S4, E9: Illuminating Local History Part 1 with Ofelia Guzman and Thomas Hiura

Send us a text

In this episode, part 1 of 2, our hosts welcome ILLUMINATION collection team members Ofelia Guzman and Thomas Hiura to discuss their experiences with the project, the impact they’ve seen from this work and what they’d like to see in the future.

ILLUMINATION is a history and story collection project started by Madeline McGraw and Mindy Linder to actively work to address representation in its collection, recognizing that museum institutions have historically used gatekeeping and erasure in collection practices. 

Through ILLUMINATION, the museum’s intention is to lead with transparency and accountability, to build relationships and trust with members of the community who have been left out of the historical narrative. The goal is for the Springfield History Museum to offer a more inclusive representation of all the people who have both shaped and been shaped by Springfield and rural east Lane County. For these people to be empowered as stewards of their own stories, and to entrust the Springfield History Museum with the preservation, documentation, interpretation and display of their stories through exhibits, archives and digital collections.

The culminating works from this project will all become part of the Springfield History Museum archive, available to the public. Selected images and narratives will also become part of the permanent heritage exhibit on display at the museum.

Hosts: Kristen Curé & Mindy Linder (guest host)

Date of recording:  October 27, 2025

Mentioned in this episode:

ILLUMINATION virtual exhibit 

Episode Transcript

Kristen (00:05):
Hello, and welcome to Overdue :Weeding Out Oppression
in Libraries, a podcast producedby the Oregon Library
Association's Equity, Diversity,Inclusion, and Antiracism
Committee.
I'm Kristen Cure.
My pronouns are she, her, a,jet, and I am a public librarian
in Oregon and a member ofReforma Oregon and the Oregon
Library Association's Equity,Diversity, Inclusion, and

(00:26):
Antiracism Committee.
We are thrilled today towelcome a special guest host for
the show, Mindy Linder.
Mindy Linder is a cisgenderwhite disabled mom from Eugene,
Oregon on Callipooia Ihili, theunceded homeland of the
Callipooia people.
Mindy currently works as acommunity engagement specialist
for the Springfield PublicLibrary and History Museum in
Oregon.
The focus of her work is tobuild relationships and trust

(00:49):
with underserved communities,developing networks across a
spectrum of identities forcommunity-led partnerships and
collaboration on free,accessible, and inclusive public
programs that celebrate thearts, culture, heritage, and
literacy.
She's the co-founder andproject manager for
Illumination, an ongoingcommunity-led project that
centers the history and voicesof those currently

(01:09):
underrepresented in theSpringfield History Museum
collections.
She also manages and curates anannual nine-week outdoor
multicultural series, part ofthe annual summer reading
celebration that engagesthousands of community members,
artists, and culture holders.
Today we also have two specialguests who will be joining us
from the Illumination Project,Ofelia Guzman.

(01:30):
Ofelia is a successfulentrepreneur, loving mother, and
active community leader servingon the City Council-appointed
advisory board for theSpringfield Public Library.
She is a professionalphotographer, offering timeless,
colorful, and love-filledportrait sessions for newborns,
maternity, families, andchildren in Lane County, Oregon.
Ofelia also captures exquisitecommunity projects and events

(01:54):
for a variety of internationalartists and organizations.
She is also known for herwildlife and nature photography,
which has been exhibited by theSpringfield Arts Commission.
Whatever the project, Ofeliastrives to build a relationship
of trust, friendship, andrespect.
The results speak forthemselves.
Our other special guest isThomas Huida.

(02:14):
Thomas is a multimediaproducer, hip-hop musician, and
community activist.
He has lived in Lane Countysince moving from Japan at age
two.
In between dishwashing shiftsat Toshi's Ramen, he currently
serves as the president of theCity Club of Eugene, which is
one of the largest civicengagement nonprofits in Oregon.

(02:34):
Thomas was recently theco-leader of the City of Eugene
Human Rights Commission, and hecontinues to serve on the board
of the WOW Hall, a performingarts community center and music
venue in the National Registerof Historic Places.
Thomas has toured the countrytwice under his rap name,
Gradient, and in May he waselected by North Eugene voters
to the school board for the LaneEducation Service District.

(02:56):
Most recently, he created oneof the first ever podcasts about
the Oregon Ducks softball teambecause that team is at least as
awesome as the football team.

Mindy (03:06):
Hello, I am Mindy Linder.
My pronouns are she, her, and Iam the community engagement
specialist for the SpringfieldPublic Library and History
Museum.

Kristen (03:17):
Thank you so much for joining us today, Mindy, and
co-hosting.
I have a little icebreakerquestion that's both for both of
our guests and for Mindy, ifyou'd all like to answer.
Each of you have been workingto collect the history and
stories of others in theIllumination project.
Can you share one moment fromyour work with the project that

(03:41):
you carry with you?

Thomas (03:43):
Sure.
So I'm Thomas, and I don'tthink that this is actually a
very lighthearted moment for anicebreaker, but one of the six
interviewees that I got tointerview as part of the project
was such a beloved force in theAsian community in Eugene and
Springfield.

(04:04):
And when she passed away, uhshe had a story to tell about
pioneering the businesscommunity for AAPI in Eugene
Springfield.
And um Amy Yogi, who was one ofour project members, knew that
she had this story that wasburning in her chest to tell it.
And we got to hear from her inan hour-long interview.

(04:27):
And then um, really a matter ofmonths later, ultimately, she
did leave us, and uh I got toattend her funeral, her
memorial at Autzen Stadium andjust see how beloved she was.
So I think that's one of thethings I carry most.
There were many joyful momentsas well, but uh that one sticks
out to me.
Ada Lee was her name.

(04:49):
I'm sorry, I probably shouldhave said that.
Ada Lee, rest in peace.

Kristen (04:53):
Well, and for folks who don't live in Eugene
Springfield, Autzen Stadium isthe football stadium where the
Oregon Ducks play.
So it's a huge venue forMemorial that's really
meaningful.

Mindy (05:07):
So I've been with the project since the beginning, so
I have countless anecdotes andmemories that um that I hold and
carry forward with me fromIllumination.
But, one that I'll share todaywas from one instance where uh
Amy Yogi, who worked on theAsian American Pacific Islander

(05:30):
collection, she and I went toinstall uh that exhibit at
Thurston Middle School here inour community.
And as we were um installingthe photographs and the
interpretive texts in the ummiddle school library, Amy and
I, you know, we're alwaystalking about something.

(05:51):
And that day we happened to betalking about um language and
how interesting it is thatlanguage often reflects the
values of a culture.
And so we were specificallytalking about the Hawaiian
language because Amy, um, she'sOkinawan and Japanese American
and born in Hawaii.
So we were talking about theHawaiian language and this

(06:13):
little sixth grade boy likegives us this look across the
room and he goes, Hawaiian, I'mHawaiian.
And then he comes like trottingover.
And then I was like, Oh yeah,really?
I said, Well, you know, she wasborn.
I point to Amy, I was like, shewas born in Hawaii.
And he was like, Oh, whatisland?
And so then they had this likereally sweet exchange about the

(06:36):
different islands that they wereborn on and, you know, where
their ancestors come from, anda little bit of like language
banter in Hawaiian, and that wasreally sweet.
And then um I pointed Amy outon the wall of the library
because um Amy was not only partof the collection team, but as
this amazing elder and matriarchof the Asian community locally,

(06:58):
we also captured her story.
And so I pointed um to herphoto on the wall.
And the kid was like, whoa, isthat you?
She's like, Yeah.
And I said, you know, and lookat all these other people.
This is part of an AsianPacific Islander collection from
the museum.
These are all local communitymembers.
And watching his face as hestarted like looking over the

(07:20):
different photos on thedifferent walls of the library
and saying, wait, all thesepeople?
And because we had six.
And so, that was just reallysweet and really stuck with me
and was like the epitome of theexample of how important this is
and why we do this is to makesure um, and well, to make sure
for people that don't know,Springfield, not unlike most of

(07:44):
Oregon, is um uh the dominantculture and majority is white or
Caucasian presenting.
And so it's really importantand really meaningful for us to
have um representation, thesewindows and mirrors that
reflect, you know, the familiarfaces and experiences for our
kids and elders and everyone inbetween, as well as those

(08:06):
windows that um that offercuriosity and compassion from
others.
Right.
So that's my anecdote.

