Special Collections Research Center
William & Mary Special Collections Research CenterWilliam & Mary Special Collections Research Center staff.
Before reproducing or quoting from any materials, in whole or in part, permission must be obtained from the Special Collections Research Center, and the holder of the copyright, if not Swem Library.
Portions of this collection may be restricted for privacy reasons. Consult a staff member for assistance. Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, such as the Virginia Public Records Act (Code of Virginia. § 42.1-76-91); and the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (Code of Virginia § 2.2-3705.5). Confidential material may include, but is not limited to, educational, medical, and personnel records. If sensitive material is found in this collection, please contact a staff member immediately. The disclosure of personally identifiable information pertaining to a living individual may have legal consequences for which the College of William and Mary assumes no responsibility.
Williamsburg Documentary Project Collection, Special Collections Research Center, Swem Library, College of William and Mary.
Acc. 2009.030 received 2/16/2009 from the Williamsburg Documentary Project via Jenna Simpson. Acquisition information for material received after 7/13/2009 is available by consulting a Special Collections Research Center staff member.
Acc. 2009.030 accessioned and minimally described by Amy C. Schindler, University Archivist, in 2/2009. Acc. 2010.311 accessioned and minimally described by Steven Bookman, University Archives Specialist, in 5/2010. All accessions were integrated and processed by David Ward, SCRC Graduate Apprentice, from October 2013-January 2014. Acc. 2015.148 accessioned and minimally described by Steven Bookman, University Archives Specialist, in June 2015.
The American Studies Program offers students the opportunity to engage with the complex and diverse histories of cultural, racial, and national encounters that, like those of our local area, have come to shape the past and present of the United States, and the Americas. In a rigorous, yet flexible environment of intellectual inquiry, students develop the critical skills that allow them not only to pursue rewarding careers, but to serve as responsible citizens of the 21st Century.
This collection is composed of material collected and created by the Williamsburg Documentary Project. The Williamsburg Documentary Project conducts oral history interviews and builds physical and digital archives, as well as other activities, through which it interprets the past of Williamsburg, Virginia.
The collection includes publications, news clippings, interviews, and planning documents about Merchant's Square, New Town, food, immigration, as well as events related to Williamsburg history. Events documented in this collection include the removal of a cross from the chapel in the William & Mary Wren Building at the direction of College President Gene R. Nichol.
Digital content documents from the Williamsburg Documentary Project, including some interviews, are available at William & Mary Libraries Digital Collections .
VERY IMPORTANT: Anyone quoting from or making substantial use of the oral histories collected here should consider THE SOUND RECORDINGS THE DEFINITIVE SOURCE. Transcripts, indexes, and key words are only tools meant to help guide users to the sound recordings. Most of these interviews were done by WDP student-interviewers. Most interviews combine a life history format with some questioning specific to a student-interviewer's research interests. As part of their training, WDP students do some group interviews and also interview one another, and the collection also contains these recordings. Additionally, the collection gathers some recordings that were done by other groups—for example, local volunteers helping commemorate Williamsburg's 300th anniversary. All oral history interviews conducted by the WDP are done following the Oral History Association's principles and best practices guidelines. Each record in the digital archive contains: a) a sound recording of an interview (WAV format; some MP3 format); a few recordings have been edited to reflect restrictions; some recordings are available for use only on-site in Swem Library's Special Collections b) an image of the Deed of Gift relevant to the interview (PDF or TIFF format) c) a "live index" to the recording (PDF format); these indexes were made by assistants to the main interviewer during the interview and, using time code, give a rough guide to major topics covered in the interview. d) a "headnote" (PDF format); written by the main interviewer, headnotes give some basic information on the circumstances in which the interview took place and highlight some key topics covered in the interview. Many records also contain: e) an interview transcript, which incorporates the headnote described above (PDF format); prepared by the main interviewer, transcripts attempt to render the dialogue of the interview in a way that is quickly searchable. SCHOLARS WISHING TO QUOTE, SYNOPSIZE, OR REFERENCE A WDP ORAL HISTORY SHOULD ALWAYS CHECK THE TRANSCRIPT AGAINST THE INTERVIEW RECORDING. Some records may also contain: f) scans of documents or photographs (TIFF files) related to the interviewee or topics covered in the interview.
This sub-series contains oral history interviews from 1995-2012. Interviewees consist primarily of William & Mary students, William & Mary Faculty, and Williamsburg and James City County residents. Interviews have related oral history materials in the William & Mary digital archive. The suberies is arranged in alphabetical order by last name of interviewee.
This sub- series contains oral history deeds, transcripts and notes from 1995-2012.
Final papers for student projects consist of a variety of subjects on the community life and culture within Williamsburg and surrounding environs. Some of these topics have related oral history and digital materials in the William & Mary digital archive. This series contains student project map diaries from 2008-2012. Students track their locations and movements for a 24 hour period to construct a map diary of their day. There is no prescribed format for the map diary. The bulk of the series is arranged by project title.
Please note that select student papers are restricted from viewing due to privacy. Please consult with a staff member for assistance.
This series contains research materials on the following subjects: : Old Town/New Town, Food and Poverty in Williamsburg and Wren Cross controversy, Battle of Williamsburg Commemoration, J1 Work Visas, Retirement in Williamsburg and Development of Quarterpath Road. There are also oral history materials from the Grass Roots Theater (1998-1999). Old Town/New Town: Merchants Square material, Merchants Square Real Estate Operations, The NewTowner magazines, Next Door Neighbor magazine, and newspaper clippings for 2007. Food and Poverty in Williamsburg: USDA Brochures (2007), Statistics, Information, Advertisements (2010), SHIP (2010), Food Bank Study (2004), Community Health Report (2005) Wren Cross controversy: Emails, Websites and notes used in compiling final report. Battle of Williamsburg Commemoration: Notes J1 Work Visas: Briefings, Regulations, Court Case, and notes used in compiling final report. All from 2010. Retirement in Williamsburg: Reports and Brochures, Journal Articles, Tourism directory, and newspaper clippings.
Williamsburg, Virginia, Traffic Lights, 35 x 21 cm, color Williamsburg, Virginia, Original City and Subsequent Annexation, 28 x 43cm, Color, ca 1984 Williamsburg, Virginia,, Williamsburg in the '20 and '30s, 21 x 28cm, Black & White James City County, 29.5 x 43cm, color, 2006 Williamsburg, Virginia, Comprehensive Plan, 42.5 x 54.5 cm, color, 2006 Williamsburg, Virginia, Zoning Districts, 1 of 3, 42.5 x 34 cm, color, February 13, 2003 Williamsburg, Virginia, Architectual Review Distircts, 42.5 x 34 cm, 2 of 3, color, March 9, 2006 Williamsburg, Virginia, Zoning Districts, 3 of 3, 42.5 x 34 cm, color, February 13, 2003 Williamsburg, Virginia, Zoning Map, 91 x 58 cm, black & white, July 1, 1966, 2 copies Williamsburg, Virginia, Zoning Map, 91 x 58 cm, black & white, August,1972, Res'C', March 26, 1981 Williamsburg, Virginia, Zoning Map, 91 x 58 cm, black & white, August,1972, ' March 23, 1987, 2 copies Williamsburg, Virginia, Zoning Map, 91 x 58 cm, black & white, August,1972, January 1, 1975, 2 copies Williamsburg, Virginia, Zoning Map, 91 x 58 cm, black & white, July 1964 Williamsburg, Virginia, Real Property Grid Index, 91 x 58 cm, color, July 13, 2004
This series contains restricted material. Please consult a staff member for further assistance. This is a temporary series and will be deleted once it has been integrated with the existing collection. The series contains oral histories, final reports, and map diaries by students in the Williamsburg Documentary Project course at William and Mary.
