Search Interviews

Partners Joi Purvy (35) and Jasper Joyner (33) sit down to talk about their beloved city, Memphis. The two talk reflect on the kind and welcoming community that has embraced them and provided them security as Black queers. They also...

Friends Selina X [no age given] and Teronia C (60) talks about how they each ended up in prison, what their sentencing was like, and what the re-entry journey looked like for each of them.

Sartura Smith (62) talks with her friend LaTamarah "Tammi" Stackhouse (48) about growing up in Tampa, Florida during segregation. She describes Central Avenue, a historic district for black owned businesses, her parents being restaurant owners there, family dinner traditions and...

Mark Ugbomah (34) asks his father, Obiajula Ugbomah (58), about his childhood, migrating to the United States, and finding home and belonging in music and important interpersonal relationships.

Colleagues Briiz Jean-Baptise Vicioso (19) and Ru Hensley (24) talk about their experiences growing up as young queer people, how their understanding of gender and sexuality has changed over time, and the hopes they have for the work they do...

Jacob A. Johnson (67) interviews his uncle Edgar Lawrence (92) about his time in the Navy, his transition back to civilian life, and his life after the military.

Madaha Kinsey-Lamb (73) sits down with friend and colleague Egeria Bennett (72) to speak about the early days of Mind-Builders -- a non-profit arts education center located in Bronx. They reflect on the obstacles they faced, how they chose teachers...

Gregory Carey (67) interviews his neighbors Ruthann Richert (72) and Joyce Larson [no age given] about moving to Harlem in the 1980s, and about their life in the Mount Morris Park community.

Darwensi Clark (42) speaks to writer, organizer, activist, and mother Kimberly Bernard (31) on her involvement in the Black Lives Matter movement.

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.

"Southern Search"

Carlton Thompson (33) shares a conversation with his brother Davelle Merrick (24) and mother Yvette Thompson (56) about their experiences moving from New York to Virginia, their lives during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the loss of their grandfather.

Lenora Williams Hameed Omenka [no age given] shares her experience as a caregiver to close friends and family members with breast cancer and the importance of caring for one's self in caring for others. She shares how these experiences led...

Mukasa "Flavia" Agnes Flavia (44) speaks with her friend and colleague Tatjana Andrews (30) about her experiences as a refugee, a mother, and a superwoman.

Saul-Yuan Calvillo (25) and their colleague and friend, Vei Darling (24), talk about life and communities in New York, queerness, and the city's influence on identity.

Friends and One Small Step partners Kimberly Lemite (54) and Daniel Elliott [no age given] reflect on the impact of their family histories. They talk about the legacy of slavery in the United States and what it means to truly...

Tyler Colón (21) interviews his neighbor Juanita Dean (92) about her life in and memories of Harlem. She also talks about her family and her career path.

Long-time friends and colleagues Madaha Kinsey-Lamb (73) and Jim Marley (80) discuss their work and friendship over the years.

Shelda Washington (67) has a conversation with her daughter, Laisha Washington (40), about her childhood in New York, her education, and being a mom.

Friends and soul sisters Natasha Herring (48) and Virginia Vasquez (40) remember their grandparents' life and talk about how they have been influenced by them at various stages in life.

Dr. Carolyn Pryor (62) interviews her friend and colleague Dr. Jovita Oruwari (55) about her career in breast cancer surgery. They talk about the importance of Black female representation in the medical field and how having a doctor who looks...

One Small Step conversation partners Robin Boone (66) and Jim Pokorny (63) discuss their formative political experiences, their relationship with Christianity, the importance of finding common ground with those of different political affiliations, and the essential goodness of human nature.

Naomi Love (27) interviews her new friend Susan Canaday Henry (48) about getting over her arachnophobia, her career, her relationship with art, her childhood, and the life lessons that she has learned along the way.

Sherry Neil (49) and Nia Hodge (50) talk about the importance of community, conversations about mental health for Black women, and their hopes for Fresno in terms of equity.

One Small Step partners, Rachel Barnard (52) and John Duvall (63), discuss privilege and racism. They examine how each of these is reflected in their own life experiences, and John brings some new ways of looking at these concepts to...