Pandemic Stories from New Orleans-Area Service and Hospitality Workers : COVID-19 American History Project,
Catalog Record - Electronic Resource Available
Elise M. Chatelain and Sara Tatyana Bernstein, co-founders of Dismantle Writing Services, were contracted through the American Folklife Center's COVID-19 American History Project to conduct interviews with individuals who worked on the front lines of service and hospitality prior to, during and following the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in New Orleans, Louisiana. Twenty video interviews were recorded in New Orleans between November 3rd…
Reflections on the COVID-19 Pandemic from Last Responders : COVID-19 American History Project, 2023-2024
Through the Lens of Licensed Funeral Professionals : The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Catalog Record - Electronic Resource Available
Anita Grant, of Gran Enterprises LLC, was contracted through the American Folklife Center's COVID-19 American History Project to conduct interviews with funeral service professionals about their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ten interviews were recorded at the National Funeral Directors & Morticians Association (NFDMA) Leadership Meeting on October 22, 2023. The interviews' durations range from about fifteen minutes to an hour. Additional documentation includes…
Contributor:
Northey, Kari - Arnold, Lance N. - Boldien, Jimmie D. - Heath, William Turner - Harris, William C. - Douglass, Carlton C. - Close, Hari P. - Gran Enterprises, Llc - Maldonado, Joél Simone - Watson Hughes, Billie ...
Northey, Kari - Arnold, Lance N. - Boldien, Jimmie D. - Heath, William Turner - Harris, William C. - Douglass, Carlton C. - Close, Hari P. - Gran Enterprises, Llc - Maldonado, Joél Simone - Watson Hughes, Billie - Harvell, Shawn'te C. R. - Barnes, Robert L. - Haug, Faith - Davidson, Karoline - Lares, Jennifer - Grant, Anita E. - Reed-Taylor, Jerri J. - Guillory, Shannan - Cush, Chelsea - Wiseman, Tryphina - Johnson, Jasmine S. - Williams, Breanna - Hickman, Jozie
Date:2023
Collection
It Takes a Village : Rural Central Appalachian Childcare Providers' COVID-19 Experiences : COVID-19 American History Project,
Catalog Record - Electronic Resource Available
Folklorist Nicole Musgrave was contracted through the American Folklife Center's COVID-19 American History Project to conduct interviews with childcare professionals throughout rural Appalachia about their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. 25 interviews were recorded in various locations throughout Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia, Tennessee, and Ohio from November 2023 through August 2024. The interviews are generally one hour each. The documentation includes recording logs, photographic…
Christine Paxton Interview conducted by Elise Chatelain and Sara Bernstein, 2023-11-03
Christine Paxton is sales director at Chateau Lemoyne Hotel in the French Quarter in New Orleans. She discusses her work in hospitality in New Orleans since the late 1990s. When the COVID-19 shutdown began, Christine was furloughed from Lemoyne and worked part-time jobs until late 2021, when she was offered a new position at Lemoyne.
Contributor:
Chatelain, Elise M. - Micaroni, Justin - Bernstein, Sara Tatyana - Paxton, Christine
Date:2023
Film, Video
Janine Hayes interview conducted by Elise Chatelain and Sara Bernstein, 2023-11-04
Janine Hayes has been a server at Port of Call, a restaurant in the French Quarter, for over 20 years. She was working there when the pandemic started, went on unemployment when the restaurant temporarily closed during the first shutdown, and returned to the same job after vaccines became available. She talks about work and social shifts that resulted from the pandemic.