This interview was conducted by Andrew Cotman and was indexed by Marriya Schwarz with audio management by Nicholas DeAtley. The interview was later transcribed by Nicholas DeAtley, Marriya Schwarz, and Andrew Cotman. The interview took place during the afternoon of 3/15/18 in the third floor 311 classroom of the College of William and Mary American Studies building, located on 114 North Boundary Street Apt Williamsburg, VA 23185, using a Zoom H-1 Handy Voice Recorder. Overall the quality of the interview is very clear, however the volume of the interview was a little low. There was a little interference due to an AC unit turning on and off which may have obstructed slightly the clearness and volume of Ms. Bell's voice. Also, there was an interference early on in the interview because Ms. Bell's microphone detached from her jacket. During the interview, Barbara Bell discussed her experiences in various school systems, like Richmond Public Schools, Fairfax County Public Schools, Department of Defense Schools, and the Medina City School District, during her 35 years of teaching. She reflected on her experiences teaching students with varying socioeconomic statuses. Throughout the interview, she made references to the power of having diversity throughout the classroom, and the joy that she has gained from teaching. Towards the end of the interview, she discussed her work with homeless student populations and a program that she created, called Diversity-In-Actions that promotes knowledge of African-American culture. For clarity, the transcribers have eliminated ever "um" and "uh" from the transcription.
The content of this note was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
This interview was conducted by Andrew Cotman and was indexed by Marriya Schwarz with audio management by Nicholas DeAtley. The interview was later transcribed by Nicholas DeAtley, Marriya Schwarz, and Andrew Cotman. The interview took place during the afternoon of 3/15/18 in the third floor 311 classroom of the College of William and Mary American Studies building, located on 114 North Boundary Street Apt Williamsburg, VA 23185, using a Zoom H-1 Handy Voice Recorder. Overall the quality of the interview is very clear, however the volume of the interview was a little low. There was a little interference due to an AC unit turning on and off which may have obstructed slightly the clearness and volume of Ms. Bell's voice. Also, there was an interference early on in the interview because Ms. Bell's microphone detached from her jacket. During the interview, Barbara Bell discussed her experiences in various school systems, like Richmond Public Schools, Fairfax County Public Schools, Department of Defense Schools, and the Medina City School District, during her 35 years of teaching. She reflected on her experiences teaching students with varying socioeconomic statuses. Throughout the interview, she made references to the power of having diversity throughout the classroom, and the joy that she has gained from teaching. Towards the end of the interview, she discussed her work with homeless student populations and a program that she created, called Diversity-In-Actions that promotes knowledge of African-American culture. For clarity, the transcribers have eliminated ever "um" and "uh" from the transcription.
The content of this note was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
We interviewed Dr. Byrd-Poller on Tuesday, February 20th, 2018 in the upstairs classroom in the college apartments. Besides two brief distractions (one from a man hoping to print some papers and the other when we needed to get Dr. Byrd-Poller some water), the interview continued uninterrupted. We began by discussing her own experience growing up in the Williamsburg- James City County school system and her children's experiences and how practices have changed over time. We then began discussion of her twisting career path that eventually led her to her current position as Director of Human Resources at Thomas Nelson Community College. One topic that was particularly relevant throughout the interview was the issue of diversity in her own schooling experience, her children's, and today as she plays a large role in hiring prospective staff.
The content of this note was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
We interviewed Dr. Byrd-Poller on Tuesday, February 20th, 2018 in the upstairs classroom in the college apartments. Besides two brief distractions (one from a man hoping to print some papers and the other when we needed to get Dr. Byrd-Poller some water), the interview continued uninterrupted. We began by discussing her own experience growing up in the Williamsburg- James City County school system and her children's experiences and how practices have changed over time. We then began discussion of her twisting career path that eventually led her to her current position as Director of Human Resources at Thomas Nelson Community College. One topic that was particularly relevant throughout the interview was the issue of diversity in her own schooling experience, her children's, and today as she plays a large role in hiring prospective staff.
The content of this note was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
This interview was conducted by Shainir Bearfield and was indexed by Nicholas DeAtley with audio management done as well by Nicholas DeAtley. Nicholas DeAtley and Shainir Bearfield later transcribed the interview together. The interview took place at 3:30 p.m. of March 23rd of 2018, at the Land Tech Resources Inc. building located on 3925 Midlands road located in Williamsburg, Virginia 23188 using a Zoom H-1 Handy Voice Recorder. Overall the quality of the interview is very clear and all audio equipment worked extremely well. Interviewed was Lisa Ownby who serves as the Vice Chair of the Williainsburg James City County School board. She is also appointed as head of the special education advisory committee within the school board system. During the interview Lisa Ownby discusses how her relationship with her brother unfortunately suffering from numerous disabilities impacted her life choices and career path. Throughout the interview she discusses her early volunteering with Special Olympics eventually leading to her eventual work at Child Development Resources funded by the U.S. Department of Education. Lisa Ownby in this interview offers her point of view on several facets of the Williainsburg James City County Public school system. First and foremost she offers her perspective on funding of special education on a local, state and national level. This interview was an excellent way to see how those working within the school board view the production of the special education system and of what issues are taking place in the system in regards to funding. Throughout this interview for clarity, the transcribers have eliminated "um" and "uh" from the transcription.
The content of this note came from the headnote created by the interview team.
This interview was conducted by Shainir Bearfield and was indexed by Nicholas DeAtley with audio management done as well by Nicholas DeAtley. Nicholas DeAtley and Shainir Bearfield later transcribed the interview together. The interview took place at 3:30 p.m. of March 23rd of 2018, at the Land Tech Resources Inc. building located on 3925 Midlands road located in Williamsburg, Virginia 23188 using a Zoom H-1 Handy Voice Recorder. Overall the quality of the interview is very clear and all audio equipment worked extremely well. Interviewed was Lisa Ownby who serves as the Vice Chair of the Williainsburg James City County School board. She is also appointed as head of the special education advisory committee within the school board system. During the interview Lisa Ownby discusses how her relationship with her brother unfortunately suffering from numerous disabilities impacted her life choices and career path. Throughout the interview she discusses her early volunteering with Special Olympics eventually leading to her eventual work at Child Development Resources funded by the U.S. Department of Education. Lisa Ownby in this interview offers her point of view on several facets of the Williainsburg James City County Public school system. First and foremost she offers her perspective on funding of special education on a local, state and national level. This interview was an excellent way to see how those working within the school board view the production of the special education system and of what issues are taking place in the system in regards to funding. Throughout this interview for clarity, the transcribers have eliminated "um" and "uh" from the transcription.
The content of this note came from the headnote created by the interview team.
This interview was conducted by Shainir Bearfield and was indexed by Nicholas DeAtley with audio management done as well by Nicholas DeAtley. Nicholas DeAtley and Shainir Bearfield later transcribed the interview together. The interview took place at 3:30 p.m. of March 23rd of 2018, at the Land Tech Resources Inc. building located on 3925 Midlands road located in Williamsburg, Virginia 23188 using a Zoom H-1 Handy Voice Recorder. Overall the quality of the interview is very clear and all audio equipment worked extremely well. Interviewed was Lisa Ownby who serves as the Vice Chair of the Williainsburg James City County School board. She is also appointed as head of the special education advisory committee within the school board system. During the interview Lisa Ownby discusses how her relationship with her brother unfortunately suffering from numerous disabilities impacted her life choices and career path. Throughout the interview she discusses her early volunteering with Special Olympics eventually leading to her eventual work at Child Development Resources funded by the U.S. Department of Education. Lisa Ownby in this interview offers her point of view on several facets of the Williainsburg James City County Public school system. First and foremost she offers her perspective on funding of special education on a local, state and national level. This interview was an excellent way to see how those working within the school board view the production of the special education system and of what issues are taking place in the system in regards to funding. Throughout this interview for clarity, the transcribers have eliminated "um" and "uh" from the transcription.
The content of this note came from the headnote created by the interview team.
I interviewed Jennifer Albarracin at the William and Mary Barnes and Noble on Saturday, April 7. We were originally meeting to interview Elias Martinez, a father of English Language Learning students in WJCC schools. However, by some miscommunication, even though he arrived at the bookstore, we were never able to find each other. I'm guessing it was an issue with parking. After waiting an hour, I interviewed Jennifer. We discussed her own experience growing up in Fairfax, Virginia with the label of"ESL" and how it drove her towards academic success because she wanted to leave behind the term "ESL" as an identifier. We also touched on her parents' interactions with the school system and how her relationship with her parents was strained by communication barriers. Today, Jennifer is a William and Mary student, minoring in Latin American studies in order to learn more about her own roots. The background noise is relatively loud throughout the interview, but the recording is still understandable. Although she does state her name as Jennifer Albarracin Moya in the recording, most of the time she goes by solely her first last name, Albarracin, and so I decided to refer to her as Jennifer Albarracin after consulting her preferences.
