Soon anyone will be able to “hear” what life was like 50 years ago in Joliet and it won’t be from someone reading a book, but from people who lived through some of the hard times of the early 20th century. The Joliet Junior College Library and Joliet Area Historical Museum (JAHM) have teamed to digitize 55 audio recordings that offer first-hand accounts of life in the Joliet area during the first half of the 20th Century. The project, which consists of more than 3,300 minutes of audio cassette reels, was funded by the JJC Foundation, with support from the nonprofit Experimental Sound Studio in Chicago. The audio comes from interviews conducted 50 years ago with residents born near the beginning of the 20th Century. The digitization is an expansion of the library’s recent transcription of the interviews. “Listeners will hear about the hardships faced by individuals and families and also a broader perspective on the Great Depression and the world wars,” said Amy Chellino, archive specialist with the JJC Library. “The interactions are timeless conversations between generations and are reminders of the ephemeral moments we have in our lifetimes.”
conversations
African Americans, Democrats Say They Still Support BLM Movement
NNPA NEWSWIRE — Researchers conducted by the national polling site, Civiqs revealed that 44 percent of Americans support the Black Lives Matter Movement, while 43 percent said they oppose the campaign. Approximately 11 percent of respondents reported that they neither support nor oppose the campaign, which began in 2012 in response to a jury’s decision to acquit George Zimmerman in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin.
JJC celebrating Diversity Week, Latinx Heritage Month
Joliet Junior College is conducting multiple events in observance of Diversity Week and Latinx Heritage Month through mid-October.
Diversity Week events Oct. 4-8 are sponsored by the Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Compliance, Office of Student Activities and the Center for Multicultural Access and Success.
FILM REVIEW: City of Ali
NNPA NEWSWIRE — The film’s most poignant moments are Ali telling stories about the indignities he encountered as a Black man and the challenges he faced for his convictions. An incident in a racist restaurant turned into a favorite anecdote: Wait staff: “We don’t serve Negroes!” Ali: “I don’t eat them. So, serve me some food.” His position on the war in Vietnam, which cost him his title and boxing licenses and caused him to serve jail time, was summed up succinctly: “You want me to go somewhere and fight, and you won’t even stand up for me at home,” Ali raged to a room full of reporters.
Black, Hispanic and Asian Group Hosts Panel on Menthol Ban
NNPA NEWSWIRE — “So, understanding that you’re taking something that has been legal for a century at least, just for the sake of conversation, and criminalizing it to the point where now a police officer could approach a person who is smoking on the streets and begin inquiries as to where they got it, how it was purchased. This creates an engagement opportunity that is only ever going to be seen as negative.”
America Honors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
NNPA NEWSWIRE — While parades and other festive gatherings for the heroic civil rights leader will not occur this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, national and local organizations throughout the country still will honor Dr. King’s legacy.
