FINDING AID
The R.O.O.T.S. (Reclaiming Our Origins Through Stories) of Sunflower County project is a component of the Sunflower County Systems Change Project (SCSCP), which addresses negative perceptions and narratives about young men and boys of color. This oral history journey was undertaken by 19 young men from Sunflower County who set out to change the negative perceptions about young black men in their community.
In partnership with the SCSCP and Story for All, a non-profit organization from Oakland, California, these young men have collected stories, wisdom, and data from their Mississippi Delta community to impact change and to inform the work of disrupting the school-to-prison pipeline. Their journey of collecting stories and sharing their voices, hope, and commitment to their community has also been curated into a traveling multimedia exhibit that tells the broader story of the policies and practices that disproportionately affect Young Men and Boys of Color (YMBOC) in the Delta and across the country.
Learn more about the ROOTS journey by watching the short documentary and listening to the interviews conducted by the youth.
INTERVIEWS
Adrian Brown, Business Owner
Date of interview: June 23, 2016
Location of Interview: Indianola, MS
Name of Interviewer: Fredrick Ellis
Transcript
Annastasia Williams, Former Student
Date of Interview: December 1, 2016
Location of Interview: Moorhead, MS
Name of Interviewer: Kyle Pernell
Transcript
Antonio Cross, Jr., Student
Date of Interview: December 1, 2016
Location of Interview: Sunflower, MS (Sunflower Freedom Project)
Name of Interviewer: Jadan Farrow
Transcript
Armani Bell, Student
Date of Interview: May 24, 2016
Location of Interview: Unknown
Name of Interviewer: Unknown
No Transcript
Ashley Gordan, Student
Date of Interview: November 30, 2016
Location of Interview: Unknown
Name of Interviewer: Unknown
No Transcript
Ashley Gordan, Student
Date of Interview: December 27, 2016
Location of Interview: Sunflower, MS
Name of Interviewer: Nicholas Warren
Transcript
Ashlie Brown, Student
Date of Interview: December 9, 2016
Location of Interview: Indianola, MS
Name of Interviewer: Unknown
No Transcript
Betty Petty, Advocate
Date of Interview: June 24, 2016
Location of Interview: Indianola, MS
Name of Interviewer: Kyle Pernell
Transcript
Beyonce Russell, Student
Date of Interview: December 1, 2016
Location of Interview: Sunflower, MS
Name of Interviewer: My'Angelo Johnson
Transcript
Brooks Ann Gaston, Advocate
Date of Interview: June 23, 2016
Location of Interview: Indianola, MS
Name of Interviewer: Calvin Griffin
Transcript
Carolyn Hamilton, Elected Official
Date of Interview: November 17, 2016
Location of Interview: Indianola, MS
Name of Interviewer: Travion Dozier
Transcript
Carolyn Willis, Community Member
Date of Interview:June 22, 2016
Location of Interview: Indianola, MS
Name of Interviewer: Jawaski Gardner
Transcript
Cedric Perryman, Community Member
Date of Interview:June 24, 2016
Location of Interview: Indianola, MS
Name of Interviewer: Theon James
Transcript
Charles Modley, NAACP
Date of Interview:June 22, 2016
Location of Interview: Indianola, MS
Name of Interviewer: Nicholas Warren
Transcript
Charles Modley, NAACP
Date of Interview:June 24, 2016
Location of Interview: Indianola, MS
Name of Interviewer: Theon James
Transcript
Charles Modley, NAACP
Date of Interview: June 24, 2016
Location of Interview: Unknown
Name of Interviewer: Unknown
No Transcript
Clifford Wilson, Youth Court
Date of Interview: June 21, 2016
Location of Interview: Indianola, MS
Name of Interviewer: Unknown
Transcript
Cornivon Bracey, Student Participant
Date of Interview: June 24, 2016
Location of Interview: Indianola, MS
Name of Interviewer: Nigel Bell
Transcript
Damien Brown, Student
Date of Interview: November 17, 2016
Location of Interview: Indianola, MS
Name of Interviewer: NIcholas Warren
Transcript
Darnell Fisher, Sergeant at IPD
Date of Interview: November 19, 2016
Location of Interview: Indianola, MS
Names of Interviewer: Jawaski Gardner/ A’Xavier Carpenter
Transcript
Debbie Kilby Allen, Community Member
Date of Interview: Unknown
Location of Interview: Indianola, MS
Name of Interviewer: Unknown
Transcript
NO AUDIO/NO VIDEO
Deborah Moore, Community Member
Date of Interview: June 21, 2016
Location of Interview: Indianola, MS
Name of Interviewer: Calvin Griffin
Transcript
Edrick Hall, Chief of Police
Date of Interview: November 19, 2016
Location of Interview: Indianola, MS
Name of Interviewer: Myron Hawkins
Transcript
Guss Williams, Student
Date of Interview: December 2, 2016
Location of Interview: Sunflower, MS
Name of Interviewer: Cornivion Bracey
Transcript
Jessie Cooper, Teacher
Date of Interview: June 24, 2016
Location of Interview: Sunflower, MS
Name of Interviewer: Jawaski Gardner
Transcript
Jimmy Sherman, Youth Court
Date of Interview: June 24, 2016