The content of this note was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
I interviewed Jennifer Albarracin at the William and Mary Barnes and Noble on Saturday, April 7. We were originally meeting to interview Elias Martinez, a father of English Language Learning students in WJCC schools. However, by some miscommunication, even though he arrived at the bookstore, we were never able to find each other. I'm guessing it was an issue with parking. After waiting an hour, I interviewed Jennifer. We discussed her own experience growing up in Fairfax, Virginia with the label of"ESL" and how it drove her towards academic success because she wanted to leave behind the term "ESL" as an identifier. We also touched on her parents' interactions with the school system and how her relationship with her parents was strained by communication barriers. Today, Jennifer is a William and Mary student, minoring in Latin American studies in order to learn more about her own roots. The background noise is relatively loud throughout the interview, but the recording is still understandable. Although she does state her name as Jennifer Albarracin Moya in the recording, most of the time she goes by solely her first last name, Albarracin, and so I decided to refer to her as Jennifer Albarracin after consulting her preferences.
The content of this note was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
I interviewed Dr. Barko-Alva on Wednesday, March 21 in Swem library in a group study lounge on the first floor (this gives reference for the occasional muffled voices in the background). Earlier in the day weren't sure if the interview was going to happen because it was snowy, but we did end up completing the interview. We discussed Dr. Barko-Alava's educational background, beginning with her high school experience in Peru to finishing high school in the U.S. and going on to succeed at the University of Florida. She began teaching English her junior year of college and once she graduated, she worked in the local public-school system. Dr. Barko-Alva went back to UF to earn her Master's and Ph.D, and finally found herself at William and Mary. We also discussed her involvement in educational activist work in Virginia and her experiences 'in the Williamsburg-James City County school system. There were a few sections of the narrative that were removed at the request of the narrator for various reasons including a confidential conversation Dr. Barko-Alva is not at liberty to reveal. However, none of the deleted sections were crucial to the narrative being recounted.
The content of this note comes from the headnote created by the interview team.
I interviewed Dr. Barko-Alva on Wednesday, March 21 in Swem library in a group study lounge on the first floor (this gives reference for the occasional muffled voices in the background). Earlier in the day weren't sure if the interview was going to happen because it was snowy, but we did end up completing the interview. We discussed Dr. Barko-Alava's educational background, beginning with her high school experience in Peru to finishing high school in the U.S. and going on to succeed at the University of Florida. She began teaching English her junior year of college and once she graduated, she worked in the local public-school system. Dr. Barko-Alva went back to UF to earn her Master's and Ph.D, and finally found herself at William and Mary. We also discussed her involvement in educational activist work in Virginia and her experiences 'in the Williamsburg-James City County school system. There were a few sections of the narrative that were removed at the request of the narrator for various reasons including a confidential conversation Dr. Barko-Alva is not at liberty to reveal. However, none of the deleted sections were crucial to the narrative being recounted.
The content of this note comes from the headnote created by the interview team.
I interviewed Ms. Laura Carver on Tuesday, March 20 at her office in Hornsby Middle School. Unfortunately, a small portion of the oral history was lost because the voice recorder's memory card filled up, and I did not notice it until after she was done responding to my question. However, the unrecorded section could not have been much longer than two or three minutes. Ms. Carver is an English as a Second Language teacher in the WJCC school system and has been since 2015, so we began the interview with a brief overview of her day-to-day interactions with English Language Leaners and their parents. We also discussed her educational background and her experience working as a missionary and how both impact her interpretation of her role as an ESL teacher. We ended the interview discussing the challenges of ESL education, specifically in the local area, faced by the ELL students, their teachers, their families and guardians, and WJCC school system .and a few possible ways to better address those challenges in the future. There were three separate sections that were removed at the request of the Ms. Carver and they are noted in the transcript. Nothing crucial to the slory line of her narrative was lost by these deletions.
The content of this note was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
I interviewed Ms. Laura Carver on Tuesday, March 20 at her office in Hornsby Middle School. Unfortunately, a small portion of the oral history was lost because the voice recorder's memory card filled up, and I did not notice it until after she was done responding to my question. However, the unrecorded section could not have been much longer than two or three minutes. Ms. Carver is an English as a Second Language teacher in the WJCC school system and has been since 2015, so we began the interview with a brief overview of her day-to-day interactions with English Language Leaners and their parents. We also discussed her educational background and her experience working as a missionary and how both impact her interpretation of her role as an ESL teacher. We ended the interview discussing the challenges of ESL education, specifically in the local area, faced by the ELL students, their teachers, their families and guardians, and WJCC school system .and a few possible ways to better address those challenges in the future. There were three separate sections that were removed at the request of the Ms. Carver and they are noted in the transcript. Nothing crucial to the slory line of her narrative was lost by these deletions.
The content of this note was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
I interviewed Ms. Laura Carver on Tuesday, March 20 at her office in Hornsby Middle School. Unfortunately, a small portion of the oral history was lost because the voice recorder's memory card filled up, and I did not notice it until after she was done responding to my question. However, the unrecorded section could not have been much longer than two or three minutes. Ms. Carver is an English as a Second Language teacher in the WJCC school system and has been since 2015, so we began the interview with a brief overview of her day-to-day interactions with English Language Leaners and their parents. We also discussed her educational background and her experience working as a missionary and how both impact her interpretation of her role as an ESL teacher. We ended the interview discussing the challenges of ESL education, specifically in the local area, faced by the ELL students, their teachers, their families and guardians, and WJCC school system .and a few possible ways to better address those challenges in the future. There were three separate sections that were removed at the request of the Ms. Carver and they are noted in the transcript. Nothing crucial to the slory line of her narrative was lost by these deletions.
The content of this note was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
I sent these questions sent to Dr. Patricia Tilghman by email, which explains the odd formatting of this document. Her responses follow each bolded question. Dr. Tilghman gave me an overview of the ESL program in WJCC schools as well as information about her own background in ESL education. She also discussed a few of the largest challenges WJCC schools face in engaging parents of ESL students. Informed consent was received through email. I have printed that out, along with a Deed of Gift.
The content of this note was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
This interview was conducted and later indexed by Marriya Schwarz. The interview took place during the evening of 4.4.18 at the College of William & Mary's Swem Library in Group Study Room 235, using a Zoom H-1 Handy Voice Recorder. Overall, the quality of the interview is fairly clear. There is some interference due to people talking and playing music loudly over in the next room. During the interview, Alexis Brender A. Brandis discussed her experiences as an athlete. She has been involved with Track & Field, gymnastics, and Tae Kwon Do. She went on to discuss some of her experiences as a current member of the College of William & Mary's Track & Field team. She reflected on her experiences with various Williamsburg-James City County Schools and discussed different experiences with teachers. Towards the end of the interview, she discussed her relationship with her family, namely her unofficial "adoptive brother," Ramon, her experiences so far as a sophomore at the College of William & Mary, and her experiences with having a connection to both the Williamsburg community and the College.
The content of this note was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
This interview was conducted and later indexed by Marriya Schwarz. The interview took place during the evening of 4.4.18 at the College of William & Mary's Swem Library in Group Study Room 235, using a Zoom H-1 Handy Voice Recorder. Overall, the quality of the interview is fairly clear. There is some interference due to people talking and playing music loudly over in the next room. During the interview, Alexis Brender A. Brandis discussed her experiences as an athlete. She has been involved with Track & Field, gymnastics, and Tae Kwon Do. She went on to discuss some of her experiences as a current member of the College of William & Mary's Track & Field team. She reflected on her experiences with various Williamsburg-James City County Schools and discussed different experiences with teachers. Towards the end of the interview, she discussed her relationship with her family, namely her unofficial "adoptive brother," Ramon, her experiences so far as a sophomore at the College of William & Mary, and her experiences with having a connection to both the Williamsburg community and the College.
