Scranton Stories Booklet

About This Oral History Project

The “Scranton Stories” oral history initiative is part of the broader Scranton’s Story, Our Nation’s Story project, which explored themes of history, belonging, and identity through a multi-year series of humanities-based programs. The oral histories and accompanying portrait photographs comprise a collection of 25 interview videos of 33 individuals giving voice to a broad array of Scranton experiences that connect our city to our nation’s ongoing story, in anticipation of the 250th anniversary of the United States.

Partners & Funders

“Scranton Stories” oral history initiative is a project of The University of Scranton and these community partners: Black Scranton Project, Lackawanna County Arts and Culture Department, Lackawanna Historical Society, Lackawanna County Immigrant Inclusion Committee, Neighborworks Northeastern Pennsylvania, and the Scranton Public Library.

This project is funded in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy demands wisdom. Additional support is provided by the Scranton Area Community Foundation and the Lackawanna Heritage Valley.

Production & Creative Team

Interview Portrait Photography: Byron Maldonado

Interview Videography: Posture Interactive

Original Song “Life Stories”: Clarence Spady, Andy “Babe” Pace, William “Wes” Weller

Interview Abstracts Thanks to: Tyler Brady

Historic Photos Courtesy of: Lackawanna Historical Society, Black Scranton Project & Interviewees

Project Director: Julie Schumacher Cohen

Oral Histories Coordinator: Kimberly Crafton

Interviews Conducted by: Julie Schumacher Cohen, Kimberly Crafton, Glynis Johns, Carolyn Bonacci, Alejandra Marroquin, Sheli Pratt-McHugh

Interviews Edited by: Julie Schumacher Cohen, Kimberly Crafton, Glynis Johns, Alejandra Marroquin

Special Thanks to “Scranton Stories”

Oral History Committee Members: Carolyn Bonacci, Tyler Brady, Colleen Farry, Jenny Gonzalez Monge, Gerard Hetman, Glynis Johns, Aiala Levy Ph.D., Alejandra Marroquin, Maureen McGuigan, Jessica Nolan Ph.D., Kimberly Pavlick Ph.D., Sarah Piccini, Sheli Pratt-McHugh, Mary Ann Savakinus, Scott Thomas.

LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR

Julie Schumacher Cohen

Project Director, The University of Scranton

A few years ago, I noticed the proliferation of marigold flowers around my Hill Section neighborhood. I would later find out that these were planted by Bhutanese neighbors for use in their cultural and religious festivals. The flowers stood out in their bright yellow and orange hues, but they were even more notably purveyors of traditions steeped in family, community, and place. It started me thinking about what other Scranton stories were announcing themselves but not being heard or amplified.

Fast forward to the summer of 2021 when we received the good news that the National Endowment for the Humanities had granted The University of Scranton and a coalition of community partners funds for the Scranton’s Story, Our Nation’s Story project, an initiative that would highlight themes of history, identity, democracy, community, and belonging, and culminate in an oral history collection.

In a particular way, we partnered with those already doing this work. The Black Scranton Project was actively cataloging and sharing the city’s longstanding African American history. Leaders in the Latino immigrant and global refugee communities were sharing their stories. The Lackawanna Historical Society, as the keeper of so many local tales and narratives, was poised to add more and fill gaps. Scranton’s story, like our national story, was incomplete, but we had the tools and will to make progress.

Through these 25 oral histories of 33 individuals, we have sought to update and expand the story of Scranton, to honor longstanding community heritage and to bring into focus underrepresented and undertold stories and histories in order to stitch together a more full local and national narrative.

During each interview we asked a few key questions. “What brought you to Scranton and what kept you here? What are your hopes for Scranton and for the nation, especially given the upcoming 250th anniversary of the United States?” The act of reflecting on one’s own life, on one’s community and country is itself an act of hope, a willingness to look back honestly and to look toward tomorrow with a sense of what more is possible. Each interviewee took up this task with vulnerability and grace. No one shied away from talking about hard issues – racism, bigotry, poverty, exclusion – and yet they each in their own way expressed an abiding affection for this place we all call home – its cultures, its kindness, its authenticity. In that way, the oral history project provides a guidebook for what it means to both love our community and our nation and to challenge it, to keep forming that “more perfect union,” by doing the work of participating and caring, listening and learning, finding joy, and making space for complicated and nuanced conversations. This is the kind of engagement that can help make our communities and democracy thrive.

LETTER FROM THE COORDINATOR

Kimberly Crafton

Oral

Histories Project Coordinator, Crafton Cultural Managment

The desire to be heard, to be seen – these are core elements of feeling safe and valued in a community. It is another thing altogether to have the courage to come forward in a public forum to speak one’s own story, to expose one’s true thoughts. My deepest admiration and gratitude go to each one of the participants in this project.

Each element you shared in your “Scranton Stories,” both the uplifting and the painful, served to enlighten us all. We have laughed with you and cried with you, finding our minds expanded and our hearts more connected than we knew. Through your personal experiences, we learned so much about who we broadly are as a community that is continuing to unfold. Through your shared hopes for our nation, we delved deeper into our own beliefs about what it means to be a citizen of the United States – revisiting core ideals of our inalienable rights and our social responsibilities, both individual and collective.

Thank you to the National Endowment for the Humanities, The University of Scranton, and to everyone who involved themselves in exploring our “Scranton Stories.” May your resolution to speak and your wisdom to listen encourage others around the country to share their own narratives and tune in to the experiences of others. What is found may surprise us all, and may spark us to rededicate ourselves to working together toward a more perfect union.

SPECIAL THANKS

To Sondra Myers

For A Lifetime of Dedication to Her Community and to Democracy

Sondra Myers, former Director of the University of Scanton’s Schemel Forum, is a longtime local and national leader in civic engagement and we are grateful for her support of the Scranton’s Story, Our Nation’s Story project, including supporting the design and printing of this booklet through The Gelb Foundation Fund. In a recent essay in the Scranton Anthology: Currents in the Electric City, Sondra shared her work of “bringing the world to Scranton” and finding in it the value of diversity, quality arts education, the assets of its people and its institutions – a “place of possibilities.”

FORCED REMOVAL: HISTORY & HOMECOMING

The “Scranton Stories” oral histories are not exhaustive. Due to the realities of forced removal and cultural erasure of original Indigenous inhabitants of this area, including the Lenape, Munsee, Susquehannocks, and Shawnee, the oral histories do not feature an Indigenous participant. Instead, we encourage you to watch the November 2022 keynote lecture delivered by Curtis Zunigha(Delaware Tribe/Lenape Center), which is excerpted below and available via the QR code provided. Curtis’ informative talk provides a more in-depth look at the local and national impacts of displacement and colonialism.

“I’ve been coming back to the homeland for 25 or 30 years. With all of that history, being pushed westward with each succeeding generation, in this horrible atmosphere of war and domination, you can imagine children, mothers, elders holding on for survival, carrying with them what’s happening in their lives as each mile goes along, to each new border, to each relocation. As each forced removal occurs, it creates a trauma. You can imagine – think what the people of Ukraine are going through, when their cities are getting bombed and their children are getting killed. That’s what we went through, and they carry with them this collective, generational, and historic trauma. And it becomes manifested in our health conditions today. We’ve got a lot of mental health stuff we still have to work out, and oftentimes, that becomes manifested in our physical health and physical behaviors. A lot of people, it’s easier to medicate your anxiety, your depression, your fear with drugs, alcohol, whatever the case may be.

And yet, when I head back to the east, when I come back to the homeland, when I stand at the banks of the rivers, when I look up at the mountains, I call it blood memory. The scientists say it’s your DNA, it’s deep inside you. Now, instead of being this orphan displaced from my mother, the homeland, I come back after centuries and I stand on the banks of the river in my own homeland. I take out my tobacco, I offer a little thanks and a prayer that I’m back. Thank you, Creator, I’m back. Because it stimulates that blood memory and that DNA, and it helps soothe the pain of generational and historic trauma, when I come back to the homeland and engage in these practices of reconnecting with the land, the water, the mountains. It’s like my mother has put her arms around me and welcomed me back. It’s a spiritual connection.”

— Curtis Zunigha, Enrolled member of the Delaware Tribe in Oklahoma and Co-Director of Lenape Center in New York.

Listen to Curtis’ Full Talk

SCRANTON STORIES LAUNCH - OCTOBER 2023

Panel Discussion and Photo Exhibition

Scranton’s Story, Our Nation’s Story, a multi-year, multi-faceted community conversation project led by The University of Scranton between 2021 and 2023, concluded with an ambitious Oral Histories component called Scranton Stories, 25 personal interviews conducted with a broad range of people who have lived and/or worked in the city. Their excerpted “stories” provide a snapshot of life in Scranton – one city in a nation nearing its 250th anniversary.

Scranton Stories features life-long residents whose family histories include waves of immigration in previous generations or as part of a longstanding African-American community, and it features the stories of those with more recent migration stories. While it is not an exhaustive cross-section of Scrantonians, it gives equal voice to the personal experiences and thoughtful conversations of those interviewed.

A portrait photograph of each person interviewed was taken by photographer Byron Maldonado. The exhibition of Scranton’s Story Oral History Portrait Photographs accompanied the public launch of the Scranton Stories interviews on October 27, 2023, at The University of Scranton’s Hope Horn Gallery. Special thanks to Darlene Miller-Lanning, Ph.D., director of the Hope Horn Gallery, for her experience and leadership in this process.

