Kate Mehuron, professor of History and Philosophy and the Department of Women's and Gender Studies, and Dennis O'Grady, professor with the Departments of Communication, Media, and Theater Arts and Women's and Gender Studies, were both instrumental in the planning and implementation of the EMU LGBT Resource Center. Acting as a vital connection between faculty, students, and administration, Mehuron and O'Grady describe working with other faculty like Kathleen Russell to win support for the center. They also describe some of the pushback to the center amongst EMU faculty.
As a university administrator of over 40 years at EMU, Gregory Peoples devoted himself to bettering the college experiences of marginalized students,. In 1994, Peoples helped establish the LGBT Resource Center at EMU, and in this interview, he describes the challenges both to himself and from the university in forming this crucial campus support center.
In her 40 years of service to EMU, Glenna Frank-Miller has served in many crucial capacities including Student Affairs, Campus Life, Diversity and Community Involvement, Alumni Engagement, Career Services and more. She also co-chaired the planning and constrcution of the EMu Student Center. Involved in many levels at EMU, Frank-Miller here describes the need for, and implementation of, the EMU LGBT Resource Center. She describes the various threads that led to the decision to create the center, and describes the reaction on campus to its opening.
Throughout 2024, the city of Ann Arbor celebrated its 200th anniversary with community events, festivals, and art displays that highlighted its rich culture and history. To cap off the celebrations, in December 2024 the EMU Center for Oral History Research invited community members to Skyline High School to share what makes Ann Arbor special. In this interview, Trent Collier talks about raising a family in Ann Arbor, getting involved in community groups, and finding moments of calm in graduate school.
Throughout 2024, the city of Ann Arbor celebrated its 200th anniversary with community events, festivals, and art displays that highlighted its rich culture and history. To cap off the celebrations, in December 2024 the EMU Center for Oral History Research invited community members to Skyline High School to share what makes Ann Arbor special. In this interview, Tom Stulberg talks about being mayor of Lower Town, discovering and correcting local history, and his favorite things to do.
Throughout 2024, the city of Ann Arbor celebrated its 200th anniversary with community events, festivals, and art displays that highlighted its rich culture and history. To cap off the celebrations, in December 2024 the EMU Center for Oral History Research invited community members to Skyline High School to share what makes Ann Arbor special. In this interview, Susan and Sam Westhoff talk about family and growing up in Ann Arbor, the city's rich natural landscape, and trips to the Kerrytown Farmer's Market.
Throughout 2024, the city of Ann Arbor celebrated its 200th anniversary with community events, festivals, and art displays that highlighted its rich culture and history. To cap off the celebrations, in December 2024 the EMU Center for Oral History Research invited community members to Skyline High School to share what makes Ann Arbor special. In this interview, Paul Conway shares the story of how he made his way to Ann Arbor, attending and then working at the University of Michigan, and the challenges of a growing college and a growing city.
Throughout 2024, the city of Ann Arbor celebrated its 200th anniversary with community events, festivals, and art displays that highlighted its rich culture and history. To cap off the celebrations, in December 2024 the EMU Center for Oral History Research invited community members to Skyline High School to share what makes Ann Arbor special. In this interview, Odile Hugnot-Haber talks about her journey to Ann Arbor, the struggles of collective activism and engagement, and how the city can start to make a change in the world.
Throughout 2024, the city of Ann Arbor celebrated its 200th anniversary with community events, festivals, and art displays that highlighted its rich culture and history. To cap off the celebrations, in December 2024 the EMU Center for Oral History Research invited community members to Skyline High School to share what makes Ann Arbor special. In this interview, mother Merrily Hart and daughters Rachel Klayman and Julie Roberts talk about growing up in Ann Arbor close to family, attending the University of Michigan, and finding their ways back to each other after leaving.
Throughout 2024, the city of Ann Arbor celebrated its 200th anniversary with community events, festivals, and art displays that highlighted its rich culture and history. To cap off the celebrations, in December 2024 the EMU Center for Oral History Research invited community members to Skyline High School to share what makes Ann Arbor special. In this interview, long-time Ann Arbor resident Mark Margolis talks about running a small business, the vibrant community he's found, and the city's changing landscape.
Throughout 2024, the city of Ann Arbor celebrated its 200th anniversary with community events, festivals, and art displays that highlighted its rich culture and history. To cap off the celebrations, in December 2024 the EMU Center for Oral History Research invited community members to Skyline High School to share what makes Ann Arbor special. In this interview, Jeremy Wheeler talks about working with local businesses and orgs as an artist, the types of people who make up Ann Arbor, and the types of worries that come with rising prices.
Throughout 2024, the city of Ann Arbor celebrated its 200th anniversary with community events, festivals, and art displays that highlighted its rich culture and history. To cap off the celebrations, in December 2024 the EMU Center for Oral History Research invited community members to Skyline High School to share what makes Ann Arbor special. In this interview, Corey Mills talks about growing up in Ann Arbor, working for the AAPD, and how the city has changed but also stayed the same.
