The Down the Bay Oral History Project focuses on the historic Down the Bay neighborhood on the south side of Mobile, Alabama. Led by Drs. Philip Carr and Kern Jackson of the University of South Alabama, in collaboration with the McCall Library, the project took shape in conjunction with archaeological mitigation work for the I-10 bridge expansion. Down the Bay is a historically Black and Creole neighborhood, and a central focus of the project has been to document the constant threat of gentrification and the legacy of urban renewal.
The files below are the interviews as they are catalogued in this collection at the McCall Library. Please note that what is listed as the "date of publication" in the description of each interview indicates the date that the interview was recorded.
Oral Histories
DTB 001 Valena W. McCants 2-3-2023, Valena Withers McCants, Kern Jackson, and Ryan Morini
DTB 003 Floyd Eric Draine 7-18-2019, Floyd Eric Draine and Kern Jackson
DTB 004 Mattie C. Gulley 7-23-2019, Mattie C. Gulley, Kern Jackson, and James Craig
DTB 006 Lillian Bush & Claire Anderson 7-8-2021, Lillian Bush, Claire Anderson, and Kern Jackson
DTB 007 Francis Thomas 1-7-2022, Francis Thomas and Kern Jackson
DTB 008 Philip Stiell 2-25-2022, Philip Stiell and Kern Jackson
DTB 010 Edward Henson 3-16-2022, Edward Henson and Kern Jackson
DTB 012 Clinton Johnson 04-11-2022, Clinton Johnson and Kern Jackson
DTB 013 Leon Maisel 4-13-2022, Leon Maisel, Ryan Morini, and Jada Jones
DTB 016 Allen D. Taylor 5-13-2022, Allen D. Taylor and Kern Jackson
DTB 017 Vernon Coleman 5-14-2022, Vernon Coleman and Kern Jackson
DTB 018 Doris Davis 5-17-2022, Doris Davis and Travis Davis
DTB 019 Leon Bell Jr 5-17-2022, Leon Bell Jr and Kern Jackson
DTB 020 Trevor Woolridge 5-19-2022, Trevor Woolridge and Travis Davis
DTB 021 Carolyn Francis 5-23-2022, Carolyn Francis and Kern Jackson
DTB 022 Carl Cunningham Jr 5-26-2022, Carl Cunningham Jr, Jada Jones, and Ryan Morini
DTB 023 Rebecca A. Wilson 5-31-2022, Rebecca Wilson, Ryan Morini, and Jada Jones
DTB 024 Kimberly Bolden 6-1-2022, Kimberly Bolden, Jada Jones, and Ryan Morini
DTB 025 Sister Genevieve of St Teresa 6-6-2022, Sister Genevieve of St. Teresa and Travis Davis
DTB 026 Antonio D Jackson 6-7-2022, Antonio D. Jackson, Ryan Morini, and Jada Jones
DTB 027 Erica Thomas Maull 6-8-2022, Erica Thomas Maull, Ryan Morini, and Jada Jones
DTB 028 David Smoots 6-8-2022, David Smoots, Jada Jones, and Ryan Morini
DTB 029 Lelia Roberts Reed 6-14-2022, Lelia Roberts Reed, Jada Jones, and Ryan Morini
DTB 030 Andrew Jackson 6-14-2022, Andrew Jackson Sr. and Kern Jackson
DTB 031 Brenda Patterson 6-15-2022, Brenda Patterson and Kern Jackson
DTB 032 Joaquin Holloway Jr 6-16-2022, Joaquin Holloway, Jada Jones, and Ryan Morini
DTB 033 Hazel Fournier 6-22-2022, Hazel Fournier and Kern Jackson
DTB 035 Ralph Gordon 6-24-2022, Ralph Gordon and Kern Jackson
DTB 036 Sydney G. Raine 6-22-2022, Sydney G. Raine and Kern Jackson
DTB 037 Marlon D. Gaines 7-5-2022, Marlon D. Gaines and Kern Jackson
DTB 038 The Morris Family 7-4-2022, Rose Morris Howard, Carolyn Morris Irby, Johnny Mae Hunter, Geraldine Mauldin Morris, Gregory B. Morris Sr, Deborah Mack, Kern Jackson, Philip Carr, Rachel Hines, and Latresha Maddix
DTB 039 Robert Battles 7-7-2022, Robert Battles, Ryan Morini, and Jada Jones
DTB 040 Cedric Anthony 7-8-2022, Cedric Anthony and Kern Jackson
DTB 042 Thomas Withers & Eric Finley 7-8-2022, Thomas Withers, Eric Finley, and Kern Jackson
DTB 043 Jackie Baker Wingfield 7-11-2022, Jackie Baker Wingfield and Kern Jackson
DTB 044 Roland Darrell Denson 7-11-2022, Roland Darrell Denson and Travis Davis
DTB 045 Natalie French & Pinky Juzang 7-11-2022, Natalie French, Pinky Steinback Juzang, and Kern Jackson
DTB 046 Ann Thomas Covington 7-12-2022, Ann Thomas Covington, Ryan Morini, and Jada Jones
DTB 048 Annette Holmes 7-13-2022, Annette Holmes and Kern Jackson
DTB 050 Kenneth Lang 7-14-2022, Kenneth Lang and Kern Jackson
DTB 054 Wali Arif Mustafa 7-25-2022, Wali Arif Mustafa and Kern Jackson
DTB 056 Marjorie K. Jones 8-30-2022, Marjorie Kenny Jones, Jada Jones, and Ryan Morini
DTB 057 Jamie Hobbs 8-30-2022, Jamie Hobbs, Jada Jones, and Ryan Morini
DTB 058A Valenia Green 9-23-2022, Valenia Green, Jada Jones, Terrion Thompson, and Ryan Morini
DTB 058B Valenia Green 3-31-2023, Valenia Green and Andre Taylor
DTB 059 Creola Gibby Ruffin 11-9-2022, Creola Gibby Ruffin and Ryan Morini
DTB 060 Frank Leon 11-14-2022, Frank Leon and Ryan Morini
DTB 061 Violetta Simpson, Violetta Simpson and Ryan Morini
DTB 062 Henry Hobdy 11-18-2022, Henry Hobdy and Ryan Morini
DTB 063 Earl Safford Sr 12-2-2022, Earl Safford Sr. and Ryan Morini
DTB 064 Jerry Martin Lett 1-31-2023, Jerry Martin Lett and Ryan Morini
DTB 065 Audrey Cunningham 2-27-2023, Audrey W. Cunningham and Ryan Morini
DTB 066 Leonard Stiell 3-1-2023, Leonard Stiell and Ryan Morini
DTB 067 Phillip Moody 4-11-2023, Phillip Moody, Autumn Faulkner, and Eric Ware
DTB 068 Edward Johnson 4-11-2023, Edward Johnson, Adriana Caffey, and Christian Moore
DTB 070 Erane Trenier Allen 4-19-2023, Erane Trenier Allen and Ryan Morini
DTB 071 Alexis Thornton-Crump 4-21-2023, Alexis Thornton-Crump and Ryan Morini
DTB 072 Denise Davenporte McAdory 5-1-2023, Denise Davenporte McAdory and Ryan Morini
DTB 073 Barja Wilson 5-11-2023, Barja Wilson, Ryan Morini, and Sara Coker