This book features Byron’s wonderful portraits and a link to each of the Scranton Stories – along with a synopsis of each video and quotes from the interviewees. Enjoy these glimpses into our city and our nation at this moment in history. We know you’ll appreciate meeting these 33 brave Scrantonians who graciously shared their life experiences and hopes for the future. May their courage spark you to delve more deeply into your own thoughts about these topics – and to glean hope, empathy, and inspiration from the shared experiences of others.

FAROUK ABEDRABBO

n an exploratory excursion from Paterson, New Jersey, where he lived and worked, Farouk Abedrabbo fell in love with the small-town charm that proliferated across neighboring Pennsylvania. He then moved to and ran a successful business in Stroudsburg for many years. Later, seeking a farm for his animal-loving wife brought him to the Scranton area, where they relocated. Farouk became President of the Islamic Center of Scranton that serves Muslim populations from many different countries and is a venue for multicultural and interfaith gatherings. The Center values deeply the good relationships they have with their neighbors and enjoys opportunities to bring people together to learn about one another, to share food and resources, and to engage in cross-cultural discussions. A Palestinian who fled his hometown of Jerusalem in 1967 after the Six-Day War, Farouk hopes that the accepting and diverse community he has found in Scranton, and more broadly across the United States, can serve as an example for better social relations in the Middle East, and globally.

OWe live once. We should be kind to one another…We’re all God’s children, we’re all God’s creation. If we learn to live with each other in peace, that is the best thing we could do.

We do have many, many people and nations [at the Islamic Center]. We have people from Iraq, we have people from Afghanistan, all these refugees, Syrian refugees, Palestinian. We have Egyptians, we have Africans. We have all nations from all over…a good community, very strong and very helpful.

Everyone knows and respects the United States, because [it’s the] United States. Not Divided States.

— Farouk Abedrabbo

Watch Farouk’s excerpted interview

Reason for selecting location: The Islamic Center of Scranton is the community mosque where I currently serve as President.

PHOTOGRAPHED AT: Islamic Center of Scranton

ANA BECERRIL & MARIA LUNA

riven by a desire to be reunited with her mother who had come to the U.S. a couple years earlier, Ana Becerril and her brother embarked on a long and difficult journey from Mexico through the desert and crossed the border as undocumented immigrants. After being reunited, the family finally settled in Scranton, where Ana has since been building a new life and feels Scranton to be her second home. Maria Luna, Ana’s younger sister, was born in the U.S., and after moving back and forth between New York and New Jersey, grew up in Scranton. She recalls struggling in school due to being the only English speaker in her home but appreciates the help of her sister Ana and her teachers, especially one mentor, Mr. Garvey. While she was born in the U.S., Maria feels Mexican due to her familial and cultural roots and is grateful for the efforts her family made to make life in the USA possible for her. Maria hopes for a safer, more peaceful future in the United States with less gun violence and is excited for her sister Ana, who recently received her U.S. work permit.

DFROM LEFT, MARIA LUNA & ANA BECERILL PHOTOGRAPHED AT : McDade Park

— ANA BECERRIL

Reason for selecting location: McDade Park is really important for my family because my sister and son were practically born there. It was the place for family reunions because of its beauty and access for the kids with activities. Now, it is a very important place because my mom has moved to Mexico, and we like to remember when she was here.

I arrived from Mexico as an immigrant in 2004 and [my mother] had already been here for two years…I came with my brother; we crossed [undocumented] that year and the journey was difficult. It took about a week. We spent so much time in the desert…what I wanted was to be with my mother.

I am from Scranton, although I am very deep-rooted in my own [Mexican] nationality. [At] the church… I met many other people from Latin America and they are now almost like part of my family. One wish I have for this city is for it to go back to being the same as it was before, for the people who used to live here and have left.

[My hope for the U.S. is] that it be a better place for our children, a better place for those who come and those who come later, that it continues to be a country full of opportunities as it has been for me.

MARIA LUNA

Reason for selecting location: McDade Park has always been a big part of my childhood with gatherings of all of my siblings, cousins, aunts and uncles, and friends. It was also a place where I would have life lessons, like learning to drive. McDade Park has filled my heart with joy, love, and memories.

It was kind of hard for me to grow up here. I was surrounded by just Spanish speaking people. So going to school was much more difficult for me, and trying to understand my classmates, my teachers and getting bad grades and my sister [Ana] helping me – I love her for that. [I] had a lot of teachers that helped me out…One teacher, his name was Mr. Garvey…was there through everything.

I was born here and I consider myself an American, but just, I’m still Mexican…I’m very proud of what [my parents have] done for me and their kids, the way they had to sacrifice everything to come over here.

I had just seen that there was a recent shooting at a graduation…and it’s hard to know that with celebrating graduations and being with your family…that you’re not safe…But I feel like if we make this a safe place, safe and [at] peace and with love…we could all do that and be a family all together, just to make it a better place.

Watch Ana & Maria’s excerpted interview

C CARMEN CASTILLO

armen Castillo’s work with the National Book Company brought her to Scranton when she sought to escape the noise of New York where she lived after being raised in Puerto Rico. In Scranton, she found a quiet and hospitable community in which to raise her family, and quickly got involved with church and local volunteerism programs. When Carmen first arrived in Scranton, she could not find many restaurants that carried Hispanic cuisine, grocery stores with ingredients familiar to her, or a Catholic Mass in Spanish. Now, after years of diversification, she is hopeful that newcomers will not have to experience the hardship of being called “others.” In her community, Carmen has found neighbors willing to help her at all hours because of the generosity of her late son, who himself had helped them whenever they needed. The spirit of reciprocity and acceptance she has found here is one she hopes to provide to any immigrant she comes across, with whom she finds much to identify - even though, as a Puerto Rican, she is quick to help educate people that the United States is her country of birth, since Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory.

PHOTOGRAPHED AT : HER HOME

[On Puerto Rico being a U.S. territory] Thank you! A lot of people don’t know! “Go back to your country!” What country? This is my country! That’s what I say to them. This is my country.

I always feel comfortable, but now that I have more diversity I feel much, much better… that nobody has to go through any hardships because you are “others.” That’s what they call us, “others.”

This is an immigrant country. Everybody comes from other countries and, and I hope that we can accept each other and try to be together and help the people that are just coming… because when I see somebody coming from another country, I can see myself – that you have to start all over. And we should have more help for them.

— Carmen Castillo

Watch Carmen’s excerpted interview

Reason for selecting location: From Puerto Rico to New York City to Scranton. I came to this area in the late 1980’s for work in publishing and to raise my boys and in 1994 bought my first home in Dunmore where I continue to reside

A BILL COCKERILL

s a youth, Bill Cockerill would listen to his father speak at the dinner table about the myriad union meetings he had to attend as a business agent for the International Association of Machinists. Today, as a 49-year member of the Stagehand and Projectionists Union, Bill has his own network of local union representatives that keep him heavily involved in local labor causes. He serves as labor liaison at the United Way and on the Board of Agency for Community Empowerment (ACE) which runs Head Start programs, where hundreds of local children are provided meals. Through his work at the Scranton Cultural Center, he has met celebrities like Barbara Eden, Barry Bostwick, and Ted Kennedy. Bill is proud of Scranton’s nationally important role in the field of theatre, starting in the early vaudeville days. He acknowledges the importance that both Scranton and the local labor movement have played in U.S. history and hopes to see future generations benefit by ensuring that social programs for children and the elderly are consistently well-funded.

PHOTOGRAPHED AT : SCRANTON CULTURAL CENTER AT THE MASONIC

TEMPLE

We have a lot of history here…we have added to the economy of the United States more than you can realize.

The concerns of Scranton are the concerns of whether you’re in Texas or you’re in Washington State or Minnesota. Make sure we have funding to help the elderly. Make sure we have funding to help the children in Head Start.

It goes back to Lyndon Johnson’s “Great Society.” That’s where it started. He had this vision, and 60 years later, we are still trying to provide for his vision of a “Great Society” for the U.S.

— Bill Cockerill

Watch Bill’s excerpted interview

Reason for selecting location: I’ve worked shows at the Scranton Cultural Center for 40 years. This theatre, along with movie houses, provided a family sustaining job for me and led to my employment at the United Way due to Labor’s partnership.

MAUREEN DUFFY

Maureen Duffy was born into a large, happy Irish Catholic family in West Scranton where her family traditions of hospitality provided life lessons about making others feel welcome. Growing up, she and her eight siblings would visit a family member in a nursing home, and her mother would send the children to visit with residents who had no visitors. This experience would propel Maureen into not only a life of service, but of endless social curiosity.

A long-time Scranton business owner who is also active in promoting the local art scene, she goes out of her way to interact with anyone she comes across, especially those who may come from different backgrounds, in her community volunteer work and her job at the Scranton Housing Authority. She believes that Americans need to open themselves up to experiences and perspectives different from their own so that we can learn about one another in order to come together.

PHOTOGRAPHED AT : SCRANTON PUBLIC LIBRARY

I made it my mission to go meet people who were different than me. I didn’t want to see the same people, and sometimes now I see a lot of people who just want to stay with their clique, and I’m like “No, if I see someone who looks a little different, I’m going right over there!” It works for me. It’s important to me – to make people feel welcome and seen.

I want to be the change of what I want to see in the area I want to live.

I always said, “The reason why I live in Scranton is the people. It’s not the weather, not the beautiful roads… it’s the people!”

— Maureen Duffy

Watch Maureen’s excerpted interview

Reason for selecting location: The Albright Memorial Library (Scranton Public Library) has been my personal favorite architectural cultural hub since I was a little girl. A kind staff and an institution dedicated to strengthening communities. It serves to consciously connect and uplift one’s soul, allows you to deliberately pause and feed your mind.

