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Title
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Ayron Smith-Douglas, Oral History Interview, 2022
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Performer
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Ayron Smith-Douglas
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Interviewer
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Matt Jones
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Description
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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.
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Exact Date
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01-26-2022
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Subject
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Eastern Michigan University Archives, EMU Oral History Program, Ypsilanti, Ypsilanti history, LGBTQ history, LGBTQ, nondiscrimination ordinance, community organizations, discrimination, Ann Arbor, local government, community activism, LGBTQ activism, LGBTQ allies, Citizens for Community, Jim Toy, University of Michigan, Ypsilanti Campaign for Equality, Religion, Racism, Tri-Pride, American Friends Service Committee, AFSC, homophobia, Quakers, Chicago, burnout, mental health, Ypsi
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Collection Location
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013.OH_OOTM
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Run Time
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1 hour, 50 minutes, 57 seconds
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Language
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English
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Rights
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Copyright to the audio resource and its transcript is held by the content creator, author, artist or other entity, and is provided here for educational purposes only. It may not be reproduced or distributed in any other format without written permission of the copyright owner, Eastern Michigan University Archives (lib_archives@emich.edu).
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