Join Special Collections & Archives at UCSC for a celebration of the newly published oral history of Distinguished Professor Emeritus John Brown Childs. Over months of in-depth interviews with oral historian Cameron Vanderscoff, Childs reflected on a life shaped by the “two mighty currents” of his heritage–he is of African-Madagascan and Native American descent and is an enrolled member of the Masachoosut [Big Hills] community of Indigenous People–his work on the frontlines of the civil rights movement of the 1960s, and his career centering scholarship and community work around peacemaking and “transcommunal cooperation.” 

As a partner with the community organization Barrios Unidos, John Brown Childs has spent the past twenty years teaching in Soledad Prison where he works with the diverse “Cemanahuac One-World Cultural Group” of incarcerated men. He is the author of numerous works, including the book Transcommunality, from the Politics of Conversion to the Ethics of Respect. 

Cameron Vanderscoff (Cowell ‘11) started his oral history career at UCSC interviewing founding faculty and is co-editor of Seeds of Something Different, a 2020 two-volume oral history of UCSC. Cameron is lecturer at Cowell College and co-founder of the Okinawa Memories Initiative, and public historical dialogue and grassroots education is at the heart of his work. 

In this special event, Childs and Vanderscoff will discuss the power, purpose, and process of oral history, highlighting the ways this unique methodology can transform the lived experience into a lasting record and link generations. Celebrate our oral history’s publication, hear the stories behind the stories, and explore how life history shapes public change.

• Masks will be available at the event. Please take care of yourself and others by staying home if you feel unwell. 
• Parking on campus can be difficult. We encourage attendees to carpool or take public transportation. ParkMobile is available at both the Hahn Lot 101 and Performing Arts Lot 126 for a $10 evening flat rate. Click here for more information on the ParkMobile app.