Throughout 2024, the city of Ann Arbor celebrated its 200th anniversary with community events, festivals, and art displays that highlighted its rich culture and history. To cap off the celebrations, in December 2024 the EMU Center for Oral History Research invited community members to Skyline High School to share what makes Ann Arbor special. In this interview, Charlie Reischl talks about growing up in the city, working for non-profits, and the importance of Ann Arbor's art and music scene.
Throughout 2024, the city of Ann Arbor celebrated its 200th anniversary with community events, festivals, and art displays that highlighted its rich culture and history. To cap off the celebrations, in December 2024 the EMU Center for Oral History Research invited community members to Skyline High School to share what makes Ann Arbor special. In this interview, Liz Nowland-Margolis talks about growing up in Ann Arbor, learning about her family's history, and community involvement.
Throughout 2024, the city of Ann Arbor celebrated its 200th anniversary with community events, festivals, and art displays that highlighted its rich culture and history. To cap off the celebrations, in December 2024 the EMU Center for Oral History Research invited community members to Skyline High School to share what makes Ann Arbor special. In this interview, Scott King and Andre Andersen talk about moving to and living in Ann Arbor, the things they look forward to outside of UMich Football, and what they believe the AAPD's role to be in the city.
Bob Garfield is a lifelong resident of Ypsilanti who attended the Roosevelt school in 7th grade. In this interview, Garfield discusses the year he spent at Roosevelt, noting that the lack of structure is what led him to transfer back to public school. He also talks about Ypsilanti's history, exploring how the landscape has changed, popular hangout spots for kids, and businesses that no longer exist. Garfield also speaks candidly about his experiences with substance use, working at the first Domino's pizza, and gushes with pride talking about his musically gifted adult son, J.T.
Kirk Profit is a former member of the Michigan House of Representatives and currently works as a lawyer and legal consultant in his hometown of Ypsilanti, Michigan. In this interview, Profit speaks about his time as a student at the Roosevelt school, which he attended from kindergarten until 6th grade, leaving early as a result of Roosevelts impending closure. He explains how the education at Roosevelt was creative and innovative, why swimming was so popular among Roosevelt students, and discusses what elementary and middle school students did for fun in the 1960s. He also discusses his life after Roosevelt, exploring his early involvement with politics, developing a social consciousness, and the current state of education in Ypsilanti.
Jim MacDonald was a Roosevelt school attendee from 1957 until his junior year 1969, when the school closed, and his dad, Alistair MacDonald, better known as “Mr. Mac was the principal of Roosevelt while he attended. MacDonald is also the proprietor of Jim MacDonald’s Antiques, which shares a shop with Apple Annie's Vintage in Ypsilanti's Historic Depot Town. In this interview MacDonald discusses his experience growing up in Ypsilanti in the 1950s and 60s near Oakwood and Sheridan, playing with his friends in Sleepy Hollow, and the impact his dad had on kids he went to Roosevelt with. MacDonald also talks in detail about his friendship with Wayne Blikken, explaining their cross country trip playing basketball at various colleges.
Mary and Terry Clark are a married couple who began dating as elementary school students while attending the Roosevelt school. In this interview the couple speaks fondly of their time at Roosevelt, and each explain the extracurriculars they were involved in and the teachers that had an impact on their lives. They also discuss how they met, holding hands while walking to school, where the popular hang out spots were, and what the school meant to them.
Edwin "Ed" Pear is an attorney with a long distinguished career in real estate, business, and estate planning. Pear attended the Roosevelt school from K-12, and was apart of the graduating class of 1959. In this interview, Ed recounts memories of growing up in a Jewish family in Ypsilanti, his fathers clothing store, and other local businesses that existed at the time. He also reminisces about his time as a student at Roosevelt, sharing his experiences in athletics, extracurriculars, and lamenting about the sadness of the schools closure.
Gretchen [Geiser] Colbert is a 1968 alumna of the Roosevelt School and grew up in Ypsilanti, Michigan. In this interview Colbert discusses her experiences at Roosevelt, highlighting how she developed a passion for music and joined the girl's synchronized swim team as it was the only sport available to women at the time. She explains how she took her passion for music with her through life, and how voice lessons at Roosevelt have led to a lifelong involvement in choir groups.
Mary Lou James was born and raised in Ypsilanti, Michigan, graduating from Roosevelt in 1947 and from Eastern Michigan University in 1951. In this interview Mary Lou explores her time growing up in Ypsilanti in the 1930s-40s, and recounts memories of going to Roosevelt revealing popular hangout spots, school dances, and what dating looked like back in the day. She also shares her experiences as a student at the Michigan State Normal College, being a sorority sister, and her marriage and children.
