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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# Safety

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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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# New York

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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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# Addiction and Recovery

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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
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