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    Larry Turner (Int. #1)

    Content Warnings: drug/alcohol use, physical violence, death, gang violence

    Audio Quality Notes: slight echo-ish quality (recorded in a large converted warehouse space)

    At a Glance

    Public Housing Residency: Robert Taylor Homes, Stateway Gardens

    Themes: Surviving and advocating for Public Housing, “The Voice Of The Voiceless”, legacy

    Content Warnings: drug/alcohol use, physical violence, death, gang violence

    Primary time periods: Late 1980s-2000s

    Primary locations: Chicago, IL, South Side, Robert Taylor Homes

    Keywords: poverty, supporting community, advocacy, writing, GHETTO Bus Tours, reclaiming language, believing in yourself, surviving violence and gangs, drug trade, twin sister, creative outlets, freedom, prison, “the people”, family, mental health, violence within community, memory, Tupac, prison pipeline, freedom fighter, end of life in hospital

    Descriptive Context

    Interview Summary

    Content Warnings: drug/alcohol use, physical violence, death, gang violence

    In the rumble of memory, Larry Turner paints a portrait of his upbringing, a tapestry woven by the hands of his Black mother, Beauty Turner. Larry’s story unfolds in the shadows of the Robert Taylor public housing project, where hardship and resilience has connected this community. Through the lens of memory, Larry highlights how Beauty’s resilience and nurturing spirit shaped his identity and values. Her influence instilled in him a deep appreciation for family and community bonds, illustrating how tribulation can forge connections and strength within a neighborhood. He describes how Beauty navigated the challenges of their environment by instilling a “pathway of resistance” in her children and those she encountered. This pathway was not merely about overcoming obstacles but was deeply rooted in principles of love, unity, and respect. 

    About the Narrator

    Narrator Full Name: Larry Turner (Int. #1)

    Narrator pronouns: he/him

    Refer to as: Larry

    Self-identified race and/or ethnicity: African American

    Biographical Context:
    None
    Life Dates:
    • Birth: 1975
    About the Interview

    Interviewer: Troy Gaston, Liú Chen

    Date of Interview: 2022-07-08

    Method of Interview: in-person

    Location of Interview: 625 N. Kingsbury St. Chicago, IL

    Language: English

    Duration: 01:11:37

    Formats Available: .wav

    Audio Quality and other notes: slight echo-ish quality (recorded in a large converted warehouse space)

    Post-Production by: Troy Gaston, Sharon Lanza, Liú Chen

    Contextual Information Last Updated: None

    Time-Stamped Index

    No index available for this file.

    Access and Use Guidelines

    Access Level: public

    Rights Overview:

    Each oral history interview is considered to be co-created, ‘joint work’ among the oral historian, narrator, and, in this case, the National Public Housing Museum.

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    Credits the co-creators (Attribution), and
    Does not make money from the usage (Non-Commercial). 
    Narrators also have the option to apply a No-Derivatives License to their interview(s), meaning that the public is forbidden from adapting the work. These works are published under an Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 Deed).

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    Citation Guidelines:

    When using an interview from the NPHM Oral History Archive, use the narrator’s full name the first time you reference them. Use the narrator’s “Refer to As” name in additional mentions of their name. 

    Please use the following formatting when citing the interview in academic settings:

    Bibliography Example

    Pegues, Janetta Sue. Interviewed by Francesco De Salvatore. National Public Housing Museum Oral History Archive, [insert URL], recorded June 18, 2018, accessed June 2, 2024: pp. 10-15.

    Bibliography Format

    [NarratorFullName in Last, First Middle order]. Interviewed by [InterviewerFullName in First Middle Last Order]. National Public Housing Museum Oral History Archive, [insert URL], recorded [write out full date of interview], accessed [write out full date of most recent access]: pp. [pages of transcript cited]. 

    Footnote Example

    Janetta Sue Pegues, interviewed by Francesco De Salvatore, National Public Housing Museum Oral History Archive, [insert URL], recorded June 18, 2018, accessed June 2, 2024: pp. 10-15. 

    Footnote Format

    [NarratorFullName in First Middle Last Order], interviewed by [InterviewerFullName in First Middle Last Order] National Public Housing Museum Oral History Archive, [insert URL], recorded [write out full date of interview], accessed [write out full date of most recent access]: pp. [pages of transcript cited]. 

    Transcript and Supplemental Attachments
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