Interview with Kevin Staton
InterviewerInterviewed by
Felicia Pilewski
Date2022 December 12
Mediumborn digital audio file
DimensionsDuration: 1 Hour, 8 Minutes, 38 Seconds
ClassificationsInformation Artifacts
Credit LineCommunity History Project Collection
Object number2022.20.53
DescriptionInterview with Kevin Staton. Interviewed by Felicia Pilewski on December 12, 2022 at the Woodbridge Town Library in Woodbridge, Connecticut. He was interviewed as part of the Connecticut Historical Society's Community History Project discussing his experience during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
At the time of the interview Kevin was a library media specialist. He first heard about Covid around Christmas 2019 while working in schools.
Kevin recalls worrying about his mother in a convalescent home in spring of 2020, as well as having to work remotely after being at a new job for less than one month. The first disruption to his life was when he met with his doctor to go over plans because he is immunocompromised, which included writing a will.
Kevin shares a funny story about shopping for Lysol at Walmart early in the pandemic.
As of the time of the interview Kevin had not had covid himself. He said he will probably always wear a mask. Kevin was able to get his vaccine through work. He agreed with vaccine and mask mandates. He shared a story of friends in Sierra Leone, West Africa who could not understand why people in America would not receive the vaccine even though there was more than enough for them.
Kevin tried to disconnect from the internet and to mainly use it for work purposes. Instead, he went hiking with a friend. He enjoyed working from home because there were no microaggressions toward him, though he was busy and worked with teachers in two schools.
Kevin draws parallels between the Black Lives Matter movement and events in the 1980s and 1990s. He also ties it back to how it has affected schools. He shares his experiences with police officers as an African American.
He feels that older Democrats need to train the next generation of Democratic politicians and pass the torch rather than continuing to work until they can’t anymore.
Kevin described the January 6th, 2021 insurrection at the United States Capitol as “the most rampant display of white privilege I've ever seen in my life.”
When asked to describe the pandemic in one word, Kevin chose “devastating.” His advice to people experiencing future pandemics is to “trust the science and get as much medical information as you can.”
NotesSubject Note: The Connecticut Historical Society’s Community History Project (CHP) is a public-facing initiative, focused on contemporary collecting, gathering items of the recent past as well as from events happening today. This program developed community historians to identify, document, and preserve their experiences as residents of Connecticut, and to share these experiences during a series of community presentations. The project focused on the impact of Covid-19 on Connecticans, particularly on Black and Brown communities, funeral homes, and on nursing home and elder care populations.At the time of the interview Kevin was a library media specialist. He first heard about Covid around Christmas 2019 while working in schools.
Kevin recalls worrying about his mother in a convalescent home in spring of 2020, as well as having to work remotely after being at a new job for less than one month. The first disruption to his life was when he met with his doctor to go over plans because he is immunocompromised, which included writing a will.
Kevin shares a funny story about shopping for Lysol at Walmart early in the pandemic.
As of the time of the interview Kevin had not had covid himself. He said he will probably always wear a mask. Kevin was able to get his vaccine through work. He agreed with vaccine and mask mandates. He shared a story of friends in Sierra Leone, West Africa who could not understand why people in America would not receive the vaccine even though there was more than enough for them.
Kevin tried to disconnect from the internet and to mainly use it for work purposes. Instead, he went hiking with a friend. He enjoyed working from home because there were no microaggressions toward him, though he was busy and worked with teachers in two schools.
Kevin draws parallels between the Black Lives Matter movement and events in the 1980s and 1990s. He also ties it back to how it has affected schools. He shares his experiences with police officers as an African American.
He feels that older Democrats need to train the next generation of Democratic politicians and pass the torch rather than continuing to work until they can’t anymore.
Kevin described the January 6th, 2021 insurrection at the United States Capitol as “the most rampant display of white privilege I've ever seen in my life.”
When asked to describe the pandemic in one word, Kevin chose “devastating.” His advice to people experiencing future pandemics is to “trust the science and get as much medical information as you can.”
Cataloging Note: This cataloging project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services MA-249472-OMS-21.
Status
Not on view
2023 April 5
2022 February 26
2022 June 8
2023 March 10
2022 December 13
2022 November 9