George Goodman is a Michigan native, military veteran, and was the first African American to be elected as Mayor of Ypsilanti, a position he held from 1972-82. Goodman attended Roosevelt from K-12, graduating in 1958. In this interview, George shares his experiences growing up in a predominantly Black neighborhood, how Ypsilanti has evolved over time, and his experiences at school and in the larger community as a person of color. He also explores his time after Roosevelt, briefly touching on his time as Mayor of Ypsilanti and how Roosevelt left a lasting impact on him.
Barry LaRue is a lifelong Ypsilanti resident, EMU alum, founder of the Riverside Arts Center, and former Operations Manager for University of Michigan theatres. Barry attended Roosevelt from Kindergarten through seventh grade, and, in this interview, he explores his experiences at Roosevelt going into detail about his involvement with theatre productions, the lab schools unique “progressive” curriculum, and the teachers and friends who left a lasting impression on him. Additionally, LaRue recounts his feelings of Roosevelt’s closure, his involvement in Ypsilanti city politics and preservation, and the ways that EMU’s campus has evolved since he was a student.
Margaret "Peg" Porter, is a longtime Ypsilanti resident, Roosevelt High School alumna, and involved with local history as a member of the Ladies Literary Society. In this interview, Porter discusses her experiences growing up in Ypsilanti in the 1950s. Porter also recounted her education at Roosevelt, highlighting the small class sizes and the impact of her polio diagnosis in 1955. She also shares her involvement in extracurricular activities, such as the newspaper and yearbook, and her later career in education and disability rights advocacy. Porter emphasizes the importance of community connections and the legacy of Roosevelt's students and teachers.
Suzanne “Suzy” Wood attended the Roosevelt School K-12, she graduated a year before the school’s closure in 1969. In this interview, Suzy recounts growing up in the Normal Park neighborhood and activities kids did while living there in the 1950s-60s, and her experiences attending Roosevelt as a studious honors student who stayed out of trouble. Suzy also discusses meeting her husband, Nelson, while at Roosevelt, what dates looked like in the 1960s, and her life beyond Roosevelt.
Thomas Dusbiber attended the Roosevelt School from Kindergarten in 1954 until he graduated in 1966. In this interview, Tom recounts his time at Roosevelt, talking about the quality of the teachers, the struggles of high school athletics, and where the popular hangout spots were when he was in school. He also explores the legacy of the school, and the reasons why so many former students remember it so fondly.
Ankita M. Kumar is a journalist, analyst, and product manager. During COVID, she covered several high-profile investigative stories on the pandemic in India for Deutsche Welle, Germany's international broadcaster. In 2020, she received a grant from the National Geographic Society's COVID-19 emergency fund to complete a written report on equal access to health care for women in the current Gurugram's urban slums. Kumar was relocated to the United States in 2021, and graduated with a master's degree from Northwestern University, specializing in media innovation and content strategy.
Kumar published several investigative stories that focused on underrepresented groups during the pandemic, including women in Gurugram's slums, cremation urns workers, migrant workers, and diamond polishers. In this interview, she revealed the unique challenges from family, community, and sources she endured to practice journalism as a woman in India. A journalist and a social worker, Kumar advised spending time building a trustworthy relationship with sources and maintaining objectivity in one's journalistic pursuit. She reviewed the difficulties of covering COVID at its peak while enduring the loss of a family member to the virus. The personal loss put her in a unique position to tell other people's suffering with compassion and empathy. She left future generations with lessons of loss and gains.
Amanda Morris is a staff reporter at the Washington Post in the United States. Before joining the Post in August 2022, Morris was an inaugural disability reporting fellow for The New York Times. Previously, she covered science, politics, and national news for outlets, including The Arizona Republic, The Associated Press, and National Public Radio (NPR).
In this interview Morris shared her experiences covering the early months of the pandemic for The Arizona Republic. She recalled challenges such as performing field work as a visual journalist, maintaining work and work-life balance, mental health, and combating public distrust in science reporting and online harassment. She recommended practical tips for organizations and the general public to recognize women journalists' challenges and contributions in reporting the pandemic.
Chuck Coleman is a former Eastern Michigan University student activist. Before exiting the university in 1978, Coleman was a member of the Black Student Association, Campus Service Corps, and a student representative of the Office of Minority Affairs. Coleman played an important role for bettering conditions for students of color on campus.