The content of this note was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
This interview was conducted by Marriya Schwarz and indexed by Brenna Cowardin. The interview was later transcribed by Marriya Schwarz. The interview took place during the evening of 4/12/18 in front of theater at the Williamsburg Regional Library on Scotland Street, using a Zoom H-1 Handy Voice Recorder. Overall, the quality of the interview is fairly clear, but the volume is somewhat low. There is some interference due to people filing in and out of the Williamsburg Library, but the audio still can be heard. During the interview, Sylvia Shearin Willis discussed her experiences with education within Williamsburg-James City County Schools, primarily her experiences with Bruton Heights School and later James Blair High School after integration in 1966. She reflected on the differences between the two schools. She also discussed her experiences with the different teaching at both schools and minority teaching. Towards the end of the interview, she also discussed her experiences with historically black colleges, as well as the educational experiences of her two daughters. For clarity and as requested by the narrator, the transcriber has eliminated every "um," "uh," and "like" from the transcription.
The content of this note was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
This interview was conducted by Marriya Schwarz and indexed by Brenna Cowardin. The interview was later transcribed by Marriya Schwarz. The interview took place during the evening of 4/12/18 in front of theater at the Williamsburg Regional Library on Scotland Street, using a Zoom H-1 Handy Voice Recorder. Overall, the quality of the interview is fairly clear, but the volume is somewhat low. There is some interference due to people filing in and out of the Williamsburg Library, but the audio still can be heard. During the interview, Sylvia Shearin Willis discussed her experiences with education within Williamsburg-James City County Schools, primarily her experiences with Bruton Heights School and later James Blair High School after integration in 1966. She reflected on the differences between the two schools. She also discussed her experiences with the different teaching at both schools and minority teaching. Towards the end of the interview, she also discussed her experiences with historically black colleges, as well as the educational experiences of her two daughters. For clarity and as requested by the narrator, the transcriber has eliminated every "um," "uh," and "like" from the transcription.
The content of this note was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
I interviewed Shamir Bearfield at Swem Library, located rather centrally on the William and Mary campus, in group study room 118. This room is located on the quieter side of the first floor of Swem, and we were therefore able converse without interruption throughout the interview. The interview focused on Shamir's educational experiences growing up, particularly his movement from public to private school and the influence of football on his academic career. We also discussed his transition from a public middle school to a private high school and how that better prepared him for college at William and Mary.
The content of this note comes directly from the headnote created by the interview team.
I interviewed Shamir Bearfield at Swem Library, located rather centrally on the William and Mary campus, in group study room 118. This room is located on the quieter side of the first floor of Swem, and we were therefore able converse without interruption throughout the interview. The interview focused on Shamir's educational experiences growing up, particularly his movement from public to private school and the influence of football on his academic career. We also discussed his transition from a public middle school to a private high school and how that better prepared him for college at William and Mary.
The content of this note comes directly from the headnote created by the interview team.
I interviewed Shamir Bearfield at Swem Library, located rather centrally on the William and Mary campus, in group study room 118. This room is located on the quieter side of the first floor of Swem, and we were therefore able converse without interruption throughout the interview. The interview focused on Shamir's educational experiences growing up, particularly his movement from public to private school and the influence of football on his academic career. We also discussed his transition from a public middle school to a private high school and how that better prepared him for college at William and Mary.
The content of this note comes directly from the headnote created by the interview team.
This interview was conducted by Marriya Schwarz with Nicholas DeAtley indexing during the interview. Marriya Schwarz later transcribed the entire interview. The interview took place in the afternoon of 2/6/18 in the College Apartments where the American Studies Department is located at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, VA. During the interview, Andrew Cotman discussed his experiences growing up in Henrico, Virginia. He described his experience with education starting from elementary school to now, where he is currently a senior at the College of William & Mary. For clarity, I have eliminated every "um" and "uh."
The content of this note was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
This interview was conducted by Marriya Schwarz with Nicholas DeAtley indexing during the interview. Marriya Schwarz later transcribed the entire interview. The interview took place in the afternoon of 2/6/18 in the College Apartments where the American Studies Department is located at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, VA. During the interview, Andrew Cotman discussed his experiences growing up in Henrico, Virginia. He described his experience with education starting from elementary school to now, where he is currently a senior at the College of William & Mary. For clarity, I have eliminated every "um" and "uh."
The content of this note was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
This interview was conducted by Marriya Schwarz with Nicholas DeAtley indexing during the interview. Marriya Schwarz later transcribed the entire interview. The interview took place in the afternoon of 2/6/18 in the College Apartments where the American Studies Department is located at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, VA. During the interview, Andrew Cotman discussed his experiences growing up in Henrico, Virginia. He described his experience with education starting from elementary school to now, where he is currently a senior at the College of William & Mary. For clarity, I have eliminated every "um" and "uh."
The content of this note was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
The interview with Brenna Cowardin was recorded on a Tuesday afternoon in a group study room in Earl Greg Swem Library on the William & Mary Campus. Other than our voices, the room was quiet because the door was closed. The room was lined with windows in Brenna's line of sight, which showed students walking around study tables and talking. The only other person in the room was the indexer, Shamir Bearfield. Brenna has a passion education, especially for students who are learning English as a Second Language (ESL). Brenna talks about her interest in education as she reflects on her own experience in the Harrisonburg city public schools in Virginia. Although she has no current plans for entering the educational field, she hopes to use her acquisition of the Spanish language to bridge the gaps for these students and their families in the American public education system.
The content of this note was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
The interview with Brenna Cowardin was recorded on a Tuesday afternoon in a group study room in Earl Greg Swem Library on the William & Mary Campus. Other than our voices, the room was quiet because the door was closed. The room was lined with windows in Brenna's line of sight, which showed students walking around study tables and talking. The only other person in the room was the indexer, Shamir Bearfield. Brenna has a passion education, especially for students who are learning English as a Second Language (ESL). Brenna talks about her interest in education as she reflects on her own experience in the Harrisonburg city public schools in Virginia. Although she has no current plans for entering the educational field, she hopes to use her acquisition of the Spanish language to bridge the gaps for these students and their families in the American public education system.
The content of this note was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
The interview with Brenna Cowardin was recorded on a Tuesday afternoon in a group study room in Earl Greg Swem Library on the William & Mary Campus. Other than our voices, the room was quiet because the door was closed. The room was lined with windows in Brenna's line of sight, which showed students walking around study tables and talking. The only other person in the room was the indexer, Shamir Bearfield. Brenna has a passion education, especially for students who are learning English as a Second Language (ESL). Brenna talks about her interest in education as she reflects on her own experience in the Harrisonburg city public schools in Virginia. Although she has no current plans for entering the educational field, she hopes to use her acquisition of the Spanish language to bridge the gaps for these students and their families in the American public education system.
The content of this note was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
I interviewed Nicholas DeAtley in a classroom on the third floor of the William and Mary College Apartments building. Nicholas provides a brief yet, enlightening account of his life history. Nicholas discusses a wonderful history of his upbringing from being born in Colombia and brought to the United States at a very young age, to his wonderful childhood with his adoptive family, and his aspirations to play sports in college.
The content of this note was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
I interviewed Nicholas DeAtley in a classroom on the third floor of the William and Mary College Apartments building. Nicholas provides a brief yet, enlightening account of his life history. Nicholas discusses a wonderful history of his upbringing from being born in Colombia and brought to the United States at a very young age, to his wonderful childhood with his adoptive family, and his aspirations to play sports in college.