Kristen (08:15):
Thank you, Mindy.
Mindy, we're so excited to haveyou join us as a co-host for
this episode and our nextepisode, we will also talk about
illumination.
As the co-founder of theIllumination Project, we can't
think of anyone better to helpus facilitate a discussion about
the background and impact ofthis phenomenal project.

(08:37):
Before we dive into ourquestions for our guests, would
you mind sharing with ourlisteners about what
illumination is, how it hasevolved over time, and what
impact the work has had on yourcommunity?

Mindy (08:50):
Absolutely.
So, Illumination is an ongoingstory collection project of the
Springfield History Museum,which I had the pleasure of
co-founding with my colleague,museum curator Madeline McGraw,
during the height of COVID.
So Illumination intentionallycenters the history, stories,

(09:12):
and experiences of our people inSpringfield and rural East Lane
County who've been historicallymarginalized and or who are
currently underrepresented inour collections.
So each Illumination collectionis developed through a
community-led project with ateam who has affinity and lived
experience with each-centeredcommunity.

(09:32):
And we use interviews,photographs, and research to
illuminate the beautiful mosaicof our Springfield identity.
So the Springfield HistoryMuseum, our collection has over
6,000 photographs and 2,000archival documents.
So to give you someperspective, before
illumination, there were only ahandful of non-white

(09:55):
Springfielders in those 7,000 or8,000 documents, and only one
of those was identified by name.
In contrast, today we have 35new oral history video
interviews and more than 150photographs from across a

(10:16):
spectrum of identities and fourcollections of people who we now
know from the Mexican American,Asian American and Pacific
Islander, Black and AfricanAmerican, and American Indian
and Alaska Native communities.
And this is all thanks to thethoughtful, intentional care and
commitment of the storycollection teams that myself and

(10:39):
the museum have had the honorand pleasure to serve with and
support.
And I just want to share thatover the years, Illumination has
evolved in response to eachcommunity.
And I think that's really atestament of its success.
So what started during COVID asa small winter window exhibit
with a very cold outdoor openingreception has grown to include

(11:04):
these community gatherings andcultural celebrations, school
outreach events, workshops, andnow traveling exhibits.
And most importantly, themuseum itself has this growing
collection of rich, diversestories and perspectives that
will be available to historiansand researchers and everyone for

(11:26):
generations to come.

Kristen (11:28):
Thank you so much for that introduction, Mindy.
This next question is for ourguests who are each part of the
story collection project team.
Thomas and Ofelia, how did youfirst hear about the
Illumination project and why didyou want to be a part of the
project team?
What role did you play?
And Ofelia, uh if you'd like,we can start with you.

Ofelia (11:51):
When I first heard about the Illumination Project was
when Mindy Linder reached out tome after being referred by
Johannes Dale, the first storycollector and project partner.
When Mindy explained the idea,I immediately connected with it.
It was actually similar to aproject I had been thinking
about even before the pandemic.

(12:13):
Unfortunately, I couldn't moveforward with the plan at the

(12:36):
time for the same reason, thepandemic.
So when Illumination camealong, it felt like the perfect
opportunity to bring that visionto life.
It's something I truly believein, sharing the real stories of
immigrants in our st in ourcommunity.
Showing their faces, theirhomes, their pride and their
journeys.

(12:56):
This was meant to happen.
It just wasn't my time when Ifirst thought about it.
Um and it wasn't my time,however, this was maybe because
it was meant to be bigger than Iimagined.
Bigger and greater.
My role was to photographLatino members of the

(13:17):
Springfield community who hadlived here for many years.
I helped identify meaningfulspaces in their homes for their
portraits and guided them inchoosing items that represented
them.
Represented who they are andwhere they come from for the
where they came from for thefirst collection.
The second group of wonderfulhuman beings were photographed

(13:41):
in my studio.
Of course, I aspired to createbeautiful photos, but it wasn't
just about doing just that.
It was about helping peoplefeel seen, creating something
honest and lasting for thecommunity, and contributing
project, contributing to aproject that gave voice and
visibility to those who hadoften been overlooked.

Thomas (14:02):
So similarly to Ofelia, I came into this work because
Mindy asked me to.
This was in like the 2000s.
And she was such a spirited,vigorous debate coach, and I was

(14:24):
connected with her after Igraduated and knew of her
tireless commitment to equitywork and seeing justice.
And um I was really honoredthat she thought I would be
somebody who could helpcontribute to the Asian American
Pacific Islander NativeHawaiian chapter of
illumination.
Um I'm glad Ofelia went firstbecause they set the standard.

(14:48):
We were the second.
So we kind of had theresponsibility of doing what
they did in a way that wouldcontinue to set that template.
Um I did not choose who wouldbe interviewed.
My role was to follow thewisdom of our photographer and
our um uh what's the word?

(15:08):
And our consultant to show up,kind of put a microphone in
front of folks, and let themtalk.
And that's what I did, and theresult was six interviews and a
bunch of wonderful photos andexhibits that have gone up that
we're so proud to say are apermanent part of the

(15:29):
Springfield History Museumcollection.

Mindy (15:32):
So to follow that up, what does it mean to you, Thomas
and Ofelia, to illuminatehistory?
Thomas, you can go ahead andtake it first.

Thomas (15:45):
The reason for the project, as I'm told, was the
reason for the name of theproject, as I'm told, was that
it was about lighting up thedarkest time of the year.
Um and the way that the HistoryMuseum in Springfield is set
up, it's in such a great part ofdowntown.
Um I think people couldoverlook it on their way to the

(16:05):
meat market or to go do theirpainting and wine and all these
other amenities that downtownoffers.
And this was a way to shine alight, literally, um, on these
stories.
So illuminating history to meis about recognizing simply that
there were many biases inhistory.
I grew up really appreciatingHoward Zinn's book of People's

(16:27):
History of the United States.
That was my sort of highschooler um introduction to that
concept where history is kindof written by the winners.
And so when you're able to notonly look back and say, What
have we missed, but also becontemporary and look at those
in our community and say, Whydoes your story not matter just

(16:50):
as much as someone else'sbecause of the color of your
skin or your ethnic background?
Um, so we're getting to shine alight on that.
Um, and sometimes I gotta behonest with you, I don't know
if I am the most qualifiedperson to do such a thing.
And then I have to step backand realize that I am, because
if you're trying to do it, ifyour heart's in the right place,

(17:12):
for me, I'm a half JapaneseAmerican person.
Um this is a great opportunityfor me to further my connection
to these Asian leaders that dosuch good work but aren't always
um spotlighted for and aren'talways the first to try to bring
attention to themselves becausethat might induce a negative

(17:32):
perception that they're doing itfor some kind of nefarious
reason or to for their ego.
So I loved hearing from theseAsian folks and um illuminating
whether it was their commitmentto you know the church in
Springfield, or and this wasthree or four years ago, so I'm

(17:55):
looking back now on it too, youknow, and uh and in the Asian
business community or reflectingon parenthood and on building
bridges between you know in-lawswho maybe didn't see them as
people because they're Asian.
I'm thinking of Jody Willis.
So um realizing that we're allyou know qualified to tell our

(18:18):
own stories, and myqualification was to allow
people to simply do that, and itwas a really beautiful
experience.

