Oral History Interview with Iliana Dennis

Partial Transcript: --Um--so we'll go ahead and start with your name, age, and your birthplace.

Segment Synopsis: Dennis is a 21 year old senior at Berea College studying Peace and Social Justice. Dennis attended Mercy McAuley High School in Cincinnati before enrolling at Berea College. Dennis' first job was working as an office assistant at the Berea College Labor program (Berea college requires students to participate in a work study program.) Dennis worked as a cashier at a Speedway gas station in Louisville during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Dennis currently works as a teaching assistant in a required English class at Berea College. Dennis attended protests in Louisville and Berea, respectively. Dennis found out about the Berea protest through a private Snapchat story from one of the organizers of the protest. Dennis helped to organize students from Berea College to attend the protests in Louisville. Dennis says that they found protests to attend in Louisville by driving through downtown. In total, Dennis attended one protest in Berea and two in Louisville.

Keywords: Bachelor's Degree; Black Lives Matter (Organization); Gas stations; Office assistants; Speedway (Gas station); Teaching assistants; Work study

Subjects: Berea (Ky.); Berea College; Black lives matter movement; Cashiers; Convenience stores; Education; Fayetteville (N.C.); High school; Kentuckians; Kentucky; Louisville (Ky.); Madison County (Ky.); Mercy McAuley High School; Protests (Negotiable instruments); Safety; Snapchat (Electronic resource); Social media; Students; Work

Partial Transcript: What made you decide that protesting was necessary, what were your personal reasons for participating?

Segment Synopsis: Dennis wanted to protest in part because their major at Berea College is Peace and Social Justice. Dennis also felt like it was their right to protest and that the Black Lives Matter Movement had enough momentum to change society. Additionally, Dennis wanted to protest because they felt that their human rights were being violated as a Black person, since they felt unsafe walking down the street in (according to Dennis) the supposedly greatest country in the world. Dennis had reservations about protesting because they came from a mostly white and racist family. Dennis had moved out on their own by the time they had decided to protest in Louisville. Dennis was also concerned about being arrested, since they are a person with a disability. Dennis would strategically plan when they would arrive and depart from the protests in order to avoid the police and the possibility of getting arrested. Dennis also felt intimidated by their neighbor who was a member of the Proud Boys white supremacist group. Dennis adds that their grandmother was a Donald Trump supporter, which also gave them pause about protesting.

Keywords: Arrests; Black Lives Matter (Organization); Donald Trump; Family; Momentum; Neo-fascism; Proud Boys (Hate group)

Subjects: African Americans; Berea (Ky.); Berea College; Black lives matter movement; Blacks; Change; Disabilities; Fear; Grandmothers; Hate groups; Human rights; Intimidation; Kentuckians; Kentucky; Louisville (Ky.); Madison County (Ky.); Neighbors; Police; Protests (Negotiable instruments); Race; Racism; Safety; White supremacy movements

Partial Transcript: --Um--so how had COVID-19 impacted the way that you were living your life in terms of work, school, and your social life and how might it have changed during or after the protest?

Segment Synopsis: When the pandemic first began, Dennis stayed at Berea College for two months waiting for classes to end. During this time, Dennis had very few social contacts and later took summer classes online through Berea College. Dennis moved to Louisville in January of 2020 and found it hard to make friends with public health restrictions in place designed to slow the spread of COVID-19. Dennis made more friends in Louisville once the public health restrictions subsided. In Dennis' opinion, the behavior of people around the COVID-19 pandemic remained the same after the protests. Dennis observed that none of the counter protestors wore a mask, but some of the BLM protestors did wear masks. Dennis believes that HIPAA laws prevented people from enforcing mask mandates in public spaces in Kentucky. Dennis feels that whether Kentuckians wore a mask or not depended on their political values.

