denny beale

Interview with my father about the racism he faced growing up while playing lacrosse and the future for lacrosse.

Colby Maddox & John Huber

A conversation between friends, bluegrass musicians and fellow Old Town School coworkers Colby Maddox and John Huber. Colby has been managing the Resource Center and teaching mandolin at the school since 1999. John has been working at the school since...

Equitable Dinners Stories! Terra Gay

Terra Gay has over 20 years of professional experience, including an extensive background in National Service leadership, training, consulting, organizational and entrepreneurial knowledge. She has a B.A. degree in African and African-American Studies from Emory University and a Certificate in...

Dad and cec

Young and black and disabled and smol

Just gotta push yourself to be you all the time.

A brief conversation between two Black non-binary people (one who is also trans-identifying) and their struggles with society, growing up and coming to understand gender identity, expression & sexuality.

John: "This is my neighborhood."

John Ford, a long-time client of EZRA's, sits down with a member of EZRA's Social Action team to discuss his experiences growing up as a Black man in Chicago, working with EZRA, and gentrification in Uptown, Chicago.

1968 from a Chicagoan’s Perspective

An overview of major events my grandmother remembers while living in Chicago in 1968. She was twenty years old and witnessed many of the terrible and iconic events on the news.

Steve Rosen & Mareva Lindo

Old Town School teaching artist Steve Rosen talks with his coworker and one-time fiddle student Mareva Lindo about his long tenure at the school. Steve is a member of long-running string band The Volo Bogtrotters, winner of the Midwest Fiddle...

Ted & Marcia Johnson

Ted and Marcia Johnson have been married almost as long as they've been a part of the Old Town School community. They met at an early 1960s anniversary concert for the Old Town School, where Marcia had been taking guitar...

Lynn shares her personal and Davis family history of the 1960s and 1970s "What I know now what I didn’t know then is…"

Lynn shares with Sarah her experience of going to the 1965 Presidential Inauguration, of attending Northwestern in Chicago in 1965-1969 during the campus uprisings, and recognizing the importance of living in diverse places with water roots.

“What do you remember about growing up in Chicago?”

My Grandfather, John Grey, has had an interesting upbringing moving from place to place with his family. He was raised as a young child in Chicago Illinois, and later moved to Dallas Texas with his family. In this interview, Me...

Mary Jane Anderson (my mom!) being interviewed by Annie Anderson (me!) on November 30, 2015 in Philadelphia, PA.

Mary Jane Anderson discusses her childhood in the Englewood neighborhood of Chicago, her work at the Santa Fe Railroad, and her religious and family life.

Ed Holstein & Rick Weiland

Folksinger and Old Town School teacher Ed Holstein talks with his student Rick Weiland about growing up on Chicago's south side, stories of the city's folk scene over the past 50+ years, and memories of his brother and collaborator Fred...

The Life of Joseph Wilcox

In my interview with Joseph Wilcox (my father) we discuss many different topics from many different points in my life. We talk about things from what parks he used to play at, to how our family was almost not even...

The Difficulties of Living in A New Neighborhood

Darius Kimble grew up in the 1970s as a young black child. When he was born, his family was not the richest. After some years, his father gained a new job which came with way more money than was given...

War Can’t Destruct Love

“My childhood was actually great!” In November of 2018, ninth grade student, Olivia Foxman interviewed her grandmother, Shelly Foxman. Olivia learns about Shelly’s admirable  childhood post World War ll. Shelly’s story starts in 1951 in Chicago, but her family's story originates...