Mr. Wilkerson was born in Montgomery, Texas. He attended segregated schools in Montgomery and remained active in the area. In his interview, Mr. Wilkerson described how segregation operated in Montgomery, the state of education for African-American children, his family's history in the area, and his work in volunteering, community outreach, and as a member of the city council.

Yates grew up in segregated Conroe and attended both segregated and integrated schools. Yates was a member of the Conroe High football teams that sought to increase the amount of Black women representation on the cheerleading team and during homecoming pageantry in the early 1970s. Yates also became one of first Black football players on the University of Texas-Austin football team in the mid-1970s. Yates also discussed working in various jobs including law enforcement and the oil industry.