REFLECTIONS ON “SCRANTON STORIES”

Scott Thomas Chief Executive Officer, Scranton Public Library

If the name “Hitchcock” is mentioned to any of us with an interest in local history, we immediately know it refers to a venerable treatise called The History of Scranton and Its People by Frederick L. Hitchcock published in 1914. The people who are profiled in the book were industrial, religious, business, and governmental leaders, all accomplished and worthy of remembrance, and all male and white. The challenge is gathering the stories of those who contributed to the region but were not within earshot of Hitchcock and other historians. This works in two ways. There are the stories of those who were here all along but were voiceless and newer voices that have enabled us to expand from talking primarily about post-industrial decline to now also starting to celebrate our community for its growing diversity. Scranton Stories is the first, and hopefully not the last, attempt to capture these voices.

“What are Your Hopes for the Nation? A Scranton Conversation” community dialogue in September 2024 at the Scranton Public Library.

“Meet and Greet” in April 2024 during the Scranton Stories exhibition at the Weinberg Memorial Library.

DOREEN WOODYATT FAZZI & KITTY JENKINS PUROSKY

oreen Woodyatt Fazzi first crossed paths with Kitty Jenkins Purosky when their churches merged. Originally, First Baptist Church was the Welsh church where Doreen’s family had attended services in English, while Kitty’s First Welsh Baptist Church worshiped in their native Welsh language (Kitty came to Scranton from Wales after World War II as a “G.I. Bride”). From that merging of their churches, the two have built a friendship spanning decades, built upon the foundations of ardent cultural memory, a shared sense of identity, and the joys of community involvement. Currently, the church they met in and to which they dedicated years of their lives has transitioned to serve a more racially and culturally diverse community. They both welcome that change while continuing to preserve their own treasured heritage. They each hope that, going forward, both Scranton and the United States ensure that education is prioritized, supported, expanded, and improved upon for future generations.

D

FROM LEFT, DOREEN WOODYATT FAZZI & KITTY JENKINS PUROSKY PHOTOGRAPHED AT: UNITED BAPTIST CHURCH

DOREEN WOODYATT FAZZI

Reason for selecting location: United Baptist Church (formerly First Welsh Baptist Church) in West Side is where I learned so much of my Welsh heritage. Singing in “Gymanfa Ganus” and making Welsh cookies are favorite memories.

[The Welsh] get forgotten a lot. My grandson…he’s six. And he said, “Nana, you talk about Wales an awful lot.” I said, “Because I want you to remember as much as I can remember, and always appreciate it, and not have it get lost.”

It used to be…basically a Welsh church. Our church now has a Puerto Rican pastor, and his wife is also Puerto Rican. And the children’s group that we have is made up of Puerto Rican kids, Black kids, and my white grandchildren. I welcome it. I love it.

I just don’t want our heritage to be forgotten, which is why we did this. It’s important to me.

KITTY JENKINS PUROSKY

Reason for selecting location: United Baptist Church is one of my favorite places where I spent most of my time for 70+ years when I was able to attend church. I loved every moment.

I came over on the Queen Mary with thousands of other…“G.I. Brides,” they called us. And I remember sailing up the Hudson and past the Statue of Liberty and watching all the cars come down the Henry Hudson Parkway…My husband was meeting me at Pier 90 in New York, and that was the beginning of my life here in America.

I would hope that our young people get to know more about the cultures… of the different people that are coming here. And I hope that for the city of Scranton, that the education is really as good as it can possibly be

Watch Doreen & Kitty’s excerpted interview

CATHY ANN HARDAWAY

athy Ann Hardaway’s parents, a Black man whose family settled here in the early 1800’s and a white woman whose Welsh immigrant family arrived in the late 1800’s, met during a time in the 1900’s when there were beliefs held by the community and their respective families that their inter-racial marriage was wrong. Despite this, they married and raised a family in the home they owned in Center City, where Cathy recalls the rich sense of community growing up. Life changed in the 1960’s when her father died and, shortly thereafter, the Scranton Redevelopment Authority (SRA) demolished their home and neighborhood, as part of national urban renewal efforts. Cathy sees this “redevelopment” as fundamentally destructive to a community she treasured in what had been a diverse, predominantly African American neighborhood and questions why specifically that area was eliminated. As a longtime community leader, Cathy feels a sense of belonging in Scranton but has also had that called into question at times because of the color of her skin. She is hopeful that, with education and because of the struggles they’ve faced, the youth of today will guide us to a kinder future.

CPHOTOGRAPHED AT : BETHEL A.M.E. CHURCH (AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL)

Reason for selecting location: Bethel AME Church is my family church. My parents were married here, I was christened here and attended as a child. Church is and was the foundation and focus of Scranton’s Black community.

Those of you who know Scranton now don’t know the [Center City] neighborhood I knew as a young girl, because they had “redevelopment”… We were homeowners and in America, home ownership is a big, big deal. And I felt that was taken away from us…Why that neighborhood? Why those blocks between Vine Street and Pine…and North Washington…how was that chosen?

At times people make me feel like I don’t belong and… my family’s been here since the 1800’s, maybe longer than their family. How dare you…think I don’t belong here? What I do think, from time to time, there’s fear in what it is that America’s going to look like.

I am so very comfortable as a Black woman to be here, and to be a leader in the community, to be respected by the community, and to be known by the community… My prayer is always for these young folks that…because of the struggle they had, will treat people differently, will treat people well.

— Cathy Ann Hardaway

Watch Cathy Ann’s excerpted interview

NORMA JEFFRIES

Norma Jeffries’ father came to Scranton to work in the coal mines, but was soon injured and had to seek other employment. She grew up on Kressler Court in a large family in a neighborhood which was the center of Scranton’s Black community at the time. Her home, and the neighborhood, was demolished during the Center City Housing Redevelopment, which Norma felt was necessary due to the unhealthy living conditions she remembers, though her family was not assisted with securing a new home and had to move. She recalled fondly the community of her youth and the sense of belonging before redevelopment. After raising her family and having a successful career elsewhere, Norma returned to Scranton where she became a regular attendee at City Council meetings and an advocate for many things, including a campaign to replace missing or worn street signs. When she is disappointed by something in the city, Norma always asks herself, “What can I do?” She hopes for a future for Scranton and the nation where people of color have a place at the table, are well-represented and included, and are able to achieve their aspirations.

PHOTOGRAPHED AT : DAVID WENZEL TREEHOUSE, NAY AUG PARK

The Progressive Center was our outlet. That’s where we went, that’s where I went to Brownies, and that’s where I went to Girl Scouts...I think I’ve always had a sense of belonging because of The Progressive Center…When I pass it now, I get a sense of “Oh, what happened?” But I also know that what was yesterday cannot be today. What worked yesterday doesn’t necessarily work today.

I think we all want diversity…we all want to be represented at the table.

My perspective on Scranton right now, sometimes I get a little disappointed... I get disappointed when I see who benefits from what... and so when things disappoint me about Scranton, I try to think, “What can I do?”

— Norma Jeffries

Watch Norma’s excerpted interview

Reason for selecting location: As a child, my sisters and I came to Nay Aug Park many times. I am always grateful that I experienced those early days and realize how much I have been blessed. The Gorge, where else can you find such beauty? From the David Wenzel Tree House, I love looking down at the water rushing along and reflect that not everyone may have the same opportunity to enjoy this park. Today is a gift, enjoy it!

SISTER DONNA MARIE KORBA, IHM

In her youth, Sister Donna Marie Korba, IHM, loved visiting the halls of the Everhart Museum, remembering fondly the natural history and art exhibits, as well as Nay Aug Park. A “Diamond City Gal,” she moved to Marywood University in Scranton to join the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. After 12 years of living and working in Guatemala, she moved back to become the head of the IHM Sisters’ Office of Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation where she continues her life’s work of service, engaging with marginalized communities and with the natural world. She brings up difficult questions about whether vital social services and safety nets are missing the deeper justice questions about what each individual needs to achieve greater stability and independence. Additionally, she hopes for the reintegration of green spaces throughout the city, imploring people with the means to plant native species, even if only on their windowsill. She and the IHM Sisters model this work through their land restoration project and “Welcoming Space.”

PHOTOGRAPHED AT : THE WELCOMING SPACE AT MARYWOOD UNIVERSITY

When you really have a conversation and you look into someone’s eyes, you almost see your own reflection. But you realize that there’s something deeper than the body that’s in front of you, and you realize there’s a heart connection…That’s my dream, that some of these divisions might begin to break down.

Why are the same people who have been hungry 15 years ago still going for the safety net services? Why are they still hungry?…Something is missing…Safety nets are crucial…but I think we’re sometimes forgetting to ask the justice questions.

We know from history, we know from life, that whenever things are chaotic…something new is waiting to be born.

— Sister Donna Marie Korba, IHM

Watch Sister Donna’s excerpted interview

Reason for selecting location: This space at Marywood University is the home of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. It is also our commitment to “earth – our home.” We attempt to restore the land in order to welcome home native flora and fauna as well as our human neighbors.

BERNIE MCGURL

ow in the fifth generation of his family living in the United States since they immigrated from Ireland before the Potato Famine, Bernie McGurl fondly recalls swimming in Roaring Brook as a child. An early memory of the putrid odor coming off of the Lackawanna River ended up informing his life’s work. Bernie has, since his 20’s, dedicated himself to cleaning the river and restoring health to the ecosystem his family has long called home. Growing up exploring the Lackawanna Historical Society’s collections on Saturday afternoons with his dad, Bernie sees Scranton as a culturally rich part of the world, “a place to be from.” His involvement with the Lackawanna River Corridor Association has led him to understand that the love for the river extends far beyond himself, and he is hopeful that such community cohesiveness can bode well in overcoming the challenges we face as a nation – to retain our freedom, with all the rights and responsibilities that come with it.