Contributor:
Bernstein, Sara Tatyana - Chatelain, Elise M. - Micaroni, Justin - Hayes, Janine
Date:2023
Film, Video
Shaquita Griffin interview conducted by Elise Chatelain and Sara Bernstein, 2023-11-05
Shaquita Griffin is a stand-up comic and community organizer who also has worked a variety of jobs in the service/hospitality industries. She talks about working in a hotel when the pandemic hit and losing her job due to getting COVID-19. She discusses shifting housing arrangements to adjust to friends' unemployment, and creating community support systems. She also discusses her activist work for young Black…
Contributor:
Griffin, Shaquita - Chatelain, Elise M. - Micaroni, Justin - Bernstein, Sara Tatyana
Date:2023
Film, Video
Kami Onikosi interview conducted by Elise Chatelain and Sara Bernstein, 2023-11-05
Kami Onikosi is a bartender, as well as an actress and children's book author. She talks about moving from Texas to the New Orleans-area right before the pandemic, and bartending at TGI Fridays. When COVID started she was a bartender/server at Dab's (a bistro). During the pandemic, she stopped working and was at home with her two daughters. She also discusses labor shortages and…
Contributor:
Onikosi, Kami - Chatelain, Elise M. - Micaroni, Justin - Bernstein, Sara Tatyana
Date:2023
Film, Video
Shaye Hope interview conducted by Elise Chatelain and Sara Bernstein, 2023-11-06
Shaye Hope is a bartender at Pirate's Alley in the French Quarter, as well as the Chair of the English Department at Delgado Community College. Shaye talks about the upheavals at both workplaces caused by the pandemic; getting COVID at work before and after the shutdown; and cultural, behavioral and workplace shifts in the French Quarter. She also talks about the impact of staying…
Contributor:
Hope, Shaye - Chatelain, Elise M. - Micaroni, Justin - Bernstein, Sara Tatyana
Date:2023
Film, Video
Thomas Edwards (DJ E.F. Cuttin) interview conducted by Elise Chatelain and Sara Bernstein, 2023-11-06
Thomas Edwards, widely known as DJ E.F. Cuttin, has been a DJ for 32 years. He was managing a coffee shop at the beginning of the pandemic. He currently manages a nightclub on Frenchman Street. He talks about keeping his coffee shop open during COVID, conflicts with the business owners over protocols, shifting to DJing online, and changes in music and nightclub culture since…
Contributor:
E.F. Cuttin - Chatelain, Elise M. - Micaroni, Justin - Bernstein, Sara Tatyana
Date:2023
Film, Video
Paulette Callahan interview conducted by Elise Chatelain and Sara Bernstein, 2023-11-07
Paulette Callahan has been bartending in New Orleans for 25 years and has worked at The Chart Room in the French Quarter for the last ten years. She also owns a business selling snowballs via pop-ups, following the closing of a brick-and-mortar store. She talks about her experiences before, during, and after the shutdowns at a bar that is popular with locals and other…
Contributor:
Chatelain, Elise M. - Micaroni, Justin - Callahan, Paulette - Bernstein, Sara Tatyana
Date:2023
Film, Video
Jessica Simmons interview conducted by Elise Chatelain and Sara Bernstein, 2023-11-07
Jessica Simmons, aka DJ Jess, is a full-time DJ in New Orleans. She talks about quitting her job at the end of 2019 to pursue full-time DJ work right before COVID shut-downs began. She discusses New Orleans nightlife culture and the changes that happened before, during, and after the shutdowns. She also talks about the personal impact of the pandemic, having asthma, needing to…
Contributor:
Bernstein, Sara Tatyana - Chatelain, Elise M. - Micaroni, Justin - Simmons, Jessica
Date:2023
Film, Video
Lionel Breaux interview conducted by Elise Chatelain and Sara Bernstein, 2023-11-09
Lionel Breaux worked as a dishwasher and line-cook at Juan's Flying Burrito and Slice restaurants before and during the pandemic. During the shutdown he made a career change and now works for the New Orleans Sewerage & Water Board. In addition to talking about the pandemic's impact on work conditions and co-workers, he talks about the relationship and mental/emotional challenges caused by the shutdowns…
Contributor:
Breaux, Lionel - Chatelain, Elise M. - Micaroni, Justin - Bernstein, Sara Tatyana
Date:2023
Film, Video
Sidney Davis interview conducted by Elise Chatelain and Sara Bernstein, 2023-11-09
Sidney Davis worked in the kitchen at Acme Oyster Bar and Slice Pizzeria when the pandemic began. He was let go from both places and worked a variety of jobs through the pandemic, including housekeeping at a nursing home. He recently started working at a hotel. He talks about societal concerns, job and housing insecurity, and the impact of Hurricane Ida in September 2021.
