Interviews - I See My Light Shining

Interviews

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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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    # Black Church

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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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    # Queer Kinship

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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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    # California

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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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    ‘You’re always aware of your Blackness.
    No matter where you go or what you do.’
    Angela Jewell
    curtain