The content of this note was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
I interviewed Ms. Marriya Schwarz in the third floor 311 classroom of the William and Mary American Studies academic building, located on 114 North Boundary St. Williamsburg, VA 23185. This was my first time interviewing with the Zoom H-1 Handy Voice Recorder. Overall the quality of the interview is very clear, however the volume of the interview was a little low. This was Marriya's first time being interviewed so she was a little nervous despite some nerves, overall the interview went very well and was very natural. Marriya discusses in the interview where she is from and her upbringing. Detailed are her experiences growing up in Herndon, Virginia with her sister as well as her transition to high school where she excelled in many extracurricular activities. As a high school senior she also detailed many of her experiences transitioning from high school to college and the nerve wrecking college decision process that many seniors go through so often. Throughout my transcript I have decided to remove the majority of non-verbal utterances such as "uh" and "um" because it does not represent by my opinion an important aspect of Marriya's speaking style. I also felt it hindered the fluidity of the transcript as it occurred throughout the interview quite often. Marriya is a very academically focused person, who has garnered some very highly regarded awards from her scholastic work. Her ultimate goal is to become a screenwriter and intends to follow that passion after she graduates from the College of William and Mary.
The content of this note was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
I interviewed Ms. Marriya Schwarz in the third floor 311 classroom of the William and Mary American Studies academic building, located on 114 North Boundary St. Williamsburg, VA 23185. This was my first time interviewing with the Zoom H-1 Handy Voice Recorder. Overall the quality of the interview is very clear, however the volume of the interview was a little low. This was Marriya's first time being interviewed so she was a little nervous despite some nerves, overall the interview went very well and was very natural. Marriya discusses in the interview where she is from and her upbringing. Detailed are her experiences growing up in Herndon, Virginia with her sister as well as her transition to high school where she excelled in many extracurricular activities. As a high school senior she also detailed many of her experiences transitioning from high school to college and the nerve wrecking college decision process that many seniors go through so often. Throughout my transcript I have decided to remove the majority of non-verbal utterances such as "uh" and "um" because it does not represent by my opinion an important aspect of Marriya's speaking style. I also felt it hindered the fluidity of the transcript as it occurred throughout the interview quite often. Marriya is a very academically focused person, who has garnered some very highly regarded awards from her scholastic work. Her ultimate goal is to become a screenwriter and intends to follow that passion after she graduates from the College of William and Mary.
The content of this note was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
I interviewed Ms. Marriya Schwarz in the third floor 311 classroom of the William and Mary American Studies academic building, located on 114 North Boundary St. Williamsburg, VA 23185. This was my first time interviewing with the Zoom H-1 Handy Voice Recorder. Overall the quality of the interview is very clear, however the volume of the interview was a little low. This was Marriya's first time being interviewed so she was a little nervous despite some nerves, overall the interview went very well and was very natural. Marriya discusses in the interview where she is from and her upbringing. Detailed are her experiences growing up in Herndon, Virginia with her sister as well as her transition to high school where she excelled in many extracurricular activities. As a high school senior she also detailed many of her experiences transitioning from high school to college and the nerve wrecking college decision process that many seniors go through so often. Throughout my transcript I have decided to remove the majority of non-verbal utterances such as "uh" and "um" because it does not represent by my opinion an important aspect of Marriya's speaking style. I also felt it hindered the fluidity of the transcript as it occurred throughout the interview quite often. Marriya is a very academically focused person, who has garnered some very highly regarded awards from her scholastic work. Her ultimate goal is to become a screenwriter and intends to follow that passion after she graduates from the College of William and Mary.
The content of this note was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
I interviewed Mr. Robert Braxton in the College Apartments, which is located on Boundary Street in Williamsburg, VA, in the office of the Williamsburg Documentary Project. Mr. Braxton was very engaged with the topic and welcoming of any questions that we had for him. He began his interview by drawing out a revised version of a map of the Triangle, which we drew a copy of. Having grown up in the area surrounding the Triangle, Mr. Braxton had a valuable perspective on the area. We covered topics regarding the businesses that were located on the Triangle, how the redevelopment project occurred, and the progress that Williamsburg is making today, in addition to Mr. Braxton's experience on City Council.
The content of this note was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
I interviewed Steve Harris in College Apartments 5a, overlooking the businesses and traffic at the corner of Prince George Street and South Boundary Street. It was a nice day out and we were lucky that Mr. Harris, who was visiting from Michigan where he now spends much of his time, had lent of his limited time in Williamsburg to the WDP's research of the Triangle Block. The conversation spanned the pre-redevelopment, redevelopment, and post-redevelopment periods of the Triangle's history, starting from Mr. Harris's days at Marshall-Wythe Law School. Mr. Harris brought with him a series of printed-out aerial photographs of the Triangle which he refers to multiple times during the interview.
The content of this note was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
Samantha and I interviewed Mr. Parker in one of the conference rooms on the first floor of College Apartments. He brought along a large binder full of documents that he allowed us to make copies of later, so there are times throughout the recording and transcript that he pauses to look at his materials or pull out a piece for our use. We discovered him through his association with the Society of Friends of African American History, the group responsible for the monument at the Triangle, so a lot of our focus was on that. He also shared his personal feelings about redevelopment and other issues surrounding the history of African Americans in Williamsburg. Early in the interview, there is some confusion over where Mr. Parker was to sign on the informed consent form, so there are pauses as we examined the form.
The content of this note is taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
I, Kandace Kimber, and Francie Zidonis interviewed Tony Conyers in Adriene's office in the College Apartments. Unfortunately, the room wasn't sound proof and there were renovations being done in the hallway so there is some background noise that can be heard in recording. Conyers is a native to Williamsburg and has spent majority of his career in both local and federal government. During the interview we discuss his upbringing and adulthood in Williamsburg, his experience developing new initiatives for the citizens in the city, and what he envisions for Williamsburg and James City County in the future.
The content of this note comes from the headnote created by the interview team.
I interviewed former City Councilman Scott Foster in one of the offices on the second floor of the college apartments. It was a very comfortable and casual atmosphere and I believe Mr. Foster had no trouble expressing himself in that environment. Scott Foster was a former student at the College of William & Mary ('10) and the first student to be elected to the Williamsburg City Council serving from 2010-2018. He has now retired from the City Council and resides in Skipwith Farms with his wife, working at a local law firm. We spoke a lot about Foster's time at the college (as well as, the law school), affordability in Williamsburg, and his overall passion for the city.
The content of this note comes from the headnote created by the interview team.
We interviewed Roy Gerardi and Tyrone Franklin in a small office in the Municipal Building, located at 401 Lafayette Street, on Friday, April 12. Mr. Gerardi could not stay for the duration of the interview, but before he was called out, he discussed his role in the Williamsburg Redevelopment and Housing Authority (WRHA), some of the programs available for low-income residents, and what he terms the "five-fold reality" of poverty. During his half of the interview, Mr. Franklin, the newly hired executive director for the WRHA, spoke about his experiences with affordable housing in his previous roles and his plans for Williamsburg moving forward.
The content of this note was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
I interviewed Albert and Liz Johnson in the living room of their home in the BrookHaven neighborhood, which is located off of Ironbound road in James City County. While both Al and Liz participated in the interview, only Al wore a microphone so many of Liz's contributions are quiet or difficult to hear. I have done my best to transcribe them accurately, but some of her comments were indistinguishable due to the distance. The Johnsons seemed happy to welcome us into their home and to speak with us about Brookhaven. They have participated in the Williamsburg Documentary Project in the past and are experienced interviewees among American Studies students. During the interview the Johnsons showed us plans for the neighborhood, documents from Al's restaurant career, and photographs of their restaurant. We discussed the history and milieu of Brookhaven and Al's role as a founder of the neighborhood and a local entrepreneur.
The content of this note was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
I interviewed Mr. Small in a conference room in the Public Works and Utilities department of the Williamsburg Municipal Building, located off of Lafayette Street in Williamsburg, Virginia. Mr. Small is a Williamsburg native and the current city engineer. His father worked in city planning in Williamsburg and James City County as well, helping to develop neighborhoods like Newtown and Fords Colony. As someone who has lived here for almost his entire life, Mr. Small has developed an extensive interest in the history of the development of Williamsburg. Our interview covers a number of topics, including why Williamsburg and the surrounding areas began to expand and develop in the eighties and nineties, moving into the history of various neighborhoods and areas, and finishing with a better understanding about how various aspects of the environment affect the way the city is developed. Throughout the course of the interview, there are various references to Google Maps, which Mr. Small was showing us on a projector, and to a smaller map in the room of Williamsburg with the understanding that it looks like a turkey.
