Abstract In this oral history interview, Easter Brown discusses her life and experiences moving from Marshville, North Carolina, to Washington, DC, in 1959. Recalling her upbringing in Marshville, Ms. Brown talks about her early educational experiences, her family’s work as sharecroppers, and racial segregation in her hometown. Ms. Brown talks about her decision to move to Washington, finding work in the city, meeting her husband and raising her children, and the changes she’s seen in her...

Scope and Contents The items include correspondence, clippings, government reports, legislative testimony, hearing transcripts, litigation, flyers, posters, maps, picket signs, press releases, and printed matter. Significant topics covered in the records include the fight to stop the construction of the Seven Sisters Bridge, I-66, I-95, the North Central Freeway, and the fight to save 69 government-confiscated homes in Northeast Washington, D.C.Information about or from other local and national...

Abstract

This is an interview with a current Edgewood/Brookland Family Support Collaborative (E/BFSC) employee who has been with the organization since its inception in the late 1990s. Ms. Jones discusses her upbringing in Washington, D.C., subsequent move to North Carolina, and return to D.C. where she eventually joined the E/BFSC.

Abstract Jude tells the story of being born in San Diego, California to a very musical family, where they spent most of their time outdoors, playing sports, exploring. They moved to Seattle, Washington in early 2000s, where a new and different journey starts, including composing music and taking piano and vocal lessons. Jude then goes to Oakwood College in Alabama, where they deepen their musical practices, composing own songs, while facing the realities of overt racism in the South. Jude spends time...

Abstract Khalid Thompson talks about his childhood in Richmond, Virginia, where southern hospitality is juxtaposed to the reality of historical and current social injustices. He reflects on visiting Washington D.C. in the early 2000s, learning about the underground visual and sonic arts, and moving to the District. He then moves and works as a bike messenger, really getting to know the city, including artists who make experimental arts, outside of the “norm”. Following encouragement from family and...

Scope and Contents

The Oral History of DanceAfrica, D.C. contains six audio interviews conducted by Sarah Greenbaum and Jonathan Hsu in 2018. Indexes and transcripts are included for all interviews.

Scope and Contents

The Brookland Literary and Hunting Club (BLAHC): It's Not What You Think! Oral history project contains six video interviews conducted by Eve K. Austin and Kenneth Campbell in 2018. Indexes and transcripts are included for all interviews.

Scope and Contents

This series is the second grant for Oral History of DanceAfrica, D.C. DanceAfrica is a celebration of dance forms of the African Diaspora and is held annually in Washington, D.C., New York, New York, and Chicago, Illinois. The festival includes performance, films, master classes, educational programming, and a bazaar. This oral history project features six interviews with members of the DanceAfrica, D.C. elders’ council.