An Oral History Project Conducted by John Robert Lewis Fellow Ivan Quintana
Project Description
My oral history project will focus on the impact that civil rights has had on the educational journeys of three resilient and talented individuals from different backgrounds that have become changemakers in their communities. At the forefront of this project I wanted to ensure that I did not just focus on the “Hispanic perspective” and also focus on one of the project guidelines which is “to preserve important stories that future generations must know about.” At first, I wanted to focus on civil rights stories in Arizona, but through my network realized that many of the people that were referred to me did not originate from Arizona. That is when it hit me that I am not the arbiter of what “good” stories are, but rather an instrument for the preservation of them.
Oral History Interview with Garrison Tahmahkera - 06/20/2024
A Comanche Elder and current Elder-in-Residence at Mesa Community College. Mr. Tahmahkera was the founding director of the American Indian Institute at the Mesa Community College, an innovative program designed to create community for Native American students and fund dedicated staff and programming to support them in their educational journey. He grew up in Oklahoma and attended an Indian boarding school. As a young adult, he served his country honorably as an airman in the (back then) newly established United States Air Force.
Oral History Interview with Eula Dean - 06/13/2014
Growing up in an rural area of Georgia, Ms. Dean’s family experienced poverty as both of her parents were sharecroppers. Nevertheless, growing up in a household that valued education, she was able to be the first-generation in her family to attend college and eventually graduate from law school. As a college student she became with Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. which became the first intercollegiate African American sorority in the country. Ms. Dean eventually rose to a high leadership position at the national level of the organization focused on increasing the college graduation rates of African American women and developing professional opportunities for them. Ms.Dean learned the importance of service from her mother and has lived a meaningful life of service by leading community organizations through COVID-19 responses and continuing to expand access to postsecondary education for women in the State of Arizona.
Oral History Interview with Dr. Gloria Montiel - 06/11/2024
Originally from Mexico, Dr. Montiel’s family moved to the United States in search of the American dream. Her household held a strong and deep belief that education would provide the opportunities necessary to achieve that dream. However, as an undocumented student there were several barriers that made it difficult to obtain an education and a fulfilling career. Nevertheless, through persistence and dedication she finished her undergraduate degree moving on to obtaining a master’s degree from Harvard University and a doctoral degree from Claremont University. Dr. Montiel belongs to one of the first generation of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), which was a program established by the Obama Administration to grant temporary status to undocumented immigrants. Currently, she is a research scientist for one of the largest health corporations in the country.
Presentation Slides
Presentation Recording