The Our Story project is a community engagement initiative and partnership between the ECU School of Art & Design, Joyner Library Special Collections, and the Pitt County Arts Council at Emerge. The goal of this project was to document the lived experiences of LGBTQ people in Eastern North Carolina by inviting community members to share their stories through video-based oral history interviews.
The project began as an exploration of archival materials to uncover lesser-known local histories. While the archives offered important starting points, they also revealed gaps that could only be filled through direct community participation and oral history.
Opening the Call / Building Community Participation
Over the past year, we opened a call across Eastern North Carolina and connected with people of many ages, races, backgrounds, and lived experiences. We sought stories that reflect what it means to live, grow up, and build community as an LGBTQ person in this region. The purpose of this work is to recognize and uplift LGBTQ experiences in Eastern North Carolina and preserve regional history from past to present.
Oral History as Practice
Working closely with archivists in Joyner Library Special Collections, the team planned the interview process to ensure ethical, respectful, and participant-centered documentation. Interview prompts were designed to invite reflection while allowing participants to define their own narratives and boundaries.
Participants shared stories that offer powerful reflections on coming out, navigating family dynamics, facing societal pressures, and searching for belonging. The stories uncover regional LGBTQ histories shaped by rural life, faith, race, and identity. Stories span marriage milestones, the creation of safe spaces, life during the HIV/AIDS epidemic, the impact of discriminatory policies, and the ongoing fight for visibility, inclusion, and justice.
Preserving Stories as a Living Archive
To date, we have recorded 24 oral history video interviews. These interviews will be included in the ECU Joyner Library Special Collections Digital Archive as part of our effort to preserve and share LGBTQ history in Eastern North Carolina.
Special Thanks to our Participants
Rose Bogue, Zach Dale, Zaria Richardson, Lloyd-Isaac Samhane, Soph Myers-Kelley, Ashley Harzog, Holly Garriott, Kate Houston, Paul Coleman Temple, Megan Joyner, Brad Collier, Mark Rasdorf, Aaron Lucier, Jeremy Jordan, Beyonca Mewborn, Marsha Mclawhorn, Jordan Kirk, Paula Jordan-Mayo, Jerome Dixon, Duane Bailey, Mark Hand, Amy Bright, Will Banks, and Tiana Robinson.
We would like to thank our participants for sharing their stories and being so generous with their time and energy on the project. We are forever grateful.
If you are interested in learning more about the project or wish to get involved, please feel free to email me directly or reach out to my collaborator and colleague in special collections at Joyner Library, Jennifer Daugherty.