Contributor:
Chatelain, Elise M. - Micaroni, Justin - Bernstein, Sara Tatyana - Davis, Sidney
Date:2023
Film, Video
Luke Bauer interview conducted by Elise Chatelain and Sara Bernstein, 2023-11-10
Luke Bauer is a stilt walker, performer and harpist. He talks about losing work when all the conventions and parades were cancelled and the process of returning to work. He also talks about his wife being pregnant during the shutdown, having to quickly change wedding plans, and buying a house that needed a lot of work. Other prominent topics include Hurricane Ida and the…
Contributor:
Chatelain, Elise M. - Micaroni, Justin - Bauer, Luke - Bernstein, Sara Tatyana
Date:2023
Film, Video
Zelda Parquet interview conducted by Elise Chatelain and Sara Bernstein, 2023-11-12
Zelda Parquet is a tour guide with the Hop On, Hop Off tour company. She works in St. Louis #1 Cemetery and on a double decker tour bus. She talks about moving back to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and finding her way into the tour industry. She speaks of her great appreciation that her boss helped her and her coworkers pursue financial support…
Contributor:
Parquet, Zelda - Micaroni, Justin - Chatelain, Elise M. - Bernstein, Sara Tatyana
Date:2023
Film, Video
Brodrick Cane interview conducted by Elise Chatelain, 2023-11-13
Brodrick Cane is a line cook and kitchen manager who worked at Copeland's Cheesecake Bistro when the pandemic hit. He was out of work for several months and spent a lot of time at home with his family. He discusses the simultaneous joys of homeschooling and keeping kids entertained during the early months of the pandemic. He also expresses ambivalence about returning to work…
Contributor:
Chatelain, Elise M. - Micaroni, Justin - Cane, Brodrick
Date:2023
Film, Video
Ragan Wicker interview conducted by Elise Chatelain, 2023-11-14
Ragan Wicker has been bartending at The Maple Leaf, an established New Orleans music venue, since 2005. She talks about her workplace as a "family" and how they maintained a sense of community when COVID shutdowns began. She also discusses changes in the venue's operations since reopening in 2022 and cultural attitudes about the COVID vaccine. The global, collective experience of COVID was also…
Contributor:
Chatelain, Elise M. - Micaroni, Justin - Wicker, Ragan
Date:2023
Film, Video
Kiran Roy interview conducted by Elise Chatelain, 2023-11-14
Kiran Roy is a bus driver for the Hop On, Hop Off tour company and a taxi driver. He and his family moved to New Orleans from Chicago in 2019. He talks about the financial struggles of being unemployed during the pandemic, especially being in a place where he was not yet fully established. He also talks about cultural differences between India and the…
Contributor:
Chatelain, Elise M. - Micaroni, Justin - Roy, Kiran
Date:2023
Film, Video
Ashley Kinoshita interview conducted by Elise Chatelain, 2023-11-15
Ashley Kinoshita was a server at Lilette, an upscale neighborhood bistro, as restaurants reopened in New Orleans starting in 2021 and through 2022. She moved to New Orleans following a challenging pandemic spring and summer in 2020 in Seattle, drawn by her love of music and a developing relationship with her now-husband. She currently teaches piano while pursuing a degree in music therapy, and…
Contributor:
Chatelain, Elise M. - Micaroni, Justin - Kinoshita, Ashley
Date:2023
Film, Video
Anita Oubre interview conducted by Elise Chatelain, 2023-11-15
Anita Oubre plays a dual role in the New Orleans hospitality industry: she is head of Human Resources at a major downtown hotel and also does gig work as an entertainer for parades, parties and conventions, most notably as a member of the New Orleans Baby Dolls, a popular dance troupe. She discusses the challenges of working in HR during pandemic shifts and the…
Contributor:
Chatelain, Elise M. - Oubre, Anita - Micaroni, Justin
Date:2023
Film, Video
Fredy Garcia interview conducted by Elise Chatelain, 2023-11-16
