Interview Series

The Kennedy Archives™ interview series offers insights and historical commentary on notable African Americans

Janie Sykes-Kennedy’s expertise and historical perspective on the Black Experience is more important than ever. Janie, and her daughter Teresa Kay-Aba Kennedy, are developing The Kennedy Archives™ interview series, in which Janie shares first-hand insights and historical commentary on notable African American friends such as Langston Hughes, Althea Gibson, and Muhammad Ali, as well as outstanding family members such as Dr. James Atkins (member of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “Black Cabinet”). Over 70 notables have been outlined as subjects so far.

A Sampling of Subjects

Langston Hughes
Althea Gibson
Muhammad Ali
D. Parke Gibson
Val J. Washington
Jesse Hill, Jr.
Ivan Dixon
Margaret Walker
Herman J. Russell
Dr. Roscoe Brown
Shirley Chisholm
Irving L. Burgie

James Baldwin
Lorraine Hansberry
Dr. Sterling Brown
Samuel R. Pierce, Jr.
John H. Sengstacke
Prof. H. Naylor Fitzhugh
Dr. John Hope Franklin
Lloyd Hezekiah
Milt Jackson
Ambassador Frank Williams
Ambassador Hugh H. Smythe
Ambassador Mercer Cook

Sydney Poitier
Dr. Dorothy Height
Charles T. Williams
William Marshall
Dr. Eileen Southern
Edward Boatner
Leola Carter
Wally Amos
Tom Giles
Sam Jones
Kwabena Nketia
Ifua Sutherland

When I was organizing my parents’ archival papers, I found handwritten notes from Langston Hughes to my father along with other important items. It became clear that we needed to capture and preserve my mother’s first-hand insights on notable African American friends, family members, and events.

Teresa Kay-Aba Kennedy

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