Mindy (18:26):
Ofelia, what about you?
What does it mean to illuminatehistory?

Ofelia (18:32):
What does it mean for me to illuminate history?
Well, I realized that storieslike mine, and like so many
others in our community, weren'tpart of the history people
talked about that weren'tinvisible.
So when I think of illuminatinghistory, I think about finally
giving those stories the spacethey deserve, showing the faces,

(18:53):
the families, the pride, andthe sacrifices that built this
community too.
It's about saying, we've alwaysbeen here and our stories
matter just as much.
That's what it means to me.
Shining the light where it'slong been missing.
I was born in Mexico, and sowere my parents, of course.

(19:13):
When I came to the US as ateenager, I carried my culture,
my language, and my roots withme, but slowly started
disconnecting from it.
Well, not anymore.
Thank you both.
Uh I'm not crying.
My eyes are just super watery.

Kristen (19:31):
Maybe you're not, but my eyes, I am crying.

Mindy (19:37):
I've been just having worked on this project with so
many people for like five years,crying on the job is at is just
a hazard of the project.
It just like your heart justlike bursts open.
You know, if you're open andready to receive, you know all
these truths, right?

Kristen (19:58):
Yeah.
Perfect description, Mindy.
And thank you both for youranswers.
Thomas and Ofelia.
My heart is full.
So Ofelia and Thomas, buildingon what we've talked about, what
it means to illuminate history,I hope you can share with us

(20:18):
and your list and our listenerswhat has been your experience in
history museums, both perhapsfrom your youth uh growing up
and now as an adult.

Thomas (20:30):
I can jump in really quick because I don't have a ton
of ton to say on this.
I think my experience withhistory museums pretty much just
goes back to field trips as akid.
And that is maybe a bit of ashame because we have a great
natural history museum in Eugeneat UO.
And when I travel, oftentimes Ilike to visit art museums.

(20:52):
But I think that when I thinkof history museums, I mostly
think of a bunch of kids go intothe museum, and then usually
there's like one or two reallyexciting exhibits or a couple
really hands-on kind ofinteractive components to it.
Or if it's a field trip, maybethe tour guide has a lot to say
about a couple selections inparticular that sort of dominate

(21:14):
the space.
And then maybe you have likesome, forgive me for being
frank, like some loner kid who'skind of looking at all the
interesting, like peeling backlike the binders and looking for
the digging deeper.
And so it kind of always feltlike there's a few stories and
artifacts that dominate thespace, and then the rest you

(21:35):
kind of forget about.
That's been my experience.

Ofelia (21:37):
Okay, to be honest on this one, I don't recall
visiting museums when I was achild.
Well, not in Mexico.
And when we first came here asa teenager, um I don't recall
going to museums either.
However, I did when I became amother, even though I became a

(21:59):
mother at a young age, I didtake my kids uh to the museum,
but I didn't really see myselfor my family represented in
history museums whenever we werevisiting was the fun stuff,
the uh the fossils, um, just toname something.
Um the stories and faces thatwere shared in uh in museums

(22:28):
didn't look like ours, andhonestly made it hard to feel
connected uh to those spaces asan adult.
And as an older woman, a motherand grandmother, being part of
the illumination projectcompletely changed that for me.
For the first time, I sawpeople like us and you know

(22:54):
thankful to this project.
Um, of course, immigrants,parents, workers, dreamers,
being celebrated and included ina way that felt real and
respectful.
I now feel present andconnected more than I ever have
in our community.
What's even more amazing is howmuch the project has grown

(23:15):
since we started during thepandemic.
Other communities saw whatMindy and the team were doing
and wanted to be part of it.
Now there are illuminationexhibits representing not just
Mexican American uh people, butalso black and African American

(23:37):
stories, Asian stories, AmericanIndian, and Alaska Native
experiences and more.
Seeing that have seeing thathappen makes me really proud.
It shows that people are hungryfor representation and
connection, not just me, but ourcommunity.
I think the impact ofillumination goes far beyond the

(23:59):
museum.
It's helping entire communitiesfeel seen, valued, recognized,
uplifted, heard, and part of acommunity's history.
And with that, children,teenagers, young mothers, or
older mothers um will no longerfeel alone and they will also be

(24:21):
seen.
Okay, I'm done.

Kristen (24:24):
Every single time you just you just get me right in
the heart.
Very powerful.
Thank you.
Um, Thomas, you want to fillfollow that up with uh how like
comparing your previousexperience growing up with
museums with how you see thecommunity interacting with the

(24:45):
Illumination Project and whatyou think about the impact of
that?

Thomas (24:51):
Yeah, I think a lot of it comes down to when we've been
able to share these storieswith youth.
We Mindy and Madeline McGraw, Iknow her as Maddie and being
very formal here.
Um they've been so committed toputting on events to cultivate
this as a community of peoplethat can now say they have a

(25:11):
meaningful stake in what thismuseum and library are doing.
So when we have these events,there's food, there's often
music, there's you know avariety of age groups of people
there.
Um and so it's the exactantithesis to how I've thought
of museums historically as I wassaying, uh being kind of

(25:34):
overwhelmingly telling certainstories or um that have a
memorability and a significanceto only a subset of the
community.
I am half white.
I love my white neighbors justas much as my uh neighbors of
any other race.
So I love seeing people umrecognize and sometimes be very

(25:58):
sort of frank, like I'm notwanting them to feel bad, but
it's really powerful when we seewhite community members
realizing, oh my gosh, I didn'trealize how much wasn't there
about people who don't look likeme.
And, so having moments likethat, um it's really

(26:18):
significant.
And um it's we're not pattingourselves on the back, we're
moving forward with continuingthis model.
Um, and you heard from thenumbers of what Mindy was saying
how rapidly uh there's beensome change to at least the
almost complete lack ofrepresentation to now the

(26:40):
significant and growing umcommunity that is telling
stories, and um, you know, westill sometimes see pushback,
and I welcome the debate.
I don't, you know, it's notalways you know happy or fun,
but there are people who thinkwe should completely ignore uh

(27:00):
any kind of racial lines andcompletely ignore any historical
marginalization because if youignore that, that's the best way
to prevent from reifying it.
And I don't agree with thatposition.
And we can have that discussionand we see that play out on
social media, and uh for themost part, I think people
understand that no one's tryingto erase white people.

(27:25):
I have no interest in that atall.
Um we're about sharing whatthis space and in this
particular instance,Springfield, has meant to so
many people because Springfieldhas been a home for diversity
and it just hasn't always beencelebrated or talked about.

Mindy (27:42):
I'm so glad you spoke about that, Thomas, because um
the project um could bepigeon-holed as like an EDI
project.
I was just having thisconversation this last week, but
it's a project about it's aproject about Springfield and

(28:04):
rural East Lane County and allof Springfield and rural East
Lane County.
It's about including therepresentation of everyone.
I mean, our population, wehave over 60,000 people who live
in the land we now callSpringfield today.
And each and every human beinghere has their own personal
story and or story of theirancestors on how they came to be

(28:30):
here and their relationship tothis place and to each other and
how they have helped to shapeand been shaped by Springfield
and really Lane County.
You know, and so I just reallyappreciate you bringing that up.