Fredy Garcia is a trumpet player who grew up in New Orleans among a musical family. He has worked in the city's service industry since serving in the military. During the first year of the pandemic he was in Florida, working multiple restaurant jobs before returning to New Orleans as festivals, restaurants and nightclubs reopened in 2021 and 2022. Key themes include his unique…
Contributor:
Garcia, Fredy M. - Chatelain, Elise M. - Micaroni, Justin
Date:2023
Film, Video
Jamilah Y. Peters-Muhammad interview conducted by Elise Chatelain, 2023-11-17
Jamilah Y. Peters-Muhammad is an artist, musician and community leader who also serves as an administrator at a local arts and community center. She discusses the effects of COVID on traditions such as second line parades, Mardi Gras Indian gatherings, and the Sunday drum circle at Congo Square. Other highlights include outreach as a healthcare professional and the challenge of being isolated from her…
B. Ezra Ciereszynski interview conducted by Elise Chatelain, 2023-11-19
Ezra Ciereszynski is a college student who began working as a dishwasher just a few months before the start of pandemic shutdowns. He discusses the challenges of working, finishing high school, and navigating social life as a young person during the pandemic. Other themes include his parents' challenges as fellow service and hospitality workers, what it was like to move to a new school…
Contributor:
Chatelain, Elise M. - Micaroni, Justin - Ciereszynski, Ezra
Date:2023
Audio Recording
Terri Ratliff interview conducted by Nicole Musgrave, 2023-11-15
Terri Ratliff is the owner and operator of Oak Tree Academy in Whitesburg, Kentucky. The preschool serves children ages 2.5- to 6-years-old and has been open since 2017. Terri has worked in child care since 1998. In her interview, Terri discusses her trajectory in child care; how government assistance has impacted her business; how she adapted to pandemic school closures and safety protocols; games…
Contributor:
Ratliff, Terri - Musgrave, Nicole
Date:2023
Audio Recording
Robin Terrell interview conducted by Nicole Musgrave, 2023-11-28
Robin Terrell is the owner/operator of Cissy's Clubhouse Play to Learn in Corbin, Kentucky. She provides home-based child care to children between the ages of 6-weeks-old to 12-years-old. Robin began working in child care in 1994 and opened her own home-based center in 1996. In her interview, Robin discusses her professional trajectory in child care; the importance of early learning in a child's development;…
CollectionPandemic Stories from New Orleans-Area Service and Hospitality Workers : COVID-19 American History Project, Catalog Record - Electronic Resource Available Elise M. Chatelain and Sara Tatyana Bernstein, co-founders of Dismantle Writing Services, were contracted through the American Folklife Center's COVID-19 American History Project to conduct interviews with individuals who worked on the front lines of service and hospitality prior to, during and following the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in New Orleans, Louisiana. Twenty video interviews were recorded in New Orleans between November 3rd…
Film, VideoChristine Paxton Interview conducted by Elise Chatelain and Sara Bernstein, 2023-11-03 Christine Paxton is sales director at Chateau Lemoyne Hotel in the French Quarter in New Orleans. She discusses her work in hospitality in New Orleans since the late 1990s. When the COVID-19 shutdown began, Christine was furloughed from Lemoyne and worked part-time jobs until late 2021, when she was offered a new position at Lemoyne.
Film, VideoJanine Hayes interview conducted by Elise Chatelain and Sara Bernstein, 2023-11-04 Janine Hayes has been a server at Port of Call, a restaurant in the French Quarter, for over 20 years. She was working there when the pandemic started, went on unemployment when the restaurant temporarily closed during the first shutdown, and returned to the same job after vaccines became available. She talks about work and social shifts that resulted from the pandemic.
