Tacoma Community House Spring 2022 English Language student from Brazil. Interviewed by dindria barrow on May 4, 2022.

Tacoma Community House Spring 2022 English Language student from Yemen. Interviewed by dindria barrow on May 4, 2022.

Tacoma Community House Spring 2022 English Language student from Korea. Interviewed by dindria barrow on May 4, 2022.

Oral history interview with Tacoma resident Cody Bakken conducted by dindria barrow on March 18, 2023. In this interview, Cody shares his opinions on life and work. Cody believes it is important to be passionate about something and that apathy is his worst enemy. His many passions have led him to many possible futures. He says, “We don’t grow until we leave our boundaries.” He wants to help fix the world because it is we who broke it; and he hopes to earn a position in public administration because local government is where change can be made.

Oral history interview with Tacoma resident Freddie Mae Barnett conducted by dindria barrow on January 28, 2023. In this interview, Mrs. Barnett shares her life story with us. She tells us of her upbringing in Athens, Georgia, and military travels with her husband. Mrs. Barnett was active in the military community and in Tacoma. She is a past president of the Tacoma Association of Colored Women’s Clubs, the Washington State Association of Colored Women’s Clubs and the Regional Association of Colored Women’s Clubs which are all affiliated with the National Association of Colored Women’s Clubs.

Oral history interview with Tacoma resident Charlie Best conducted by dindria barrow on June 30, 2023. In this interview, Charlie shares his interpretation of “home” and how it has defined itself over his lifetime. To paraphrase: Home changes according to the different iterations of “self” and knowing who you are. Charlie is very conscious of how we use masks in our public and work lives. Thus, home is a place where you can be yourself and is a place that you choose, not just a place that is given to you. As the Education Manager of The Rainbow Center, Charlie’s role allows him to share his story of identity. After dealing with many personal struggles, living in the present is now a consistent daily goal for Charlie.

On February 24, 2023, dindria barrow conducted a group oral history interview with four members/founders of the Black Women's Caucus of Washington State, Tacoma Chapter. Those interviewed and photographed include (from left to right): Dr. Thelma Jackson, Caucus founder; Susan Alexander, previous president; Chana Lawson, current president; and Wilma J. Muse, longtime member. In this interview, the origin story of the Caucus is described, and the purpose of the group is explained.

Oral history interview with Tacoma resident Alfonso “Al” Brown conducted by dindria barrow on November 3, 2022. In this interview, Al shares his philosophies on life as well as the key tenets that have helped him survive failure, pain, suffering and homelessness to ultimately find that hope is what is needed to transform your own life as well as others’. Al talks about his work in the community and how he plans on making a difference bringing collegiate theory into real-world practice. Al has been featured in news stories by City University and KBTC about his life experience. Al shares his triumph in getting degrees despite the gatekeepers and about how education is the pinnacle change agent.

Oral history interview with Tacoma resident Lorenzo Cervantes conducted by dindria barrow on August 23, 2022. In this interview, Lorenzo talks about his passion for HIV Prevention as well as education overall. Lorenzo describes how education was the primary way that his life changed and that it was a gift given to him by his immigrant parents. He knew at a young age that he loved differently and was gay. He also knew about injustice at a young age because he was ignored for not speaking English or looking white. Lorenzo leaves us with this advice: “A child needs advocates when they go to school… Education is key for everything…a way of getting out of poverty…we need to support our youth to be able to have the schooling that they deserve to have. [and] About HIV right now, is that we don’t hear about it as much as we should; it’s still an epidemic…talk about it with your friends, talk about it with your family, and even with your mom.” Lorenzo is the Prevention Director of the Pierce County AIDS Foundation (PCAF).

Oral history interview with Tacoma resident Shondea Chapman conducted by dindria barrow on August 16, 2022. In this interview, Shondea describes the places she calls home and her childhood memories between Los Angeles, California, Yakima, Washington and Muskogee, Oklahoma. Shondea has had multiple homes over the course of her life and she is glad that she has had them. Her story is an example of how we are connected to our geographies and our communities. Shondea continues to ask the question, “Who am I going to be?” which propels her into the future.

Oral history interview with previous Tacoma resident Larry Duncan conducted by dindria barrow on November 29, 2022. In this interview, Larry shares his experience in one of Tacoma’s East Side neighborhoods, Salishan. Larry illustrates how his racial identity has been a mystery and how he has tried to piece it together like a complex puzzle. An intriguing person that appeared in his life twice showed up first as a person who made kites. Could this be a person who is somehow related to his birth parents? As he continues to learn about himself, Larry's dream is to be the best dad and husband possible for his family.

Oral history interview with Tacoma resident Regyna Frazier conducted by dindria barrow on September 13, 2022. In this interview, Regyna states that she is proud to be from Tacoma. To paraphrase: Regyna knows Tacoma is home because of how it feels. There is diversity here. You don’t see much diversity [elsewhere] it just becomes one [race], you need a mix in your diet, not just one flavor. Home is a place that mixes, that has more than just one flavor. Regyna wants to be around a mix of people so that she knows that race is not a reason for a crime. If a crime happens, it can happen to any person of any race, not just to my own. Home is also food and Regyna dreams about opening a restaurant to share the flavors of Tacoma.

Oral history interview of Elton Gatewood conducted by dindria barrow on January 21, 2023, as part of the Archiving North End Communities event located at the Wheelock library branch.

Tacoma Community House Spring 2022 English Language student from Ghana. Interviewed by dindria barrow on May 4, 2022.

Tacoma Community House Spring 2022 English Language student from Ukraine. Interviewed by dindria barrow on May 4, 2022.

Oral history interview with Tacoma resident Chace Hunter conducted by dindria barrow on August 25, 2022. In this interview, Chace talks about his family immigrating to Hilltop, Tacoma in 1993, then moving to South Tacoma in 1998, graduating from Western Washington University as well as University of Washington-Tacoma and then buying a home in Hilltop as an adult. Chace’s family fled Cambodia to escape the Khmer Rouge and were refugees in Thailand before coming to Tacoma. He is bilingual and has been married to his husband for six years. Chace has a passion for poetry, psychology, non-profits and nursing. Chace fell in love with his HIV Prevention work and is now the executive director of the AIDS Housing Association of Tacoma (AHAT Homecare). AHAT Homecare provides 24-hour home care, affordable housing/case management, and rental vouchers to the local HIV+ community. To paraphrase Chace: “I love giving back to the community, especially during a time of houselessness, and helping to provide homes to people in need.”

Oral history interview with Dr. Thelma Jackson conducted by dindria barrow on May 11, 2023. In this interview, Thelma shares about her childhood, her education, her move to Washington and her work in many different academic areas and social arenas. Thelma discusses how we need to be present about the past and future. To paraphrase, staying present will help us realize what work needs to be done in our community and society. Thelma shares her new book and how oral histories were a key component of telling the Black community’s story in Lacey and Thurston County.

Oral history interview with Tacoma resident Kyle Jolibois conducted by dindria barrow on August 17, 2022. In this interview, Kyle tells us about his birth and how he is connected to the grittiness of Tacoma. To paraphrase him, "Tacomans are fighters and survivalists no matter who is in control of the city." Kyle’s story is about resilience and speaking truth to power. He leads his life with a direct and realistic view about our environment and our social/political issues. Kyle is open about his views, his sobriety goals, and his physical disability. His strength is his voice and his desire to stand up for what is right.

Tacoma Community House Spring 2022 English Language student from Macedonia. Interviewed by dindria barrow on May 11, 2022.