Abstract

Ms. Adwoa Beidleman-Aggrey reflects on her life, training, and involvement as a member and President of the Washington Section, National Council of Negro Women. She shares candid conversations and her insights concerning issues affecting some of the needs faced by women and their families.

Abstract In this oral history interview, Ms. Andrea Turner, a long time D.C. resident, discusses her life and experiences moving from Lumberton, North Carolina, to Washington, D.C. Discussing her early life, Ms. Turner talks about life in Lumberton, reflects on the role the church had in her upbringing, and recalls leaving North Carolina when she moved to Illinois for college. She recounts how she moved to Washington, DC, for a congressional internship and discusses her career first as a...

Abstract Grandmother and retired childhood care provider, Darene “Dee” Johnson, discusses her childhood growing up in Washington D.C. on 11th Street, NE. She recalls playing games in Lincoln Park with her cousins and siblings and enjoyed the beauty of the fruit trees and gardens in her neighborhood. However, during this period in his childhood, Ms. Dee explains the tension in her family, and her mother’s untreated mental and physical illnesses. Moving to Southeast D.C., Ms. Dee immediately...

Abstract

Ms. Inez Davis reflects on her life and involvement as a member and past president of the Washington Section of the National Council of Negro Women. She holds a wealth of knowledge concerning the organization and the section programs’ impact in the community. Ms. Inez Davis discusses some of the challenges and some changes needed to ensure the future of the organization and section.

Abstract Lawyer and activist, Kemi Morten, begins by discussing her family dynamic and childhood moving between Chicago, Illinois and Baltimore, Maryland. She describes learning the importance of celebrating and protecting her identity as an African-American from the persistent pressures of white-centering cultural influences. Whether it was her Father describing his mistreatment as a journalist during the Emmett Till trial, or her own experiences avoiding threats by white people at gunpoint, Kemi...

Abstract Luke Stewart talks about being born in the Mississippi Gulf Coast and moving to Washington, D.C. in pursuit of music and historical connections to the legacy of radical music and culture in the capital. His approach to performance is that of recognizing musical legacies of the cities, where he is based, and using radical music and culture as tools of resistance and call for social justice. He meets a community of improvising musicians and elders while working at WPFW. Luke continues to meet...

Scope and Contents

In this interview with Barbara and Martha Saragovitz, the sisters discuss growing up in Lamond Riggs, when the neighborhood was brand new and largely Jewish. They recount their experiences during the real estate blockbusting and their family's eventual move to Capitol Hill in 1963. Martha remembers a few violent incidents after moving to Southwest, D.C., and her time as an undergraduate at American University.

Abstract Nathan Harrington discusses pivotal experiences in his childhood and young adulthood that motivated him to found the Ward 8 Woods Conservancy. He recounts his parent’s careers and the serendipitous conditions that lead to his birth. Being the youngest of many siblings, Nathan describes lots of time spent alone with his parents, and with his Mom in particular. Noting his Mother’s untimely and tragic passing in 2012, Nathan recalls special moments they shared and the lasting impact of her...

Abstract Ms. Nettie Hailes reflects on her life, the influences of Dr. Dorothy I. Height, President Emerita of National Council of Negro Women, and the legacy of Mary McLeod Bethune, Founder of National Council of Negro Women. She acknowledges the strong support that she received during her term in office and eagerly supports the leadership of youth and those who would follow. She is optimistic about the future and the collective strength of the section and organization. She appeals for youth to step...

Abstract Director of Public Relations at the District of Columbia Housing Finance Agency, Yolanda McCutchen, discusses her family’s roots in rural South Carolina and the aspirations that lead her to eventually work in Washington D.C. Beginning, first, by explaining her enjoyment of daily walks on the Wilson Bridge Trail and gardening at her home, Yolanda details the ways Covid19 has necessitated her making adjustments to her daily routine. Regaling memories from her childhood, as the youngest of many...