The content of this note was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
I interviewed Ms. Kandace Kimber in one of the Swem Library study rooms on the first floor (room 134C). The room was noticeably brighter than many of the surrounding rooms and areas and did somewhat disturb the individuals in the room. Kandace is a senior at the College and a Virginia native coming from Petersburg, VA. We spoke a lot about her living situation and went into great detail about her plans for the future. Kandace had a very relaxed demeanor and if she was nervous for the interview, one could not tell. A variety of topics were touched on during the interview concerning Kandace's personal life goals, about which she seemed very keen to talk about.
The content of this note was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
I interviewed Ms. Resha in her office in the College Apartmnets, located on South Boundary Street in Williamsburg, VA. This is a practice interview for class, my second time every interviewing someone and my first time leading an interview on my own. Ms. Resha is 24 years old and a graduate student in the American Studies department, and the Teaching Assistant for our class. She studies Arab and Muslim representation in comic books. We discussed her research to some extent, but also focused a lot on her sense of what home has meant to her at varying points in her life. Ms. Resha considers herself to be "from" Florida, but has also lived in a number of places like Alabama, Charlottesville, VA, and Williamsburg.
The content of this note comes from the headnote created by the interview team.
I interviewed Brenna Thanner in a Swem library study room (134c), adjacent to the computer lab. We were the first in our group to interview. The room we were in was a comfortable size but the fluorescent overhead lights were extremely bright and hot. In the interview, I primarily ask Brenna about her family home in Jacksonville, Florida and her experiences in Williamsburg.
The content of this note was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
I interviewed Francie Zidonis in College Apartments (114 N Boundary Street) room 224 the evening of Sunday, February 24th, 2019. By the time we had finished this interview, it was dark outside. The narrator, indexer, and myself had each already participated in two other practice interviews prior to conducting this interview. There is no remarkable outside noise; however, there are occasionally moments when laughter overwhelms the interview. We discussed Francie's hometown, Columbus, Ohio, and Williamsburg, often the College of William & Mary specifically, among other things.
The content of this note was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
This interview was conducted by Hallie Feinman and indexed by Austin Curtis. The interview took place on the morning of 2/8/21 via Zoom. Ava Coles discussed her childhood growing up in rural Virginia and the changes that came when her family moved to Charlottesville. She talks about her relationship with her family and siblings as well as her community at large. Special interest is paid to the impacts of her education and upbringing and the impacts they have had on her life as an adult.
Description was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
This interview was conducted by Austin Curtis and indexed by Ava Coles. The interview took place on the afternoon of April 14, 2021 over Zoom. Janet Cummings describes the ways in which she has adjusted the efforts of the Relief Society of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Williamsburg to strengthen bonds of sisterhood among Latter-day Saint women.
Description was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
This interview was conducted by Ava Coles and indexed by Hallie Feinman. The interview took place on the morning of 2/8/21 via Zoom. Austin Curtis discussed his childhood growing up as the son of two diplomats. He talks about the various places he lived as well as his relationship with his siblings and why he chose to attend William & Mary.
Description comes from the headnote created by the interview team.
Davis does not wanted monetary publications to use her interview.
This interview was conducted by Jasmine Geonzon and was indexed by Maeve Quigley. The entire interview was not transcribed. The interview took place on the morning of 4/26/2021 over Zoom. Ms. Davis discussed her experiences as a patron and employee of the Williamsburg Regional Library, the library's role in the Williamsburg community, and the WRL's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Description was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
This oral history was conducted by Austin Curtis who later indexed and used happyscribe.com to transcribe the interview. This interview occurred at noon on February 8th, 2021 in Ava Cole's Personal Zoom Meeting Room. Hallie Feinman talks about her childhood and dissociative disorder. A condition which as she describes it as feeling like "watching someone else pantomime through life [like] you," (03:40). Hallie Feinmen also addresses how COVID quarantines have affected her mental health.
Description taken from headnote created by the interview team.
This interview was conducted by Maeve Quigley and was indexed by Jasmine Geonzon. The entire interview was later transcribed using Otter.ai. The interview took place on the afternoon of 4/12/2021 over Zoom. Ms. Fowler discussed her life and work history, her role as the director of the Williamsburg Regional Library, the library's role in the Williamsburg community, and the WRL's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Description was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
This interview was conducted by Amy Nadel and Johnette Weaver with Colleen Rodgers indexing. The interview took place virtually via Zoom video conferencing software in the afternoon of 4/30/21. All involved were sitting in their homes. Mrs. Weaver both helped interview her mother and served as another narrator by interjecting at times to provide helpful context to what Mrs. Gordon was saying. Mrs. Gordon discusses growing up in Magruder then moving to Highland Park, both Black neighborhoods. She shares her impressions of being a part of her Church community, going to segregated Bruton Heights School, being married to a Marine, and her desire to give her children as many educational opportunities as possible. Also, she shares her opinion of how Highland Park has changed over time and the impact of Covid 19 on her life.
Description was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
This interview was conducted by Lauren White and indexed by Austin Curtis. The interview took place on the morning of April 28, 2021 over Zoom. Tawanda Hammond describes the ways in which she started operating her own decorative cake shop at a young age and moved around locations before ending up in Williamsburg. Hammond describes the ways her business was forced to adapt during the COVID-19 pandemic and the adversities that she faced. Hammond also discusses the community of Williamsburg, and how it can improve on being more inclusive.
Description was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
In this exercise, Jasmine Geonzon interviews Ron Littman with assistance from Sol Gallego-Garcia, who indexed the interview as it was taking place. The interview took place in the afternoon of 2/10/2021, as each Ron, Jasmine, and Sol were each in their respective homes, meeting over a recorded Zoom session. Here, Ron Littman discusses growing up in Williamsburg, having an unconventional school trajectory, and current college life. This transcription was created with the help of Otter.ai with necessary adjustments made for accuracy.
Description was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
This interview was conducted by Lauren White and indexed by Ava Coles. The interview took place on the afternoon of 2/25/21 over Zoom. Hatley Mason discussed his difficult decision to close Mermaid Books, which he ran for over eleven years.
Description was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
This interview of Amy Nadel was conducted by Colleen Rodgers and indexed by Maeve Quigley on Sunday, February 7, 2021, at 3:40pm. The interview took place virtually due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and was done over Zoom, but Ms. Nadel was located in her room in an off-campus house. In the interview, Ms. Nadel discusses her experience of living abroad during the onset of the pandemic in March of 2020.
Description was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
This interview was conducted by Colleen Rodgers with Hallie Feinman indexing. The interview took place virtually via Zoom at 5:00pm on Wednesday, May 5, 2021. In the interview, Macie Osborn, the mother of two sons currently enrolled in Williamsburg-James City County (WJCC) Public Schools, discusses her experience with online learning during the Covid-19 pandemic. She details the experiences of each of her sons, one in elementary school and one in middle school, and expresses gratitude for WJCC's ability to adapt to an ever-changing pandemic-era world.
This description was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
I interviewed Maeve Quigley on Zoom. She was in her on-campus dorm room, while I was in my off campus room. It was a cloudy, rainy day. Maeve seemed relaxed and ready to speak to us about her experience moving to different places while growing up because she was smiling throughout. She explained how living in three different regions within Virginia shaped her life. Maeve was 21 years old during the interview.
This description was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
I interviewed Miss Rodgers over Zoom. Miss Rodgers was excited to describe how her family history shared interesting parallels with John Steinbeck's East of Eden . She gave some background on the book before delving into her own family's stories, including some funny stories passed down from her grandparents and older relatives.
The description is taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
This interview was conducted by Hallie Feinman with Colleen Rodgers indexing. This interview took place virtually over Zoom on Thursday, April 22nd, at 7 PM. The interview was roughly thirty minutes long. In the interview, local community college student Savannah Merriman talked about her time as a high school senior during the beginning of COVID-19 and her subsequent experiences with graduation, community college, and different communities in her life. Towards the latter half of the interview, Savannah spends time talking about her experiences with social media.
