DeAnn Gatto worked as a bouncer at the Seahorse, a center of queer culture in South Bend for decades. It was there that she befriended some legendary male impersonation performers. They encouraged…
Born in Arkansas, Dorothy Smith and her family fled the state in 1937 due to a violent encounter with white men. They found refuge in South Bend. Dorothy fondly remembers her time at Hering House, a…
Doris Grady Howell grew up on the east side of South Bend, Indiana, in the shadow of the University of Notre Dame. As a sixteen-year-old, Doris's life took a significant turn when she joined Uncle…
As a student athlete in Central High School, Tom Singer saw how his African American teammates had very different experiences than he did. This observation fueled his work as an ally in the 1960s…
Over fifty years ago, a Notre Dame priest sought to become a literature professor. He ended up on another path, becoming an ally with South Bend's Latinx immigrant community and founding a youth and…
In the small, midwestern city of South Bend, Indiana, for members of the LGBTQ+ community, having a space for themselves is life changing. And for twenty years, people here have had that space. Today,…
Ms. Adeline Wigfall-Jones’ west side barber shop has brought safety and built community for generations. Now in her 90s, Ms. Adeline shares her life’s journey from a small farm in rural Georgia, to…
John Charles Bryant was a lifelong historian of South Bend's African American community. In 2021, after a colorful life of nearly 84 years, he reached out to us to record a series of four oral history…
With makeshift decor and a boom box for music, the original Seahorse was totally undistinguished, but it became a sanctuary for South Bend’s LGBTQ+ community seeking a place where they could be their…
After growing up in Puerto Rico, Joaquin Robles moved to South Bend, Indiana, and lived forty-plus years here. Joaquin talks about his experiences in this city, and his perspectives on…
