Today was a busy, muggy Wednesday, chock-full of back-to-back interviews. Were it not for the constant bustle of participants in and out of the Booth today, our patch of Chicago mulch would have been pretty quiet. You’d never think that such a shady space of calm, elegant history was the host of a weekend of family, sun, and blues cover bands. Only three short days ago the DuSable Museum held its Annual Arts & Crafts Festival, complete with jerk catfish (that stares at you while you eat it), fruity smoothies, and shopping galore…
Posts from the GriotBooth while in Chicago, Illinois
Posted by Toccarra on July 18, 2007, from Chicago, Illinois
Community Partners: DuSable Museum
Good times, good food, Geis style
Posted by John on July 8, 2007, from Chicago, Illinois
(Bottom left to right) Moonlighting Milwaukee Facilitator Becky Homann with Facilitator Toccarra Thomas
Muchas gracias to Jim and Ruth Geis, the lovely creators of our own Sarah Geis, for having the Griot Team over for some great convo and cajun cookin’! Sarah will be joining the Griot Tour during its southern stops in Memphis, Tennessee and Alabama (see the excitement on her face?!).
Posted by Toccarra on July 4, 2007, from Chicago, Illinois
The Jesse Brown VA Medical Center consists of a 188-bed care facility and four community-based outpatient clinics. Jesse Brown provides care to approximately 62,000 veterans who reside in the City of Chicago and Cook County, IL and in six counties in northwestern Indiana. A budget of over $235 million supports about 1,800 staff, including 180 physicians and 590 nurses.
But during our visit there last week, it became apparent that the spirit of the facility is in its 500 volunteers who are mostly war vets and family members of vets.
Posted by Rose on June 30, 2007, from Chicago, Illinois
Community Partners: Pink Panthers Double Dutch Team
The Pink Panthers Double Dutch Team graced our blog last week with the fabulous freeze frames of their opening day performance. Today, however, the group had as much to say as their recent pictures’ thousand words.
Rosalyn Jamison (left) is interviewed above by her daughter Mharion Sammons (right). Rosalyn is a co-founder of the Team, seeing a need for double dutch culture as close as her own home. Three years ago Mharion and her sister shied away from the second rope, but can now jump with the best of the team. Thanks to mom Rosalyn and Coach Joyce Dickerson, the sisters - along with dozens of other girls in the suburbs - now savor the flavor of old school Chicago.
StoryCorps Griot’s youngest participant (perhaps…)
Posted by John on June 27, 2007, from Chicago, Illinois
Community Partners: ACORN, ACORN Chicago
Eugene Young only turned 10 two weeks ago and is already claiming what is rightfully his: a place at the StoryCorps Griot interview table.
Our first Door-to-Door was at ACORN-Chicago, and Eugene had the pleasure of interviewing his mom, Michelle, who adopted Eugene and his sister when he was only three-months old.
Today, with a little help from facilitator Becky Homann, Eugene questioned his mom about her first impressions of him as a baby, her own childhood in Chicago, and the trials (and joys!) of marriage and falling in love. Oh, the mah-velous mind of youth!
Posted by John on June 21, 2007, from Chicago, Illinois
StoryCorps Griot Opening, Part I. June 21, 2007. Chicago
StoryCorps Griot Opening, Part II. June 21, 2007. Chicago
