Oral histories are an exciting way to directly involve students in the act of historical inquiry. They assist students in personalizing history and relating to the actual lives behind major events, names, and dates in history. This article discusses the benefits of using oral histories in the classroom. It describes how to use "Oral Histories of the American South," a new and growing collection within the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's "Documenting the American South" digital library, in the classroom. Additional classroom activities using "Oral Histories of the American South" are presented. (Contains 7 notes.)