On December 15, 2021, Jones talked with former EMU Director of University Publications and Student Media, and YCFE co-chair, Paul Heaton. Heaton arrived in Ypsilanti to work in media and communications at EMU, and remained somewhat on the outside of Ypsi civic life until the Tri-Pride incident in 1997. He became involved with the ordinance efforts early on, attending the first Citizens for Community meetings, and later became a co-chair of YCFE. Heaton worked in tandem with his community members and co-chair Beth Bashert to ensure the campaign would be successful. He was highly regarded for his expertise with communications and messaging, and is still credited with keeping the mission on task. Heaton had to manage the messages and ideas coming from his fellow organizers while also making sure the campaign's focus remained clear and cohesive. Throughout this interview he recalls the reasoning behind YCFE and how its mission worked, along with the ins and outs of working with conflicting opinions, and how he became involved with the campaigns in the first place!
On February 27, 2022, Jones met with EMU alum and former chair-person of Tri-Pride, Kathy Palmer. Palmer found herself at EMU after learning more about the Master's in Social Work program and comparing it to others she was considering. She took up a graduate assistantship from Kathleen Russell, and was eventually picked to serve as a Tri-Pride co-chair. Palmer was only directly involved with the ordinance effort for a short time, as the Tri-Pride complaint was filed in February, and she graduated in April. Despite this, she kept close ties to the community and stayed updated throughout it all, and her "outsider" perspective gave her a new awareness of the campaigns' impact. In this interview, Palmer describes that new awareness and appreciation and shares more of the values and beliefs behind Tri-Pride and its members.
On January 17, 2022, Jones sat down with Citizens for Community member and activist, Bonnie Dawn Clark. Before she moved to Ypsilanti in the mid-1990s, Bonnie was living in the South, always close to where she had been born and raised in North Carolina. With a passion for social justice and activism, she took part in movements advocating for equality for women and LGBTQ people, and even participated in environmental protests. It was only natural for her to become involved with Citizens for Community once the group heard about the incident with EMU group, Tri-Pride. As the city council took on the complaint and pushed it to the Human Relations Commissions hearings, she realized she could use her religious upbringing and knowledge of the Bible to dispel some of the opposing arguments. After the campaign ended, she returned to North Carolina where she has since started a non-profit organization for homeless LGBTQ youth. During this interview, she shares her experiences with being LGBTQ and a woman in the military, and reflects on the importance of an ordinance like 1279.
On January 18, 2022, Jones talked to community organizer and American Friends Service Committee staff member, Jan Wright. After she became a Quaker in graduate school, Wright spent some time living with fellow Quakers in Ann Arbor, and volunteering for the American Friends Service Committee. She eventually became the local AFSC's LGBT Issues Program Director. Wright and her AFSC colleagues hosted community workshops where people could learn to hold non-hostile communication with LGBT/opposing groups. As both ordinance campaigns utilized the workshops, Wright became more entwined in the cause, and found it necessary to support it. Her work with other community members, activists, and organizers left her with meaningful connections, which she reflects on in this interview. Wright also covers the importance of including the Black community in the ordinance, and working closely with religious groups to increase visibility and support through it all.
On January 27, 2022, Jones met with former members of Citizens for Community and Ypsilanti Campaign for Equality, and former EMU faculty, Myrna Yeakle and Joan Sheard. Yeakle and Sheard were both professors in the Department of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, and had met while working together. During their careers at EMU, they became trusted members of the community amongst their fellow LGBT colleagues, including Kathleen Russell. Yeakle and Sheard hit the ground running once they found out about the Tri-Pride incident, and met with neighbors and community organizers to push for an ordinance. Because of their experiences with hate and discrimination, and their status as an established "out" couple, they felt they had a responsibility to support the efforts to make the Ypsi community a more welcoming and safe space. Like other participants in this project, Yeakle and Sheard became important figures during the campaigns, working as Outreach officers within YCFE. In this interview, they shared their experiences as LGBT faculty on EMU's campus and how that translated to the Ypsi community, how important it was for the ordinance to be passed, and the broader implications of it all.
On January 25, 2022, Jones talked to EMU alum and former student secretary of Tri-Pride, Eric Monat. Monat, one of the group's founders, worked on promoting and programming events like Visibility Week, and eventually spoke at the Queer Student Leadership Summit. During the ordinance campaigns, he attended human relations commission hearings, and like his fellow students, kept Tri-Pride visible throughout. Monat recalls the camaraderie and support among the students and how they kept each other safe and sane in the midst of hatred. Throughout this interview, he talks through the trauma of the hearings, some of the ins-and-outs of Tri-Pride, and how he saw the campus evolve after all was said and done.
On January 20th, 2022, Jones met with activist, creative, and mother, Dawn Richberg. Originally from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Richberg moved all across the country with her family before making her way to Ann Arbor in the 1980s. While attending graduate school at University of Michigan, she got involved with the American Friends Service Committee's LGBT Issues Program, which led to her participation in the ordinance campaigns. Richberg's experiences as a Black lesbian meant she brought an important perspective to the campaigns that was needed to help bridge the gap between Black communities and queer communities in Ypsi. In this interview, she shares those personal experiences, her work with the AFSC, and her passion for social justice. Richberg also reflects on the process of making change in the community.
