Bridges Digital Archive: Audio and Video Recordings

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Document Type

Oral History

Publication Date

3-25-2021

Abstract

Ari Barrientos and Denise Spencer interview Rúḥíyyih Yuille, a woman with a history in racial and social activism. Born in 1976 in Arcadia, California, Yuille’s earliest memories involved singing and performing with other children. Her memories of living in Monrovia, California involved growing up among a diverse community and how teenagers had some places in and out of the city to hang out. The topic then turns to Yuille’s time at the University of Redlands. Having been there for both her undergraduate and graduate years, from 1944 to 2000, the interviewee talks about the area. While Monrovia had some diverse businesses, Redlands had only around two that Yuille went to. She mentions that while being a junior in high school she saw the Rodney King verdict’s release and was a freshman in college when the OJ Simpson verdict was released. As someone who was raised by parents who taught her the importance of racial and social justice and had also attended the University of Redlands, Yuille was surprised to see the only people of color were in her college. She mentioned her father was involved in both student politics and student organizations while at the university. There discussion talks about how during an ordinance for young adults to only be in groups of five or fewer people, Yuille and fellow students suffered from it. The ordinance was meant to be a “safety” method to stop gangs but was ultimately believed by Yuille to be a way of racist security. Yuille herself was in the Wadada Wa Rangi Wengi group while on campus, a women’s version of the men’s Rangi Ya Giza. Both groups focused on people of color and related justice. Yuille herself said she was grateful for getting support and funding from the university to create demonstrations and protests to raise awareness of injustices. The interview then goes on to Yuille’s faith, which is the Baháʼí faith. She goes into detail about the religious beliefs revolving around education, anti-racism, and gender inclusivity that align with her own beliefs. She also tells about a person who was upset by her faith has prayed for her immediately after finding out. After speaking on her faith, Yuille explains that even with all of the teachings of Martin Luther King, Jr. and the multiethnic community that raised her, she still feels that there has been no progress. She points out the murders of Black and Brown bodies as well as the racist laws or propositions that exclude people based on language or ethnic heritage. To her, many people that she knew who spoke for progress changed negatively in the events recent to the recording. When asked for a message for future generations, she tells about how the youth’s experiences are real, they are heard, and that there is a need to relearn what they previously knew after seeing the systematic racism in society.

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