Keywords: Black Lives Matter (Organization); Classes; Family; Friends; HIPAA laws; Isolation

Subjects: African Americans; Berea (Ky.); Berea College; Black lives matter movement; Blacks; COVID-19 (Disease); COVID-19 pandemic, 2020-; Kentuckians; Kentucky; Louisville (Ky.); Masks; Protests (Negotiable instruments); Public health; Social distancing (Public health); Socialization; Work

Partial Transcript: So, you protested during the pandemic . . . what made you feel like breaking public health protocols against large public--public gatherings was necessary in this case?

Segment Synopsis: Dennis believes that the protests were not breaking any public health restrictions designed to slow the spread of COVID-19 issued by the City of Louisville. Dennis explains that the protests were an outdoor activity, which, according to Dennis, were allowed to proceed since indoor spaces pose a greater ventilation risk and more potential spread of COVID-19. Dennis wanted to protest because Black people were being killed at the hands of police and they were willing to take the risk of contracting COVID-19 despite being immunocompromised. Dennis felt safe at the protests as long as they practiced social distancing. Dennis says that it is not uncommon for Blacks to have trauma from their encounters with police. Dennis says that despite coming from being mostly raised by whites, a fear of the police as a Black person was instilled in them by popular culture. Dennis also wanted to protest because they believed that people of color should not be afraid of the police, an institution sworn to protect all citizens. Dennis felt that they were only putting themselves at risk by going to the protests because they did not have contact with vulnerable people. They also claim to remember having received the COVID-19 vaccine at the time the that the protests were occurring in summer 2020 (but COVID-19 vaccinations were not approved by the FDA for emergency use authorization until December of 2020.) Dennis says that all of their friends had access to high quality healthcare and had health insurance in case they did contract the disease. Dennis also mentions that they did not have health insurance.

Keywords: Black Lives Matter (Organization); Friends; Immunocompromised; Media; Outdoors

Subjects: African Americans; Berea (Ky.); Berea College; Black lives matter movement; Blacks; COVID-19 (Disease); COVID-19 pandemic, 2020-; COVID-19 vaccines; Death; Fear; Hate crimes; Health; Health insurance; Kentuckians; Kentucky; Louisville (Ky.); Madison County (Ky.); Masks; Police; Police brutality; Poverty; Protection; Protests (Negotiable instruments); Public health; Social distancing (Public health); Television; Trauma

Partial Transcript: What--uh--were some thoughts you experience on the day before you would protest in these separate locations . . .

Segment Synopsis: Dennis says that they felt safer at the Berea protest because it was on the campus of Berea College. Dennis explains that Berea College has a lot of power and influence in the town of Berea, meaning that there was less likely to be counter protestors willing to enter Berea's campus and try to disrupt the protests. Dennis was also reassured that they would not be penalized by Berea College for participating in the protests, which happened to students from other institutions as a result of being involved in the Black Lives Matter Movement.

Keywords: Black Lives Matter (Organization); College towns; Preparations

Subjects: African Americans; Berea (Ky.); Berea College; Black lives matter movement; Blacks; College campuses; Kentuckians; Kentucky; Louisville (Ky.); Madison County (Ky.); Power; Protests (Negotiable instruments); Safety

Partial Transcript: So, what was it like in the crowd during the protest, like what about being in the crowd really stuck out the most to you . . .

Segment Synopsis: Dennis recalls that the protest in Berea was mostly comprised of white people. Dennis feels that some participants of the Berea protest were really not devoted to the cause of the Black Lives Matter Movement and protested in Berea simply because it was convenient and they did not go to protests in larger cities. Dennis believes that going to protests in key cities such as Louisville brought more visibility to the Black Lives Matter Movement, especially in Louisville since it is Breonna Taylor's hometown. Dennis says that the BLM protests surrounding the killing of George Floyd sparked a global movement because the media covered the protests in major American cities in depth. Dennis views people engaging in performative activism on social media as a way to show they care about the Black Lives Matter Movement despite never being involved in social justice prior to the protests. Dennis cites the widespread trend of people posting black squares on social media to represent their support of BLM in June 2020 as the killing of George Floyd became globally known. Dennis questions what contribution posting a square on social brings to the Black Lives Matter Movement. Dennis says it would be more constructive for people to call their elected representatives and advocate for change rather than posting on social media just so that others can see that they care. Dennis also says it is hypocritical for someone to engage in performative activism and then not want to see the progress created by the social movement people are claiming to support and offers the Gay Rights Movement as an example.