On March 8, 2022, Jones interviewed EMU alum, former Tri-Pride co-chair, and outspoken supporter of the ordinance, Donna Regan-Southwick. Before she made her way to Eastern, Southwick was a mother and activist working with Noel Keane in the early days of surrogacy. She enrolled at EMU as a non-traditional student, earning both her bachelors and masters degrees here. During her time in the MSW program, Southwick joined her classmates in the formation of Tri-Pride, where she acted as co-chair. After the group was denied service, she became an outspoken proponent of the ordinance and helped further bridge the gap between student and community campaign perspectives. Southwick had to balance activism and academics, all while raising a son, who witnessed the fight alongside her. In this interview, she sheds light on finding that balance, understanding grief, and finding the strength to stand up for what's right.
On January 3, 2022, Jones talked to community organizer, activist, and member of Ypsilanti Campaign for Equality, Lisa Zuber. Zuber had close ties to the ordinance early on thanks to her work with PFLAG in Ann Arbor, which granted her the opportunity to speak at the very first council meeting. She became an important figure in the ordinance campaigns from there, eventually taking on the role of volunteer coordinator in YCFE. Zuber worked tirelessly alongside her fellow community members and organizers, and ensured that all the canvassing and cold-calling ran smoothly. During the course of the campaigns, she formed a relationship with former city council-member John Gawlas, and they married on the anniversary of the ordinance's defense. In this interview, Zuber describes the level of coordination and work it took to successfully organize volunteers for the campaigns, the highs and lows of the movement, and how she's seen Ypsi change since then.
On June 6th, 2022, Jones sat down with EMU alum and former Tri-Pride member, Donna Benke. Benke found her way to Eastern in the 1990s, looking to obtain degrees in social work. Noticing the absence of a student org dedicated to LGBTQ students in the Masters in Social Work program, she joined her fellow students in founding Tri-Pride. Later, after the group was denied service by the print shop in 1997 and the incident made its way to the city council, Benke became one of the first students to speak up at the Human Relations Commission Hearings. She continued to be an active presence in Tri-Pride throughout the ordinance campaigns and up until her graduation from EMU in 1998. In this interview, she recounts how her academic and personal backgrounds impacted the way she navigated the campaigns, how the Tri-Pride students supported each other, and the lessons she took with her afterwards.
On December 23, 2021, Jones sat down with former Ypsilanti mayor, Dr. Cheryl Farmer. After moving to Ypsi to complete her residency and learning about the disconnect between city councils and residents, Farmer joined efforts to rewrite the city's charter. In 1995, she became Ypsi's mayor, and until her leave in 2006 she pushed for changes in Ypsi's infrastructure, and fostered a greater sense of trust between Ypsi residents and the government. One of the most memorable and noteworthy acts of her mayor-ship is the creation and passage of Ordinance 1279-deeply entwined in the process, she drafted the committee and eventually signed 1279 into law. During this interview, Farmer sheds light on the ways her upbringing impacted her values as mayor, the workings of local government in contentious times, and all the ways change can happen when communities come together.
On February 15, 2022, Jones talked with Ypsilanti City Attorney, John Barr. Barr, who still serves as City Attorney, was involved with the ordinance efforts from its early stages. With his background and position in the city, he was one of the experts chosen to help draft a nondiscrimination ordinance, which was defended in 1998 and then in 2002. Barr worked closely with city council members on the draft, deciding on what language to use, what sorts of constraints, and even what sorts of repercussions would be part of the ordinance. His knowledge of what successful ordinances looked like helped ensure that this one would succeed too. In this interview, Barr goes over the process of drafting an ordinance like this, how city councils function and change over time, and puts the whole effort in a greater context.
On February 3, 2022, Jones talked to former Ypsilanti city council-member and participant in the ordinance efforts, John Gawlas. Since he was a council-member at the time that Tri-Pride's complaint was filed, Gawlas became quickly familiar with the campaigns. His position with the city put him in a place where he worked alongside fellow council-members, as well as the activists pushing for the ordinance. After the Human Relations Commission became involved, Gawlas was appointed as a member of the sub-committee tasked with drafting the ordinance proposal. During the initial passage and subsequent defense, he formed a close relationship with Lisa Zuber, former co-chair of Ypsi Campaign for Equality and another participant in this project. The couple eventually got engaged, and held their wedding on the anniversary of the ordinance's successful defense! In this interview, Gawlas recalls his fellow city council-members, the ordinance process, and how he's seen his own neighborhood here change since then.
