photo Elicitation. 

This is a powerful qualitative research method that strategically uses photographs (which can be existing, or taken by either the researcher or the participants) as crucial tools in interviews. 

Its primary purpose is to transform a standard Q&A session into a rich dialogue. By presenting a visual stimulus, the technique acts as both a memory anchor and a non-threatening prompt, successfully bypassing the limitations often encountered with traditional verbal questioning.  

Instead of feeling pressure to talk about themselves directly, participants focus on describing the photo, which effortlessly unlocks their thoughts, feelings, and personal meanings, especially concerning sensitive or complex topics. This significantly enhances the richness and emotional depth of the data collected across fields from sociology to psychology. 

A compelling example of this methodology in action is Obehi Ewanfoh’s decade-long research project, “The Journey.” In documenting the presence of Africans in Verona, Ewanfoh utilized Photo Elicitation to move beyond simple facts.  

The images helped participants powerfully recount their experiences, from their initial departure from various African countries to their arrival in Italy, and reveal the deeply personal challenges and strategies they used while navigating the complex Italian immigration system over the years. 

See also Reconnecting With Our Roots: Culture, Heritage and the Dance of the Spirit 

Why Photos Work Better Than Direct Questions 

The human mind often protects itself from revealing vulnerable or difficult personal narratives. By shifting the focus from the individual to a tangible object, the pressure is relieved, and the story flows more freely. 

1. Bypassing the Block: A direct question like, “Tell me about your struggles,” can be intimidating. A question like, “Tell me about the people in this old picture,” or “What do you remember about this school?” re-directs the narrative. The elder is not talking about themselves; they are talking about the object. In doing so, they effortlessly reveal their own memories, emotions, and experiences connected to that object. 

2. Activating Rich Detail: Photos and physical objects serve as powerful memory anchors.¹ They are triggers that transport the elder back to a specific time, activating sensory details—the smells, the sounds, the feelings—that linear questioning might miss. This is particularly effective for retrieving details about community structure and mutual support that underpinned their early success. 

3. Extending the Tool: While photos are primary, this technique extends to Object Elicitation. Any meaningful artifact can be used: 

• An old document (e.g., a ticket, a receipt, a land deed). 

• A piece of jewelry or clothing. 

• A significant building or landmark in the old village or new city. 

Action Point: Always begin the documentation session not with a question about their life, but with an invitation to describe the visual or physical prompt you have provided. 

The Documentation Architecture: The Mini-Group Process 

Individual interviews are valuable, but the richest, most collective narratives emerge when elders are gathered together. This is the Group Story Process. 

Creating Safety in Numbers 

The strategy of gathering three or four elders together is crucial for two reasons: safety and catalysis. 

1. Safety and Comfort: In a communal culture, sharing sensitive information is often more comfortable when others are present.² The group provides psychological safety in numbers, reducing the feeling of being solely exposed or singled out. 

2. Memory Elicitation and Verification: One person’s partial memory acts as a catalyst for the others. A story fragment turns into a shared, complete narrative: “Oh, yeah, do you remember when we did this? Oh yeah, I remember that day! It rained!” The group dynamic naturally verifies details and fills in gaps, leading to a much richer and more accurate account. 

Preparation and Ethical Engagement 

The effectiveness of the group process hinges on respect and preparation. This forms the basis of the recommended Toolkit approach for replicable documentation. 

Step	Action	Rationale
1. Advance Research	Research the village or time period. Find photos of key buildings, markets, or known community figures.	Pre-select strong, objective Elicitation Tools before the session begins.
2. Invitation & Gifts	Ask the elders in advance, provide some food, and bring small gifts (even a token offering).	Shows respect for their time and wisdom, establishing a positive atmosphere, and demonstrating genuine commitment.
3. Transparency & Consent	Clearly explain how the recording will be used (“We may only use a bit,” “It’s for the family legacy,” etc.). Press record after they are settled and aware.	Establishes trust and ensures ethical consent. Elders must feel they have control over their story’s destination.
4. Start with Joy	Initiate the conversation with prompts related to happy memories (childhood games, school, community celebrations).	Eases the group into a relaxed state before addressing deeper, potentially difficult subjects like migration or economic struggles.

Key Takeaway: The resulting conversation is less of an interview and more of a recorded family reunion, fueled by shared laughter and nostalgic recollection. 

Capturing the Blueprint: Focusing on Untold Stories 

The stories that are hardest to tell are often the most important; they form the “blueprints” that the younger generation needs to avoid restarting scratch. 

