The American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress is partnering with StoryCorps to collect stories about the COVID-19 pandemic. The multiyear initiative will document, archive, and make accessible Americans’ experiences with COVID-19, to strengthen understanding of American life during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Center is especially interested in collecting stories from workers at the frontlines of COVID-19 care (medical professionals, emergency service workers, and others).
This initiative is part of the COVID-19 American History Project, a Congressionally funded program to record and preserve American experiences with COVID-19. CLICK HERE learn more about the Project.
All COVID-19 American History Project Interviews
Married couple Khali Sweeney (54) and Jessica Sweeney (42), discuss their work with youth program, DBG Detroit, before, during, and after the Covid-19 pandemic. Khali also speaks about the history of vaccines as they relate to the Black community in...
Jenny Poma (41) and her friend and coworker Ryan Hertz (44) reflect on their relationship and how they and their organization, Lighthouse, adapted to serve the Detroit community during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Natasha Bagdasarian (48) and fellow public health expert Marianne Udow-Phillips (71) discuss Michigan's response to COVID-19, compare the US vs Asia's response to the pandemic and think about what lessons we should have learned as a country as we prepare...
Alyssa Stewart (37) speaks with StoryCorps facilitator Jonathan Zelinger (28) about working in philanthropy during the COVID-19 pandemic. She explains how Kalamazoo's responses to the pandemic were informed by preexisting local crisis response programs, considers how COVID-19 streamlined philanthropic funding...
Gerry Brisson (59) and his coworker Alma Perez (52) reflect on their roles in food distribution during COVID 19 with the Gleaners Community Food Bank of Southeastern Michigan.
Retired public health officer Marcus Cheatham (68) talks about serving in a rural community during the COVID pandemic. Interviewed by his wife Debra Bennett (69) who rode it out with him.
Danielle Daguio (38) and her friend and coworker Molly Hubbell (38) reflect on what drew them to urban farming and community work and how they adapted their work at Keep Growing Detroit to be able to serve the greater Detroit...
Colleagues Claire Lannoye-Hall (42) and Emily O'Hara (40), discuss how their work at the Detroit Zoo was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Claire describes her shift to creating virtual education. Emily speaks about working in person at the zoo with...
Colleagues Timiko Drew (61) and Robert Dunne (58) recall their shared work with Detroit Health Department during the Covid-19 pandemic. They discuss their personal journeys through the pandemic, as well as that of the city's health department.
Colleagues working for the City of Detroit, Hakim Berry (51) and Elisa Malile (35), discuss their efforts in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. Both detail building out the infrastructure for testing and vaccination sites during this time period.
StoryCorps facilitator Ian Gonzalez (27) interviews Brian Colopy (41) about how he managed to keep baseball alive in Michigan during the COVID-19 pandemic. Owner of the Kalamazoo Growlers and the Battle Creek Battle Jacks, Brian remembers running a regional, three-team...
Dr. Asha Shajahan (44) speaks with conversation partner and StoryCorps facilitator Ian Gonzalez (27), about her work as a physician and public health communicator during the COVID-19 pandemic. She describes her experiences working in the COVID-19 units in inpatient care....
Shama Mounzer (42) and her colleague Louis Piszker (60) remember how they adapted to the realities of COVID-19 in their work at Wayne Metro to keep being able to serve the greater Detroit community.