Location of Interview: Indianola, MS
Name of Interviewer: Travion Dozier
Transcript
John Skelton, Community Member
Date of Interview: June 21, 2016
Location of Interview: Indianola, MS
Name of Interviewer: Unknown
Transcript
Johnny Phillips, Student
Date of Interview: June 23, 2016
Location of Interview: Unknown
Name of Interviewer: Unknown
No Transcript
Kaitara Baker, Student
Date of Interview: December 1, 2016
Location of Interview: Sunflower, MS
Name of Interviewer: Nicholas Warren
Transcript
Lindsey Ray, Deputy
Date of Interview: June 22, 2016
Location of Interview: Indianola, MS
Name of Interviewer: Nicholas Warren
Transcript
Liz Johnson, Advocate
Date of Interview: June 24, 2016
Location of Interview: Indianola, MS
Name of Interviewer: Jadan Farrow
Transcript
Lolita Gladney, Community Member
Date of Interview: June 22, 2016
Location of Interview: Indianola, MS
Name of Interviewer: Jawaski Gardner
Transcript
Marekus Hibbler, Chief SRO
Date of Interview: November 17, 2016
Location of Interview: Indianola, MS
Name of Interviewer: Nicholas Warren
Transcript
Melanie Powell, Advocate
Date of Interview: June 24, 2016
Location of Interview: Sunflower, MS
Name of Interviewer: Jawaksi Gardner
Transcript
My'Angelo Johnson, Student Participant
Date of Interview: May 24, 2016
Location of Interview: Unknown
Name of Interviewer: Unknown
No Transcript
Myron Hawkins, Student Participant
Date of Interview: June 23, 2016
Location of Interview: Unknown
Name of Interviewer: Unknown
No Transcript
Nathan Bell, Student
Date of Interview: June 24, 2016
Location of Interview: Indianola, MS
Name of Interviewer: Cornivion Bracey
Transcript
Nicholas Warren, Student Participant
Date of Interview: June 23, 2016
Location of Interview: Unknown
Name of Interviewer: Unknown
No Transcript
Nigel Bell, Student Participant
Date of Interview: June 24, 2016
Location of Interview: Unknown
Name of Interviewer: Unknown
No Transcript
Nikki Payne, Community Member
Date of Interview: June 21, 2016
Location of Interview: Indianola, MS
Name of Interviewer: Calvin Griffin
Transcript
Patrick Strong, Barber
Date of Interview: November 29, 2016
Location of Interview: Indianola, MS
Name of Interviewer: Vonkerius Jackson
Transcript
Emmanuel Candelario and Frank Antonio Lopez, Peace Poets
Date of Interview: August 27, 2016
Location of Interview: Itta Bena, MS
Name of Interviewer: Unknown
Transcript
NO AUDIO/NO VIDEO
Robert Irving, Community Member
Date of Interview: June 21, 2016
Location of Interview: Indianola, MS
Name of Interviewer: Calvin Griffin
Transcript
Sapphire Jefferson, Student
Date of Interview: August 27, 2016
Location of Interview: Itta Bena, MS
Name of Interviewer: Theon James
Transcript
Shaka Senghor, Activist
Date of Interview: December 1, 2016
Location of Interview: Sunflower, MS
Names of Interviewers: Kyle Perry/A’Xavier Carpenter/Angela Zusman
Transcript
Shaketta Davis, Parent
Date of Interview: June 22, 2016
Location of Interview: Indianola, MS
Name of Interviewer: Jawaski Gardner
Transcript
Shequita Johnson, Parent
Date of Interview: December 15, 2016
Location of Interview: Indianola, MS
Name of Interviewer: Theon James
Transcript
Stephanie Washington, Court Worker
Date of Interview: June 22, 2016
Location of Interview: Indianola, MS
Name of Interviewer: Theon James
Transcript
Tammy Pernell, Parent
Date of Interview: December 9, 2016
Location of Interview: Indianola, MS
Name of Interviewer: Kyle Pernell
Transcript
Tasha Gardner, Parent
Date of Interview: June 22, 2016
Location of Interview: Indianola, MS
Name of Interviewer: Cornivion Bracey
Transcript
Tenaja Doizer, Student
Date of Interview: August 27, 2016
Location of Interview: Itta Bena, MS
Name of Interviewer: Theon James
Transcript
Theon James, Student Participant
Date of Interview: May 24, 2016
Location of Interview: Unknown
Name of Interviewer: Unknown
No Transcipt
Theon James, Student Participant
Date of Interview: June 20, 2016
Location of Interview: Unknown
Name of Interviewer: Unknown
No Transcipt
Thomas Edwards, Former Educator
Date of Interview: December 10, 2016
Location of Interview: Ruleville, MS
Name of Interviewer: Cornivion Bracey
Transcipt
T'Rossi Pernell, Student
Date of Interview: December 3, 2016
Location of Interview: Unknown
Name of Interviewer: Kyle Pernell
No Transcript
Vindarius Thomas, Student
Date of Interview: December 1, 2016
Location of Interview: Sunflower, MS
Name of Interviewer: Kyle Pernell
Transcript
Veondria Winder, Community Member
Date of Interview: June 21, 2016
Location of Interview: Unknown
Name of Interviewer: Unknown
No Transcript
Vonkerius Jackson, Student Participant
Date of Interview: June 20, 2016
Location of Interview: Indianola, MS
Name of Interviewer: Unknown
Transcript
Willie Jones, Business Owner
Date of Interview: June 21, 2016
Location of Interview: Indianola, MS
Name of Interviewer: Unknown
Transcript