Search Interviews

Ross Smith (52) and his partner, Aaron Knight (50), talk about becoming foster parents. They also discuss some of the challenges and highlights they have faced through the fostering and adoption experience.

Community members and friends Carolyne Edwards (79) and Robbie Jones (62) share memories of growing up in Virginia Avenue Park community.

Siblings Betty Brown-Chappell (76) and Ben Brown (68) share memories from growing up on their family farm in the 1950s and 1960s outside of Bangor, Michigan. The two reflect on the collaboration between Black farmers in their community and the...

Sisters Tammy Henry [no age given] and Tiffiny Benton-Hoke [no age given] sit down with their mother, Wilbertine Calhoun (73), to ask her about the parts of her life story that she has not shared with her daughters. As she...

Crystal DeBerry (40) talked with her board members Kristy Smith (45) and Torey DeBerry (43) about the creation of Indomitable Families Affected by Incarceration (IFAM). They discuss why they started and continue this work.

Sister Gladia Bell (89), Lue Hicks (78), and Willie B. Kennedy (88) talk about their childhood memories, their wonderful parents and their life growing up in the South

One Small Step partners Jayme Hightower (41) and Steve LaPorta (60) discuss missionary work, systemic racism, and how to improve schools in our country.

Vernon Taylor (88) is joined by his daughter, Valerie Taylor [no age given], as he remembers his life's journey as a black apprentice and later as an Air Condition Refrigeration Engineer and Instructor.

Michael Johansson (71) interviews his friend Ken Yon Greer Sr. (36) about his experience growing up in the Mississippi Delta and the road that led him to college, and eventually, to becoming president of the historically black fraternity, Phi Beta...

Yolanda Lakes (50) sits down with her father, Raymond "Ray" Lakes (72), to ask about his upbringing in Columbus, GA and the world events, as well as personal experiences, that have shaped his current worldview.

Two friends discussing growing up in Columbus, Georgia around the downtown area.

Coworkers Silvia Bunn (67) and Deborah Clark (60) gather to honor and appreciate Deborah's years of service at the Mildred L. Terry Public Library, the first public library for African Americans in Columbus, GA. Deborah reminisces about coming to the...

"Memories of The Row"

Friends and coworkers Jazzlyne Jackson (23) and Shinethia Ivey (58) share a conversation about what led them to become teachers, how they ended up working at the same school, the value of connecting with students, and the challenges and rewards...

Colleagues Bryan Buckley (34) and Olivia Umoren (29) discuss growing up as the children of immigrants and their careers in health equity.

Sara Skinner (49) interviews her friend and colleague Chantale Niyonkuru (23) about her upbringing, culture, life experiences, and journey from a refugee camp in Tanzania to graduating college in Boise, Idaho.

Colleagues and board members of OutFront Kalamazoo Frances Vicioso (34), Regan Hanley (63), and CoCo Marie (46) share their journeys coming into their identities, reflecting on how the queer experience takes shape across different generations and communities. The three also...

J.J. (69), a student in the 1950s and 1960s at the Michigan School for the Blind shares stories with Dr. Velma Allen (79), the school's superintendent during the 1980s and 1990s.

Paulette Isaac Napper [no age given] talks with her daughter Tomeka Napper (45) about leaving a record for her grandson so he knows about her life growing up in the south during the 1960s, family traditions, Jim Crow, and black...

John A. Johnson (69) speaks with his son Jonathan Johnson (33) and his daughter Keilah Johnson (32) about his life growing up in the South.

Kymberli Smith (18) and her foster parent Keturah Hardy (45) talk about Kimberli moving in with Keturah while in the foster care system. They discuss their pasts and traumas and what they hope for in the future.

Best friends Dee Armstrong [no age given] and Martha Jones [no age given] talk about Martha's career as a teacher, Dee's career as a news anchor, and what makes the two of them such great friends. They also discuss the...

One Small Step conversation partners Xuanning Fu (69) and Shantay Davies-Balch (42) talk about the importance of social capital in social mobility, interracial relationships, and the role of the DRIVE initiative in increasing equity in Fresno.

Daughter and mother Adria Dunn (52) and Dr. Irene Dunn (74) discuss their family history, legacy, and Irene's decision to join the Army Reserve.

Kinshasa Vargas-Pile (47) talks to her wife, Heather Riley (41), about her love for being a librarian, especially in Baltimore, and the sense of community she has found through it.