Search Interviews

Friends Carolyn Michael-Banks (66) and Menelik Fombi (68) speak about Fombi’s experiences as a member of the “Memphis Thirteen,” a group of Black students that integrated Memphis’s segregated school system at the elementary level.

Dr. Shonda Brooks (50) speaks with her colleague Shawana Johnson (43) about their passion for reproductive justice and the health disparities and adverse outcomes for those experiencing childbirth, particularly Black women. Both emphasize the culture surrounding birth and reproductive care,...

Cousins Bobby Dennison (71) and Patricia Frazier (72) speak about their family history as Clotilda descendants. The Clotilda was the last slave ship to arrive in the US. The two discuss the lives of their ancestors Lottie and James, highlighting...

Wayne Curtis (67) speaks with his wife, Joycelyn Curtis (66), about his business Mobile Alabama Africatown Drummers. They discuss how drumming can positively impact mental health, the importance of teaching music to young people, and the historical significance of African...

Kiplyn Primus (61) talks with her conversation partner Ralph Baker (71) about his ancestor Jesse Maxwell Barber and the 1906 Atlanta Race Massacre.

One Small Step conversation partners Coreen Campos (34) and Cherella Nicholson (37) talk about the personal experiences that brought them to their work, the importance of self-care in the nonprofit sector, and their hopes for Fresno.

Dwania Kyles (67) speaks with conversation partner Diane Bezucha (39) about her experience as a member of the the Memphis 13-- the inaugural class of first graders to desegregate schools in Memphis, TN. Dwania reflects on the work of her...

Charles Kuner (84) talks to friend Crispien Van Aelst (51) about his decades-long career as a history teacher in the Chicago Public Schools. Charles reflects on growing up in the Lawndale neighborhood, his philosophy of teaching, and the state of...

Grayce Gadson (71) shares with her colleague Kleopatra Gaiter (32) anecdotes from her time as a student in Florida, Indiana, and California during the desegregation of schools in America. Grayce and Kleopatra compare their varying experience with school institutions, specifically...

Friends, colleagues, and current college students Kelsey Barnes (19) and Kyana Sanchez Rodarte (19) share a conversation about protecting and celebrating Black hair and expression. They also talk about their work as youth leaders on anti-hair discrimination legislation and supporting...