Film, VideoShaquita Griffin interview conducted by Elise Chatelain and Sara Bernstein, 2023-11-05 Shaquita Griffin is a stand-up comic and community organizer who also has worked a variety of jobs in the service/hospitality industries. She talks about working in a hotel when the pandemic hit and losing her job due to getting COVID-19. She discusses shifting housing arrangements to adjust to friends' unemployment, and creating community support systems. She also discusses her activist work for young Black…
Film, VideoKami Onikosi interview conducted by Elise Chatelain and Sara Bernstein, 2023-11-05 Kami Onikosi is a bartender, as well as an actress and children's book author. She talks about moving from Texas to the New Orleans-area right before the pandemic, and bartending at TGI Fridays. When COVID started she was a bartender/server at Dab's (a bistro). During the pandemic, she stopped working and was at home with her two daughters. She also discusses labor shortages and…
Film, VideoShaye Hope interview conducted by Elise Chatelain and Sara Bernstein, 2023-11-06 Shaye Hope is a bartender at Pirate's Alley in the French Quarter, as well as the Chair of the English Department at Delgado Community College. Shaye talks about the upheavals at both workplaces caused by the pandemic; getting COVID at work before and after the shutdown; and cultural, behavioral and workplace shifts in the French Quarter. She also talks about the impact of staying…
Film, VideoThomas Edwards (DJ E.F. Cuttin) interview conducted by Elise Chatelain and Sara Bernstein, 2023-11-06 Thomas Edwards, widely known as DJ E.F. Cuttin, has been a DJ for 32 years. He was managing a coffee shop at the beginning of the pandemic. He currently manages a nightclub on Frenchman Street. He talks about keeping his coffee shop open during COVID, conflicts with the business owners over protocols, shifting to DJing online, and changes in music and nightclub culture since…
Film, VideoPaulette Callahan interview conducted by Elise Chatelain and Sara Bernstein, 2023-11-07 Paulette Callahan has been bartending in New Orleans for 25 years and has worked at The Chart Room in the French Quarter for the last ten years. She also owns a business selling snowballs via pop-ups, following the closing of a brick-and-mortar store. She talks about her experiences before, during, and after the shutdowns at a bar that is popular with locals and other…
Film, VideoJessica Simmons interview conducted by Elise Chatelain and Sara Bernstein, 2023-11-07 Jessica Simmons, aka DJ Jess, is a full-time DJ in New Orleans. She talks about quitting her job at the end of 2019 to pursue full-time DJ work right before COVID shut-downs began. She discusses New Orleans nightlife culture and the changes that happened before, during, and after the shutdowns. She also talks about the personal impact of the pandemic, having asthma, needing to…
Film, VideoLionel Breaux interview conducted by Elise Chatelain and Sara Bernstein, 2023-11-09 Lionel Breaux worked as a dishwasher and line-cook at Juan's Flying Burrito and Slice restaurants before and during the pandemic. During the shutdown he made a career change and now works for the New Orleans Sewerage & Water Board. In addition to talking about the pandemic's impact on work conditions and co-workers, he talks about the relationship and mental/emotional challenges caused by the shutdowns…
Film, VideoSidney Davis interview conducted by Elise Chatelain and Sara Bernstein, 2023-11-09 Sidney Davis worked in the kitchen at Acme Oyster Bar and Slice Pizzeria when the pandemic began. He was let go from both places and worked a variety of jobs through the pandemic, including housekeeping at a nursing home. He recently started working at a hotel. He talks about societal concerns, job and housing insecurity, and the impact of Hurricane Ida in September 2021.