On January 29th, 2022, Jones talked to community organizer, activist, and former Ypsilanti mayor Beth Bashert about her involvement with the passage of the ordinance. Member of Citizens for Community and co-chair of the Ypsi Campaign for Equality, Bashert was a fierce leader, working with other community members to keep the movement going strong. From mediating meetings, to contacting human rights groups across the country, to trying to stay afloat amidst it all, she worked tirelessly for the campaigns. She also recognized the importance of distinguishing between political campaigns and "hearts and minds" campaigns: To not to try to change opposing minds, but to get allies to vote in favor of the ordinance. Bashert and her co-chair Paul Heaton worked in tandem to keep the campaign's message clear, and to make sure everyone understood where it came from and where it was going. In this interview, she talks about what made the campaign work, the internal and external support they received, and how she's seen Ypsi change since 1279 was passed.
On February 23 and March 2 of 2022, Jones talked with long time Ypsilantian, community organizer and activist, and member of Campaign for Equality and Citizens for Community, Lisa Marshall Bashert. When she moved to the Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti areas, Bashert found herself laying activist roots and finding acceptance despite her conservative religious upbringing. She volunteered with LGMPO, where she became close friends with Ayron Smith-Douglas, and got to know Jim Toy. Bashert participated in things like Take Back the Night marches at U of M, and the Washtenaw Rainbow Action Project. When the ordinance campaigns kicked off, she and her wife, Beth Bashert, became involved right from the start after experiencing discrimination in Ypsilanti themselves. From there, Bashert dedicated her time to supporting her community, forming close relationships with other members of C4C and YCFE, and organizing some of the earliest LGBTQ events in Ypsi. She became deeply entangled within the efforts, and recalls just how difficult it was to process things like the city council hearings and homophobia. In this interview, Bashert shares some of the ways that campaign members would try to process those feelings and how they supported each other. She also dives into some of the culture and community building programs she helped organize during the ordinance efforts, how her social world was shifting and changing, and how she's seen Ypsi's sense of community evolve.
On January 27, 2022, Jones talked to third-generation Ypsilantian and member of both Campaign for Equality and Citizens for Community, Brandt Waldenmyer. In this interview, Waldenmyer talks about growing up in Ypsilanti and the deep familiarity he had with the city's cultural atmosphere. LGBTQ visibility in Ypsi was limited until the ordinance effort kicked up and brought more light to the community. Waldenmyer was involved with both of the campaigns from day one: He attended every meeting he could, canvassed and stuffed envelopes, and handled many of the administrative tasks. He recalls being able to use his established Ypsi connections to help the campaign's message carry some more weight, and the massive effort it took many people to come out publicly. Waldenmyer's participation in not only the 1997 and 1998 campaigns, but also the second defense in 2002 means that he has been able to provide a comprehensive timeline of 1279's impact on the community.
On March 21, 2022, Jones talked to outspoken activist, community organizer, and participant in the ordinance campaigns, Charles Duty. Born and raised in Ann Arbor, Duty found himself in Ypsilanti in the 1980s, when life was becoming more and more expensive in his hometown. At an early age he was taught what discrimination is, and why it is wrong, and he continued to carry those lessons into adulthood. In Ypsi, Duty became familiar with local organizations and city officials, working with them to change the quality of life for everyone. After hearing about the print shop incident, he took the initiative to become an outspoken and highly-visible advocate for the ordinance campaigns, learning how to keep marching and living authentically. In this interview, Duty shares some of the finer details of LGBTQ life in Ypsi before and after the ordinance, expands on his connections to political figures and groups, his passion for justice, and reiterates the importance of standing up for oneself and others.
On December 13, 2021, Jones met with long time Ypsilantian, figure-skating coach, and community activist, Gary Clark. Clark became involved with the ordinance efforts very early on, when his partner encountered protestors in Depot Town after Tri-Pride was denied service. From there, they called up their friends, neighbors, and fellow community members and held what would become the first Citizens for Community (C4C) meeting. C4C became the group that took on the fight for the first campaign and initial ordinance passage. With Clark's leadership, community ties, and strong sense-of-self, the campaign was able to effectively advocate for an ordinance and bring more visibility to the LGBT community in Ypsi. He understood the importance of bringing in other communities to support the effort, and even visited the very same churches who strongly opposed the campaigns. In this interview, Clark shares a more in-depth look at C4C's work, the initial drafting of the ordinance, and the shift towards Ypsi Campaign for Equality for the defense.
On June 9, 2022, Jones met with longtime University of Michigan faculty member, Director of the Bentley Historical Library, and former Ypsilanti mayor pro-tem, Terrence McDonald. McDonald began his career in Ypsilanti politics by volunteering for Pete Murdock, during which his wife worked on the city council. After McDonald's wife convinced him to run for council in the next election he launched a campaign, and was eventually appointed in 1994. He got to know a lot about civic life in Ypsi, and recalls how Depot Town businesses and community members interacted before the ordinance efforts kicked off. Of course during his career in office, McDonald became involved in the efforts and collaborated with, managed, and listened to different communities in the city so that everything might go more smoothly. In this interview he gives in-depth detail at how a new city charter impacted the way council functioned and how that played into the passage of 1279, and how much goes in to working with council-members and their constituents efficiently.
