Interview with Gabriel Tomlin, March 20, 2017

Partial Transcript: I'm Doug Boyd and I'm here with Gabe Tomlin.

Segment Synopsis: Gabe Tomlin is introduced. He talks about his background growing up in Columbus, Ohio and Louisville, Kentucky and the many high schools he attended due to moving frequently. He talks about his current interest in books on the subject of Afrofuturism, and his choice to major in English with a minor in African American studies.

Keywords: African American studies; Afrofuturism; College majors; Columbus (Ohio); English majors; High schools; Kindred (book); Moving; Octavia Butler; Reading; Words

Subjects: Education; Louisville (Ky.); University of Kentucky

Partial Transcript: Well, so speaking of words, you know, um, it's one of the things we at the Nunn Center specialize in.

Segment Synopsis: Tomlin discusses why he applied for the UK Libraries diversity intern position, giving examples of how libraries have played an important role in his life. He talks about how he initially learned of the internship.

Keywords: African American studies; Brothers; College applications; Indexing; Internships; Learning; Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History; Nathan Moore; Oral history; Resources; Sophomores; UK Libraries Diversity Internship Program; Word of mouth; Words

Subjects: Academic libraries.; African American college students--Social conditions; College students--Conduct of life.; College students--Social conditions; University of Kentucky; University of Kentucky. Libraries

Partial Transcript: Um, and, um, and so you started off working at the Nunn Center.

Segment Synopsis: Tomlin talks about his work in the Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History indexing the Blacks in Lexington oral history project. He talks about the importance of the collection and what people today can learn from the interviews. He talks about working with fellow intern Alecia Johnson on this project as well as other projects during their internship.

Keywords: African American police officers; Alecia Johnson; Arrests; Blacks in Lexington Oral History Project; Difficulty; Diversity; Economy; History; Human Library; Internships; Interviews; OHMS; People; Teamwork; Training; UK Libraries Diversity Internship Program

Subjects: Academic libraries.; African American business enterprises; African Americans--Economic conditions.; African Americans--Segregation; African Americans--Social conditions.; Integration; Lexington (Ky.); Oral histories.; Oral history.; University of Kentucky; University of Kentucky. Libraries

Partial Transcript: Well I want to ask about the Human Library but let's talk first--let's stay with oral history for a second.

Segment Synopsis: Tomlin talks about his own oral history project, Worldviews: A Social Journal. He talks about his goals for the project, why it is important now, and why it will be important in the future.

Keywords: Bigotry; Documentation; Donald Trump; First-hand accounts; Future; Futurism; Importance; Interviews; Personal projects; Perspectives; Political climate; Presentism; Presidential elections; Time capsules; Validation; Worldviews: A Social Journal Oral History Project

Subjects: African Americans--Social conditions.; College environment; Minorities--Kentucky--Lexington.; Minorities--Social conditions.; Oral histories.; Oral history.

Partial Transcript: So you're gonna be doing interviews.

Segment Synopsis: Tomlin talks more about his goals for the project and how he will measure its success. He talks about his hopes for how his project will be used, and his reasons for wanting to make it accessible online.

Keywords: Accessible; Classrooms; Context; Documentation; First-hand accounts; Future; Genuine reflections; Hindsight; Honest moments; Humans of New York; Importance; Indexing; Intention; Interviewers; Interviews; Investing in people; OHMS; Online; Personal projects; Perspectives; Research; Society; Successful; Time capsules; Truth; Worldviews: A Social Journal Oral History Project

Subjects: African Americans--Social conditions.; College environment; Minorities--Kentucky--Lexington.; Minorities--Social conditions.; Oral histories.; Oral history.

Partial Transcript: Um, now let's get back to, to the diversity internship.

Segment Synopsis: Tomlin talks about the research project he conducted during his internship on J. Cole's song "G.O.M.D." and its sampling of chain gang songs, and the history of hip hop.

Keywords: Alan Lomax; Chain gangs; Context; Cross Bronx Expressway; Field songs; G.O.M.D. (song); Global Jukebox; Hip hop; Independence; Internships; J. Cole (artist); Recordings; Research projects; Robert Moses; Slavery; Stereo recording; The Power Broker (book); UK Libraries Diversity Internship Program; W.T. Young Library

Subjects: Academic libraries.; African American college students--Social conditions; College students--Conduct of life.; College students--Social conditions; Hip-hop.; Music; University of Kentucky; University of Kentucky. Libraries

Partial Transcript: Okay so you do this, this, this fantastic, um, you know, project.

Segment Synopsis: Tomlin talks about his work with fellow intern Alecia Johnson on the Human Library, a project which allows patrons to "check out" people to hear their life stories. He talks about the support he received from UK Libraries and the people running the internship program.

Keywords: "Books"; Acquisitions; Alecia Johnson; Blogs; Human Library; Internships; Judy Sackett; Kazuko Hioki; Peter Hesseldenz; Preservation; Responses; Ruth Bryan; Support; Syracuse University; UK Libraries Diversity Internship Program

Subjects: Academic libraries.; African American college students--Social conditions; College students--Conduct of life.; College students--Social conditions; Minorities--Social conditions; University of Kentucky; University of Kentucky. Libraries

Partial Transcript: Uh, so, um, so what year are you now?

Segment Synopsis: Tomlin talks about how the diversity internship has changed his life, giving him a base of resources and support. He talks about the connections between himself and other former and current diversity interns, including his work with Javoughn Brown in the Poetic Justice group at UK. The interview is concluded.

Keywords: Background; Connections; Forgotten; Importance; Internships; Javoughn Brown; Juniors; Learning; Nathan Moore; Neighborhoods; People; Poetic Justice; Resources; Success; Support; UK Libraries Diversity Internship Program; Worldviews: A Social Journal Oral History Project

Subjects: Academic libraries.; African American college students--Social conditions; College students--Conduct of life.; College students--Social conditions; Minorities--Social conditions; Poetry; University of Kentucky; University of Kentucky. Libraries