Kristen (28:46):
Thank you.
I'm going to ask you to followup on that a little bit.
Uh we often, when we work inlibraries and museums, we talk
about connecting with ourcommunities and building trust.
And in Ofelia and Thomas'sanswers to the last question, I

(29:07):
think that trust building wasalluded to.
Uh and I would love for you totell us a bit about how the
museum works to build trust withcommunities and community
members who have beenhistorically excluded or
misrepresented in museumnarratives.

Mindy (29:24):
So as I share in the intro, my role for the
Springfield Public Library andHistory Museum is community
engagement.
And the way so my role, theactivity of engagement and
outreach had existed and beenshared among many staff before,
but there hadn't been like asingular human to hold and

(29:49):
develop a full-time role in thatcapacity.
And so I had the I've had theopportunity to do that, which
has been um the highlight of myentire career and life, both
personally and professionally.
Um and so it all comes down torelationships and trust

(30:10):
building.
And so um that's the foundationof everything.
And valuing humans overinstitutions, holding space with
people to listen and learn.
I always say uh my goal is toconstantly listen and learn to
be and do better, both myselfpersonally as a human in this

(30:32):
community, as well asprofessionally, you know, on
behalf of our institutions,which for me is both the
Springfield Public Library andHistory Museum.
And as I'm listening andlearning and holding space with
folks, it's also about findingopportunities for responsive
action.
And so, because the greatestway to really build

(30:58):
relationships and trust andhonor people is to set
expectations and follow throughwhen we can to demonstrate, you
know, I hear what you're saying.
And so for me, for instance, Ihave Illumination as one of the
projects in my lane with themuseum that I can offer and as

(31:21):
an opportunity to see if thatresonates with folks as
something we might be able towork on together.
And the other part is I um Icurate and produce a nine-week
outdoor multicultural series forthe library each summer as part
of our summer reading program.
And so I'm able to hold both ofthose as opportunities to show

(31:44):
that responsive action and to beable to show that
follow-through for thecommunity.
And another highlight of thatis also always being um humble.
Like I, you know, like manyothers in my field, I have a
bachelor's degree and a master'sdegree, and I have over, you

(32:07):
know, I've been doing this workfor over 20 years, so I have a
lot of experience.
But um but I am not an expertin your lived experience and
what it's like to live in theskin that you're in in this
community.
Um sometimes I don't even I'mnot even an expert in my own
experience, you know, becausethat's ever changing, right?

(32:28):
Um and evolving.
And so I think it's just reallyimportant is to really be
humble and have this open, liketruly open mind and heart and to
really lead with curiosity andalso with accountability.
I think um, you know, whenwe're talking about museums and

(32:48):
libraries, they're extraordinaryinstitutions with um tremendous
capacity for good to hold spacefor, you know, stories and
ideas and dialogue and creativeexpression.
And it's really important to beaccountable to and acknowledge
the history of um exclusion andoppression and um and a history

(33:20):
of actions that are that haveoften been, you know,
performative or extractive orsurface.
And so I've really doneeverything I can to be um, I try
to be a straight shooter andpretty transparent and open with
folks about you know who I amand how I walk through the world
and the skin I'm in, and thenalso about the history of

(33:41):
museum and library institutionsin general and the really true
intention and values and missionthat our unique institutions
here in Springfield hold.
And then related to thataccountability too is uh my
motto, fail forward.
So, you know, no matter howmuch experience I have and you

(34:03):
know how much positive intentionthat we put into the work we
do, we're going to mess up,especially in this if we're
doing this well and if we'redoing this right, we're
hopefully going to have thetrust uh to take some big risks
together.
And with that is going to comelike stumbles.
And again, that goes back tothat like always, you know,
being open and curious to learnto be and do better.

(34:25):
So just accept we're going tofail and we're going to fail
together, but we're going tofail forward.
You know, we're going to dobetter and always keep moving
forward.
Um, and then the last thingthat I always try to hold and um
and keep in mind is to keepshowing up.
You know, keep showing up in asmany ways as possible because
um these relationships, bothpersonally and as institutions,

(34:48):
it's important that we don'tjust engage and connect when we
have a grant that says we shouldor we need to, or we have a
program or project that that weneed to seek out, you know,
partners for.
Like I really try to just showup and get to know people across

(35:10):
a spectrum of identities in ourcommunity as much as possible
and to and to um find multipleways that either myself in the
lanes that I, you know, likeorganize or manage, um, or
those of my colleagues, likewhat are what are the ways we
can show up together and worktogether in different ways or

(35:31):
welcome each other, you know.
So that's my long-winded spielabout trust.

Kristen (35:41):
Thank you, Mindy.
I think um a lot of ourlisteners have thought about how
we can show up and build trustand connect with our
communities as we work for thesepublic institutions.

Mindy (35:54):
Well, and so I'm going to turn that question around on
Thomas and Ofelia.
So I want to hear from you guyswhat does this trust building
look like for project teammembers, you know, as members of
the communities that are beingcentered?

Thomas (36:14):
I'm going to interpret this on a somewhat technical
level because my role was tointerview people and put a
camera in front of them and putlike a podcast mic close to
their face.
And that is inherently going torequire them to like trust that
you're coming from a from notjust like a soundbite-y, you

(36:34):
know, mainstream corporate news,like they're looking for a
10-second clip to roll at 5 p.m.
and 7 p.m.
and 10 p.m.
Like this is about themactually getting to talk about
what they want to talk about andnot being steered with a direct
agenda of any kind, you know,being patronizing and saying,
oh, you know, like you wereyou're Asian, you must have the

(36:57):
story about, you know, you wentto high school lunch and kids
said that your lunch smelledbad.
Like I this was not a leadingeffort.
We do have those stories, mindyou, but like not trying to
control what they're there toshare.
It's just simply to say that wevalue it.
We're going to put resourcesbehind it.

(37:19):
Your voice matters.
If you know and then thingslike if you if you didn't like
what you said in that interview,maybe we can uh I don't even
think I really did any edits.
We just kind of would find away to on the fly kind of
address those things and umreveal the imperfect and also
very authentic stories thatpeople have about it's not

(37:41):
always been easy in thiscommunity to be a API.
So we're seeing that today.
If you're looking at the news,um there's all these burglaries
targeting the Asian community,and that introduces all these
interesting questions aboutjustice and who which taxpayers
have access to that kind ofjustice and what should be done

(38:03):
to intervene with uh crimes andwhat crimes are considered hate
crimes.
Like these are contemporary andevolving situations.
And when you're trying to coverand go, you know, I appreciate
that we're long form, you know.
I could produce as a book thesix interviews we did because
each of them was transcribedinto about a 15 to 20 page

(38:25):
document.
We went at length, and Ithought that was a big part of
building trust.
So that's part of what trustlooked like for me.

Ofelia (38:34):
Well, I'd say that for me, building trust starts with
listening, and listening verywell.
When I photograph people fromthe community or anyone, I don't
just show up with a camera, Ishow up as someone who
understands their story.
I take time to talk with themand help them feel comfortable

(38:55):
and seen.
Being part of the communitymyself makes a big difference
too.
People know I get it.
I know that I know what itfeels like to be left out or
misrepresented.
So I approach everyone withcare and respect.
For me, trust happens whenpeople realize you're one of

(39:15):
them and that you genuinely careabout how their story is told.

Mindy (39:22):
I really appreciate the theme that both of you brought
up, which I think is one of themain elements that makes this
work and and this project ofillumination um sadly unique,
I'll say, because it just makessense that people are this ought

(39:45):
to be the stewards of their ownstories.
You know, that that museumsought to be a place where um or
it is a place that works for thecommunity, you know, or not
just For the sorry, wheremuseums are a place that work
with the community, not for thecommunity, right?