On February 10, 2022, Jones sat down with member of Citizens for Community and Campaign for Equality, Brian Baum. Hailing from Livonia MI, Baum spent time in Ann Arbor for school before he came over to Ypsilanti to live with his partner, Holly Ferrise. Only a short while after his move, the print shop incident occurred in 1997, prompting the ordinance campaigns. After finding out more about the campaign during the Human Relations Commission hearings, Baum and Ferrise decided they needed to show up to see where they could help. New to activism and social justice movements, Baum worked with C4C and YCFE to handle administrative tasks and help keep the group on task. In addition to giving time to Ypsi's campaigns, he also worked with the GLSEN Conference in Ann Arbor, all while planning a wedding! During this interview, Baum narrates some of the daily goings-on of the campaigns, explores what his role in all this meant, and shares the messages he took with him afterwards.
On July 28th, 1998, after the long battle for the non-discrimination ordinance had found its end, Ayron Smith-Douglas sent out a letter she had written to her activist colleagues. She expresses that despite the "win," she still feels sadness. Smith-Douglas shares her fears that COST could still win, that homophobia and hate could still undo all the work they had done. She talks about the burn-out and fatigue that comes along with a movement like this one, while emphasizing the need to continue to be visible. At the end of her letter, Smith-Douglas shares the conclusions she came to after her reflection on the ordinance campaign, and hopes her words bring comfort to her friends.
On January 26th, 2022, Jones talked to long time Ypsilantian and community activist, Ayron Smith-Douglas, about her involvement with the passage of the ordinance. Smith-Douglas spent much of the 1960s and 1970s living in Chicago and Detroit, two cities that became central hubs for social justice activism and change. During this time she was able to gain experience as an activist, which she carried with her when she settled in Ypsilanti in 1987. Those experiences continued to be useful as she joined the ordinance movement in 1997, just two years after the loss of her partner, Billie. Smith-Douglas played an important role, working closely with the American Friends Service Committee to bring some de-escalation techniques into the campaign, and providing emotional support to her fellow activists and friends. In 1998 after the successful defense and passage of the ordinance, she wrote a letter to the community in which she reflected on the long battle, sharing her fears and hopes for the future. Smith-Douglas also speaks on the potential for burnout and fatigue and the importance of moving forward and healing.
Dave Willoughby was an active member of the Arm of Honor Fraternity from 1987 until 1992. In this interview, Willoughby describes his upbringing in the College Heights area of Ypsilanti with EMU virtually in his backyard. With a father who owned Willoughby Shoe Store in downtown Ypsilanti, Willoughby details his time at Central MIchigan University before coming to EMU where he lived in "The Hutch," a windowless room in the Arm house with room for a dresser and a twin bed. Willoughby speaks of his Arm of Honor brothers, his decision to join the frat, his mandatory ride, and the relationship between the University Department of Safety and the Arm of Honor Fraternity. Willoughby describes the night the Arm house was firebombed by a rival frat and the all-neighborhood brawl that nearly followed. Willoughby describes managing fraternity events, charging cover for parties, and the effect of the 2008 recession on the fraternity.
Mike Srock was an active member of the Arm of Honor Fraternity from 1965 until he was drafted by the US Armed Forces in 1967. Now a reknowned strength and speed coach, Srock talks about his upbringing, education and athletic exposure in Detroit, before detailing his college experiences, academics, and friendships within the Arm of Honor. He details his off-campus living situation, the atmosphere at EMU in the 1960s, rushing for Arm of Honor, and the six kegs of beer won by his pledge class for various athletic achievments. He talks of fellow Arm Dennis Snary and his unusual method of intramural swimming. Srock describes the fraternity band, Bob Schneider and the Collegiates, and their focus on socializing instead of rehearsal. He speaks of the lifelong friendships gained from the fraternity, and talks about the annual Alumni Day, and meeting former Arms Pat Dignan and Red Miller. He also describes the Motown Revue held at Bowen Fieldhouse, and the roles that the Arms played in making the concert happen. Srock also talks about the challenge of coming back to the fraternity after serving in the War in Vietnam.
Bob Scheloske was an active member of the Arm of Honor Fraternity from 1965 until 1969. In this interview, Scheloske details his upbringing in Cleveland, OH., his introduction to fraternity life at EMU, the ties between Arm of Honor and Alpha Z, the reign of terror by John Norman Collins, baseball coach Ron Oestrike, Arm of Honor brother Jim Zolkowski, and the relationship with rival fraternities. Scheloske also details the economic origins of the Arms, and the larger than life names that abound in the frat history like Elton Rynearson, Lloyd Olds, and Benjamin D'Ooge. He also speaks of the fundraising that Arm of Honor did for various causes and the process of being blackballed from the fraternity, the lottery draft, and some of the construction projects that Arms did on the Arm house.
