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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Jan Bell

Acclaimed public speaker, community leader, and family matriarch

Los Angeles, CA

Robin Coste Lewis
Collection

Jan Bell

Bell reflects on her life in Los Angeles, childhood, debate competition accomplishments, motherhood, marriage, surviving racial violence, navigating grief, and lessons learned from engaging with different cultures through travel.

Robin Coste Lewis collection

Los Angeles, CA

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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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Vincent Brown

Award-winning author and historian specializing in Atlantic slavery

Los Angeles, CA

Robin Coste Lewis
Collection

Vincent Brown

Brown examines his journey from an imaginative child in Del Mar to becoming a distinguished historian at Harvard. He discusses his engagement with performing arts and his influential work on slavery and rebellion in the Caribbean.

Robin Coste Lewis collection

Los Angeles, CA

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Alexis De Veaux

Multigenre writer and activist

New York City, NY

Jenna "J" Wortham
Collection

Alexis De Veaux

De Veaux retraces her life from childhood struggles in Harlem to becoming a queer artist and writer. She recounts forming a Black queer artists collective, navigating the publishing world, and liberating experiences at Riis Beach.

Jenna "J" Wortham collection

New York City, NY

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# Disability

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Scott Ellsworth

Historian, Tulsa Race Massacre researcher, author

Ann Arbor, MI

Caleb Gayle
Collection

Scott Ellsworth

Ellsworth describes first learning about the Tulsa Race Massacre and eventually becoming an influential historian on the subject. He reflects on his investigations, interviews with survivors, and hidden histories.

Caleb Gayle collection

Ann Arbor, MI

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Emma Ford

Retired teacher, librarian, and host of Black Book Talk

Portland, OR

Renée Watson
Collection

Emma Ford

Ford discusses her Arkansas roots, family, journey to Portland, career in education, and her passion for literacy and community building. She also discusses Portland's evolution and her roles as a librarian and radio co-host.

Renée Watson collection

Portland, OR

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Lynell George

Los Angeles journalist, essayist, author, and educator

Los Angeles, CA

Robin Coste Lewis
Collection

Lynell George

George shares insights into her evolution as a writer, exploring the tapestry of Black Los Angeles through intimate narratives, her personal connection to Octavia Butler's legacy, and a commitment to uncovering overlooked stories.

Robin Coste Lewis collection

Los Angeles, CA

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Jewelle Gomez

Writer and television pioneer

New York City, NY

Jenna "J" Wortham
Collection

Jewelle Gomez

Gomez paints a vibrant picture of New York in the '70s and '80s using her experiences, including her first ventures to Riis Beach, navigating queer spaces, building community, and her engagements with theater and philanthropy.

Jenna "J" Wortham collection

New York City, NY

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Avel Gordly

First Black woman elected to Oregon Senate

Portland, OR

Renée Watson
Collection

Avel Gordly

Gordly discusses growing up in Portland's, navigating racial and gender barriers in education, her path to becoming the first Black woman elected to the Oregon Senate, activism, and the power of women's networks.

Renée Watson collection

Portland, OR

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Garrett Hongo

Hawaiian-born poet, memoirist, and creative writing professor

Los Angeles, CA

Robin Coste Lewis
Collection

Garrett Hongo

Garrett Hongo reflects on his multicultural upbringing in Los Angeles, his journey as a poet, his experiences with influential teachers and literature, his family stories, and his connection to his Japanese-American heritage.

Robin Coste Lewis collection

Los Angeles, CA

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Sandra Jackson-Dumont

Curator, art historian, and promoter of Black history and culture

Los Angeles, CA

Robin Coste Lewis
Collection

Sandra Jackson-Dumont

Jackson Dumont reflects on growing up Black in San Francisco, her education, impactful roles in the art and museum worlds, including the Met and Seattle Art Museum, and dedication to integrating Blackness in her work.