Description taken from headnote created by interview team.
This interview was conducted by Lauren White and indexed by Michelle Lelièvre. The interview took place on the afternoon of April 21, 2021 over Zoom. Michelle Lelièvre was in Richmond. Lauren White was in Williamsburg. Monique Sowell (MS1) and Michelle Seiling (MS2) were in the office of the Hound's Tale in Williamsburg. Sowell and Seiling discuss their relationship with Aromas Cafe, how they reacted to the early stages of the pandemic, and the adversities they faced. They also discuss the different programs they received financial aid from, as well as business plans for the upcoming future.
This description is taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
I interviewed Bishop David Trichler over Zoom. Bishop Trichler about becoming Bishop of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) in Williamsburg, how his congregation adjusted to COVID health protocols, and his own personal relationship with the Mormon faith.
The description was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
This interview was conducted by Colleen Rodgers with Amy Nadel indexing. The interview took place virtually via Zoom at 8:00pm on Tuesday, April 13, 2021. In the interview, Bruton High School senior Cate Westenberger discusses her life in Williamsburg. She describes her public school experience prior to and during the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as her experience with extracurricular activities such as sports and her job at Wythe Candy in Colonial Williamsburg.
This description was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
This interview was conducted by Ava Coles and indexed by Lauren White. The interview took place on the afternoon of 4/16/21 over Zoom. Becki Wildenburger discussed her engagement with House of Mercy as a Housing Navigator, personal motivations, and House of Mercy's relationship with the Williamsburg community. Ms. Wildenburger detailed the landscape of affordable housing in Williamsburg and discussed how her role has changed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This interview was conducted by Ava Coles on April 19th, 2021 over Zoom. Ms. Wolosynowski discussed the origins of the Williamsburg House of Mercy and her experience as the founder and executive director. During COVID-19, she forged critical community coalitions to further the mission of her organization and served the Williamsburg community through impressive food and housing services.
This description was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
An edited version of this oral history is being made available to researchers at the request of the interviewee.
In this roundtable interview, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation employees Adam Canaday, Janice Canaday, and Paul Undra Jeter join the Director of Engagement at the Muscarelle Museum and visual artist Steve Prince and discuss the memorialization of African American history in Williamsburg, representation in the arts, local and national resistance to historical truth-telling, and visions for honoring African American ancestors. The Canadays discuss how being descendants of the first Black families of Williamsburg shaped both their careers as interpreters of African American history in CW. They also detail the legacy of Black labor in Williamsburg and express their frustrations with current obstacles to include African American representations in museums. Mr. Prince discusses his role as a visual artist, how he incorporates tragic histories within beautiful images, the power of visual representation, and how the lack of African American representation in public spaces harms the community. The narrators ask each other questions and relate their experiences throughout their discussion since this was the first time the CW employees met Steve Prince and the interviewers. The interview was conducted by undergraduate student Katherine 'Kate' Zabinski and indexed by her classmate Jamie Carkenord on April 20, 2022, at the Colonial Williamsburg Interpreters Office located at 427 Franklin Street in Williamsburg, VA. In the roundtable, Zabinski references the conversations she previously had with other community members who share local history with the roundtable participants. The roundtable interview was completed for an oral history research project in AMST 410: The Williamsburg Documentary Project, taught by Professor Michelle Lelièvre.
This description was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
This interview was conducted by Jamie Carkenord and was indexed by Katherine Zabinski. The interview was transcribed. The interview took place on the morning of 1/28/2022 over Zoom. Ms. Clark discussed her life story moving across the country multiple times, what her childhood was like, and her college experience as an American Studies major.
This description is taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
In this interview, William and Mary student Jamie Carkenord discusses how and why she chose to pursue an undergraduate degree in American Studies and how the program has influenced her life. Carkenord describes how she chose American Studies because the interdisciplinary elements that allow her to study many topics and choose her own specialization of her interests. She explains how her mother also majored in American studies and how her mother's descriptions of history departments discouraged her from majoring in history. In American Studies, Carkenord found ease in both completing classes and scheduling new ones. Carkenord discusses how her major has increased her interest in Black American history and overall histories of minority groups in the United States, which have been the most rewarding features of her degree work. Carkenord's journey in American studies has changed the way she views social, political, legal, and economic factors of American society and she states that she continues to look for why historical events happen and who made them occur.
This description is taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
This interview was conducted and indexed by Teresa Clark. The interview took place on the afternoon of 04/22/2022 over Zoom. Ms. Cleveland discussed her journey as an artist in places like Chicago, Arizona, Williamsburg, and more. She discussed her artistic medium, the themes she draws on, and how her Williamsburg public art sculptures came to be. Ms. Cleveland also embeds her perspective on Williamsburg's public art scene in a story about coming back to the town herself and becoming a mother.
This description was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
In this interview, Christopher Custalow (a citizen of the Oklahoma Cherokee Nation), Kody Grant (a citizen of the Pueblo of Isleta and a descendant of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians), and Martin Saniga (a citizen of the Saponi Tribe out of Person County, North Carolina and Halifax County, Virginia) discuss their experiences working as American Indian interpreters in the tourism industry and the evolution of Indigenous representation in Colonial Williamsburg. The narrators share information about their personal journeys with their cultural identities, the difficulties and rewards about their career, and their hopes for the expansion of American Indian programming at Colonial Williamsburg. This interview was conducted by Alison Walsh, and it was indexed by Alex Luck. The entire interview was transcribed. The interview took place during the morning of 04/19/2022 on a Zoom call.
This description was taken from a headnote created by the interview team.
This interview was conducted, transcribed and indexed by Teresa Clark, The interview took place on the afternoon of 02/18/2022 at the city Municipal Buildings. Williamsburg Public Art Council members and Tourism Development specialist and WPAC staff liaison Joanna Skrabala discussed their role on the council, their view of public art, and the WPAC's work.
This description was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
In this interview, Rev. Dr. Julie Grace discusses how her involvement in the Historic First Baptist Church in Williamsburg, VA throughout her childhood led to her career as a minister and her dedication to preserving African American history. She details her family's history living in Williamsburg and working for the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, her experiences going to segregated schools, and how many Black residents view the tourism districts differently with their ancestors' dispossessions in mind. Dr. Grace describes how her ancestors' 19th-century lives as successful Black business and landowners along Duke of Gloucester Street, like Alexander Dunlop, and the overall prosperity of the African American community in Williamsburg are neglected histories that need to be commemorated in the city's physical landscape. She also expresses her personal thoughts on memorialization of African American history in the Colonial Capital of Virginia. The interview was conducted by undergraduate student Katherine 'Kate' Zabinski and indexed by her classmate Karissa McDonald on April 25, 2022, using the Zoom video conferencing platform. In the interview, Zabinski references the roundtable discussion she previously conducted with other community members who share local history with Dr. Grace. The interview was completed for an oral history research project in AMST 410: the Williamsburg Documentary Project, taught by Professor Michelle Lelièvre.
This description was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
This interview was conducted in-person at the Williamsburg Regional Library in Williamsburg, Virginia during the afternoon of April 28th, 2022. This interview was conducted by Kirsten Knisely, and it was indexed by Alison Walsh. Robert Haas was the narrator. Mr. Haas described his work as the Director of Program Services at the library. This job allows for him to plan and coordinate the live performing arts performances within the library theater. Mr. Haas discussed the history of performing arts at the library, the role of performing arts in Williamsburg, funding and financial situation of the arts in Williamsburg, and his successes and failures within his job. He also discusses the role of the college and tourism in the success of the library. He also discusses the importance of increasing diversity. The interview was recorded using a Zoom audio recording device. The interview was just under an hour.
