Laura Jones Oral History Interview: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

An oral history consisting of a single digital video recording (2018.78.6.1). It was collected as part of the Poor People’s Campaign Interviews.

In this interview, Laura Jones, a photographer and social activist, discusses her photography of the Poor People’s Campaign in 1968. Beginning with a discussion of her early life in Fairmont, Virginia, and later Columbus, Ohio, and Celo, North Carolina, Jones reflects on the experiences that opened her eyes to injustice and influenced her toward social activism. In particular, she recounts how she became heavily influenced by Quaker values. Jones then recalls how she met her husband, John Phillips, while attending Friends World College in Long Island, NY, and discusses why they moved to Toronto in September 1967.

Jones then discusses how she came to be involved with the Poor People’s Campaign and her experience of the movement as a young woman photographer. In particular, Jones discusses the influence of Quakerism on her participation in the movement; her photography of Resurrection City as well as other activities and protests; and the influence of her experience at the Poor People’s Campaign on her life and photography. Jones concludes the interview by discussing some of her photography work after the Poor People’s Campaign.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: October 31, 2017
• Created by: National Museum of African American History and Culture, American, founded 2003
• Interview of: Laura Jones, Canadian American, born 1948
• Interviewed by: Kelly Elaine Navies, American
• Recorded by: Kim Moir, American
• Subject of: Poor People's Campaign, American, 1967 - 1968
• Subject of: Religious Society of Friends, English, founded c. 1650
• Type: video recordings
• Type: video recordings
• Type: oral histories
• Type: digital media - born digital
• Medium: digital
• Dimensions: Duration: 01:24:38
• Dimensions: 25.01 GB
• Place collected: Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America
• Place depicted: Fairmont, Marion County, West Virginia, United States, North and Central America
• Place depicted: Toronto, Ontario, Canada, North and Central America
• Place depicted: Celo, Yancey County, North Carolina, United States, North and Central America
• Place depicted: Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Activism
• Topic: Civil Rights
• Topic: Humanitarianism
• Topic: Justice
• Topic: Labor
• Topic: Politics
• Topic: Poverty
• Object number: 2018.78.6.1
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
• Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of African American History and Culture through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed. The underlying object's rights statement is: © Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.