Robin Coste Lewis collection

Los Angeles, CA

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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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Dana Johnson

Writer and professor exploring gender, race, class, and identity

Los Angeles, CA

Robin Coste Lewis
Collection

Dana Johnson

Johnson discusses her journey from a Los Angeles childhood marked by creativity and rebellion, through her academic advancement and struggles as a female writer, to her current life as an acclaimed author and professor.

Robin Coste Lewis collection

Los Angeles, CA

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Sara Johnson

Literature and history professor, author, and mentor

Los Angeles, CA

Robin Coste Lewis
Collection

Sara Johnson

Johnson reflects on her exploration of the Caribbean’s linguistic and cultural histories, her journey from Baltimore to San Diego, her transnational work in academia, and commitment to unveiling the interconnectedness of diaspora.

Robin Coste Lewis collection

Los Angeles, CA

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# Addiction and Recovery

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Renee Mitchell

Educator, poet, youth advocate, and former journalist

Portland, OR

Renée Watson
Collection

Renee Mitchell

Becoming a beacon of hope through her work with I AM M.O.R.E. and the Soul Restoration Center, Mitchell reflects on racial trauma and bullying, hardships and triumps, her career, and reclaiming spaces for Black joy and healing.

Renée Watson collection

Portland, OR

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Achy Obejas

Lesbian novelist, poet, translator, and trailblazing journalist

Benicia, CA

Carolina De Robertis
Collection

Achy Obejas

Hailing from Cuba, Obejas reflects on finding vibrant queer and activist scenes in the US, her path as a writer and journalist, race and cultural dynamics, activism during the AIDS crisis, and her role in the lesbian separatist movement.

Carolina De Robertis collection

Benicia, CA

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Adolphe Pierre-Louis

Haitian-born photojournalist

Albuquerque, NM

Ellery Washington
Collection

Adolphe Pierre-Louis

Pierre-Louis recounts growing up in Haiti and his path to becoming a distinguished photojournalist in New Mexico. He discusses encountering and overcoming racial profiling, his connection to his community, and bias education work.

Ellery Washington collection

Albuquerque, NM

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Brenda Shaughnessy

Award-winning poet and professor of English and creative writing

Los Angeles, CA

Robin Coste Lewis
Collection

Brenda Shaughnessy

Drawing from her experiences as an Okinawan-Irish American, Shaughnessy discusses identity, loss, love, and artistic expression. She reflects on her upbringing, personal challenges, turns in her career, and her journey as a poet.

Robin Coste Lewis collection

Los Angeles, CA

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Shalanda Sims

Portland native, World Stage Theatre founder, and performer

Portland, OR

Renée Watson
Collection

Shalanda Sims

Reflecting on her upbringing, family, and work, Sims details unearthing hidden Black heritage in Portland, transforming her findings into enriching historical theater, and fostering community through her production company.

Renée Watson collection

Portland, OR

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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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Alina Troyano

Playwright, performance artist, and actress

Atlanta, GA

Denice Frohman
Collection

Alina Troyano

Troyano reflects on her journey from Havana to New York, the creation of Carmelita Tropicana, her path through performance art, theater, and activism, and the crucial role of community and mentorship in her artistic development.

Denice Frohman collection

Atlanta, GA

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Kitty Tsui

Poet, activist, former bodybuilder, and API lesbian movement pioneer

Oakland, CA

Caro De Robertis
Collection

Kitty Tsui

Having journeyed from Hong Kong to the US, Tsui reflects on her identity as a lesbian, her work as an author and activist, her experiences with discrimination, BDSM, aging, authenticity, and making a mark on her community.

Caro De Robertis collection

Oakland, CA

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# Policing

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Patricia Welch

Retired library head, African American Read-In founder, and radio co-host

Baltimore, MD

Renée Watson
Collection

Patricia Welch

Welch fondly reflects on her Baltimore childhood, surrounded by a tight-knit Black community, as well as her career as a librarian, and North Portland Library's growth into a hub of Black culture amidst gentrification.

Renée Watson collection

Baltimore, MD

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‘There's a lot of work yet to be done.’
Kent Ford
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