Keywords: Activists; Black Lives Matter (Organization); Breonna Taylor; George Floyd; Media; Performative activism; Small towns

Subjects: Activism; African Americans; Berea (Ky.); Berea College; Black lives matter movement; Blacks; Crowds; Instagram (Electronic resource); Kentuckians; Kentucky; Louisville (Ky.); Madison County (Ky.); Police; Police brutality; Protection; Protests (Negotiable instruments); Racial justice; Safety; Social justice; Social media; TikTok (Electronic resource); Violence; Visibility

Partial Transcript: Did you receive any training on n--nonviolent or--um--safety beforehand with the protests?

Segment Synopsis: In preparing for the protests, Dennis came across some important information on social media. For instance, Dennis found a tip that said not to use milk on tear gas. Dennis also found out that yellow shoelaces were a symbol of the Proud Boys white supremacist group. Dennis also took a course called Community Organizing and Movements at Berea College. Additionally, Dennis researched tactics that were used in the Civil Rights Movement protests. Dennis recalls seeing acts of civil disobedience in the BLM protests on social media, such as protestors throwing tear gas canisters back at police. Protestors also had survival kits stocked with items such as band aids. Dennis also found lists of protests on social media that were purported to be safer than others. Dennis recalls that there were doctors and nurses at the Louisville protests who carried backpacks with a red cross emblem to signify their medical training and were able to help protestors with minor injuries. Dennis felt reassured at the protests in both Louisville and Berea that they would be taken care of by fellow protestors if they were injured.

Keywords: Black Lives Matter (Organization); Classes; Doctors; Non-violence; Proud boys (hate group); Supplies

Subjects: African Americans; Berea (Ky.); Berea College; Black lives matter movement; Blacks; Civil disobedience; Civil rights movement; Hate groups; Kentuckians; Kentucky; Madison County (Ky.); Milk; Nurses; Police; Police brutality; Protection; Protests (Negotiable instruments); Safety; Shoelaces; Social media; Tear gas; Violence; White supremacy movements

Partial Transcript: --Um--so, for these protests, what was your call to action, not just to deem this necessary, but to make you get involved yourself?

Segment Synopsis: Dennis ultimately decided to participate in the protests because they wanted to be on the right side of history and also wanted to truly contribute to the Black Lives Matter Movement, as opposed to engaging in performative activism by only posting on social media. Dennis also wanted to prove their family wrong by going to the protests because they believed that they would get hurt and be arrested if they went.

Keywords: Arrests; Black Lives Matter (Organization); Family; Major; Performative activism

Subjects: African Americans; Berea (Ky.); Berea College; Black lives matter movement; Blacks; Kentuckians; Kentucky; Louisville (Ky.); Madison County (Ky.); Motivation; Police; Protests (Negotiable instruments); Racial justice; Safety

Partial Transcript: Did you feel like in these protests that--you know despite what the media had showed us . . . they had shown like a lot of looting . . . did you feel like the perceptions you had within these protests would counter with more of a peaceful approach?

Segment Synopsis: In Dennis' experiences, there was no looting or rioting in either of the two cities she protested in. Dennis believes that the people who did loot and riot in Louisville were not actually part of the Black Lives Matter Movement, but were opportunists looking to take advantage of the protests to commit crimes. Dennis recalls seeing violence while walking towards the protests in Louisville, including one person being spat at and another person being hit. Dennis says someone at the Louisville protests was severely beaten because of a sign they had made. Dennis was almost intentionally hit by someone with their car. Dennis says that they were concerned about the possibility of lynchings returning, especially in sundown towns (all-white areas that impose discriminatory laws against people of color that create de facto segregation-like conditions.) Dennis believes that many counter protestors were instigating violence to make the protests look bad. Dennis says that being able to differentiate between protestors and counter protestors is crucial in determining who is actually instigating the violence at the protests. Dennis lists some of the symbols used by the Proud Boys white supremacist group, including yellow shoelaces, arm tattoos, Nazi symbols, and the number seven.

Keywords: Black Lives Matter (Organization); Counter protestors; Looting; Lynchings; Media; Nazi symbols; Proud Boys (Hate group); Symbols; Tattoos; White power

Subjects: African Americans; Assault and battery; Berea (Ky.); Berea College; Black lives matter movement; Blacks; Fear; Hate groups; Kentuckians; Kentucky; Louisville (Ky.); Protests (Negotiable instruments); Racism; Riots; Safety; Shoelaces; Sundown towns; Threats; Violence; White supremacy movements

Partial Transcript: How do you understand and value the life of Breonna Taylor, and not only her life, but her death too.

Segment Synopsis: Dennis says that there were a lot of rumors and misinformation surrounding the death of Breonna Taylor. Dennis is not sure if Taylor's boyfriend was a drug user and thinks that Taylor worked either as a paramedic or as someone who assists the police in some capacity. Dennis believes that regardless of the exact circumstances surrounding the death of Breonna Taylor, she should have not been killed in her own home. Dennis says that Taylor's death sparked outrage throughout Louisville. Dennis is unsure if the police had a warrant to search Taylor's apartment. For Dennis, Taylor's death was uniquely motivating for them to get involved in the Black Lives Matter Movement. Dennis was shocked that such a heinous act of police brutality could occur in a city like Louisville that, according to Dennis, is not racially charged. Dennis says that there is political polarization surrounding the causes of increased gun violence in mostly Black neighborhoods of Louisville. Dennis adds that the killings of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd around the same time were the catalyst for the Black Lives Matter Movement to gain global prominence.

Keywords: Black Lives Matter (Organization); Boyfriend; Breonna Taylor; George Floyd; Louisville Metro Police Department; Misinformation; Momentum; No-knock warrants; Outrage; Political polarization; Rumors

Subjects: African Americans; Black lives matter movement; Blacks; Bullets; Death; Diversity; Drugs; Firearms; First responders; Kentuckians; Kentucky; Louisville (Ky.); Paramedics; Police; Police brutality; Protests (Negotiable instruments); Violence

Partial Transcript: Are there any other names that stand out to you when it comes to--um--Black people that have died at the hands of police brutality?

Segment Synopsis: Dennis says that despite it being difficult to remember all the names of police brutality victims, it is important not to forget their names and their stories. Dennis says that victims of police brutality are a significant part of American history alongside important Civil Rights Movement leaders such as MLK and Malcolm X, who are ubiquitous in the American public consciousness. Dennis adds that it is important for Blacks to know the people that gave them civil rights and to know the names of police brutality victims because they represent something significant that is currently happening in the U.S. Dennis says that there should be a memorial for police brutality victims.

Keywords: Carter G. Woodson; Emmett Till; Malcolm X; Martin Luther King Jr.; Recognition; Trayvon Martin

Subjects: African Americans; Black lives matter movement; Blacks; Civil rights; Civil Rights Movement; Death; History; Police; Police brutality; Protests (Negotiable instruments); Racial justice; Violence

Partial Transcript: Would you say that intersectionality plays into this?

Segment Synopsis: Dennis explains the role of intersectionality in police brutality. Intersectionality is a sociological concept that explores how the different identities of people intersect with one another, especially in terms of discrimination and racial inequality. Dennis says that Black trans women have the highest death rate in the LGBTQ+ community. Dennis says that it is impossible to separate the intersectionality between identifying as trans and as Black. Dennis believes that intersectionality reinforces a social hierarchy of oppression and colorism (which discriminates against individuals by their skin tone in how it differs from that of the dominant societal group.) Dennis explains that Blacks with darker skin tones are statistically more likely to be victims of police brutality than those with lighter skin tones. Dennis also says that Black-Asians are more likely to be sexually assaulted than other racial groups. Dennis says that intersectionality plays a role in police brutality in that Black women are more likely to be killed by police. Dennis briefly mentions a social media post that they created on behalf of the Young Black Panther Party.

Keywords: Biracial people; Black Lives Matter (Organization); LGBTQ community; Skin color; Social hierarchy; Solidarity politics; Young Black Panthers Association

Subjects: African Americans; Black lives matter movement; Black Panther Party; Blacks; Colorism; Death; Intersectionality (Sociology); Oppression (Psychology); Police; Police brutality; Protests (Negotiable instruments); Social media; Sociology; Transgender women; Violence

Partial Transcript: . . . There was--um--this phrase that came up a lot during the time of these protests and then that phrase was defund the police. So, what does defund the police mean to you?

Segment Synopsis: Dennis believes that a person's view on the concept of defund the police depends on their political affiliation. Dennis explains that liberals want to eliminate the police entirely if they are not doing their job correctly, while conservatives are opposed to changing the current funding structure of policing in the U.S. Dennis thinks that police funds need to be reallocated in order to have additional police training. Dennis also thinks that police are reactive towards issues in policing in part because, according to Dennis, police academy recruits only receive four weeks of training. In terms of how participating in the protests impacted her friendships, Dennis says that all of their friends have been supportive, especially because they are a Peace and Social Justice major. Dennis shares that their grandmother (who is a Donald Trump supporter) had initially called her a "leftist liberal scum" for attending the protests. Dennis did not mention attending the protests at work because they value keeping their personal and professional life separate.

Keywords: Black Lives Matter (Organization); Defund the police; Donald Trump; Friends; Police reform; Politics

Subjects: African Americans; Berea College; Black lives matter movement; Blacks; Conservatives; Grandmothers; Liberals; Money; Police; Protests (Negotiable instruments); Training; Work

Partial Transcript: . . . Do you feel like the media was accurate in their detailing of the events and attitudes of the protestors in your opinion?

Segment Synopsis: Dennis believes that the media on both the left and right sides of the political spectrum were biased in their coverage of the protests. Dennis says that the left-leaning media sources were too descriptive in their accounts of the protests or inaccurate in the facts they reported about the protests. Dennis says that the right-leaning media were opposed to the protests and bashed the left-leaning media news sources in retaliation. Dennis then discusses a media bias chart created by media watchdog group Ad Fontes. Dennis explains that there is a goldilocks zone of partisan biased media that is the most accurate in its factual reporting of events. Dennis learned about the media bias chart in their studies at Berea College in how to conduct research and identify credible and biased sources of information. Dennis also learned to take into consideration the personal background and educational levels attained by the authors of articles when analyzing sources of information. Dennis also lists some of the media sources that are in the goldilocks zone, including the BBC, NPR, and Reuters. Dennis explains that the language used by biased media outlets to describe the protests, such as looting and rioting heavily influenced how the protests were perceived by the American public.

Keywords: 9/11 terrorist attacks; Bias; Black Lives Matter (Organization); CNN; Credible sources; Democrats; Goldilocks zone; Inaccuracies; Mainstream media; Media; Media bias chart; News; Opinions; Partisan bias; Political polarization; Republicans; Reuter's Agency

Subjects: ABC News; Ad fontes (Minneapolis, Minn.); African Americans; AP Newsfeatures (Firm); Authors; Berea College; Black lives matter movement; Blacks; British Broadcasting Company; Conservatives; Critical thinking; Education; Fox News; Language; Liberals; National Public Radio (U.S.); NBC News; New York times; Objectivity; Perception; Protests (Negotiable instruments); Research; Television; Washington Post Company

Partial Transcript: How did the media perceptions differ from your view firsthand?

Segment Synopsis: Dennis offers a comparison between the media coverage of the protests and their own firsthand experiences of attending the Louisville protests. Dennis did not see any rioting or looting when they were at the protests, which heavily contrasts with the media perception of widespread violence occurring. Dennis questions why the media was so focused on civil disobedience instead of the broken societal structures that caused this outpouring of frustration in the first place. In Dennis' opinion, none of the media outlets did a good job of reporting on the protests, since their focus was more on profiting off of the events rather than showing the human side of the protests. Dennis says that the right-leaning media contributed to a mass hysteria over the protests because of its biased reporting. Dennis adds that the left-leaning media caused widespread anger and confusion over the protests due to their biased coverage.

Keywords: Bias; Black Lives Matter (Organization); Clickbait news; Confusion; Mass hysteria; Media; Misinformation; News

Subjects: African Americans; Anger; Black lives matter movement; Blacks; Civil disobedience; Death; Kentuckians; Kentucky; Louisville (Ky.); Money; Profits; Protests (Negotiable instruments); Riots; Society; Violence

Partial Transcript: So, what outcomes did you really wanna see from this protest, like what was the end goal for you?

Segment Synopsis: Dennis says that the end goal of the protests was change to the societal structures that allow widespread police brutality to occur. Dennis was expecting the impact of the protests to be felt later, since (according to Dennis) change takes a long time to come to fruition in the U.S. Dennis has observed that there is more media coverage of police brutality and that people are becoming less apathetic to the issue as a result. Dennis says that they have not been attending protests recently or been as active on social media, since they prioritizing their school work more. Dennis is on better terms with their Trump supporting grandmother who is becoming less aggressive towards them. Dennis has learned not to talk about their participation in the Black Lives Matter Movement with people who are opposed to it because they might get defensive. Dennis thinks that there is more media attention going towards the Women's Rights Movement currently, which (in Dennis' view) is run by white women. Dennis says that the Black Lives Matter Movement had more intersectionality than the current iteration of the Women's Rights Movement.

Keywords: Black Lives Matter (Organization); Media; White women; Women's Rights Movement

Subjects: African Americans; Apathy; Berea College; Black lives matter movement; Blacks; Change; Death; Education; Grandmothers; Intersectionality (Sociology); Leadership; Police; Police brutality; Protests (Negotiable instruments); Social media; United States; Visibility; Women's rights

Partial Transcript: And how do you feel like this impacted you and your society?

Segment Synopsis: Dennis has observed that there has been an increase in cancel culture since the protests. Dennis believes that people are now realizing that voicing their opinions can result in consequences for their actions. Dennis has also noticed an increase in microaggressions and emphasizes that it is incumbent upon people to educate themselves in terms of treating people of color with respect. Dennis briefly mentions the increasing backlash against critical race theory (CRT), including many state legislatures in the South banning the teaching of CRT in schools. Dennis believes that CRT can help reduce microaggressions if the youth of today are taught about it. Dennis defines microaggressions as backhanded and uneducated comments that are directed towards people of color, citing comments on Black hairstyles as an example. Dennis adds that it is not okay to use microaggressions and joke about societal problems that are unresolved, citing Dave Chapelle's references to transgender people in his comedy routines when trans suicide rates are higher than other LGBTQ+ groups as an example. Dennis believes that freedom of speech does not exempt people from facing consequences from their actions.

Keywords: Black Lives Matter (Organization); Dave Chapelle; Hair styles; Hair textures; Natural hair; Southern culture; Tone deaf; Uneducated

Subjects: African Americans; Black lives matter movement; Blacks; Cancel culture; Critical race theory; Education; Fear; Freedom of speech; Hair; Louisiana; Microaggressions; North Carolina; Protests (Negotiable instruments); Racism; Schools; Teachers; Texas; Transgender people