Film, VideoLuke Bauer interview conducted by Elise Chatelain and Sara Bernstein, 2023-11-10 Luke Bauer is a stilt walker, performer and harpist. He talks about losing work when all the conventions and parades were cancelled and the process of returning to work. He also talks about his wife being pregnant during the shutdown, having to quickly change wedding plans, and buying a house that needed a lot of work. Other prominent topics include Hurricane Ida and the…
Film, VideoZelda Parquet interview conducted by Elise Chatelain and Sara Bernstein, 2023-11-12 Zelda Parquet is a tour guide with the Hop On, Hop Off tour company. She works in St. Louis #1 Cemetery and on a double decker tour bus. She talks about moving back to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and finding her way into the tour industry. She speaks of her great appreciation that her boss helped her and her coworkers pursue financial support…
Film, VideoBrodrick Cane interview conducted by Elise Chatelain, 2023-11-13 Brodrick Cane is a line cook and kitchen manager who worked at Copeland's Cheesecake Bistro when the pandemic hit. He was out of work for several months and spent a lot of time at home with his family. He discusses the simultaneous joys of homeschooling and keeping kids entertained during the early months of the pandemic. He also expresses ambivalence about returning to work…
Film, VideoRagan Wicker interview conducted by Elise Chatelain, 2023-11-14 Ragan Wicker has been bartending at The Maple Leaf, an established New Orleans music venue, since 2005. She talks about her workplace as a "family" and how they maintained a sense of community when COVID shutdowns began. She also discusses changes in the venue's operations since reopening in 2022 and cultural attitudes about the COVID vaccine. The global, collective experience of COVID was also…
Film, VideoKiran Roy interview conducted by Elise Chatelain, 2023-11-14 Kiran Roy is a bus driver for the Hop On, Hop Off tour company and a taxi driver. He and his family moved to New Orleans from Chicago in 2019. He talks about the financial struggles of being unemployed during the pandemic, especially being in a place where he was not yet fully established. He also talks about cultural differences between India and the…
Film, VideoAshley Kinoshita interview conducted by Elise Chatelain, 2023-11-15 Ashley Kinoshita was a server at Lilette, an upscale neighborhood bistro, as restaurants reopened in New Orleans starting in 2021 and through 2022. She moved to New Orleans following a challenging pandemic spring and summer in 2020 in Seattle, drawn by her love of music and a developing relationship with her now-husband. She currently teaches piano while pursuing a degree in music therapy, and…
Film, VideoAnita Oubre interview conducted by Elise Chatelain, 2023-11-15 Anita Oubre plays a dual role in the New Orleans hospitality industry: she is head of Human Resources at a major downtown hotel and also does gig work as an entertainer for parades, parties and conventions, most notably as a member of the New Orleans Baby Dolls, a popular dance troupe. She discusses the challenges of working in HR during pandemic shifts and the…
Film, VideoFredy Garcia interview conducted by Elise Chatelain, 2023-11-16 Fredy Garcia is a trumpet player who grew up in New Orleans among a musical family. He has worked in the city's service industry since serving in the military. During the first year of the pandemic he was in Florida, working multiple restaurant jobs before returning to New Orleans as festivals, restaurants and nightclubs reopened in 2021 and 2022. Key themes include his unique…
Film, VideoJamilah Y. Peters-Muhammad interview conducted by Elise Chatelain, 2023-11-17 Jamilah Y. Peters-Muhammad is an artist, musician and community leader who also serves as an administrator at a local arts and community center. She discusses the effects of COVID on traditions such as second line parades, Mardi Gras Indian gatherings, and the Sunday drum circle at Congo Square. Other highlights include outreach as a healthcare professional and the challenge of being isolated from her…
Film, VideoB. Ezra Ciereszynski interview conducted by Elise Chatelain, 2023-11-19 Ezra Ciereszynski is a college student who began working as a dishwasher just a few months before the start of pandemic shutdowns. He discusses the challenges of working, finishing high school, and navigating social life as a young person during the pandemic. Other themes include his parents' challenges as fellow service and hospitality workers, what it was like to move to a new school…
Audio RecordingTerri Ratliff interview conducted by Nicole Musgrave, 2023-11-15 Terri Ratliff is the owner and operator of Oak Tree Academy in Whitesburg, Kentucky. The preschool serves children ages 2.5- to 6-years-old and has been open since 2017. Terri has worked in child care since 1998. In her interview, Terri discusses her trajectory in child care; how government assistance has impacted her business; how she adapted to pandemic school closures and safety protocols; games…
Audio RecordingRobin Terrell interview conducted by Nicole Musgrave, 2023-11-28 Robin Terrell is the owner/operator of Cissy's Clubhouse Play to Learn in Corbin, Kentucky. She provides home-based child care to children between the ages of 6-weeks-old to 12-years-old. Robin began working in child care in 1994 and opened her own home-based center in 1996. In her interview, Robin discusses her professional trajectory in child care; the importance of early learning in a child's development;…