NPHOTOGRAPHED AT : STATUE OF DANTE ALIGHIERI, NOW ON CAMPUS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SCRANTON

There’s a tremendous amount of our fellow citizens that love that river as much, or maybe even more than I do…The community has come about that on its own. I’ve only been lucky enough to be the spokesman or the cheerleader for that. WE did it.

“E. Pluribus Unum,” We The People, need to make it happen. We have rights, but we also have responsibilities…how do we attain what we’re responsible for, our freedom, and keep it.

— Bernie McGurl

Watch Bernie’s excerpted interview

Reason for selecting location: Encountering the Statue of Dante Alighieri in its original location in a small park between Platt Place and the Spruce Street Bridge circa 1953 is one of my earliest childhood recollections. That neighborhood once existed between the Scranton Mansion and the Lackawanna Railroad Station. Dante, and his statue, became a point of reference in my life as a child, a student, and an adult. We have both witnessed the changes in the landscapes of the City and the Lackawanna Valley. I have perhaps assumed with him a certain kind of mindfulness and sense of place as well as a sense of timelessness.

ALEX MOLFETAS

The house in Lake Ariel that served as a getaway for his Brooklyn-based family would be the first step in Alex Molfetas’ migration to Scranton. The Greek Orthodox Church that would serve as his personal emotional “center” within the city was located across the street from his now alma mater, Lackawanna College. Since his collegiate days, he has opened and operates a community-centered printing company on Penn Avenue with his business partner, Kurt, and has been heavily involved in the annual Greek Food Festival. Self-described as someone who hews to a middle line in politics, Alex observes that Scranton’s tumultuous local politics are unlike anything he’s ever seen. Alex’s family, church, and Greek heritage are a vital part of who he has become. He hopes for a more representative, less “this is the way we’ve always done it” political future for Scranton and the United States; rather, one that is more fair and responsive to the people.

PHOTOGRAPHED AT : THE TOP OF A DOWNTOWN PARKING GARAGE

The biggest challenge I think with any small business… there is no work-life balance. It’s a delicate dance, trying not to let down your family and trying not to let down your customer.

I feel [the coal miner mentality] is still instilled here. “You can’t take what we don’t have” and “this is how we’ve always done it.” And there’s just always this grim shadow and energy…from Scranton’s past…[yet] I know there’s light at the end of the tunnel. I feel good things here.

I think it is definitely a tumultuous time in the country where the two loudest people on either side of the horseshoe are consistently yelling at us, “Follow me, follow me, follow me,” where the American people just want fair and equitable things.

— Alex Molfetas

Watch Alex’s excerpted interview

Reason for selecting location: This is one of my favorite locations in Scranton as it is a somewhat bird’s eye view of old and new Scranton. It’s quite beautiful at night looking at all of the street lights and buildings lit up.

REFLECTIONS ON “SCRANTON STORIES”

Byron Maldonado

Portrait Photographer of Scranton Stories Interviewees

I continue to see the power of the stories that are told through the medium of a photograph. An image can capture a moment, express something about our humanity at that moment when words are not enough. I hope you enjoy some of the Scranton stories I helped to tell with my photographs of each interviewee. Working with this project allowed me to see the diversity of Scranton. Not only did I meet individuals whose families have deep roots here, I was also able to connect with people who had moved to Scranton and created positive change in the community.

Alejandra Marroquin

Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine

Scranton Stories has enriched the Scranton community by sharing the stories of a diverse group of people and has exposed stories that have not been heard, such as formerly incarcerated individuals, the history of Black people in Scranton, and non-European immigrants.

I was fascinated by the fact that every person saw Scranton as their home. Regardless of where they had lived before, they all wanted to make Scranton the best place for themselves, their families, and their loved ones. Whether it was many generations ago or in the past few years, they have roots in Scranton and when you have roots you belong.

I hope that Scranton continues to provide opportunities for everyone who chooses Scranton as their home. In a world where division, hatred, and anger seem to prevail, we have managed to create a community in our corner of the world by simply listening to each other’s personal stories. Through the act of listening, we have cultivated humility and compassion, and have come to see each other as fellow humans.

Launch of the fall 2023 exhibition at the University of Scranton’s Hope Horn Gallery.

ANA MONGE & JENNY GONZALEZ MONGE

A

na Monge came to Scranton from New York - after arriving first to Los Angeles from El Salvador - to find work, and to offer a better life to her daughter, Jenny. At that time, the young family was among the early wave of Scranton immigrants from Latin America. Lacking documents, Ana’s immigration status threatened their family unity on a daily basis. Her arrest by immigration agents at her beloved workplace, New York Pizza Kitchen (where Starbucks is now at the Marketplace at Steamtown), terrified the family, but eventually led Ana to procuring her citizenship with the help of the Catholic Social Services. Being bilingual and the oldest child, Jenny was responsible for translating conversations for her parents even at a young age. She recalls being called “a foreigner” due to her physical appearance in school, despite being a U.S. citizen born in New York. Both recount experiences of racism and hostility against them at times. While her parents worked, Jenny pursued an education and began a career in social services, choosing to stay in Scranton to raise her own daughter and to advocate for and with local immigrant communities.

FROM LEFT, ANA MONGE & JENNY GONZALEZ MONGE PHOTOGRAPHED AT: SITE OF FORMER “NEW YORK PIZZA KITCHEN” IN STEAMTOWN MALL (NOW STARBUCKS IN THE MARKETPLACE AT STEAMTOWN)

— ANA MONGE

Reason for selecting location: My job at “New York Pizza Kitchen” inside the Mall (now Marketplace) at Steamtown is why I stayed in Scranton when my daughter Jenny was a child. I had come to the United States from El Salvador, first to Los Angeles, then New York and eventually Scranton. I loved my job at this restaurant (where Starbucks is currently). It is also where ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) arrested me. Due to this arrest, I was able to eventually adjust my immigration status and become a U.S. citizen.

I came to Scranton… because of work…at the time we had our daughter and she was little. So I said “let’s try and see if there is a better place to raise our daughter.”

I cleaned the windows [at the Steamtown Mall] quickly early in the morning, because when the mall opened and the men who come to walk and exercise there would stare at us and say rude things to us: “Go to your country, we don’t want you here. We are not going to allow you to come and invade us here.”

Catholic Social Services is where I began processing my documents…I was able to get immigration status and now, thank God, I was also able to become a citizen also.

JENNY GONZALEZ MONGE

Reason for selecting location: My mother loved her job at “New York Pizza Kitchen” (where Starbucks in the Marketplace at Steamtown is currently). It is why we stayed in Scranton after we moved from New York City where I was born. It is also where ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) arrested her. Her arrest, while very scary for our family, is also what changed our lives forever for the better, creating a pathway for her to become a U.S. citizen and igniting my passion to advocate alongside local immigrant communities.

I started working for...Community Justice Project and that opened my eyes to see some of the social problems that existed in our community. And…I began to feel a deeper connection and practically a moral obligation to stay.

In the 90’s, my cousin Xóchitl and I were the first [Hispanic] students at Audubon Elementary. The teachers and principals...always told us, “Oh, what country are you from?”…I would say “I’m from New York” [where I was born] or “I’m growing up here.” I never knew how to answer that question.

To be American is an opportunity, a privilege. I believe that the American dream that many people seek still exists in different forms. You see a lot of things in the news that divide communities for political reasons, ideologies, etc. But at the end of the day, the only race that exists is the human race.

Watch Ana & Jenny’s excerpted interview

REFLECTIONS ON “SCRANTON STORIES”

Maureen McGuigan Deputy Director of Arts & Culture for Lackawanna County

The Scranton Stories project documented many stories that had not previously been preserved. Beyond just an oral history project, it created a tapestry of who we are as Scrantonians – our rich diversity of experiences that are rooted in this place. It demonstrated the uniqueness of people and communities, but also the similarities of experiences we share and that we have much to celebrate as a community. It captured nuances of stories that have already been told while giving voice to stories that have not been heard. In so doing, it enriched the concept of what it means to be from Scranton.

Stories are timeless in that they capture what is most human. They are treasured and utilized in many ways. This project will have a wide long-term appeal for residents with an interest in the history of their community, for scholars and cultural producers from the Scranton area and beyond, and for schools, libraries and many other people and organizations. It will become an important humanities resource, providing portraits and histories of individuals of a community during a certain time and place in the history of the United States.

My own hope is that Scranton will continue to celebrate its diversity and telling of stories, unearthing untold histories and bringing a community together for understanding that leads to deeper exploration, to see its past as something we celebrate and our future as something we build together.

This project is one of the most meaningful I have been involved with for the richness and depth that it gave to seeing the city through multiple viewpoints, histories and experiences and for preserving stories that reached back to our early history but also reflected a vibrant present and our potential. It brought together so many diverse people and reminded us how much we truly have in common.

Interactive Story Exchange and Writers Panel in collaboration with Narrative 4 at the Scranton Cultural Center, October 2022. Events throughout 2022-2023 laid the foundation for the oral history interviews conducted in 2023.