Phil Riggio was an active member of the Arm of Honor Fraternity from 1968 until 1975, coming to EMU from Detroit, MI, where he sold produce from the back of a wagon before helping with the family produce business. Riggio's sons have followsed him into the business as well. Riggio details his father's journey to America from Sicily, and learning the tgricks of the produce trade from his father. There were expectations for Phil to attend college, he became interested in attending EMU after his team, University of Detroit, played them several times during the basketball season. Riggio details the bonds between Arm brothers, social movements on campus, and the "tight-lipped and tight knit" nature of the frat. Riggio describes initiation rituals, mandatory rides, and what happened when a pledge wanted out. Riggio, a reknown basketball player at EMU, also talk abotu playing at Bowen Fieldhouse, running in intramural cross country events, and the process of evicting the Arms from the fraternity house in 2015. President of the Arm of Honor Alumni Chapter in 2015, Riggio spearheaded the effort to clean up the image of the Arms.
Kirk Profit was an active member of the Arm of Honor from 1970 until 1975. Son of University Controller Louis Profit, Kirk Profit was a student at Roosevelt School until its closing in 1969 when he moved to Ypsilanti High School. Profit details some of the physical changes to campus since his student days, and the more familial aspect of campus in the 1950s and 1960s. Profit speaks of his father's friendship with President Harold Sponberg, and the need to keep a low profile during the tumultuous days on campus in the late 1960s. Profit describes fraternity living, and the pursuit of the All Sports Trophy, given to the most decorated fraternity in intramural sports. Profit discuesses fraternity initiation and taking clandestine drives to Silver Lake to try marijuana. Profit walks the reader through the Arm house, explaining the orgins for many of the room names.
Tom Prieur was active with the Arm of Honor Fratrernity from 1960 until 1963. Coming to EMU from Alpena, Michigan, Prieur is said to have brought several athletes into the fraternity, allowing the fraternity to achieve its athletic dominance on the EMU intramural fields. Quarterback for the EMU football team, Prieur, known as “Puss” to his Arm brothers, describes his introduction to athletics as a child, the occupations of his parents, and being recruited for the FBI following college graduation. Prieur speaks of living in the frat house, hazing rituals, and off-campus hang outs of the fraternity brothers. Prieur also speaks of the importance of talking to his college professors about his academic struggles, the presence of Black players at EMU, and the role of organized crime in the construction field.
Angelo Pizzo was an active member of the Arm of Honor Fraternity from 1968 until 1971. Universally loved by Arms of all generations, Pizzo details his upbringing in Wyandotte, his parents' immigration from Sicily and the importance of family ties while growing up. Pizzo details playing football in high school and then for EMU, his first experiences on a college campus, and the first few friends he made upon arriving in Ypsilanti. Pizzo details the intiation process and Hell Night, describes the living conditions in the house, and describes how he always loved dancing with his Arm brothers' girlfriends at parties. He speaks about parental visits to the Arm house, seeing the movie Animal House with the fraternity, winning the Greek Sing in Pease Auditorium, and the numerous lifelong bonds created in the Arm of Honor. Pizzo also talks of the enduring bond bewteen his fraternity brothers and himself that has lasted well after he left the fraternity.
Tony Pappas was an active member of the Arm of Honor Fraternity from 1963 until 1968, and currently (2024) serves as the President of the Arm of Honor Fraternity Alumni Chapter. In this interview, Pappas recounts his time growing up on the east side of Ypsilanti, above the Seven Seas Restaurant, owned by Pappas’ parents, on Michigan Avenue. Pappas describes the Ypsilanti of his childhood, particularly Ypsilanti Township and the area directly surrounding the EMU campus. Pappas describes his fraternity brothers, their superior athletic acumen, and the criteria for joining the fraternity, along with the core beliefs and values of the fraternity. As in all of the AoH interviews, Pappas emphasizes the ongoing close relationships sustained with other Arms, during and after his active membership.
Mike Pappas, brother of fellow Arm Tony Pappas, was an active member of the Arm of Honor Fraternity from 1970-1974, living in the Arm house fo the entirety of his stint at EMU. Growing up in Ypsilanti Township and Ann Arbor, Pappas describes the Seven Seas Restaurant, which his parents owned and lived above, and his formative years at St. John's Catholic School in Ypsilanti. Pappas describes the Ypsilanti he knew as a child and the differences between the local religious schools. Pappas describes hitchhikinig culture of the 1960s, and talks about how improtant the history fo the Arm of Honor was to pledging members. Pappas also discusses the sexual assault rampant in modern fraternity culture, Ted's Campus Drugs, and the comparisons between Animal House and the Arm of Honor.
