Search Interviews

Ray Nicholson (71) and Alvin "Alabama" Lovett (71) have been friends since the sixth grade. The two sit down to talk about how they met, their school day memories, and their experiences with the Davis Avenue community in Mobile.

Yvonne Matthews (69) and her conversation partner Franchesca Peña [no age given] discuss Yvonne's upbringing, what originally motivated her to pursue music, and several milestones in her career as a musician and educator.

Kiara Brown (28) talks her colleague to Jeremiah Chapmin (44) about her upbringing in Gloster, Mississippi, her journey to working in media and communications, and the many obstacles she overcame along the way.

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...

Longtime friends Earlene McKee (63) and Laura James (63) talk with new friend Doris Smith (88) about her life, her faith, and her commitment to helping others.

Fredrick Richardson (84) interviews his friend Lisa Lambert (60) about her career as the first African-American assistant city clerk and now city clerk of the city of Mobile.

Former student, Dale Hutchens (58) interviews his band director, William T. Robinson, III (74) about his career as a band director and his experience teaching students during the beginning of integration in Alabama.

Alice Morgan (69( tells her friend Nina Tisara (74) about her social work and her work fighting for civil rights.

Edward Hall (59) talks to his brother Leander "Buster" Hall (72) about early childhood memories, the Catholic church, and life in Alabama.

Rochelle Williams (55) speaks with her husband Charles Williams (53) about her family’s history in Plateau, AL, also known as Africatown. The two discuss the new attention the community is receiving in light of the discovery of the Clotilda ship...

Veda Robbins (54) and her mother Vernetta Henson (74) talk about food, family, and careers. They reflect on the difference between finding a passion and being a curious hummingbird.

One Small Step partners Anna Catherine Grady (24) and Carol Clarke (58) discuss jazz history and environmental justice in Birmingham, AL. They also discuss Rwanda, the COVID-19 pandemic, and how their family members have shaped them.

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...

Friends and colleagues Paulette Davis Horton (67) and Arthur L. Mack (67) have a conversation about the history of how freed slaves began being educated in post-Civil War Mobile, Alabama, and how some of those initial students impacted African-American education...

Jim Ellis (74) talks to his friend Bernadette Jackson-Small (69) about their shared project of identifying unmarked graves of deceased African Americans in different cemeteries around Mobile. Dr. Small also discusses her family's history in the city and memories she...

Catheryn Cowings (21) interviews her great aunt Vivian McCain (95) about her life and growing up in Alabama.

Franchesca Peña [no age given] interviews her conversation partner Darron Patterson (71) about the history of Africatown and the Clotilda ship, his own family history, and the importance of challenging racist ideologies.

Siblings Ereka Craig (59) and Gary Tinsley (77) share memories of their late mother, a figure who was deeply involved in the Africatown community.

Friends and colleagues Jasmine Trotter (25) and Krystal Lockett (36) talk about the issue of gun violence in their community, the history of over-policing and criminalization of Black men, and different community-based approaches to making Mobile a safer place for...

Christopher Williams Sr. (61) and his interview partner Delilah Righter (25) discuss Christopher's childhood in Alabama, his experiences in elementary school during desegregation, and his perspective on the health and wellbeing of the Africatown community.

Old friends Vonnie McMillan (74) and George Moore (90) recall how they met and share thoughts on the legacies they hope to leave behind.

Robert Edward Battles Sr. (77) speaks to his colleague Tiffany Pogue (23) about his work as a community organizer in Africatown and what true justice for Black people looks like.

Lusharon Wiley (70) and her fiancé Ernest Dawson (70) discuss Ernest's family, his time attending Pensacola High School during integration, being the first black football player on the team, his time at Tuskegee University and those who encouraged him along...

Anne Ellinger (66) and One Small Step partner Andrea Hendricks (58) talk about the intersectionality of faith and politics, their shared experiences being mothers, prejudices, and varying political topics.

Eugene Williams (90) talks to his colleague Leslie Schraeder (49) about how he came to his career as a postal service worker, his involvement in the letter carriers’ union, and the painful losses he weathered throughout his service