A ANN LEBOWITZ MONSKY

nn Lebowitz Monsky was born and raised in the Hill Section, nourished by a close-knit Jewish community amidst a multi-cultural, accepting neighborhood. Her mother’s volunteerism so inspired Ann that she felt destined for a similar life of service. The presence of Judaism within the community was stronger then than it is now. Nonetheless, Ann’s lifetime of work within the organizations central to the Jewish community – she now serves as President of the Board at the Jewish Community Center – has persisted and has been a source of personal growth, alongside her career as a speech and language pathologist. In particular, she treasures the uniqueness of her lifelong Scranton friendships. She notes how events such as the Tree of Life shootings illustrate the extent to which antisemitism permeates our society, and remarks about a police car now being parked outside of Temple Israel every Saturday. Nonetheless, the outpouring of love and support from across the city gives Ann hope that with education, fortitude, and a good collective attitude, we can overcome hate.

PHOTOGRAPHED AT : TEMPLE ISRAEL

Everyone speaks about the uniqueness of the friendships in Scranton.

I think there are challenges sometimes, particularly with people not understanding the restrictions of Judaism… We went to our friends’ homes for Christmas. We made Easter baskets for our neighbors because there was a cultural understanding. And so I think that helped with what may be the challenges. We were educating each other. We were learning about each other.

I worry…for my grandchildren. I worry about the leadership of the United States, and I worry about the lack of civility in many, many places. It’s scary. And, you know, often we say, “What are our kids inheriting? What’s going to happen?” But it really is a question and it’s frightening.

— Ann Lebowitz Monsky Watch

Ann’s excerpted interview

Reason for selecting location: Temple Israel in Scranton – the building, the congregation and the emotions capture my very essence as a Scrantonian from childhood to today.

SONIA MORGAN & PAULA MORGAN-FRAZIER

onia Morgan and Paula Morgan-Frazier were both adopted. Their father worked at Tobyhanna Army Depot; their mother was a stay-at-home mom. They both recall fondly the importance of the gatherings of the Black community, from neighborhood get-togethers to activities at the Progressive Center and the Tobyhanna picnics at Rocky Glen. Paula describes the deep sense of community they felt where they lived in the Adams Avenue area of Scranton, home to many of the city’s African-American families, an area later destroyed during redevelopment. They each shared experiences of racism they have had in the area, but also appreciate that they feel safe in Scranton. Sonia feels that racism will never truly cease to exist, while both of them hope for a kinder future where everyone’s basic needs are met, and where more inclusion can be found. Sonia cites a growing excitement in the Black community and believes that the work of the Black Scranton Project has contributed to a renewed sense of pride through such cultural milestones as Scranton’s Juneteenth celebrations, and its first raising of the Pan-African flag.

S

FROM LEFT, SONIA MORGAN & PAULA MORGAN-FRAZIER PHOTOGRAPHED AT: BLACK SCRANTON PROJECT CENTER FOR ARTS & CULTURE

— SONIA MORGAN

Reason for selecting location: It’s a beautiful historic building, now being occupied by the Black Scranton Project.

Growing up as Black girl in a predominantly white town…I was always the only little Black girl. It was hard. I got picked on. I got teased.

The Progressive Center played a pretty good part of my childhood…They would take us to Camp St. Andrew…We did have a lot of the Tobyhanna picnics [at Rocky Glen]…and the clam bakes that we would go to. So that was [how] a lot of the Black community would get together.

I don’t ever see racism truly ever going away, but my hope for the future is that there’s more inclusion…changes with jobs, opportunities with housing. Just simple things. Just being kinder to one another.

PAULA MORGAN-FRAZIER

Reason for selecting location: I chose the Black Scranton Project Center for Arts and Culture to promote Black community and culture.

[Center City before redevelopment] was a community, you know? You knew everybody. My mother made sure that she knew everybody. She used to always say to me, growing up, “Wherever you live, you need to know who’s around you.”

There’s always been a subtle kind of racism, like talking to someone and they just assume that you maybe aren’t as educated…definitely got followed in stores everywhere we went...People assume you are a transplant, or that you just got here. I was raised here!

We all want the same basic things. We want housing. We want food in our fridge. We want to make sure our kids are okay. [But Scranton’s] definitely becoming more of a melting pot, and that’s cool.

Watch Sonia & Paula’s excerpted interview

REFLECTIONS ON “SCRANTON STORIES”

Glynis Johns Founder & CEO, Black Scranton Project

As the founder and CEO of the Black Scranton Project, I’ve spent many years contemplating how stories can impact and transform lives, particularly those stories that often go unheard or are not commonly associated with Scranton’s roots and legacy.

With the Scranton Stories project, I was thrilled at the opportunity to share the stories of Scranton’s African American community on a national platform and involve the community in showcasing, documenting, and archiving our untold narratives.

Moreover, this project has allowed us to expand our research into Black neighborhoods that once existed downtown and in the Hill Section including within the area of the University of Scranton campus. By investigating the possibilities of redlining and housing segregation and highlighting the demolition of the predominantly African-American neighborhood along Adams Avenue, this aspect of the project has been pivotal in unearthing and preserving critical narratives that speak to the systemic issues faced by the Black community in Scranton.

My hopes for Scranton include seeing the Black Scranton Project Center for Arts and Culture become a hub for local stories, archiving our heritage, and reminding everyone that Scranton is more than just coal mining and “The Office.” It’s the everyday lives and experiences that make the city extraordinary, giving Scranton its unique spark.

The Scranton Stories project has enriched the Scranton community by expanding the narrative of who belongs here, challenging the conventional image of Scranton, and showing that our city’s identity is multifaceted and inclusive. It has provided a platform to share our stories, fostered a sense of community, and ensured that the voices and experiences of the Black community are heard and remembered. This project has reaffirmed my belief in the power of storytelling to unite, educate, and inspire.

“Black Voices: Screening and Talk Back,” held in February 2024 at the Black Scranton Project Center for Arts and Culture.

“BLACK HISTORY & HOUSING IN SCRANTON”

community and which today is the site of Midtown Apartments. Several of the oral history interviews share different experiences of this redevelopment and importantly, bring to light the community they loved in this neighborhood prior to its demolition.

The urban renewal efforts of the 1960’s had a lasting impact on Black Scrantonians. While the stated aim of redevelopment may have succeeded in modernizing some areas (Midtown apartments remains an important affordable housing resource in Scranton today), it also left a legacy of urban planning that remains inequitable. Some families that had been homeowners could not afford to buy new homes and became Midtown renters. Others were not provided relocation assistance, left the neighborhood and therefore saw no direct benefit from redevelopment. We learned from community interviews that the memory of the vibrant Adams Ave. community and this historically, predominantly Black neighborhood still lingers. Today, it is important that we remember the truth, which is that Black residents were marginalized during the redevelopment process and their families and community were displaced in the long-term.

On display at the October 2023 opening exhibition were items curated by Glynis Johns, founder and CEO of the Black Scranton Project, from the collection at its Center for Arts and Culture. These items shared particular aspects of this history including realities of segregation and discrimination that were pervasive in various parts of the city.

The QR code links to a February 9, 2023 humanities lecture by Ms. Johns about this history.

Exhibition at the Hope Horn Gallery, October 2023. “Black History and Housing” talk in February 2023.

A USHU & PRISCA MUKELO

fter fleeing the Democratic Republic of the Congo due to political instability and rampant violence, and after living for 12 years in a Ugandan refugee camp, Ushu and Prisca Mukelo eventually immigrated to the United States and began a new life in Scranton. As they were doing so, they never dropped the parts of their identities that represent their refugee status; to do so would mean they would lose their capacity to effectively advocate for those who remain in conditions like the ones that existed in the camp where they lived. While they are happy to be in Scranton and grateful to be in the U.S., they remain ever mindful that while they now have secure food, water, and housing, their friends and family who remain in Uganda, along with American unhoused individuals in Scranton, do not. Maintaining their identities as refugees, they will continue to advocate for those near and far. They recognize that we all must ask ourselves: what are we doing to help make our national union much more perfect?

PHOTOGRAPHED AT : THE CONGOLESE COMMUNITY GARDEN

USHU MUKELO

Reason for selecting location: Gardens mean a lot to us: for the years we spent in the refugee camp, they were our default source of food. This garden is a way we connect with nature. We are damaged by what we went through during our painful refugee experience, but it also gave us resilience. The garden is that place of healing, where we can tell old stories and smile in the open, reminding us we are human and life can always change.

When you...advocate for those who are still going through the same kind of life that you lived... it makes it very difficult to detach yourself from that refugee level, because...the only way you can advocate for a group of people is you yourself to feel like those people.

The city...has a long track record of welcoming people from all over the world…I think the city should never, in its history, see that as a burden. It should see it as a blessing.

The idea of a more perfect union, I think, includes all of us. And it’s asking individuals…to ask themselves a question: How much are you contributing to making this union much more perfect? Are you voting? What are you doing? What are your contributions in preserving this democracy?

PRISCA MUKELO

Reason for selecting location: This garden helps refugees hold onto home. A garden is something very unique, not only in refugee camps. The reality is without gardening we cannot survive in this world.

I’m happy to be called a refugee because it’s where I came from…If today I’m in America and I tell myself I need to change, that means I’m forgetting where I came from. I cannot forget where I came from. To be a human is to remember.

So far I’ve not had someone tell me that, “Why are you guys here?”… And if you ask me why I am here, I wouldn’t mind to tell you why I’m here. I’m looking for life. I’m looking to survive.