(40:07):
You know, that that and Ithat's what I really appreciate
about Illumination is, you know,we we built it from the
beginning and and have continuedto evolve and develop it
entirely in response to thecommunity.
And it really flips the scripton having the museum
institutional lens or the experthistorian, you know, and
mostly, most often whitehistorian or or museum

(40:30):
professional lens telling otherpeople's stories on how they are
instead of flipping that scriptand putting the agency voice
and decision making in the handsof the people, you know.
Which I think that's the wayfor me, that's like the only way
that I think museums, likespeaking to what Thomas said
earlier about his, you know,limited well, both of you like

(40:52):
with your limited experiencewith history museums, the only
way that these institutions ofhistory are going to have value
into the future is if theyresonate with the community and
if they reflect the community,right?
So I just really appreciate youboth in a in a variety of ways,

(41:14):
but those those answers, youknow, those things that, you
know, tie back to sort of theheart and soul and intention
behind the project, you know,really stood out for me in
listening to your answers.

Kristen (41:27):
It's going back to that idea of having windows and
mirrors.
I think you mentioned that,Mindy.
That's that's something that onthe library side we've been
talking about for a long timenow, that our library
collections, our our booksshould be windows and mirrors.

(41:48):
And it's really important forthe authors that we, you know,
that we publish, um, and thestories that they tell and the
characters that are in thesebooks, that they are reflections
of all the folks in ourcommunity and they tell that
they tell all of the stories.
Um, so it it goes hand in hand,you know, and to have that in

(42:11):
museums too, to have the folksthat are helping collect the
stories and the folks that aretelling the stories be all the
people in our community and notjust some.
So I mean, we really saw again,just a little bit like for me,
the analogy to libraries.
Yeah, I started working inlibraries almost 20 years ago,

(42:35):
not quite.
And you know, there's alwaysbeen authors from different
backgrounds, but reallymainstream publishing in this
country has been very white.
And there is a movement, youknow, a lot more and more people
are speaking up, and there's amovement called We Need Diverse

(42:55):
Books, really trying tohighlight that fact that we need
uh authors and stories andcharacters that are from all of
our communities in the US.
And it's it's uh ongoing work,you know, it's not like we've
arrived, but it's reallybeautiful if you walk into the
public library today and look atthe children's collection today

(43:19):
and compare that to what itlooked like 20 years ago.
Well, today there are so manymore windows and mirrors out
there because more people aretelling the stories.

Mindy (43:30):
Well, and it's it's good for everybody.
Yes every single person acrossidentities to see and experience
that.
Yes.
Well, and if on that note, if Ican share a brief anecdote that
you may choose to edit outlater, but um on that note, so
the other project I do for thesummer programs, um our outdoor

(43:53):
multicultural series, I get Igot feedback one year when I um
was uh presenting a um Moroccanand flamenco group that's
centered in Portland, um, whoperforms uh in a variety of
languages, but most notably inArabic.

(44:15):
And someone was like, Oh,that's really interesting and
unique, but you know, it doesn'treally, you know, reflect
people here locally.
And I was like, well, I'm notso sure about that.
And so sure enough, when umLamia, one of the two
extraordinary performers of thisuh amazing flamenco group,
Sefarin, was uh presenting um inour afternoon program, because

(44:40):
we had a public program in themorning at the library, and then
I took them to a to aschool-centered program that
afternoon.
Uh, she asked the audience, shesaid, Okay, you know, do we
have any Native Arabic speakers,you know, in the room?
And this is, you know, a anEast Springfield uh group of
about 120-ish students.

(45:00):
And sure enough, four littlehands shot into the air.
And she went to each of thosefour children and she asked, she
was like, What's a word thatyou love in your native language
of Arabic that you'd like toshare?
And so each kiddo got to sharea word in the language that's
spoken in their home.

(45:21):
And Lamia received it and shespoke it out to everyone, all
those other fellow little kiddosand their educator grown-ups.
And she taught them how to sayit and she taught them what it
meant.
And then later in the program,one of the songs had a chorus
that was more or less accessibleto our very Western ears and

(45:42):
articulators to be able to learnin Arabic.
And so those four little kiddosthat day got to sing with and
hear and be surrounded by all oftheir fellow Springfield kiddos
and educators singing inArabic.
And was that important forthose four little kiddos?

(46:03):
Heck yeah.
And it was so important andmeaningful for each and every
one of those children in thatroom and each and every grown-up
in that room who may have nevermet, engaged with, heard in
person someone who speaks Arabicand who is of North African
descent.

(46:23):
And um and I just, you know, Icarry that one with me as an
example of something that is sovery, very important about why
we do what we do in librariesand museums, you know, related
to this work and and and thethemes that we're talking about
today.

Kristen (46:42):
Absolutely.
I'm really glad you shared thatstory, Mindy.
I I just want to add, so Ididn't get to go to the school,
the summer school program thatyou did that afternoon, but I
was there in the morning at thelibrary out in front of City
Hall.
And she also asked the audiencethat was the mixed ages,
because when we when we do it atthe at the library at City
Hall, it's definitely amulti-generational program.

(47:03):
She asked if there were anynative Arabic speakers in the
audience.
There were a handful of folksthere as well, including this
one retired gentleman who comesto the library every single day
to use the computers and print.
And you know, it's it's uh it'sbeautiful, I think, for uh just

(47:26):
our community members to beable to be seen and be a part of
that.
And also for us, I had no ideathat he spoke Arabic, you know,
because he always talked to mebecause I didn't know.
And I think like that's thething, it's so when when there's
a just one story that we tellabout our community, that's the
only story we see.

(47:47):
But when we can tell themultiple stories, then we see
that we have all of thosestories amongst our neighbors
and friends and co-workers, andyou know, um thank you.

Thomas (47:59):
Can I add to that a little bit?
Just um please this topic oflanguage and I think of of
differences in multiplelanguages.
And I hear my sympathy for thatfeedback that Mindy gets in
that is that person, a lot oftimes, people um who are not
bilingual, they hear someonespeaking in a different language

(48:21):
and they feel uncomfortable, orthey feel um that they might be
at a disadvantage, or they andtheir kids might be at a
disadvantage because they onlyspeak English, which you live in
America, you're m so much ofthe world is learning English so
that they can have discoursewith the English-speaking world.
But if you already just haveEnglish, it's like, why would
you learn a different adifferent language?

(48:42):
I was lucky enough to grow upin Eugene Gakwen elementary
school where all of my peers,most of them white, were
learning Japanese and English.
What a powerful experience tolearn that you know an apple is
not an apple, it's a ringo andan apple.
It doesn't just have one wordfor it.
So um I think it's reallypowerful.
So I'm sympathetic to that, andwhat I want is a future where

(49:04):
everybody has access to theeducation to learn as many
languages as they freaking want.
And so I think we would be amuch more empowered world in
that scenario, um, and it wouldbe really meaningful.
Um, so that's what I think ofbecause I think you know that
that person probably isthinking, you know, from a
perspective of I can't reallyassume what they're thinking.

(49:27):
We should probably cut thatout.
I I think I was finishedtalking there, but I had a point
and they went in all sorts ofdifferent directions.
I just think language is reallypowerful, and um it's just that
example of it is enriching ourcommunity when more languages
are exposed to people.
Maybe a child would want tolearn Arabic at that age, and
what if we had a school systemthat could empower that?
Then it's not a threat at all.

(49:48):
It's a powerful source ofpotential for greater discourse,
and that's what we need.

