Start Over Date 2022 Language English

31. Research Sprints 2022 Report-out (2:00:00)

Date:
2022-08-10
Main contributors:
Kong-Chow, Janet, Kuhn, Mary, O'Neill, Moira, Puri, Michael, Rogers, Dylan, Sewell, Jessica, Sheehy, Michael, Small, Ben, Coleman, Rebecca, Thomas, Judith
Summary:
Participants in the 2022 Research Sprints program report on their ongoing research.

32. Sharon Johnson (2:27:40)

Date:
2022-03-28
Main contributors:
French, Haley (Interviewer)
Summary:
Sharon Johnson is a lifelong resident of Norfolk, Virginia. She has lived in the Bruces’ Park neighborhood in midtown since 1954. Track 1: This interview discusses Johnson’s life and family, including her grandfather who was a Black contractor in Norfolk in the early part of the 20th century. It takes place in Johnson’s historic home, built by her grandfather. Track 2: In this oral history, Johnson describes her memories of downtown Norfolk in the 1950s, and key moments including President Kennedy’s assassination and the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in 1963. Johnson graduated from Maury High in Norfolk in 1970, and reflects on the changes precipitated by integration, and her observations on race and discrimination while she lived in Boston. She discusses her participation in marches in Washington with the Service Employees International Union. The interview also includes a walking tour with Johnson as she describes the changes that have occurred in the neighborhood since the 1980s.