Interview with Davida Foy Crabtree
IntervieweeInterview with
Davida Foy Crabtree
InterviewerInterviewed by
Erica Dewey
Date23 October 2024
Mediumborn digital audio file
DimensionsDuration: 36 Minutes, 47 Seconds
ClassificationsInformation Artifacts
Credit LineCommunity History Project Collection
DescriptionAudio file of interview with Davida Foy Crabtree. She was interviewed by Erica Dewey on 23 October 2024 in Bloomfield, Connecticut.
Davida was interviewed as part of the Connecticut Museum of Culture and History's Community History Project discussing moments of change in her life.
Davida described change as more justice and inclusion for all people, and through this lens, she discussed her moments of change. She mentioned throughout the interview how the oppression she faced in pursuing her call as a minister ultimately made her more self-confident and determined.
Recalling her first moment of change, Davida spoke about returning to school after a summer church camp at Silver Lake (Sharon, CT) and being laughed at by her peers and teacher when she shared her desire to be a minister. They told her girls could not be ministers, but that only motivated Davida more to pursue her passion. Her parents also provided unconditional support for Davida’s desire to be a minister, which helped her overcome the challenges she faced. Despite opposition, Davida eventually presented her paper to become an ordained minister and took the opportunity to defend the Women's Liberation Movement (as it was known then).
Another moment of change occurred after Davida founded the Prudence Crandall Center in New Britain, Connecticut. A woman came to her for help, explaining she was a victim of “wife beating.” Davida recognized the magnitude of the situation and immediately started raising awareness of domestic violence.
The last moment of change she talked about was her role at the United Church of Christ when a big donor adamantly opposed gay marriage. Davida spoke up to parishioners and explained that the church needed to “support a community of people that were so under duress all the time,” changing people’s viewpoints.
In addition, Davida mentioned one of her most recent roles in the Third Act organization as the founder of the Connecticut chapter. The Third Act is a group of Americans 60 and older. They advocate for climate change and democracy, focusing on relational organizing to maximize strengths.
Davida emphasized that through her various work in the community, instead of seeing suffering and judging it or “blaming the victim,” she has always turned toward it to understand people’s experiences. Based on her life experiences, the biggest lesson she has learned is to value and maintain integrity regardless of the work you do.
Davida was interviewed as part of the Connecticut Museum of Culture and History's Community History Project discussing moments of change in her life.
Davida described change as more justice and inclusion for all people, and through this lens, she discussed her moments of change. She mentioned throughout the interview how the oppression she faced in pursuing her call as a minister ultimately made her more self-confident and determined.
Recalling her first moment of change, Davida spoke about returning to school after a summer church camp at Silver Lake (Sharon, CT) and being laughed at by her peers and teacher when she shared her desire to be a minister. They told her girls could not be ministers, but that only motivated Davida more to pursue her passion. Her parents also provided unconditional support for Davida’s desire to be a minister, which helped her overcome the challenges she faced. Despite opposition, Davida eventually presented her paper to become an ordained minister and took the opportunity to defend the Women's Liberation Movement (as it was known then).
Another moment of change occurred after Davida founded the Prudence Crandall Center in New Britain, Connecticut. A woman came to her for help, explaining she was a victim of “wife beating.” Davida recognized the magnitude of the situation and immediately started raising awareness of domestic violence.
The last moment of change she talked about was her role at the United Church of Christ when a big donor adamantly opposed gay marriage. Davida spoke up to parishioners and explained that the church needed to “support a community of people that were so under duress all the time,” changing people’s viewpoints.
In addition, Davida mentioned one of her most recent roles in the Third Act organization as the founder of the Connecticut chapter. The Third Act is a group of Americans 60 and older. They advocate for climate change and democracy, focusing on relational organizing to maximize strengths.
Davida emphasized that through her various work in the community, instead of seeing suffering and judging it or “blaming the victim,” she has always turned toward it to understand people’s experiences. Based on her life experiences, the biggest lesson she has learned is to value and maintain integrity regardless of the work you do.
Object number2024.79.3
NotesSubject Note: The Connecticut Museum of Culture and History’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 theme "Redefining Moments of Change." Conneticans share stories of people or events who have changed their lives or how they have sparked change in the lives of others.Cataloging Note: Digitization and access to this collection is supported by a Congressionally Directed grant through the U.S. Department of Education.
Subject Terms
- Bloomfield
- Oral history
- Interviews
- Oral narratives
- Women
- White people
- Clergy
- Clergy
- Oppression
- God
- Feminism
- Victims of domestic violence and abuse
- Integrity
- Climate change
- Democracy
- Community
- Gay people
- LGBTQIA+ people
- Third Act
- Prudence Crandall Center (New Britain, Conn.)
- Women's shelters
- United Church of Christ (UCC)
- Religion
- Christianity
- Activism and advocacy
- Lesbians
- Environmental protection and preservation
- Interviews and Oral Histories
- Born Digital Audio
- Community History Project U.S. Department of Education grant
- Redefining Moments of Change Collection
On View
Not on view