Yes, there are some who are still struggling. Not only Black people, but white people too. Like every day when I walk across near my house, I see homeless people…So I ask myself...why are we welcomed with a good heart while we still have people in the country that still need help? But why are they not getting help? I feel bad…You can’t give me a shelter when your family and friends are struggling to get what they need to have. So that breaks my heart. Watch Ushu & Prisca’s

B JOHN PIVOVARNICK

y 10 years old and while attending Catholic school, John Pivovarnick knew that he was gay. He did not feel comfortable coming out in Scranton, so he left for California where he learned quickly that he did not have the financial resources to support himself. He came back home and earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Scranton. Due to the outbreak of the AIDS epidemic and local hostilities against gay people, John moved to Philadelphia where he settled down with a partner for a decade, before his partner succumbed to AIDS. Drawn back to Scranton to care for his parents, John’s now been residing in the area since 1997, comparing his returns to the city to a “bad penny” relationship. A local actor, John appreciates Scranton’s proximity to his work in New York City and Philadelphia and feels that Scranton is a “good place to have a family.” Despite receiving occasional vitriolic abuse regarding his sexual orientation, John’s hopes for Scranton and the United States are one and the same –people have to “take care of each other and be a country again.”

PHOTOGRAPHED AT : THE ELECTRIC CITY SIGN, COURTHOUSE SQUARE

Reason for selecting location: Scranton and I have a bad penny relationship, and I’m the bad penny. No matter how many times I run away, or how far, I keep coming back.

I tried for the longest time not to be connected to Scranton. Growing up as a gay kid…all I really wanted to do was get the hell out of here…I moved back and here I am. Having been in Los Angeles and having been in Philadelphia, [Scranton is] really not a bad place. As much as people would like to piss and moan about it, it’s a good place to have a family.

The same sort of stuff is swirling around again...the whole drag queen, trans people, fear-mongering stuff that’s going on. It’s cranking all that up again because people are afraid of something not themselves, you know?

My grandmother...had us work the polls when we were kids...because she understood that that’s where the sausage is made…If you’re not putting the right people in there, you’re not going to get the right stuff out.

— John Pivovarnick

Watch John’s excerpted interview

LAWRENCE PUGLIESE

awrence Pugliese is a first generation American born to parents with southern Italian heritage. His mother’s father worked in the coal mines and was killed in an accident, which has left generational scars on the family. His position as the senior most faculty member at Lackawanna College has given him great pride in watching students who come from difficult backgrounds prosper after being given the opportunity to pursue higher education in a relatively peaceful setting. A seeker of good conversation and ideas, Lawrence is inspired by the people of Scranton and the surrounding region. He has spent decades interviewing artists, scientists, and activists in print magazines, local television shows, and radio shows. He credits the art scene in Scranton as inspiring him and providing a deep sense of community. Lawrence is on the board of the NEPA Youth Shelter and values its role in the city, which he believes should be proud of its immigrant heritage and all that it has to offer. He hopes that Scrantonians continue to embrace and celebrate newcomers.

LPHOTOGRAPHED AT : VINEYARD IN PARENTS’ BACKYARD

Reason for selecting location: My parent’s old world, ethnic-infused backyard represents and connects me to my roots... and inspires me to remember who I am and want to be.

There are a lot of philosophers in this valley. There really are. I used to go to The Bog a lot back in the day before I had children…not to get drunk on booze, but to get drunk on ideas.

People here, I think, are innately intelligent. You know, everybody has got different levels of education, but the levels of intelligence that I’ve come across and openness, in many ways, is pretty impressive to me and pretty inspiring to me.

Our city of Scranton, and all of Northeastern Pennsylvania, is transforming to a certain extent and I think that’s wonderful. We have a lot of infrastructure here, a lot of homes here. We have room for people and we need people to come here. It just…breathes new energy into life and new culture into a city, which is so healthy and exhilarating. So I hope our city embraces all of that, looks at it as a plus.

— Lawrence Pugliese

Watch Lawrence’s excerpted interview

STEVEN RABY & JAMES

Steven Raby and James unfold an intertwined story of reentry and recovery. Previously incarcerated, James moved to Scranton to begin a new life. Upon arriving, the halfway house he was in sat adjacent to a barbershop owned by someone he knew during incarceration. That person pointed James in the direction of Steven, who had arrived in Scranton as part of the Salvation Army Rehabilitation Program two decades prior. Since being in Scranton, Steven triumphed over substance abuse, achieved his Master of Social Work and now works to assist those managing addiction and reentering society from prison. He became James’s first support system as James settled in. They see Scranton as a place for those in need of healing, a place that provides opportunities so long as one is willing to do the work necessary to realize them. James and Steven are both concerned with the concept of independence, in terms of strengthening it for those reentering society. Each of them works to ensure that Scranton continues to be a place where second chances are possible.

STEVEN PHOTOGRAPHED AT: SALVATION ARMY CORPS CHAPEL

JAMES PHOTOGRAPHED AT: NORTHERN LIGHT ESPRESSO BAR & CAFE

STEVEN RABY

Reason for selecting location: There’s a believable power in chapels. The chapel at Covenant Church on Madison Avenue is where miracles happen. The chapel in the Salvation Army Rehab is where the calming of my soul started happening, and it is an important continuation of my journey with God. It took years for me to become a [Salvation Army] soldier. I waited until I felt it was time.

I met a lot of people here, and we became very good friends - and this was 26 years ago, and I still have those friends 26 years today…They became part of my support system.

I didn’t have to hide me any longer, because in recovery, you are allowed to be whoever you want to be, because they already know you when you walk through the door.

I see Scranton as being one of the breeding grounds for the healing.

JAMES

Reason for selecting location: Arriving in Scranton, I connected right away to the vibe at Northern Light. The outside seating reminds me of something from another country. There is a calm that comes over me when I’m here.

The purpose of me getting out, and the reason that God allowed me to get out of prison, is to show people that no matter what bad choices you’ve made in life, take that opportunity to do the right thing and share it with other people. And that’s what I tried to do.

This seemed like a second chance town.

I see what this country has to offer…There are people risking their life to get into this country as we speak…trying to get over here, but we are here and we still don’t see the blessing.

Watch Steven & James’ excerpted interview

A DHARTI RAY

fter hearing of the job opportunities available in Scranton, Dharti Ray and her family moved from Florida to the Electric City, having immigrated from India. Through high school, while her school was populated with people from all over the world, Dharti connected with fellow Indian youth while also doing her best to blend in, acknowledging the difficult balancing act of holding on to her heritage while trying to live as an American teenager. She then enrolled at Penn State University where she started an Indian Culture club, which began her interest in a career centered on diversity and inclusion. Dharti is currently the assistant director of student services and engagement at Penn State Scranton. Her Hindu temple (BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir) has been a major source of community and guidance. Dharti has found a home amongst the diverse populations of Scranton who have made the city their homes as well. She hopes that, in the future, local government can identify and address the gaps that prevent some youth from attaining success.

PHOTOGRAPHED AT

: BAPS SWAMINARAYAN MANDIR (HINDU TEMPLE)

Scranton is home. That’s the best way to describe it. And I know a lot of my friends who are my age who have immigrated to this country and who still reside in this area, they feel the same way.

I started here in sixth grade at Northeast Intermediate School…and there was an influx of different types of populations in the area as well. Our English as a Second Language class…was full and we had people from all over the world.

I think focusing on what the youth feel about our city is really important – understanding what are the gaps that they may be experiencing and how can the local government or local officials minimize those gaps.

— Dharti Ray

Watch Dharti’s excerpted interview

Reason for selecting location: This BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir (Hindu Temple) on Oak Street is my home. This is a place that brings people together to connect with God and our Guru.

SCRANTON’S STORY, OUR NATION’S STORY HUMANITIES PROGRAMMING HIGHLIGHTS

The Scranton’s Story, Our Nation’s Story project, first launched in 2021 with the support of a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, explored themes of history, belonging, identity, community, and democracy.

Led by the University and multiple community partners, the initiative explored the aspirational journey to perfect our nation through the lens of Scranton, Pennsylvania, an iconic American city that has experienced many of the key elements of our nation’s experience: industrial era growth and decline, waves of immigration past and present, Black and Indigenous experiences, and the religious tapestry of neighborhoods.

Over two years, from 2021-2023, the project involved 36 humanities-based programs attended by 2,301 participants across eight themes, including lectures/panels with Q&A and discussion, community dialogues, experiential walking tours, exploratory bus tours, story exchanges, film screenings and discussions, a public engagement campaign, and art exhibitions.

Many of the public lectures were recorded and can be found online at the University of Scranton’s YouTube channel in the Scranton’s Story, Our Nation’s Story playlist.

“Scranton in the Popular Imagination” opening humanities lecture event in October 2021.

“The 1902 Anthracite Strike: Causes and Consequences, a 120th Anniversary Evaluation” lecture in September 2022, featuring keynote speaker (pictured) Robert Wolensky, Ph.D.

“Black Patience & Emancipation: A Conversation” lecture in March 2023, featuring keynote speaker (pictured) Julius B. Fleming Jr., Ph.D.

CHANDRA & SMRITI SITAULA SHARMA

A

After being forced from their home in Bhutan into a refugee camp in Nepal, Chandra Sitaula Sharma and his family tried relentlessly to return home. When it became clear that they would be unable to, they were resettled to the Bronx, New York, where Chandra’s daughter, Smriti, was shocked by the dazzling lights, unaccustomed to consistent electricity. They moved to Scranton two years later, where the natural elements of the Lackawanna Valley remind them of their country. Rejecting characterizations of refugees as people who are helpless – they had been landowners in Bhutan – Chandra revels in his opportunity to give back and began work immediately to strengthen ties among the local Bhutanese community. Having lacked a national identity, Smriti is grateful for her U.S. citizenship, noting how broad the world feels now. Since the opening of the Bhutanese Cultural Foundation of Scranton Assoc., they have offered ESL, dance, and other classes free to everyone in the community, and also make efforts to help those in need, including local unhoused people.

