Why is it important to listen to the life stories of others? What is the role of the individual in bringing positive change to society? What are the consequences of dividing society by race? Objective Learn about the participation of New Orleans native Doratha Smith Simmons in the early Civil Rights Movement. Demonstrate reading proficiency through a close reading/highlighting exercise of the text. Developing an ability to do active listening that is important for life history work and ethnographic research. Background One of the most important skills in documenting oral histories is active li Duration: 90 Minutes.