This description was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
In this interview, Williamsburg resident Neill Hollands describes his job as the president of the Board of Directors for the Williamsburg Players. Mr. Hollands has been working with the Williamsburg Players for 10 years.. The Players are a non-profit community theater group that runs completely out of their theater on Hubbard Lane. The group typically puts on 12 shows a year that are funded by donations, support from the city, and ticket sales. Hollands discusses the financial situation of the Players and how COVID-19 impacted in-person activities. The interview continues on to discuss the community building aspect of community theater. He describes how the theater community is very well-loved among the older community within Williamsburg. Hollands discusses the importance of diversity within the Performing arts world, and how the Williamsburg Players work to increase diversity, but ultimately sruggle. This interview was completed as a part of Kirsten Knisely's research project on Performing arts in Williamsburg, Virginia. Knisely conducted the interview in-person using zoom audio recording tools. The interview took place on April 24th, 2022 at the James-York Playhouse, where the Williamsburg Players are based. This project is associated with the American Studies program, and will complete the AMST 410: Williamsburg Documentary Project, taught by Professor Michelle Lelievre.
This description was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
In this interview, Kirsten Knisely her early childhood and high school years. She describes her family life and speaks about people she admires. Kirsten grew up in Arlington, Virginia and in the interview, she speaks on her high school experience and friendships. Kirsten details some core memories as well as fandoms she was involved in high school and her beliefs in the tooth fairy and Santa. The interview was completed for an assignment in AMST 410: Williamsburg Documentary Project, taught by Professor Michelle Lelièvre.
This description was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
This interview was conducted and indexed by Alison Walsh. The entire interview was transcribed using Zoom Video Communications. The interview took place on the morning of 1/30/2022 over Zoom. Ms. Luck describes her life history, including growing up in rural North Carolina, grappling with differing viewpoints from her family and community, attending the College of William & Mary, her passions for dance and history, and significant influences on her life.
This description was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
This interview was conducted by Alex Luck and was indexed by Alex Luck. The entire interview was transcribed using Word afterwards. The interview took place on the morning of 1/30/2022 over Zoom. Karissa McDonald discussed topics about different stages of her life, including International Schooling, her college experience, and her plans for graduation.
This description was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
In this interview, former Williamsburg resident Jessika Weaver Miller (daughter of Williamsburg activist Johnette Gordon Weaver and granddaughter of Highland Park resident Myrtle Gordon) describes her professional experiences in the U.S. Navy and in insurance work and education in Australia. She speaks about joining the Navy after attending the U.S. Naval Academy and starting a family with her Australian husband in Australia. There, she developed an interest in local Indigenous cultures and decided to pursue teaching professionally. Miller describes her decision to teach in the Torres Strait, a remote northern island region populated by Indigenous communities. She talks about the challenges of cross-cultural teaching and working in a remote school with limited technological resources and low literacy rates, and her effort to start a Navy Cadet program in the area. She then shifts to discuss her own educational experience in Williamsburg, Virginia, particularly at Jamestown High School, a majority-white school. She speaks to her involvement with the First Baptist Church in Williamsburg and her relationship with churches in Australia. The interview concludes with a discussion of her two elementary school-aged children and her educational and social goals for them. This interview was conducted by undergraduate W&M senior Jamie Carkenord on April 29, 2022 using the Zoom video conferencing platform. Jessika Miller was Zooming in from Thursday Island, Australia, so her local time was 9:00am on April 30th. This interview was completed as part of Carkenord's research project in AMST 410: Williamsburg Documentary Project, taught by Professor Michelle Lelièvre.
This description was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
This interview was conducted in-person by Teresa Clark and indexed by Katherine Zabinski at the Culture Fix building located at 410 Francis St. in Williamsburg, VA on the morning of 4/27/2022. Mrs. Wendy Miller discussed her experiences as a long-time resident of Williamsburg who captures local experiences as the director and photographer of Culture Fix.
This description was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
This interview was conducted by and indexed by Karissa McDonald. The entire interview was later transcribed using Otter.ai. The interview took place on the afternoon of 4/12/2021 over Zoom. Mr. Russell discussed his life and work history, his experiences with ghost stories, and the famous ghost stories of Williamsburg.
This description was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
In this interview, Martin Saniga, who identifies as Saponi, Native, and American, discusses how growing up in Newport News, Virginia with his white mother and adoptive white father initially made him feel removed from his Saponi culture. He gradually reclaimed his culture by involving himself and making a difference within the Indigenous community of the greater Williamsburg area. On top of his career, he works with an Indigenous youth culture camp and is the president of a nonprofit language revitalization consortium. Mr. Saniga describes his career path: first joining the Coast Guard, later working as a site supervisor for Jamestown Settlement, and now working as an interpreter and head of the American Indian Initiative for Colonial Williamsburg. Mr. Saniga answers questions about the public reception of recent American Indian programming, museum ownership of Indigenous objects, the migration history of the Saponi people, William & Mary's complicated relationship with the local Indigenous community, and the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on his work. The interview was conducted by undergraduate students Alex Luck and Alison Walsh on February 24th, 2022 using the Zoom video conferencing platform. The interview was indexed by undergraduate students Kirsten Knisely and Karissa McDonald. The interview was completed for the Guest Interview assignment in AMST 410: Williamsburg Documentary Project, taught by Professor Michelle Lelièvre.
This description was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
Within this interview on January 30th, 2022 at 10:15am, Kirsten Knisely interviews her peer Alison Walsh. After Alison approves consent to conduct the interview, Kirsten begins her questions. Throughout the interview, Kirsten asks Alison questions concerning her youth and growing up, particularly what she was interested in as a kid and throughout high school. Alison describes her passions for sports and extracurriculars. She also describes her family and their importance to her. Kirsten continues to ask Alison about her time at William and Mary, what she is involved in, and who she spends her time with. Alison talks about her participation in a multitude of extracurricular activities and talks about her closest friends in college. The interview then moves to discussing the future, where Alison describes her plans to be an environmental lawyer and potentially starting a family one day. At the end of the interview, Alison signs the deed of gift form.
This description was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
In this interview, Ms. Johnette Weaver discusses how her personal history and education in Williamsburg, VA shaped her work as an advocate for social justice. She describes her family's arrival in Virginia in the late 17th century, their dislocations, and eventual establishment in Highland Park. Ms. Weaver explains her complicated relationship with the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation alongside her pride in the work she has done as an interpreter there. She tells of her lifelong love of reading and of her choice to attend the historically Black college, Hampton University. Ms. Weaver discusses her social media manager position with Williamsburg Action, a social justice advocacy group that formed in 2020. The interview was conducted by undergraduate students Katherine Zabinski and Teresa Clark on February 15, 2022, using the Zoom video conferencing platform. In the interview, Clark and Zabinski reference the background knowledge they received about Johnette Weaver from assignments conducted in their undergraduate course AMST 410: Williamsburg Documentary Project, taught by Professor Michelle Lelièvre. Both the class assignment observations and interview were completed for an assignment in AMST 410.
This description was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.
In this interview, William and Mary student Katherine Zabinski describes her upbringing in a military family, how it exposed her to other cultures and helped inform her passion for American history, and also describes her path to the college and the love of hip hop DJing she picked up here. Zabinski narrates her family's moves from California to Washington State to Virginia, where she has lived since middle school. She explains that she does not consider uprooting multiple times a downside, except that she finds it awkward trying to describe where she is from. On the contrary, she describes how living in multiple places exposed her to more diverse American cultures, growing familiar with Native and Chicano communities in California, Indigenous and Asian-American communities in Washington, and Black communities along with other diverse cultures in Virginia. She describes moving to Virginia and the South as a culture shock, but enjoyed the diverse geographies along with the diverse cultures: the California deserts, Washington mountains, and Virginia cotton and cornfields. Zabinski describes the roots of her interest in history and the way attending predominantly Black middle and high schools and becoming friends with Black women inspired her to learn more about African-American history and American history that acknowledges white supremacy. She narrates how she came to be interested in William & Mary. Initially having thought to join the military or attend cosmetology school, it was her teachers who encouraged her to take summer classes in the NIAHD program at the college, causing her to fall in love with the campus and with colonial to revolutionary American history—with Richmond as one focus. Zabinski closes the interview by describing the extracurricular she has most enjoyed at William and Mary: the SOUL students of hip hop legacy club. She describes her involvement in the executive and social media branches of the club, and the DJing she had the opportunity to on a large and small scale during her time here.
This description was taken from the headnote created by the interview team.