FROM LEFT, CHANDRA & SMRITI SITAULA SHARMA PHOTOGRAPHED AT: LAKE SCRANTON

— CHANDRA SITAULA SHARMA

Reason for selecting location: Lake Scranton’s resemblance to the valley and lake in Bhutan near our house is one of the many reasons why we chose to stay in Scranton. The greenery and fresh air that surrounds us takes us back to our roots and fosters a sense of connection to nature.

Some people thought that refugees [are] neglected people, [that] they can do nothing. But it is not [a] choice for us…We became political refugees.

I hosted one homeless program in our [Bhutanese Cultural Foundation Scranton Association] center…we gave food, clothing on that day for the homeless. And on that day, I think, “I was a refugee.”… And some of the homeless, they were veterans! And my heart was broken. They’re born over here, they fight to protect America, and now they are homeless.

We’re not working only for the Bhutanese, we’re working for everybody else, all needy people… for the poor people, not for the rich people.

SMRITI SITAULA SHARMA

Reason for selecting location: Lake Scranton’s resemblance to the valley and lake in Bhutan near our house is one of the many reasons why we chose to stay in Scranton. The greenery and fresh air that surrounds us takes us back to our roots and fosters a sense of connection to nature.

Being called an American, it’s a big deal… Being born in Nepal and I had no Nepali citizenship… that just felt like I had no identity of my own. So when I got citizenship here, then I just thought how broad the world is. I can go around saying I’m an American citizen (even though my color doesn’t exactly broadcast that I’m an American citizen).

We still need support and help because we are not the majority of the population, we are in a minority…So we still need to be looked at and saying, “Are you doing well?”...That would be really helpful from the city.

Watch Chandra & Smriti’s excerpted interview

JERRY SKOTLESKI

Jerry Skotleski’s family is embedded in Scranton’s South Side. The house they moved into in the 1880’s is still in the family to this day. He has fond memories of the neighborhood, specifically his before-school trips to the mom-and-pop stores where he would buy cupcakes. After being inspired to pursue teaching by his mentor, he realized in college that he was not quite ready for the world and saw to it that part of his educational approach was to ensure his students wouldn’t face the same dilemma. Over the years he’s watched both Scranton and his classroom evolve in a cycle of immigration and community. Those same mom-and-pop stores he bought cupcakes from as a youth, which had been run by European immigrants, are now owned and operated by Spanish speaking families, some of whom send their kids to his Scranton High classroom. He believes the American dream – which is not so much about the procurement of wealth but rather about being able to care for one’s family – is alive and well. He sees it in the eyes of his students.

PHOTOGRAPHED AT : HIS CLASSROOM AT SCRANTON HIGH SCHOOL

Reason for selecting location: I chose my classroom because it inspires me. It is a welcoming, relaxing, safe place filled with thoughts and ideas where you can express yourself without fear of judgment.

The people who work in this town work and they work hard and they give their time and their effort and their money and their life to it, to dedicate it to themselves and to their family and to be better. And I think that work ethic has always been a part of us, and I think it will always continue to be a part of us.

I love teaching the Declaration of Independence because it talks about what we hope to be…and the fact is that we will never attain that…We’re never going to be perfect…but what I’ve learned about us as a community and us as a nation, is that we’ve never quit.

That [American] dream still exists. It exists in the eyes of the kids who sit in front of me.

— Jerry Skotleski

Watch Jrry’s excerpted interview

REFLECTIONS ON “SCRANTON STORIES”

Mary Ann Savakinus

Director, Lackawanna Historical Society

The Lackawanna Historical Society has been telling the story of our past for more than 135 years. The history we started with relied on our founders, and that was only a portion of the story we needed to tell. Traditionally, our history was based on the lives and events of only a small population, presented and recorded by those who had the means to do it. Many pieces of our past were left undocumented.

At first, the history focused on specific individuals and families and then moved to instead clustering entire immigrant groups together who began flocking here to find work and build a better life. They came in stages, first the Welsh and Irish, then the Germans, then the Italians and then we get even more general with the arrival of the Eastern Europeans.

The story of our past is missing significant pieces that need to be filled in and added to, especially the stories of our newer residents who are just beginning to make their mark. It is my hope that this project will be a good start to compiling history that can be added to and built on, and used as an invitation to everyone under represented, to add their story to our record, whether as formally recorded oral histories and portraits like those included in this project or perhaps a diary or journal, a video, a letter about their experiences, successes and failures. We all take photos on our cell phones or regularly post on social media but I ask our community to go beyond these temporary methods and consider sharing something more permanent, whether you pass it on to your family, or donate it to the LHS or the public library.

My goal is that today’s Scrantonians will find the value in their contributions in the same way that our founders did and choose to document and preserve them in some way. I think this project is an excellent way to get started.

pictured here, from left to right: Rob Dixon at the Black Scranton Juneteenth Jubilee; Emma Rizk & Sr. Maryalice Jacquinot at the St. Joseph’s Summer Festival; and Maria Pomaquiza & Jessica Castro at the St. John Neumann and St. Paul of the Cross Unity Festival. More photos available at the Scranton’s Story, Our Nation’s Story Facebook page.

A MARY-PAT WARD & IZZY DEFLICE

fter losing both of her parents early, Mary-Pat Ward moved to Northeastern Pennsylvania with her infant daughter, Izzy DeFlice. When Izzy became ill and spent three weeks at Janet Weis Children’s Hospital, Mary-Pat was fired for missing work. The pair found themselves homeless. An ad posted by the Catherine McAuley Center offered them a second chance by providing shelter and a structure to begin building a “life worth living.” Today, Mary-Pat is the Center’s development director while Izzy attends Rutgers University in New Jersey. The mother-daughter team recalls a life in the public eye as they worked to give back to the community through Izzy’s youth philanthropy campaigns. Mary-Pat feels compelled that people know their rise was only possible through a community effort – specifically crediting her husband, Doug, as always being there even while the community was highlighting their story as “Single Mom Does Well.” Both hope that Scranton and the nation continue to offer compassion and safe places for people struggling through the devastating effects of poverty, racism, classism, homophobia, and systemic discrimination.

FROM LEFT, IZZY DEFLICE & MARY-PAT WARD PHOTOGRAPHED AT : ADEZZO COFFEE SHOP

Reason for selecting location: Adezzo and its courtyard have been the backdrop to many family milestones, in the heart of Scranton.

MARY-PAT WARD

We should just give space for kindness and…for being different. And give…space for the idea that people live hard lives.

Unfortunately…there is discrimination…I was afforded opportunities [because of the way I looked]…[while someone who] looked a little bit different…[was] not afforded those same opportunities.

I see a lot of reaction here in Scranton about things, a lot of strong feelings. And that could be a wonderful thing, but it can also be a very terrible experience for some…I just wish we just took the time to think a little bit before we reacted.

Did America fail people? You can understand, then, right?…the racial divide, the political divide…Culturally, people coming here are fleeing from other areas where their society isn’t holding them up. And to come here and hear that it’s a dream, and it is a nightmare? It’s devastating to me, you know? But does that cancel out all the good?

IZZY DEFLICE

A big community that I found myself part of was the arts here, with places like Scranton Fringe and Scranton Shakespeare Festival, and…Leaders in Training… Without them, I really think I just wouldn’t be where I was. And it’s all because of the Scranton community and the love they uphold for each other.

Accepting those who are part of the LGBTQIA community, those who have different ethnicities and cultures and religions. We have gone very far…[but] we as a city still need to step up a bit more in helping our community realize that you are safe here and you deserve to be safe.

I’m proud of my country…I acknowledge the fact that we have a bit of a horrendous history but I also think it’s so worth it to take a look at that history, review it, learn from it and be like, “Hey, how could we never, ever do this again?”

Watch Mary-Pat & Izzy’s excerpted interview

MIKE WASHO

Having an interest in politics from a young age, Mike Washo recalled with a bit of humor how part of Scranton’s political culture was the now-defunct practice of “erasing” parking tickets issued to citizens of Scranton. After living and working in Michigan as the state deputy historian, he returned to Scranton to be with his ailing father and to work in Mayor Jim McNulty’s administration. After working across multiple administrations, Mike ultimately served six years as Lackawanna County commissioner and was deeply touched by the responsibility of advocating for the needs of county residents. Regarding Scranton’s role in the politics of the United States, he recounts many occasions where Scranton “played way above its weight” on the national stage. While Mike hopes for increased vocational and research opportunities for the people and institutions of Scranton, he is also deeply worried about today’s national political climate, including the race and sexual orientation-based hatred currently raging in the United States.

PHOTOGRAPHED AT : THE STEPS OF CITY HALL

Reason for selecting location: I selected this location because it is one of the first places documenting my interest in politics.

I learned a wonderful lesson…not to become embittered and not question who supported you and who didn’t support you. People have their reasons. They may not like you…that’s the worst reason. But then the other reason, it could be jobs. People around here are so tied to politics that there’s always been this fear that they’ll lose their job.

When you think about what was created in Philadelphia in 1787, it’s really remarkable. But…I think there’s a huge question there. Now what do we do about it?

This country has a tradition of duking it out in our elections. So we’re talking about a similar situation…it’s going to get worse unless we get some decent conversation. Changing the people in the offices isn’t going to change the attitudes of people. We all have a job to do.