Kristen (49:54):
Here, here.
Thank you.
It it is really wonderful tosee all the places that question
to us.
Um I think maybe building onthat, and and this is a question
for Thomas and Ofelia, and andThomas, you you with your
answer, you kind of startedalluding to this.
Um, what you would love to seein our education system.

(50:17):
But what would you like to seefrom our museums and perhaps
libraries or other cultural andeducational institutions when it
comes to connecting with andoffering points of engagement
with all of the people in ourcommunities and especially with
those who haven't historicallyseen themselves reflected in the
stories that the larger societytells?

(50:38):
And Thomas, you gave us such agreat segue.
So if you'd like to continue.

Thomas (50:46):
Yeah, I haven't thought too much about that beforehand.
Um give me like two seconds andthen I will.
I just think that museums arethese physical monuments in
cities that when you have allthese resources directed at it,
everybody in the community,every community member should

(51:06):
have some say in how thoseresources are allocated because
much of the time it's throughsome public funds or arts and
cultural grants.
So just trying to um bridgethat gap between, you know, I go
to city council meetings, I'msort of a politician.
I was elected to the schoolboard, and in 2020 I was the
runner-up in a seven-field, uh,seven-candidate field for mayor

(51:29):
of Eugene.
I was 26 years old.
I was homeless during much ofmy campaign.
I was angry at the city, and Iran for mayor and I came in
second.
And um that's not particularlyrelevant, but I just think that
that exposed me to you go to acouncil meeting, a county board
of commissioners meeting, andthese people that show up would
not want to feel that they'reall um a monolithic group.

(51:52):
But from the outside lookingin, you do see so much of people
that come from a similar walkof life, similar age group,
similar income background, manyof them the same racial
identity.
And those are the people makingdecisions about what gets
allocated.
And even if it is, you know,good intent behind, you know, a

(52:13):
diversity initiative, you know,there's a lot of ways that
illumination has inspired me, isit it does such grassroots work
to like talk to me like I'msome guy who's going to be able
to help out or some some randomperson in the community and be
like, yeah, you matter, comecheck this out, or come
collaborate on this.

(52:33):
So, you know, it sounds verycliche, but it's really just
about reducing this paradigmwhere only certain people get to
participate.
Everybody should get toparticipate.

Kristen (52:44):
Thank you, Thomas.
Ofelia, what would you like tosee from our museums or
libraries and other cultural andeducational institutions when
it comes to connecting with andoffering points of engagement
with all the people in ourcommunity?

Ofelia (52:59):
I'd love to see more museums and libraries and other
cultural institutions activelycreating spaces where everyone
feels they belong, not just herein Springfield, not just for
visitors, but as participantsand contributors.
That means truly listening tothe community, involving people

(53:23):
in how stories are told, andreflecting the diversary that
already exists in ourneighborhoods.
For communities who haven'thistorically seen themselves
represented, it's so importantthat their stories aren't just
included as an afterthought.
They need to be centered, uhcelebrated, and preserved in
ways that feel authentic andrespectful.

(53:44):
Engagement could look likecollaborative projects,
workshops, story collectinginitiatives, or exhibits that
invite community members toshape what's displayed, similar
or the same as illumination.
It's about creating trust,visibility, and connection, and

(54:06):
lay letting people seethemselves in the history,
culture, and knowledge thatthese institutions share.
Ultimately, it's about showingthat everyone's story matters
and that these spaces exist notjust to document the past, but
to honor the people who make thecommunity what it is today.

Mindy (54:27):
Well, and something something you said, Ofelia, is
something that um has been atheme that continues to come up
with every collection in theconversations I have with the
story teams, which is history isnow.
History is a is a a living,breathing, you know, um
presence.
You know, we're making historytoday.

(54:50):
And and that's part of why thisproject, you know, uh combines
both the the reflectivehistorical context of these
communities within Springfieldand really Slane County, but
also combines those contemporaryoral histories and stories and
photographs because you know, weshouldn't it's not about, you

(55:13):
know, the the the history museumpeople visit tomorrow can't
just be about things thathappened a hundred two hundred
or more years ago, but it'sabout the people here today, you
know, and then theirdescendants and community
members and how and how thatinforms the journey of our

(55:36):
community and where it's going,you know.
So that is a good segue for umthe next question, which is
Ophetti and Thomas.
What do you both hope peoplewill take away from exploring
illumination from whatevercollection?

(55:58):
What do you hope they carry itwith them?

Ofelia (56:01):
I hope people leave an illumination exhibit seeing our
community as wonderful humanbeings, nothing else.
Right now we're facingchallenges like discrimination,
racism, and deportation.
Not that it hasn't beenhappening but, it seems very
extreme right now.

(56:21):
Too many families are beingripped apart.
So it's more important thanever for our stories to be seen
and valued.
Seeing our lives, families, andour experiences remind everyone
that we matter and that ourhistory is part of the bigger
story of Springfield.

Thomas (56:39):
For me, I think pretty simply I want oral histories to
be understood as meaningful andvalid.
You know, uh there's such along legacy of that that in this
digital modern age we havefallen into the trap of wanting
to discredit or devalue thoseoral histories, and I think
that's silly.
I also think that we're luredinto wanting to subtract and

(57:02):
take things away sometimes.
You see the book banningmovement, you see concerned
parents who have genuineconcerns about what their kids
are exposed to, and they thinkthat the answer is to take books
away.
I think that the IlluminationProject is an example of adding
in a fuller picture and notabout subtracting things that we

(57:22):
don't like.
I think that that we'regoing to get a lot farther if uh
we stand up to the challengesfrom federal government or
whoever it may be that want totake away our right to talk
about certain things in theclassroom or our right to tell
the stories that are the fulltotality of history.
And uh, if you just kind ofhave a happy warrior attitude,

(57:44):
not everybody's going to be ahappy person.
I don't want to uh I don't wantto pigeonhole us because I'm
kind of an optimistic,happy-go-lucky guy.
There's also room for like thehardened, cynical warriors in
this.
And um, I just think it's greatto show the world that we can
do more to add a fuller pictureand we can do it in a loving way

(58:06):
that doesn't make people umassume that we're a threat
because Ofelia and I both havehave come from communities that
have been targeted by thegovernment to this day.
Um for the Japanese community,there was a really significant
uh example of that about 70, 80years ago, and uh that's pretty
recent still.

(58:26):
So um this is how we'regoing to humanize our community
is to add more our stories in,and that's going to make Asian
people want to go to the museummore, and they're ultimately
going to learn more abouteverything that's already there,
much of which is reallypowerful and beautiful, and it's
being stewarded very well byMindy and Maddie.
So um that's what I hope.

Mindy (58:46):
Well, I think something that comes up for me there that
has been another one of thosetakeaways from this project is
that um particularly workingwith oral histories, like it is
stories and experiences that areexperienced by, told by, felt
by, you know, humans.

(59:06):
And that's it's a truth that'sbeing told from one person, you
know, from their perspective andthe skin they're in at that
moment in time and what theirexperience and observations were
firsthand, right?
But what I've learned fromholding space with and

(59:28):
receiving so many storiesthrough this project over the
years is that there isn't justone telling.
There isn't a history or thehistory of Springfield, you
know, it's the sum of our peopleand our humans and all those
different human experiences andinteractions.
And I think that's an importantreminder for you know history

(59:51):
in the grander sense, right?
Because it's all just humanexperiences.
And so I think that takes us toThis next question, which I'm
curious, because I I grew up inand live in and raising my
family in Eugene, but I have theopportunity to have been to

(01:00:14):
help shape and been shaped bySpringfield by being by having
the pleasure of working for theLibrary and History Museum in
this project.
And I know that I have, youknow, profound, um, profound
impacts for me personally forthat.
But I'm interested for you,Thomas, and you, Ofelia, how has

(01:00:35):
your involvement in thisproject impacted your connection
to Springfield and LaneCounty?
Thomas, do you want to take itfirst?

