What People are Saying About Us

Mary K. Murray Boyd

HAND IN HAND Productions has opened the door for many voices to be heard through the telling of the stories. Those stories have been respectfully and skillfully recorded by Kate Cavett to portray and preserve the authenticity and integrity of the person(s) who lived the experience.

Ms Cavett understands how difficult it is to sometimes have to relive the painful aspects of one's story, but she captures it's essence because it is of value to our collective human experience. The children need to know.

Mary K. Murray Boyd
Rondo advisory committee and storyteller
63 years young

Judi Marshall with her mother, Elsie Weisman

My mother always wanted to share her life story and the oral history allowed her that opportunity. She had such a variety of rich experiences; she struggled and yet grew stronger. She was an incredible cook and her favorite recipes are included in the book. She reflected the story of so many women of her time and yet she was a unique character in her own right. All of this is apparent in her delightful and sincere oral history and I am so pleased we have it since she died January 2005. Thanks Kate!.

Judi Marshall

Oral historian Kate Cavett with Mr. Melvin Carter

When I was a young child just learning to read, one day I was exploring my mother's dresser and found my grandmother's diary. The writing was what I call very old time - she was up in age, there was deliberate style to her writing. What was in the diary was nothing earth-shaking, simple stuff, what a day was like, picking cotton for a living, what happened to their neighbors, what was for dinner. From it I learned that being ordinary was OK. I felt she reached across the generations and touched me. This was a spirit lifting experience that I never forgot.

I wanted my great grandchildren to experience that too someday. I wanted them to know I was somebody and I came from some where. But I am not much of a talker, and I never told too many stories. Then Kate Cavett asked me to tell a story about living on Rondo Avenue. She had to work hard; I know that at first it was like pulling teeth to get the stories from me. But Kate made me feel comfortable. After awhile I got to enjoy it and even returned for additional interviews and a video interview. It's been a real pleasure working with Kate.

Melvin Carter Sr.
83 years old

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