— Mike Washo

Watch Mike’s excerpted interview

K KEITH WILLIAMS

eith Williams is a life-long wheelchair user. Born with arthrogryposis, a grouping of conditions that cause joint stiffness, Keith’s mother fought for his inclusion in the general student population, into which he was “mainstreamed” when he was 15 years old. In his work at the Center for Independent Living, and as a proactive and caring member of his community, Keith advocates for increased accessibility and programs for people with varying disabilities, noting that not all disabilities are visible. Helping young people and families dealing with disabilities to understand their rights and responsibilities gives him particular satisfaction. Keith also gets joy from his volunteer work with the ACLU advocating for civil rights issues across the board. Knowing how invaluable it is to be part of the movement towards a more truly inclusive and accessible world, Keith encourages communities to ensure that members of the disability community are at the table where city planning decisions happen. “It takes a village to build a ramp.”

PHOTOGRAPHED AT : THE CENTER FOR INDEPENDENT LIVING

Reason for selecting location: The Center for Independent Living is personally and professionally meaningful to me. It’s been my place of employment since 1987, and it enables me to apply my life experiences to promote full inclusion for all.

My mother…fought (and it was a fight) to have us “mainstreamed”...(before it was “inclusion” that’s in all the federal education laws now). So I didn’t go to public school or be with my peers without disabilities until I was 15.

The whole idea about really striving to remove the attitudinal barriers and some of the myths and misconceptions that are out there about people with disabilities, I think we still need to go a ways on that.

I would love to see the city be more cognizant about how people with disabilities add to the conversation, no matter what the disability is. I think it should be a piece…of the conversation. It takes a village to build a ramp!

— Keith Williams

Watch Keith’s excerpted interview

A SHERMAN WOODEN

s a youth, Sherman Wooden had a harsh stutter. His military family moved from Washington D.C. to Susquehanna County, where they encountered a friendly community through their involvement with their local church. In high school, Sherman had to decide between pursuing a basketball scholarship, or continuing a program run by Marywood University specifically curated for students who stuttered. After his mother advised him that he could play basketball anytime, anywhere, Sherman enrolled in the program at Marywood and found a new freedom in being able to talk. He later attended Howard University, an historically Black college/university and from there, he dedicated his life to education and the improvement of accessibility to higher education for all students, regardless of background. He worked for 20 years as the director of multicultural affairs at the University of Scranton, where he is proud to have provided a welcoming environment for diverse students and built stronger relationships between the institution and the city. He challenges people to participate in all aspects of their community.

PHOTOGRAPHED AT : LOUIS STANLEY BROWN HALL, UNIVERSITY OF SCRANTON

I spent almost 20 years [at The University of Scranton]. I got a huge commitment from the president and from the person who was in charge of the student affairs… [there were] other people who may be interested in this education…but they are not sure if [they] can come, if everybody [they] see there is Caucasian. So, it meant we just had to broaden it and make it something that was… multicultural.

Scranton is made up of many individuals…We made a conscientious effort to make sure across the board, treat everybody how you wanted to be treated.

Don’t ever accept that you cannot do something. I don’t care what they are saying…there’s no sense being here on earth if you’re not here to make contributions to others, to improve the plight of those around you.

— Sherman Wooden

Watch Sherman’s excerpted interview

Reason for selecting location: I’m proud to be standing at Brown Hall, named in memory of Louis Stanley Brown, who was the first African American graduate of The University of Scranton (then St. Thomas College) in 1919.

LACKAWANNA AVENUE WALKUMENTARY

Lackawanna Avenue is home to many of Scranton’s most historic sites. With the DL&W rail-yard just behind it (now Steamtown National Historic Site), the region’s early wealth flowed outward from its sidewalk. When changing national energy interests ended Scranton’s monopoly on anthracite, there was no backup plan, and the city fell into a long economic slump.

The Scranton Stories Walkumentary Project seeks to reckon with this decline, and the impact it had on the region. The destruction of many of Scranton’s downtown buildings for a lofty redevelopment plan intended to, but ultimately failed to restore regional wealth to downtown Scranton. Swept away with the rubble of Lackawanna Ave. were the memories of thousands of aging Scrantonians. With no physical reminders to reflect their history, it is incumbent upon them to share their stories so that these memories are not lost to oblivion. It is imperative for us to listen closely.

Narrators discuss their relationship with the downtown architecture that illuminates the story of Scranton, running the historical gamut from personal, to familial, to regional. These tellings illustrate just how central the city was to the Northeastern Pennsylvanian experience, provoking thought about both its history and the modern state of our city.

Listen to the Walkumentary, ideally while strolling the streets of Scranton:

Project produced by Tyler Brady, Oral Histories Committee member, and doctoral student in history at The CUNY Graduate Center focusing on the history of disability rights activism and oral history. Photos: Lackawanna Historical Society & Byron Maldonado.

THEME SONG “LIFE STORIES”

Another important “Scranton Story” comes in the form of our theme song, an original composition whose lyrics and music encapsulate the spirit of this oral history project – the idea that we are each, individually and collectively, the sum of our different stories. As the lyrics explain, our stories are “many, not one”... and they do indeed “shape us into who we all become.”

Deepest thanks to Clarence Spady, Andy ‘Babe’ Pace, and William ‘Wes’ Weller who collectively wrote “Life Stories.” Thanks to Clarence and Andy who, along with Jon Ventre and Tim Bell, recorded both the slow groove and the country swing versions of it; and to Eric Ritter at Windmill Studios for the recording and mixing. Clarence and Andy are the producers.

ARIEL

PHOTOGRAPHED AT : WINDMILL RECORDING STUDIO, LAKE

RECORDING SESSION

Aerial view of Scranton

CLARENCE SPADY

ANDY PACE

JON VENTRE

TIM BELL

LIFE STORIES

I’ve got stories of love

And loves that I’ve lost

I’ve got stories of bridges

I’ve burned and I’ve crossed

I’ve got stories from childhood

Some funny, some were sad

I’ve got stories of friendships

Some were new and some I’ve had

Our life’s made of stories

Both many, yet one

Together they shape us Into who we become

I’ve got stories of people

I’ve met in my time

I’ve got stories I won’t tell

Because some are all just mine

I’ve got stories of my family

‘Til death do we part

I’ve got stories of knowing

That God dwells in my heart

Our life’s made of stories

Both many, yet one

Together they shape us Into who we all become

A TRAVELING CONVERSATION & EXHIBITION

Scranton Stories is both a traveling exhibition and ongoing community conversation which has been presented at different Scranton locations and touted at national conferences as a model for community engagement. Flexible for groups of students or the general community, the videos and/or accompanying portrait exhibition are potent ways to stimulate conversation about the topics covered in the oral history interviews: life experiences, thoughts about community, and hopes for our nation.

Through these 25 videos (each 8-10 minutes in length), one witnesses and connects with a fascinating breadth of personalities, backgrounds, concerns, civic roles, and hopes for the future. Perhaps most importantly, it stimulates the viewer to reflect upon their own life experiences and core ideas about community, democracy, and the state of our nation.

To have “Scranton Stories & Hopes for Our Nation” come to your school or organization, contact community@scranton.edu. An educational guide for using the oral histories in high school and college classrooms can be found at www.scranton.edu/stories.

Visit of Newave Studios after-school program to Spring 2024 Weinberg Memorial Library exhibition.

Poster Presentation of Scranton Stories at the Othering & Belonging Conference in April 2024 in Oakland, California.

Discussion during November 2023 roundtable with guest keynote speaker Dr. Danielle Allen before her humanities lecture, “Who Are We as a Nation? Educating for Democracy.”

Julie Schumacher Cohen

“Scranton’s Story, Our Nation’s Story” Project Director

Julie Schumacher Cohen is Assistant Vice President of Community Engagement and Government Affairs and Chair of the Community-Based Learning Board at The University of Scranton. She leads a variety of community and civic based initiatives, including serving as Project Director of the Scranton’s Story, Our Nation’s Story grant-funded project. Throughout her career, Julie has coordinated a range of dialogue, community-building, advocacy, and solidarity programs addressing such issues as polarization, economic inequality, and refugee accompaniment. Prior to coming to Scranton, Julie served as Deputy Director of Churches for Middle East Peace among other roles with cross-cultural and social justice organizations. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Political Science at Temple University.

Kimberly Crafton

Scranton Stories Oral Histories Coordinator

Kimberly has been a respected leader in cultural projects, tourism, heritage, and the arts for over two decades. Founder and director of Crafton Cultural Management, she is known for fostering cross-cultural relationships and innovative partnerships that endure. Her career has been focused on connecting people to their forgotten histories, their neighbors, their communities, and exploring how those connections inform the larger world. Kimberly has worked on community engagement projects at the local, state, and national levels, with both grass-roots and internationally-recognized organizations, and is currently designing new international arts exchanges. It has been her honor to engage with each Scranton Stories interviewee and to help preserve those conversations.

Byron Maldonado

Scranton Stories Portrait Photographer

Byron Maldonado is a native of Guatemala with more than 20 years of experience in photography. His work has been published in multiple places, including Black & White magazine. He has exhibited his photography during Art Basel in Miami, and in multiple spaces through Scoop and See.me, in New York and London. His main work focuses on San Lucas Tolimán, Guatemala, where he was born. In 2022 he had his first solo exhibit at the University of Scranton, with 30 portraits of people from his hometown entitled, “Mayan Narratives.”

Find “Scranton Stories” Online

The 25 “Scranton Stories” excerpted oral history interviews, featuring 33 local residents, can be found online at: www.scranton.edu/stories and via The University of Scranton’s YouTube Channel, Scranton’s Story, Our Nation’s Story: Oral Histories Playlist.

The full interviews are archived at the University of Scranton’s Weinberg Memorial Library and the Scranton Stories exhibition can travel to your location.

Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in the oral history interviews do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities, The University of Scranton or its project partners.

Project Partners & Funders: