Search Interviews

Akiba Shabazz talks with her daughters Naja and Zuri about her life growing up with her parents in Memphis, her marriages and travels.

Bernard Scott Rush, 68, by his daughter, Nicole Rush (Maat Free), 35, about growing up in Mississippi then moving to New York City.

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...

Carlissia, 21, interviews Sylverna, 57, about growing up in Virginia and Baltimore during the Civil Rights Movement, her interest in libraries, becoming Dean of Libraries at the University of Memphis, and the problems facing African Americans today.

Friends Queen Keskessa (51) and Antonio Quinn Edwards (58) speak about their first impressions of each other, Antonio’s identity as an artist, and Queen’s experience coming to the United States and her Ethiopian identity.

Debra Taylor (59) tell her son Eric Taylor (28)

Chandra Blackwell, 40, interviews her mother Nadine Blackwell, 80, about her memory and involvement in Brown vs. the Board of Education, integrating the Topeka Fire Department, and integrating the downtown Topeka restaurants.

Atem Da’Hajhock (28) and John Kuai (27) talk with Joan Hecht (57) about their experiences as one of the many young refugees from Sudan called the Lost Boys.

Friends Lena Richardson (36) and Alena Fields (45) discuss their work promoting health and wellness in Louisiana, as well as the rich culture of food that can make healthy eating difficult. Lena and Alena share their journeys in this field...

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...

Kristin Tubre (28) talks to sister Kimberly Tubre (24) about their childhoods, their parents’ divorce, and being from New Orleans.

Melvin Taylor (49) asks his associate Doris Green about her career as an ethnomusicologist, her creation of Greenotation (an integrated score of percussive music and dance notation), and the time she spent traveling in Africa to learn more about the...

Troy Grant (41) talks to his former student, Alexis Saunders (17), about how he started teaching, his educational philosophy, and some of his favorite classroom memories.

Thomas R. Leach tells son Carlyle Leach of the diversity of his Brooklyn neighborhood as a child, discusses the place of African Americans in the sports world, and shares his predictions for the United States in this (2008) “Year of...

Sara Barkouli (23) interviews her conversation partner Makinde Gbolahan [no age given] about being an active member of the Africatown community as both a naturopathic healer and community organizer.

Friends Vaneet Singh (43) and Queen Keskessa (51) speak about their journeys to the United States, their first impressions of each other, and Vaneet’s Sikh faith.

Linda Kimbley (60) interviews her biological mother, Nancy Mukes (85), and her adoptive mother, Bennieta S. Stansberry (72), about their friendship, what it was like for them to move to Texas from their hometowns later in life, and their feelings...

Michael Diaz-Rivera (23) interviews his mother, Linda Diaz-Rivera-Cleveland (46) about her life, focusing on her experience as a mother.

Tricia Nelson interviews her parents, Horace and Carol Nelson about their decision to marry and immigrate to the United States at a very young age.

One Small Step conversation partners Allison Briscoe-Smith (46) and Sue Lani Madsen (67) talk about how political labels and identity labels don't always get to the nuance of a person, and share stories about how they're teaching the younger generations...

Roosevelt Harris (68) has a conversation with his colleague Zack Carter (59) about the effect of the oil spill on his own family and on his community.

Claire interviews Emma Lou about growing up in Chestnut, Alabama. Emma Lou remembers from childhood about her mother, great-grandmother and her brother, Jim.

Ellie Bryan (21) talks to her friend Jeanne Boutang Croud (59) about her upbringing in Minneapolis and her racial identity - her mother is white, her father is biracial. Ellie is usually assumed to be white by people.

Malik Brooks (14) and his teacher Matthew Coons (28) talk about music, school and violence in the community.

William (Bill) Mayweather (71) and his granddaughter Lauren Jefferson (15) are interviewed by their daughter/mother, Tonya Groomes (45) about a member of their family being part of the Pulitzer Prize winning book “Slavery By Another Name.”