Whether you’re a seasoned genealogist or the keeper of your family stories, the Heinz History Center’s new programming series, “The Story of Our Lives,” seeks to reveal new ways of thinking about who you are, why your family matters, and how the work of family storytelling is essential.
Featuring thinkers from various backgrounds, perspectives, and fields of study, “The Story of Our Lives” will explore the big questions of genealogy and offer new insights into the practice of piecing together your family’s history. For the first installment, Dr. Robyn Fivush, a nationally renowned scientist, and Njaimeh Njie, one of Pittsburgh’s most engaging multimedia artists, will discuss how telling family stories can positively impact people and society.
Dr. Fivush is a professor of psychology who studies the role of reminiscing and sharing family stories in the development of emotionally resilient children. For decades, Fivush and her Emory University colleagues have compiled data on the benefits of family stories on child wellbeing.
Njaimeh Njie is an artist and multimedia producer who uses images and documents of family and neighborhood history to honor everyday experiences and spark visual gateways into the past. In discussing their work, Fivush and Njie will offer insights into the many ways that telling family stories can positively impact people and society at large.
