Samuel Collins was born in Galveston, Texas in 1971. He grew up in Hitchcock with his mother and grandparents, and spent time in Galveston with his father's family. He grew up in a predominantly African American community but attended the integrated schools. He attended Texas A&M University. After he graduated, he moved to Corpus Christi in 1995 but quickly returned to Houston in 1996. In 2012 he decided to become his own boss and opened his own business. In 2005, Collins and his wife purchased the Stringfellow Orchards after he saw a historical marker on the road. Since then, he has endeavored to restore the property and highlight the histories of African Americans who worked in the orchards following the Civil War. Collins has also been involved in Juneteeth Celebrations in both Galveston and Hitchcock, and other historic preservation efforts in Galveston County. In his interview, he details the need for historical preservation in the African American community.

James Josey Sr. was born in Galveston in 1947 and grew-up in the predominately African American neighborhood located north of Broadway St. Josey Sr. came of age witnessing segregation. He attended Central High, the African American High School, served in Vietnam, and lived in Los Angeles, California for a few years before returning to island in 1991. He talks about the robust African American business sector during Jim Crow and how the national movements for Civil Rights, lead by MLK and Malcolm X, spurred the youth-directed desegregation efforts in Galveston. Josey Sr. also addresses his involvement in gang prevention, becoming a mentor to young African American males, the role of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity in Galveston, and the meaning of Juneteenth. He speaks about why he founded the first African American History Museum in Galveston and the critical role that it has played in the community. Lastly, Josey Sr. discusses notable African Americans in Galveston.