Search Interviews

Originally a celebration of Black History Month, February 2018, Middlebury College's Davis Family Library initiated a series of oral interviews, "In Your Own Words." In them, Literatures & Cultures Librarian Katrina Spencer engages members of the community who trace their...

Sherri Taylor (67) interviews her father, Vernon Frank Reeves (96), about what it was like being an educator in Okeechobee County, Florida during integration. They also talk about Vernon's childhood in Okeechobee and remember some characters from his hometown.

In this interview, conducted in November 2021 in Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey, Channon Wilson(16) interviews her mother(46) about her life and the lessons she learned in the city she grew up in. Ms. Taylor shares stories about her happiest...

I discuss the election of 2008 to my father, a Caucasian male at the age of 52. He shares with me his hopes that he held for Obama and whether or not he found Obama to be a promising candidate....

Eugene Milton Williams, also known as "Milton," discusses his life and experience as a member of the Oakland Fire Department. Milton was the first African-American firefighter to integrate Oakland fire houses between 1954 and 1955. This interview was conducted by...

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...

Monica Whatley (32) interviews her friend, Bandele [no name given] (73), about his incarceration in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Bandele reflects on what he learned during the 33 years during which he was detained, his relationship...

Annette Arnold speaks about her experiences in Dougherty County schools, including attending formerly all black schools after student freedom of choice was replaced by attendance zones. She also discusses her exciting, but difficult and protracted career path for a wife...

Spouses Gregory Johnson (73) and Marcia Johnson (73) discuss the history of busing and desegregation in Seattle. Gregory shares his experience in the voluntary busing program.

Phyllis Wimberly ( My Grandmom ) spent her 40 year career as a Washington DC public school teacher integrating her AP English classes. As an activist and teacher her goal was to send kids to college that wouldn’t have otherwise...

Friends Mike Wegner (71) and Ron Pollack (69) talk about meeting as young white college students in New York, and their subsequent involvement in the Civil Rights movement, including the Freedom Summer. They talk about how it shaped the rest...

Susan Uchitelle has dedicated her life to the education of underprivileged and disadvantaged children. She was fearless in her efforts to assure equal education to all children regardless of class, color, or economic background. She was very successful in her...

Saffron Grace (16) interviews Amari Gaiter (20) about her experiences as a Black student, her commitment to social justice, and how they impact her life.

How Mississippi desegregated and how I resolved an identity crisis

Summer Cody (23) interviews County Commissioner William “Bill” Proctor (62) about his childhood, his family, and his career as a pastor, an adjunct professor of political science at Florida A&M University, and County Commissioner of Leon County.

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...

Williams Craft [no age given] interviews his spouse Kathy Burnell (54) about her life, her relationship with her parents, childhood memories, and her education and career trajectory.

[Recorded: Tuesday, June 21, 2022] Melody and Matt record a follow-up One Small Step conversation in Charlottesville, Virginia, 7 months after their first meeting. They kick off by discussing the outcome of the 2021 Virginia elections and share their opinions...

As a celebration of Black History Month, February 2018, Middlebury College's Davis Family Library has initiated a series of oral interviews, "In Your Own Words." In them, Literatures & Cultures Librarian Katrina Spencer engages members of the community who trace...

Spouses Bo Bartlett (65) and Betsy Eby (54) sit down for a conversation about how their respective childhood homes have influenced who they are today, the inspiration behind each of their artistic styles, and the role that the Bo Bartlett...

Spouses Sylvia Chan-Malik (46) and Badi Malik (51) talk about the garden they have created together in their backyard and how it has served them during the pandemic. The two reflect on their upbringings coming from different racial and ethnic...

Debra Gipson (53) talks with her pastor and friend, Kenneth Moss (65), about her experience as an African American woman in the military. She discusses her decade of time in the military and shares stories of times when she exerted...

I interviewed my father Robert L. Patterson a little over one year before he passed away from cancer in his home in South Carolina. This segment is about his experience over a four year time with segregation in Kentucky and...

One Small Step partners John Agnew (59) and Steven Bates (53) have a conversation about growing up in different ways, race and how they developed their political beliefs.

This interview highlights the changes in media over time and how it has affected both music and music listening habits as well as the education systems in the US.