Interviews - I See My Light Shining

Interviews

836 Hours

Oral history interviews are firsthand testimonies of people’s experiences of history. These interviews invite narrators (interviewees) to talk about their own histories, giving unparalleled insights into life decisions, actions, and experiences that may not already be part of the public record.

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    Carol Adams

    Educator, researcher, and Chicago leader

    Chicago, IL

    Eve L. Ewing
    Collection

    Carol Adams

    Adams discusses moving from Louisville to Chicago, her pivotal role in activism and community work, her fusion of sociology with social justice, and her transition toward capturing her rich life experiences through writing.

    Eve L. Ewing collection

    Chicago, IL

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    Denise Avant

    Retired attorney and National Federation of the Blind leader

    Chicago, IL

    Eve Ewing
    Collection

    Denise Avant

    Avant reflects on her life journey, growing up with a visual impairment, and navigating independence. She discusses her passion for public service through law, advocacy, and her leadership in the National Federation of the Blind.

    Eve Ewing collection

    Chicago, IL

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    Nora Brooks Blakely

    Educator, writer, and playwright

    Chicago, IL

    Eve Ewing
    Collection

    Nora Brooks Blakely

    Blakely shares her unique upbringing as the daughter of Gwendolyn Brooks, her journey from educator to children's playwright, and her ambitions as steward of her mother's literary legacy.

    Eve Ewing collection

    Chicago, IL

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    Stephanie Collins

    Lifelong educator and active Chicago Teachers Union retiree organizer

    Chicago, IL

    Eve Ewing
    Collection

    Stephanie Collins

    Collins reflects on life in Chicago's South Side, her Jamaican heritage, her transition from student to dedicated educator, family, passion for teaching, and the joy of connecting with multiple generations of students.

    Eve Ewing collection

    Chicago, IL

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    # New York

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    Sylvia Ewing Harvey

    Leadership coach, poet, climate action non-profit director

    Chicago, IL

    Eve Ewing
    Collection

    Sylvia Ewing Harvey

    Harvey shares her journey through adolescence and early adulthood, wandering from Erie to Florida and California, encountering love, danger, and self-discovery. She also reflects on her complex family dynamics.

    Eve Ewing collection

    Chicago, IL

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    Sandra Jackson-Opoku

    Author, journalist, poet, screenwriter, and novelist

    Chicago, IL

    Eve Ewing
    Collection

    Sandra Jackson-Opoku

    Jackson-Opoku reflects on her formative years in Chicago, the impact of her African journey on her writing and worldview, her insights into the Black Arts Movement, and the evolution of her identity and creative expression.

    Eve Ewing collection

    Chicago, IL

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    Sylvester Harvey Jr.

    Chicago native and retired park police officer

    Chicago, IL

    Eve Ewing
    Collection

    Sylvester Harvey Jr.

    Harvey discusses his upbringing in Chicago and Brookhaven, Mississippi, detailing his experiences with racial tension, family dynamics, personal growth amidst societal shifts and finding oneself through service and travel.

    Eve Ewing collection

    Chicago, IL

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    Owen Lawson

    Documentary photographer and former history teacher

    Chicago, IL

    Eve Ewing
    Collection

    Owen Lawson

    Born on Chicago's South Side, Lawson reflects on becoming politically conscious, the Civil Rights Movement, teaching in Mississippi, meeting Fannie Lou Hamer, and his lifelong work as a revolutionary journalist and photographer.

    Eve Ewing collection

    Chicago, IL

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    Valerie Leonard

    Community developer, financial consultant, and Illinois redistricting advocate

    Chicago, IL

    Eve Ewing
    Collection

    Valerie Leonard

    Leonard details her early life, academic pursuits, advocacy for equitable community development, battles against discriminatory corporate practices, and her influential role in influencing tax increment financing policies.

    Eve Ewing collection

    Chicago, IL

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    Ayo Maat

    Disability justice advocate and faith practitioner

    Chicago, IL

    Eve Ewing
    Collection

    Ayo Maat

    Maat reflects on her life, emphasizing her African and Native American heritage, experiences with disability, activism within disability justice movements, cultural influences, spirituality, and her role as a healer.

    Eve Ewing collection

    Chicago, IL

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    Patric McCoy

    Retired environmental scientist, art collector, and documenter of Black gay life

    Chicago, IL

    Eve Ewing
    Collection

    Patric McCoy

    McCoy details his experiences as a civil servant, inadvertent photojournalist, and prominent art curator and collector. He reflects on his childhood in Chicago as well as the profound impact of his father's artistic dreams.

    Eve Ewing collection

    Chicago, IL

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    Lila McKay

    Chicago native and advocate for early childhood development

    Chicago, IL

    Eve Ewing
    Collection

    Lila McKay

    McKay discusses her early life at the Cabrini-Green projects, navigating teen pregnancy, fostering her children's education, attaining a chemistry degree at age fifty, nurturing her family, and her aspirations to open a daycare.

    Eve Ewing collection

    Chicago, IL

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    # Activism and Organizing

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    Janetta Pegues

    Chicago native, librarian, and community advocate

    Chicago, IL

    Eve Ewing
    Collection

    Janetta Pegues

    Pegues discusses her early life in Chicago's ABLA Homes, transformative experiences in Wisconsin and Haiti, becoming a respected librarian, the role of faith and community in her life, and her contributions to library services.

    Eve Ewing collection

    Chicago, IL

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    Jae Rice

    Deputy CEO of Brave Space Alliance

    Chicago, IL

    Eve Ewing
    Collection

    Jae Rice

    Rice recounts their journey, including transitioning in their 30s and becoming a prominent voice in Chicago's queer and trans communities. They also reflect on their activism, chosen family, and work with archives and Brave Space.

    Eve Ewing collection

    Chicago, IL

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    Lowell Thompson

    Movie producer, artist, writer, and advertising pioneer

    Chicago, IL

    Eve Ewing
    Collection

    Lowell Thompson

    Thompson recounts his journey through the world of advertising, from his beginnings in Robert Taylor Homes to becoming an influential creative in major agencies, sharing insight on his creative process and campaigns.

    Eve Ewing collection

    Chicago, IL

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    Floyd Webb

    Film professional, photographer, and founder of Blacklight Festival

    Chicago, IL

    Eve Ewing
    Collection

    Floyd Webb

    Webb reflects on witnessing the Great Migration, becoming a photojournalist and filmmaker influenced by social movements, his encounters with Fred Hampton, and the impact of historical figures and events on work and philosophy.

    Eve Ewing collection

    Chicago, IL

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    Joy West

    Chicago native and physician

    Chicago, IL

    Eve Ewing
    Collection

    Joy West

    West discusses growing up in Altgeld Gardens, discovering her passion for medicine and becoming an OB-GYN focused on maternal health disparities, her commitment to community service, and the importance of love and support.

    Eve Ewing collection

    Chicago, IL

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    Joycetta Woods

    Arkansas-born telephone operator and Chicago resident

    Chicago, IL

    Eve Ewing
    Collection

    Joycetta Woods

    Woods narrates her life path, from her childhood on an Arkansas farm to her move to Chicago during the Great Migration. She discusses the challenges of segregation, her education, work experiences, and the changes she witnessed.

    Eve Ewing collection

    Chicago, IL

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    ‘Give them all the truth.
    They can make the determination on their own.’
    Damon Jackson
    curtain