Esther Sepeda was born in Buda, Texas and was raised in both Knott, Texas and Hale Center, Texas. She married while in school and left school, living and beginning a family in Hale Center. Afterwords, her family moved to Abernathy, Texas. In Abernathy, Sepeda began working within community services. While in the town, Sepeda and her husband began a building business and eventually moved to Lubbock for that business. In Lubbock, she served as the award winning president of Comerciantes Organizados Mexico-Americanos (COMA) and a founder member of the Hispanic Association of Women.

Lorraine Perryman was born in Pampa, Texas in 1953, but her family eventually settled in Odessa, Texas. She grew up as a liberal in conservative Odessa as a way to contradict her father, who was a staunch Republican conservative. After high school, she attended the University of Texas at Austin. She came back to Odessa in 1979 to became the heed of communications of Ector County ISD while it went through desegregation. Afterwards, she started her own public relations business and briefly became a news anchor. In the 1980s, Perryman ran for mayor of Odessa but lost. She ran again and became the first female and youngest mayor of Odessa in 1990. Under her tenure, the Odessa City Council voted in single member districts that allowed for better representation for people of color in the city. Perryman has since helped start a rape crises center and battered women’s shelter in Odessa and has worked for nonprofits to better the city’s schools.

David K. Baker was born in 1951 In Mckamy, Texas. He graduated from high school in 1969 and then worked for a few months in the oil fields of West Texas. Baker then worked for Southwestern Bell, beginning in October of 1969, and soon joined the Communication Workers of America union. He worked for Southwestern Bell until 2002 and then returned (now to AT&T until 2010). Baker was drafted in 1971 into the Vietnam War. Baker moved to Odessa, Texas in 1980 and then became part of the union’s executive board at the local level, and was president of the local from 1987 to 1990. He is now president of the Permian Basin Central Labor Union.

Interview with Carlos Moore, from Fort Worth, Texas. In his interview, he discusses his early life and family history, time in the military, race relations in Fort Worth, labor unions and Democratic party activities.

Ms. Diaz discusses her personal history as a teacher during and after desegregation in Corpus Christi. She and her husband, former CCISD superintendent Tony Diaz, remain active in the community as advocates for education.

Ms. Duran took over La Prensa in early 2016, after her father Tino Duran retired due to health issues. In its several iterations, La Prensa has provided a voice for Mexican Americans in San Antonio since the early 20th century. Ms. Duran explains the editorial policies of La Prensa, its relations with the community and other local institutions, and the future of the weekly.

Diana Salgado grew up in the Barrio Chihuahua area of Del Rio in the 1940s. She recalled the discrimination in public spaces in the city (movie theaters, soda fountains…) and how the operators of these places would sometimes try to give her preferential treatment over other Mexican Americans due to her fair skin. Salgado married and dropped out of school shortly before her expected graduation; after spending some years in Arizona, her husband and her moved to San Jose, California, where she found a job in a fruit cannery. In her years working at the cannery, Salgado and her family witnessed the height of the farm workers' movement, and joined the boycotts (her husband was a union member). During her time at the cannery, she also realized the discriminatory practices against line workers and other unsavory actions by the management. She later quit the cannery and became a licensed realtor; after retiring, her family moved back to Texas, eventually resettling in Del Rio. She became involved with local politics through the Democratic Party; she was the chair of the Val Verde Co. committee and ran for several local posts. As leader of the local Democrats, in 2009 she challenged the …

Mr. Romo was born in Kyle, but grew up in Austin, near the UT campus. He later attended UT as a journalism major; when looking for an internship, he found work with Marcelo Tafoya at The Echo, a Chicano newspaper based in East Austin. Mr. Romo talks about his work and his views on Chicano-oriented journalism, as well as his involvement in initiatives for revitalization in East Austin. He was also involved in the creation of the Mexican American Cultural Center and worked in SER-Jobs for Progress.

Diane Montejano is a poet, educator, and activist. In her interview, Montejano talks about growing up on the west side of San Antonio, her role in the Brown Berets, differences between Southside/Westside Berets, and the decline of Berets.

Alonso speaks about growing up in San Felipe and the segregated nature of Del Rio generally. He also speaks a great deal about migrant farm work and following the seasonal harvest. He speaks about his time in the West Texas cotton fields and speaking Spanish in Anglo schools out in West Texas. He talks a little bit about the 1969 Palm Sunday march--he wasn't a participant but he talks about the march. He also talks about the importance of education he received from Bambi Cardenas and Aurelio Montemayor who were both educators at San Felipe in the late 1960s. All in all, this is a great interview that has tons of useful information on Del Rio, San Felipe, and Alonso's life story.

Mr. Tamez discussed his career as a police officer and LULAC local president in Corpus Christi.

Interview with Minnie Mosley Gram and Rostell Williams, civil rights activists from Tyler, Texas. Gram and Rostell discuss their early lives, student activism, Jim Crow segregation, and community organizing in Tyler.