Ray Mullins, Oral History Interview, 2022

Item

Title
Ray Mullins, Oral History Interview, 2022
Please note this record is transcript only.
Transcript Available
Transcript
Performer
Ray Mullins
Interviewer
Matt Jones
Description
On January 12, 2022, Jones talked with attorney, community leader, organizer, and former president of the Willow Run NAACP, Ray Mullins. Under Mullins' leadership, the Willow Run chapter of the NAACP increased its membership, established and developed community youth programs, and won several awards for programming excellence. During the ordinance campaigns, Mullins stood with the organizers in Citizens for Community and Ypsilanti Campaign for Equality, giving them a much-needed and most-important endorsement. Despite receiving backlash from some community members, he remained firm in his alignment, and stayed true to his belief that discrimination is wrong in all its forms. Mullins continued to provide safe spaces and opportunities for Ypsi's youth, and worked closely with churches to maintain strong community relationships throughout the ordinance campaigns and beyond. In this interview, he talks about his upbringing and connections to the Civil Rights Movement, the importance of community care and protection, and of nurturing under-represented youth. Mullins continued to be a beloved cornerstone of the community, representing compassion and integrity until he passed in 2023.
Exact Date
01-12-2022
Subject
Eastern Michigan University Archives, EMU Oral History Program, Ypsilanti, Ypsilanti history, social justice, activism, nondiscrimination ordinance, community organizations, discrimination, Ann Arbor, local government, community activism, LGBTQ allies, NAACP, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, community leaders, Washtenaw County, Willow Run NAACP, youth programs, Civil Rights Movement, Ray Mullins
Collection Location
013.OH_OOTM
Language
English
Rights
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).
Format
PDF