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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    Camelia Adkins

    Texas native and civil rights advocate

    Farmers Branch, TX

    April Reign
    Collection

    Camelia Adkins

    Atkins recounts her East Texas upbringing, navigating racial integration, and her life in Dallas. Atkins also discusses family traditions, including Juneteenth celebrations, her nursing career, and surviving domestic violence.

    April Reign collection

    Farmers Branch, TX

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    Kelvin Alexander

    Human resources professional

    Rowlett, TX

    April Reign
    Collection

    Kelvin Alexander

    Alexander grew up in a large Texan family and reflects on foundational childhood experiences, his passion for human resources, preserving family legacies, the significance of Juneteenth, and teaching his children to give back.

    April Reign collection

    Rowlett, TX

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    Gina Anderson

    Retired train conductor, activist, and member of Las Buenas Amigas

    Philadelphia, PA

    Denice Frohman
    Collection

    Gina Anderson

    From a challenging childhood influenced by loss and abuse to a vibrant life filled with activism and acceptance, Anderson reflects on navigating her sexuality, embracing her cultural heritage, and finding love in her sixties.

    Denice Frohman collection

    Philadelphia, PA

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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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    Rafaela Billini

    Public health activist, real estate professional, and arts enthusiast

    New York City, NY

    Denice Frohman
    Collection

    Rafaela Billini

    Billini reflects on her AIDS activism and housing advocacy, airline work, law school dreams, and facing pandemics. She shares her Puerto Rican roots, storytelling passion, real estate career, and finding love with Nitza.

    Denice Frohman collection

    New York City, NY

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    Nani Brooks

    Educator, principal, and advocate for special education

    Los Angeles, CA

    Robin Coste Lewis
    Collection

    Nani Brooks

    Brooks reflects on her Hawaiian childhood, becoming a principal in Los Angeles, her commitment to children with special needs, her battle with cancer, her faith, and her personal growth through returning to college after decades.

    Robin Coste Lewis collection

    Los Angeles, CA

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    # Assimilation and Resistance

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    Ruth Eisenberg
    Letitia Gomez

    Attorney and prominent Latina gay rights activist

    Philadelphia, PA

    Denice Frohman
    Collection

    Ruth Eisenberg
    Letitia Gomez

    Eisenberg and Gomez reflect on their intercultural love story—from their distinct backgrounds in Chicago and San Antonio to fighting for LGBTQ+ rights, navigating family acceptance, and building a life together.

    Denice Frohman collection

    Philadelphia, PA

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    Brendalynn Goodall

    Oakland native and LGBTQ+ rights activist

    Oakland, CA

    Carolina De Robertis
    Collection

    Brendalynn Goodall

    Goodall discusses her work as a Black lesbian activist and reflects on her family's dynamics, battles for LGBTQ+ and elder rights, personal transformations, and the importance of community engagement, representation, and love.

    Carolina De Robertis collection

    Oakland, CA

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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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    Serina Hazelwood

    Indigenous-Chicana writer on decolonization, rights, and sustainability

    Baja Cali, Mexico

    Denice Frohman
    Collection

    Serina Hazelwood

    Hazelwood shares her love story with her wife Silvana, detailing how their relationship evolved and underscoring how their relationship is a testament to joy, resilience, and the beauty of finding home in another person.

    Denice Frohman collection

    Baja Cali, Mexico

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    Michell Houston

    Professor of nursing and Juneteenth historian

    McKinney, TX

    April Reign
    Collection

    Michell Houston

    Having journeyed from Chicago to Texas, Houston reflects on her family's history and her nursing career. She also discusses raising an adopted son, her transition to academia, and understanding Juneteenth's significance.

    April Reign collection

    McKinney, TX

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    Marshon Jackson

    Advocate for victims of domestic violence

    Arlington, TX

    April Reign
    Collection

    Marshon Jackson

    Jackson shares her experiences of finding healing, purpose, and strength as a survivor and advocate. Jackson also discusses her early childhood, her two sons, faith, and calling to help others, tracing many challenges and triumphs along the way.

    April Reign collection

    Arlington, TX

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    Lisa Manning-Saunders

    FaithBridge director aiding women in recovery and healing

    Portland, OR

    Renée Watson
    Collection

    Lisa Manning-Saunders

    Manning-Saunders reflects on healing from trauma, finding faith, and founding FaithBridge Portland, offering trauma healing designed for Black and brown women and girls, to bolster hope and the capacity to dream in her community.

