Poopoo Earls interview, 2021-10-13
Scope and Contents
D.C. Oral History Collaborative (DCOHC) is a citywide initiative to train community members in oral history skills, fund new and ongoing oral history projects, connect volunteers with oral history projects, and publicize existing oral history collections. DCOHC is a project of DC Public Library, HumanitiesDC, and the Historical Society of Washington, D.C. This collection contains oral history interviews, transcripts, and indexes produced by DCOHC grantees.
Dates
- Creation: 2021-10-13
Creator
- Earls, Poopoo, 1955- (Person)
Language of Materials
English
Biographical / Historical
Born at D.C. General Hospital in 1955, Poopoo Earls mostly grew up in the Shaw neighborhood, including at 4th Street and Q Street. She has lived in D.C. all her life and lives today not far from her childhood home. She transitioned in her teens and “fell victim to the streets,” dropping out of high school. After a struggle with addiction and time in prison, she became well-known for performing in drag in many different spaces and continued her love of go-go and hand-dancing.
Extent
From the Collection: 1.13 Terabytes
Abstract
Ms. Earls discusses growing up in D.C., mostly in Shaw, her early sense of herself as different and coming into her gender and sexuality, the importance of dancing and performance to her from an early age, her struggle with addiction and time in prison, go-go and hand dancing, being in the National Museum of African American History, remembering everyone who has passed and her thankfulness for living to such an age.
General
Please note: This interview includes graphic descriptions of violence.
Repository Details
Part of the The People's Archive, Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library Repository