Abstract Please note this interview was recorded over a telephone call. Carolyn Stieff reflects on her time as an active member of the WMATA union Amalgamated Transit Union 689. Thrust into the labor movement in 1974 while still in her first months on the job, she participated in the 1974 wildcat strike. After that experience Carolyn soon got involved in the union. She speaks about what it was like to be one of the first female bus drivers in DC, a role that brought her both harassment and praise...

Scope and Contents Josephine Baker talks most about her involvement with the Charter School movement and shares some of the battle scars gained from those who thought, even after 25 years of a stellar reputation with DCPS, that she must be anti-DCPS to take on this new initiative. She explains her motivation, the importance of educational options in each child's development and what she believes they achieved on behalf of children, who she insists must always come first. 'In Part Two of this Oral History,...

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...

Abstract In this interview, Muriel discusses her childhood and her years as a young woman. Muriel discusses her experiences navigating her K-12 schools. Most notably, Muriel discusses her experience of racism and racial integration at Roosevelt High School. Muriel draws from her experiences and the observations she made of her classmates. Muriel discusses her higher education experiences at Howard University. During this time and after graduating from Roosevelt, Muriel was able to travel for social...

Abstract Ron Majors reflects on his decades working as a bus operator for WMATA (Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority) and the importance of the union for strengthening the rights of workers. Though he joined Metro in 1980, two years after the 1978 Metro wildcat strike, he saw evidence of the strike's lasting legacy regarding labor militancy all around him. Ron talks about what it meant to always be 'strike ready' and how this affected labor relations. He also speaks about his Catholic...

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Ms. Corado discusses growing up in El Salvador amidst the civil war, her understanding of her gender and its evolution, emigrating to D.C., living homeless in Dupont Circle, becoming an activist, and establishing Casa Ruby.

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Ms. Corado discusses her early activism and leading the group Latinos en Accion which she would turn into Casa Ruby, the early days of Casa Ruby’s first space, the growth and accomplishments since then, and the challenges and hopes for the future.

Abstract Thomas Stanley talks about being born in Cincinnati, Ohio and moving to Washington, D.C. during a tense political climate and personal challenges, dealing with racial bullying in middle school. Thomas studies psychology at Brown University, where he is first introduced to Sun Ra, whose work he will study in the future closely and write an important manuscript about. After meeting his future wife, Thomas leaves the DMV area and travels across the country to Wisconsin, where he established the...