Thomas (01:00:46):
Just think I've been exposed to a community like
Springfield, there's not alwaysthat much public infrastructure.
We have great, you know,Willamalane parks and you know,
but we don't always have theseopportunities to learn about
what people have going on intheir communities because their
communities might be tucked awayin different parts of town or

(01:01:07):
they're doing a lot of this workfrom their own homes.
So you don't really centrallyconvene in this modern world as
much.
And so I got to just learn.
And so now when I drive aroundSpringfield or bicycle around
Springfield, I think about allthe houses and all the stories
that are in those houses.
It's very corny, but it's Iliterally do that because if

(01:01:27):
people are here, they tend to beawesome people, they tend to be
here for a reason.
They love that you could havelived so in so many places
around the world and country andeven the state of Oregon.
And for you to live inSpringfield, I think it tends
to just attract these reallyhardy, wonderful,
community-minded people.
And I understand so much moreabout those people because of

(01:01:50):
participating in this.
So I'm really grateful thatMindy tapped me for it.
And it continues to be apowerful thing to see it year by
year um continue to grow.
So that's been amazing.
And that's that maps right onto the Springfield story of
continuing to be a place that uhisn't just overlooked by its

(01:02:13):
big sister, big brother uhneighbor of Eugene, but it's a
place that that stands fully onits own uh principles and does
its own thing as well.

Mindy (01:02:24):
How about you, Ofelia?
How is involvement inIllumination um impacted your
connection to Springfield?
Because I know you do livehere, you're an entrepreneur
here, and you raise your familyhere.

Ofelia (01:02:37):
Being part of Illumination has made me feel
truly at home in Springfield.
I moved to Springfield in 2011and I came from Compton,
California.
Very different environment.
And it took me a long time torealize how big the Latino

(01:03:00):
community is.
But also, I realized that therewere so much separation, and
like Thomas mentioned, it'salmost like they were tucked in
in their homes.
They were tucked in somewhere,but not out that they were not

(01:03:22):
specifically seen out in thecommunity in events.
Uh, matter of fact, I was veryunfamiliar with any type of
events in the city ofSpringfield.
It's being part of theIllumination project, it's given
me a sense of belonging andconnection that I didn't feel
that I didn't feel before.

(01:03:43):
Already said that.
Honestly, it's hard to explain.
Uh, because in the past I oftendid feel disconnected, uh,
almost like a lost soul thatdidn't know which direction I
was heading.
Uh, even as far as my career,you know, I don't feel or I

(01:04:05):
didn't want to feel like I wasjust a photographer, like
another mom interpreter with acamera.
Wanted to be part of somethingbig, but I couldn't pinpoint
what I wanted to be a part of.
So being part of Illuminationum is pretty much opened my eyes

(01:04:32):
and brought me to a realizationthat I am now part of something
or a project that is becomingso big in so little time.
Um, working on this project andsharing our community stories
had made me feel grounded andproud.
And it matters to me that mykids and my grandkids grow up in

(01:04:57):
a city that values its people,that they see the importance of
community and that they can beproud.
They can be proud of their momand grandma too.
Um, because I am proud ofmyself.
I am part of myself.
That's it.
That's all I got.

Kristen (01:05:20):
You have a lot.
I just feel overjoyed andreally honored that I've been
able to be here as a part of theconversation and been able to
listen and learn more about thisreally important project.
I also live in Springfield andI'm raising three kids here.

(01:05:42):
And this project has just beenamazing to see grow.
And it makes me proud to be inSpringfield as well.
Um, both Thomas and Ofelia, youtalked about how it really
connects to what it means to bein Springfield for all of us

(01:06:04):
here.
Uh, and that we are a communityof folks who really value
connections and family, and wevalue you know working together
for something good.
Just thank you so much.
Uh it's been such a greatconversation.

(01:06:24):
And I have one last questionfor all of you, if you uh would
like to answer it.
Um, so this is from Mindy,Opodia, and Thomas.
Um, if history is remembered bythose who tell it, who do you
want telling Springfield'shistory next?

Thomas (01:06:44):
Anyone who's worked in the service industry.
That's it.
Particularly restaurants.
That's just my bias.

Kristen (01:06:50):
There's a lot of good stories there.

Mindy (01:06:52):
Well, and I'll tag on to that.
I want I like that the questionsays, who do you want telling
Springfield's history next?
Because there's going to be anext and a next and a next.
And that's the thing, that it'snot just one person or one
perspective telling the story,but that anyone and everyone
who's who is interested can stepup and tell their story.

(01:07:15):
And there's a lot ofunderrepresented stories, you
know, in the Springfield HistoryMuseum collection currently.
There are some extraordinarystories, you know, and a an
amazingly rich collection thatdoes exist.
And it just makes it richer themore we know and the more
perspectives we welcome in, youknow.
So yes, and what about you,Ofelia?

Ofelia (01:07:41):
I would love teenagers.
Um, since the Illuminationexhibits have been uh presented
in schools, um, I thinkteenagers will be amazing

(01:08:02):
because uh, for example, thechildren, they're already seeing
the exhibits.
Oh my gosh.
I completely drew a blank, Ithought I had it.
But um, I don't want to make ityou know too personal where I
say, you know, I would love formy children to share stories in
my grandchildren, but I thinkjust overall the younger

(01:08:28):
generation will be amazing.
Um, I just want Springfield'shistory told by the people who
live it, the families andneighbors, and communities who
are often left out when thosevoices are front and center
history becomes real, inclusive,and meaningful.
Everyone deserves to be seenand remembered.

(01:08:51):
Um almost want to say that alsoI think we need more elderly
people telling their stories.
And I did not select the peoplethat participated in the
previous exhibits, but in thefuture, and I will love to

(01:09:15):
select have the opportunity toselect the people I would like
to share for them to share thestories.
Um, the reason behind because Ihave worked with so many
families as a photographer thatthere are many families that
share little bits and pieces oftheir stories with me as I am

(01:09:36):
working with them.
And it would only be amazingfor some of these stories to
also be shared with otherpeople, not just with me,
because what has been sharedwith me is just stays with me.
And um that's all I have.

Mindy (01:09:56):
So I was just having a conversation last week with
members of our IlluminationAdvisory Committee who represent
all of the four collections.
And one of the things we talkedabout was um that oral
histories are often centeredaround capturing the stories of
elders before they pass and welose their stories forever.

(01:10:18):
And while that is true, it isalso true, like what you said,
Ofelia, uh to capture stories atevery step on our path and our
journey, whether it's relativeto age or relative to where
we're at professionally, youknow, in our career trajectory,
because those stories we alsoare in danger of losing.

(01:10:40):
Because, you know, as lifeevolves, uh, so does our
perspective.
It changes, right?
And so Black and AfricanAmerican collection and their
team for illumination was thefirst to capture the story of a
then in 2023, a 16-year-oldyoung black woman growing up

(01:11:01):
here in Springfield.
And it was just so powerful tohave that young person's
perspective of um being a youngblack woman growing up in
Springfield and capturing whatthat is like at this moment in
time.
You know, we'll never capturethat again, you know, and that
that's really significant.

