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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    Tressa Gunnels

    Retired lieutenant, veteran, detective, and mental health advocate

    Corona, CA

    Robin Coste Lewis
    Collection

    Tressa Gunnels

    Gunnels reflects on her upbringing, military service, becoming a lieutenant in law enforcement, her work's physical and psychological impacts, the dynamics of policing, her transition into retirement, and her passion for travel.

    Robin Coste Lewis collection

    Corona, CA

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    Charnetta Hutson

    Portland mentor and performing arts ministry founder

    Portland, OR

    Renée Watson
    Collection

    Charnetta Hutson

    Hutson reflects on finding her father, navigating life as a Black woman in Portland, her spiritual growth through Das PHAT Ministries, gentrification's impact on her community, her mother's legacy, and performing arts ministry.

    Renée Watson collection

    Portland, OR

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    Thomas Kaulukukui

    Former judge, Hawaiian warrior, teacher, and advocate

    Honolulu, Hawaii

    Natalie Diaz
    Collection

    Thomas Kaulukukui

    Thomas Ka’auwai Kaulukukui Jr. recounts his journey, sharing Hawaiian culture, lore, and personal history, while reflecting on education, martial arts, and the island's transformation post-statehood.

    Natalie Diaz collection

    Honolulu, Hawaii

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    Egyptt LaBeija

    Trans rights activist, Godmother of LaBeija, and filmmaker

    New York, NY

    Jenna "J" Wortham
    Collection

    Egyptt LaBeija

    LaBeija discusses her life, including her childhood, surviving on the piers of NYC, familial acceptance, embracing her trans identity, and finding love and stability amidst chaos, forging a path of resilience and self-awareness.

    Jenna "J" Wortham collection

    New York, NY

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    # Literature and Writing

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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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    Richard Pettiford

    Educator, mentor to Black youth, and DJ

    Portland, OR

    Renée Watson
    Collection

    Richard Pettiford

    As a beloved figure at Jefferson High School, Pettiford reflects on his childhood, career, the role Black women played in his journey, navigating fatherhood, and witnessing the impacts of gentrification in Portland.

    Renée Watson collection

    Portland, OR

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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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    Nancy Rosado

    Orlando, FL

    Denice Frohman
    Collection

    Nancy Rosado

    Rosado reflects on her experiences during the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, work in mental health support within law enforcement, retirement, advocacy work, and commitment to documenting history through photography.

    Denice Frohman collection

    Orlando, FL

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    Cheryl Russey

    Long-time educator and Albuquerque native

    Albuquerque, NM

    Ellery Washington
    Collection

    Cheryl Russey

    Russey shares her deep roots in Albuquerque, reflecting on her family's legacy, her career as a public school teacher for 45 years, raising children in a changing city, and her community involvement through church and relationships.

    Ellery Washington collection

    Albuquerque, NM

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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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    ‘If you want to learn about the history of the place,
    learn about its ocean, as well as the land.’
    Thomas Kaulukukui Jr.
    curtain