    Renée Watson collection

    Portland, OR

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    Glynis Morrow

    Civil servant, Wilfandel Club president, and museum volunteer

    Los Angeles, CA

    Robin Coste Lewis
    Collection

    Glynis Morrow

    Morrow shares her journey from her New Orleans roots to achieving a master's degree and embarking on a fulfilling career in public administration. She also discusses her passion for the arts and her involvement in social clubs.

    Robin Coste Lewis collection

    Los Angeles, CA

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    # HIV/AIDS

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    Eleanor Payne

    Former associate dean, community volunteer, and education advocate

    Tulsa, OK

    Caleb Gayle
    Collection

    Eleanor Payne

    Payne shares her journey from a small town in Louisiana, through her college years at Grambling State University, to her roles in education and community service, to her involvement in local leadership and philanthropy.

    Caleb Gayle collection

    Tulsa, OK

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    Chiquita Prudhomme

    Educator, community leader, and co-founder of Renewed Black Identity

    Richardson, TX

    April Reign
    Collection

    Chiquita Prudhomme

    Born on Juneteenth, Prudhomme discusses her upbringing in New Mexico, her move to Texas, and her career as an educator. She reflects on her family history and non-profit work focusing on Black identity and community empowerment.

    April Reign collection

    Richardson, TX

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    Marsha Roy

    Social justice advocate, nonprofit leader, and champion for educational equity

    Garland, TX

    April Reign
    Collection

    Marsha Roy

    Roy shares her life as a Texas-born nurse, caring for patients with chronic and terminal illnesses, dealing with personal loss, and navigating experiences with racism. She also discusses her journey from Tyler to Garland.

    April Reign collection

    Garland, TX

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    Shawnte Sims

    Maintenance supervisor, gospel choir leader, and community photographer

    Portland, OR

    Renée Watson
    Collection

    Shawnte Sims

    Sims shares his journey from a youth passionate about electronics and sports, through leadership roles and early career explorations, to becoming a cherished community leader, devoted family man, and acclaimed photographer.

    Renée Watson collection

    Portland, OR

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    Melissa Smith-Hohnstein

    Clinical director, adoptee, and child advocate

    Portland, OR

    Renée Watson
    Collection

    Melissa Smith-Hohnstein

    Smith Hohnstein reflects on foster care, adoption complexities, her search for and reunion with her biological family, motherhood, navigating identity, and the implications of her heritage in personal and professional life.

    Renée Watson collection

    Portland, OR

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    Thomas Starke

    LA native, former commercial driver, and case manager at Midnight Mission

    Los Angeles, CA

    Robin Coste Lewis
    Collection

    Thomas Starke

    Starke discusses his journey through addiction, incarceration, and recovery, as well as the transformative power of acceptance and love and his impactful role as a case manager at the Midnight Mission.

    Robin Coste Lewis collection

    Los Angeles, CA

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    Vada Tate

    New Orleans native, government retiree, and world traveler

    Los Angeles, CA

    Robin Coste Lewis
    Collection

    Vada Tate

    Drawing from a lifetime of experiences, Tate reflects on being a military spouse, raising four children, embracing life in the desert, finding strength in faith, her government career, and her values.

    Robin Coste Lewis collection

    Los Angeles, CA

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    Vivian Varela

    Non-binary, two-spirit elder and queer rights champion

    Garden Grove, CA

    Caro De Robertis
    Collection

    Vivian Varela

    Varela discusses growing up with food insecurity, missionary work in Latin America, leaving home, coming out, attending a pivotal conference, and identifying as non-binary and two-spirit at age 65.

    Caro De Robertis collection

    Garden Grove, CA

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    Myrna Villalobos
    Nancy Rosado

    Orlando, FL

    Denice Frohman
    Collection

    Myrna Villalobos
    Nancy Rosado

    Villalobos and Rosado share their unique love story, weaving through careers in the NYPD and US Army, coming to terms with their identities, navigating challenging spaces, and finding resilience through their relationship.

    Denice Frohman collection

    Orlando, FL

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    # Black Church

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    Robin LaVerne Wilson

    Filmmaker, activist, and choir member

    Converse, TX

    April Reign
    Collection

    Robin LaVerne Wilson

    Wilson shares her journey from Texas to New York and back, exploring identity, activism, and the complexities of family relationships. She discusses academic pursuits, work as a political artist, and caring for her mother.

    April Reign collection

    Converse, TX

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