(01:11:22):
And something specifically,the young woman's name is
Natalia Caird, extraordinaryyoung woman.
Strongly recommend you getonline and listen to her story.
But I'll just share with youone of the highlights from her
story.
She shared her perspective thatthat she speaks about how her
generation doesn't want a lifethat's just comparatively less

(01:11:44):
oppressive than those who camebefore.
But that they want greatness.
And I think that really alsoillustrates I've you know heard
a lot of folks talk about this,that it really illustrates that
that distinction between thedifference of experience, you
know, intergenerationally, andthose who came before being so

(01:12:06):
like thankful or celebrating thewins from such a long, hard,
endless, you know, tiring fight.
And it's important to rememberthat our young people coming up
don't have those decades of thatfight.
They may be aware of it, butfor them, they're young in this

(01:12:27):
moment right now.
And they're like, yeah, but wedon't want to just be grateful
for the scraps that wereoffered.
Like, we want it all.
And, you know, as a mom of akiddo, you know, a young tween,
you know, she wants the samething.
I want the same thing for mykids.
I think that's, you know,something that connects us all,
is we all want that greatnessfor everybody, you know.

(01:12:48):
And so hopefully this projectdoes a little something to plant
that seed to help that happen.

Ofelia (01:12:56):
May I add something?
Because um, and this this isjust um a kind of like a side
note, and it's something reallyimportant.
Um, along the way, I've met somany wonderful people.
I'm not very great with names.
Um I've you know, I've metother photographers,
storytellers, illuminatedparticipants, and more people

(01:13:20):
along the way.
And that's been such ameaningful part of the
experience.
It's amazing to see how thisproject is really making an
impact, touching lives, buildingconnections, and continuing to
grow in ways none of us couldhave ever imagined.
I couldn't have.
And this doesn't have to go onthere, but when we um when the

(01:13:44):
first exhibit when we worked onthe first exhibit, I honestly
thought that that was justgoing to be that one time, the
end of it, and that was it.
I did not expect it to grow asbig as it has grown.
And it has been by a lot,Mindy.

(01:14:05):
Of course, thank you thanks toeverybody that has participated
and has worked the has shared umthe exhibits, whether it's on
social media, talking tofriends, um talking to anyone
in, you know, in general.
Um and you know, going back,like wow.

(01:14:27):
Freezing my toes on the firstnight was actually totally worth
it.
Um that that night I you knowremember partially that there
was not a lot of people.
I remember that there was, whatdo we have?
Was that hot chocolate?
Um, hot chocolate, and Ibelieve we had tamales.
And tamales.
Uh-huh.

(01:14:48):
We had tamales.
It was very, very cold.
And um I didn't think thatthere was going to be as many
people as there was because ofthe pandemic.
And it was also cold and it wasdark.
Um, but again, um, you know, asmany times as Mindy started
approaching me more and more,now we have uh interviews and

(01:15:13):
one thing and then another, Iwas like, wait a minute, I
thought that was it.
I think I've been mentioned tosomebody.
I'm like, I really thought thatwas done.
And apparently I'm not onceyou're here.
So thank you, Mindy, foreverything that you've done.
Uh it's pretty impressive tome how far we've come.

(01:15:34):
And I say we because it is allof us.

Mindy (01:15:37):
It is all of us.
Well, and for anyone who'slistening who is representing a
museum, a library, or a culturalinstitution.
Um, it goes back to that thatanswer, my answer to the trust
building thing.
Always, you know, listening,learning, you know, to listening
to and learning from yourconstituents, and always find a

(01:16:00):
way to say yes and take action.
Because that's the way thishappened and that's the way it
continues to happen.
And guess what?
It's really not that hard.
It's scalable and it'sadaptable in any community, in
any institution to approach, youknow, life and work and
relationship in this way.
And, you know, we do ittogether.

(01:16:22):
So thank you and you all.
It wouldn't have been possiblewithout you two.
The first two chapters set thetone and the foundation, you
know, that this built from.
Yeah.
And it's growing toward thenext episode where we'll hear
reps from the next communitiesand how it's continued to
evolve and what's next.

Ofelia (01:16:43):
Well, there's a lot of ideas for the next and the next
and the next, but now it's um onthe meeting that we had
recently, there was just, youknow, those ideas that just
popped up out loud.
Um, Mindy, um, the fact that Italked about the communities

(01:17:03):
from Oaxaca itself, the state ofOaxaca.
Yes, there are Mexican also,but the state of Oaxaca itself,
they have like such a hugecommunity and a strong
connection among themselves, um,that I almost feel like they

(01:17:24):
need an illumination, just themalone, because there's so much
to um to talk about, just withthem, but there's also uh the
Guatemalan community andPeruvians as well.
I need to do a little morehomework and see where I know

(01:17:46):
Guatemalan community are mostlyseem to be in cottage grove, but
I need to do a little morehomework on that.
And then um I have a couple ofclients that are Peruvian, and I
need to talk to them, you know,a little more because it will
be amazing to get them, youknow, also all together at some

(01:18:08):
point somehow.

Kristen (01:18:09):
Well, you know, yeah, from working at the public
library, um, you know, I have Ihave the privilege of getting to
meet folks from all over,right?
And so I know we have quite afew folks from Central America
as well.
And um we have folks fromVenezuela, and I mean it's
amazing once you just starttalking to people and you hear

(01:18:32):
different accents andEcuadorian, oh my gosh, it's a
lot.

Ofelia (01:18:38):
I mean, think about it, it's so much so I don't know how
we could even potentially dothat, maybe get a little bit of
each, a little bit of each toshare and um give them um a full
exhibit, illuminate them, Ishould say, illuminate them.
Um, because it will be you knowreally interesting also to see

(01:19:01):
how many more communities we canget together.
And um there's a lot ofsimilarities in each community,
yet they're different, anyways.

Thomas (01:19:12):
Sounds like uh people need to subscribe to the Overdue
podcast right now.
Got some great episodes comingout in the future.
Joe Rogan is going to be justfine.
So if you think you're thinkingabout it, you need to subscribe
to this podcast, and no one'stelling me to say that.
I know that that was kind of aninterjection.
I'm sorry, Ofelia, but no,you're right.
I was feeling it.

Kristen (01:19:32):
That was great.

Thomas (01:19:33):
Who else is doing this work?

Kristen (01:19:36):
Well, gosh, thank you all so much.
I don't know if there's a lastthought.
We've I I feel like you have alot of material.
Yeah, we could we could start apot of tea and just continue
through this this cloudyafternoon.

Speaker 2 (01:19:50):
This project was made possible in part by the
Institute of Museum and LibraryServices through the Library
Services and Technology Actadministered by the State
Library of Oregon.
This project has been possiblein part by the Institute of
Services of Museums andBibliotecas at the Ley de
Services de Biblioteca yTecnología, LSTA, administrada

(01:20:13):
por la Biblioteca del Stado deOregon.

Speaker 1 (01:20:16):
We would like to take time to acknowledge historical
injustices.
We recognize Oregon wasestablished as a white sanctuary
state with the intent toexclude African American and
black people on ancestral landsstolen from dispossessed
indigenous peoples.
We recognize and honor themembers of federally recognized
tribes and unrecognized tribesof Oregon.

(01:20:38):
We honor Native Americanancestors, past, present, and
future, whose land we stilloccupy.
This acknowledgement aims todeconstruct false histories,
correct the historical record,and disrupt genocidal practices
by refocusing attention to theoriginal people of the land we
inhabit, the slave trade andforced labor that built this
country, and to the oppressivesocial systems interwoven into

(01:21:01):
the fabric of our national andregional heritage.
We ask that you take a momentto acknowledge and reflect as
well.