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Henriette Wyeth Hurd Interview by Ronald L. Davis [excerpt]
No full textInterview 252. Restricted access
Felix Pire Interview
No full textFelix Pire (Class of 1993) was interviewed by Hannah Hall virtually via the Zoom internet-based video conferencing software on January 26th, 2022. Mr. Pire was born in Tampa, Florida, where he grew up as part of the Cuban American community. He attended a magnet school for the arts during high school, which gave him the first opportunities to express and explore his identity and the LGBTQIA+ world with acceptance. In his interview, he discusses his experiences being a gay man in the 1990s and his career in the film industry post-college. While at SMU, Mr. Pire majored in acting and directing with a film emphasis and obtained his BFA in 1993. He has spent two decades working in the professional film industry, with roles in films, television, and on stage, and is an award-winning playwright. At the time of the interview, he continued to work in the film industry and as a professor at UCLA and the American Academy of Dramatics Arts
Elsie Johnson Interview
No full textElsie Johnson (Class of 2004) was interviewed by Sabrina Simien via the Zoom internet-based video conferencing software on June 23rd, 2022. Mrs. Johnson was born in Houston, Texas, on February 19th, 1983, where she lived with her parents and three siblings. Her family moved to Texas before her birth from Nigeria, where she enrolled at Texas Christian University. In 2004, she graduated with a major in Psychology and a minor in Sociology. Mrs. Johnson then went to graduate school at the University of North Texas, where she earned her master's degree in Counseling. She then joined the SMU staff in October 2009. At the time of the interview, she worked at SMU as the Director of Student Advocacy and Support. During her interview, she discussed her childhood, college experiences, career, and the influences of race throughout her life
Bri Tollie Interview
No full textBri Tollie (Class of 2022) was interviewed by Brett Fearer in the Oral History Studio in Fondren Library at Southern Methodist University on April 13, 2022. Ms. Tollie was born in Midland, Michigan and raised in Bartow, Florida with her three younger siblings. She discusses her struggles with internalized homophobia and connecting with others growing up, especially during her time at an international high school where she was the only Black student and only U.S. citizen on the floor of the dorm her freshman year. Her love of and skill in basketball led to her being awarded a basketball scholarship to SMU. However, issues between her coach and teammates, micro-aggressions from her team, and the COVID-19 pandemic led her to find passions outside of the sport, including advocacy. She was a founding member of the Black Student Athlete Committee, which provided a space for Black athletes to hold the athletic department accountable without fear of retaliation. In the wake of George Floyd’s death, she and her fellow athletes organized a Black Lives Matter protest in less than 24 hours that drew over 200 people. Ms. Tollie discusses how she dove deeper into queer advocacy after facing homophobia among her teammates, leading her to become a Queer Senator. This position helped her recognize and learn how to balance her many intersectional identities. Realizing that her fellow queer students also felt unseen and unwelcome on campus due to the lack of acknowledgement or representation, she founded the Pride Project and organized the first Pride Visibility Day on campus along with Leanna Frost and Jonathan Cox. While it had not yet happened at time of recording, she expresses hope that it will become both an event for the campus and for Dallas as a whole. Her many titles and involvements from her time at SMU include Cultural Awareness Chair and Vice President of Finance for the Sigma Lambda Gamma National Sorority, President and non-voting member of the Black Student Athlete Committee, Founder and Executive Producer of the Pride Project, serving on the Black Unity Forum and Women’s Commission Board, and participating in several internships and on-campus jobs. Ms. Tollie also discusses her frustration with the cycle of support and passivity that occurs once the initial wave of enthusiasm for movements like Black Lives Matter dies down. She expresses fear but is still hopeful for the future because of the supportive communities she has been able to be a part of. Ms. Tollie graduated with Bachelor’s Degrees in Human Rights and Political Science and, at the time of the interview, was attending Delaware State University, a Historically Black University, on a basketball scholarship. She is excited to expand on her undergraduate degree while learning from Black professors. She is studying to receive a Master’s Degree in Public Administration
Abena Marfo Interview
No full textAbena Marfo (Class of 2022) was interviewed by Jonathan Angulo in the Oral History Studio of Fondren Library at Southern Methodist University on May 10th, 2022. Marfo was born in Dallas and spent most of her life in Wylie, Texas. Her parents were Ghanan immigrants who came to the United States for better opportunities. Marfo attended local schools in Wylie until the 4th grade, after which she enrolled in the Harmony Science Academy in Garland, Texas. She enjoyed the school and became involved in several organizations throughout her high school years. Because of an early college program through the Dallas Independent School District, Marfo acquired an associate's degree before she graduated high school. During high school, she became involved with the QuestBridge program, which supports low-income students who want to apply to leading universities. She was not accepted into her first choice for university, but decided to apply for the Mustang Scholarship at SMU. She received a full ride, and enjoyed her onboarding experience because of the Rotunda Scholars Program, which helps first-generation students achieve success at the school. However. Ms. Marfo did experience an act of racism at Mustang Corral, an all-student onboarding event. Early in her time at SMU, she changed her major from pre-med to sociology after not enjoying hard science courses. She joined several student organizations, which helped her become a leader throughout SMU's Black community. She discussed how the #BlackatSMU movement in 2020 helped hold the administration accountable for the often-difficult experiences for Black students. Marfo graduated with several bachelor's degrees, including human rights, health and society, and human rights. At the time of the interview, Ms. Marfo was preparing to pursue a Master's in Global Health at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia
Jrnie Jade Lara Interview
No full textJrnie jade Lara (Class of 2021) was interviewed by Sarah Khoja via the Zoom internet-based video conferencing software on February 11, 2022. She was born in Dallas, Texas, in 1998, and grew up in McKinney and Tyler as an only child. She came from an Asian American military household and felt immense pressure from both sides of her family as an only child to carry on the family name. She graduated high school two years early and transferred to Southern Methodist University after two years at Collin College. As a transfer student and a commuter, she focused primarily on her education. Ms. Lara discussed how she enjoyed her time at SMU as she could learn about new cultures and enjoyed the classroom experience. However, coming from a mixed-race background, Ms. Lara often felt underrepresented and spoke about how she believes the university could provide students, especially transfer students, with more accessibility to multicultural resources. She wasn't aware of the majority of the educational resources offered by SMU, and those she used, like the writing center, she did not find helpful. Ms. Lara stressed that SMU should be more direct about informing students of the educational resources available to them. She graduated with her bachelor's in applied physiology with a specialization in health management in 2021. At the time of the interview, she lived in Allen, Texas, working as an independent broker for life insurance and financial planning. She also owned a production company that markets for businesses in the DFW area