The Power of Unity and Mutual Aid 

Many stories shared publicly are the “pretty finished version” seen on “Instagram,” omitting the foundation. The documentarian’s role is to gently probe for the untold story of unity. 

• The First Landing: Ask about the first person who opened their door. “I stayed at this person’s house,” or “They found me a job/opportunity.” 

• The Unpaid Help: Document the support networks that were not transactional—the community effort that allowed families to get on their feet before achieving independence. 

• The Foundation: This directly challenges the myth that “our black people were not unified” by showing evidence of organized, mutual support systems among early migrants. This narrative is vital for healing and connecting the dots, as Obehi Ewanfoh emphasizes. 

Navigating Non-Linear Family Structures 

For African and Diaspora families, the concept of family often extends far beyond the Western nuclear model. 

• The Challenge: Standard family tree software fails when extended cousins are considered immediate family, or when non-biological children are fully integrated. 

• The Solution: De-emphasize the rigid tree structure and focus on Relationship Mapping. 

• Question Focus: Ask, “How is this person connected to our family today?” or “What role did this person play in the grand story?” 

• The Decision Story: Focus on pivotal settlement decisions. For example, Bridget talking with Obehi in their conversation suggests asking: “Why did your grandmother decide to settle here and not move again?” This question unearths the decision-making process that established the family’s geographical and cultural roots. 

Output: The final documentation should include a narrative map of relationships alongside any visual tree, capturing the complex bonds that define the family’s collective history. 

A Guide for Documentarians 

The goal is to create a universally applicable toolkit, enabling anyone to become a family documentarian. This structure ensures consistency and high-value collection. 

See also Exploring Africa’s Rich Literary Heritage: From Ancient Scripts to the Africa Alphabet 

Phase 1: Preparation and Research 

Item	Description
Historical Context Brief	A summary of key dates, local wars, significant droughts, or major infrastructure projects in the elders’ hometown/migration city.
Elicitation Object Inventory	List of all photos, artifacts, or locations to be used as prompts, categorized by the memory type they are intended to evoke (e.g., Joyful, Struggle, Unity).
The Ethical Script	A brief, respectful script for explaining the project’s purpose and ensuring clear consent before recording begins.

Phase 2: The Interview Protocol 

Area of Inquiry	Prompt Examples (Photo Elicitation)	Desired Story Output
Initial Joy/School	“Tell me about the people/place in this school picture.”	Establishes comfort, reveals early character.
The Journey/Migration	Show a picture of an old train station or port. “What was your first day in this new place like?”	Captures sensory details of arrival, early challenges.
The Foundation/Unity	Show a picture of an old community gathering or a map of the first neighborhood. “Who was the person who helped you get your feet planted?”	The Blueprint. Documents mutual aid, support structures, and collective efforts.
Pivotal Decisions	Show a picture of an old house or area. “Why did your family decide to stay/settle here?”	Explores agency, leadership, and long-term planning.

Phase 3: Post-Production and Legacy 

The work is not finished until the story is made accessible for future generations. 

• The “Foundation and Bricks” Narrative: When editing the story, ensure both the “lovely, finished version” (the successful outcome) and the “laying the foundation and starting to build the bricks” (the hard work, delayed payments, contract struggles) are present. This provides a realistic model for success. 

• Format: The legacy can take multiple forms: a book, a video series, an interactive website, or simply a collection of transcribed, annotated recordings. Obehi Ewanfoh’s work with businesses to transform these stories into a legacy asset for succession and investment is a good model for this final phase. 

The Lasting Value of Documentation 

The Blueprint Project transcends simple nostalgia. It is an act of preservation, education, and collective healing. 

By carefully documenting these experiences, we achieve critical goals: 

1. Connecting the Dots: The younger generation gains context for their present reality. They realize their current advantages are thanks to the effort and struggles of those who came before. 

2. Teaching Sustainability: The stories of perseverance, the difficulty of self-employment, and the non-linear path to success (the “building that no one tells you about”) provide essential life lessons far superior to idealized narratives. 

3. Healing and Identity: By recording the complexity, the hardship, and the profound unity of their ancestors, families build a stronger, more informed collective identity. This is particularly vital for the diaspora, where identity is often fragmented. 

The Blueprint Project offers a clear, actionable methodology to turn family memory into a shared, living legacy. The tools are simple, a photo, a place, a moment, but the resulting legacy is incalculable.