Marc Steiner Oral History Interview: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

An oral history consisting of a single digital video recording (2018.78.2.1). It was collected as part of the Poor People’s Campaign Interviews.

In this interview, radio host and activist Marc Steiner discusses his early life and activism; his experience of the Poor People’s Campaign in 1968; and his career as a theater educator and radio host in Baltimore.

Steiner begins the interview by discussing his upbring and family life in Baltimore. Through this discussion, Steiner reflects on the experiences and relationships that both activated his racial consciousness and led him become involved in Civil Rights Movement. Steiner also speaks about the influence of his time at the Stockbridge School, an alternative school in Massachusetts that was both international and multiracial. Steiner then talks about how he became involved with the Young Patriots and turns to a discussion of his experience at Resurrection City during the Poor People’s Campaign.

Steiner then speaks about his life and career in Baltimore after the Poor People’s Campaign. He discusses his passion for theater and talks about his work with a diversion program that exposed young people to acting as well as a theater program for incarcerated youth. He also discusses his years as a theater teacher before going on to talk about his career in radio. Steiner concludes the interview by discussing some of his future projects and by reflecting on the current political moment.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: August 2, 2017
• Created by: National Museum of African American History and Culture, American, founded 2003
• Interview of: Marc B. Steiner, American, born 1946
• Interviewed by: Kelly Elaine Navies, American
• Recorded by: Kim Moir, American
• Subject of: Poor People's Campaign, American, 1967 - 1968
• Subject of: Gloria St. Clair Hayes Richardson, American, 1922 - 2021
• Subject of: Boy Scouts of America, American, founded 1910
• Subject of: Young Patriots Organization, American, 1968 - 1973
• Type: video recordings
• Type: oral histories
• Type: digital media - born digital
• Medium: digital
• Dimensions: Duration: 01:39:20
• Dimensions: 22.24 GB
• Place collected: Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America
• Place depicted: Baltimore, Maryland, United States, North and Central America
• Place depicted: Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Activism
• Topic: Black power
• Topic: Civil Rights
• Topic: Humanitarianism
• Topic: Justice
• Topic: Labor
• Topic: Politics
• Object number: 2018.78.2.1
• 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.