Suzanne Clinkenbeard: Building a Beloved Community

An Oral History Project Conducted by John Robert Lewis Scholar Sara Marshall

Project Description

This oral history project explores the life and social change work of Suzanne Clinkenbeard, a dedicated educator and community advocate. Suzanne spent much of her teaching career working with inner-city and at-risk students, guided by a deep belief in every child’s potential. Her lifelong commitment to service extended beyond the classroom through her enduring relationship with multiple families she supported and later considered part of her own. Suzanne emphasizes the power of sustained, small acts of kindness and the moral responsibility to care for others, lessons that shaped not only her life but the values she passed on to her family.