(Seguin) — Time is running out for people to have their stories heard as part of an initiative hosted by the Seguin Public Library, called “Seguin Talks About Race.” The event has included a community book study, a panel discussion, and it will end this weekend with a collection of stories from local residents, who are coming in to talk about their experiences with race. The “Share Your Story” portion of Seguin Talks About Race will be showcased during public presentations this Saturday in the library’s Community Meeting Room.
Erica Reyes is a library assistant and social media specialist, and she’s been the driving force behind the collection of local stories that will be shared on Saturday. Reyes says time is running short, but she really would like for more people to come in and tell their stories.
“We are looking to hear from the community. We are collecting the personal narratives of people — what they’ve endured or what they’ve witnessed or lived through. Any personal experiences that they are willing to share with us — we want to hear it,” said Reyes.
Seguin and Guadalupe County both have a rich and diverse background. That’s why Reyes says she hopes that people from all races and ethnicities and backgrounds will come in and share their experiences, their memories, and their stories about this important subject.
“We are welcoming all stories, all narratives — negative or positive, because there is some positive stuff out there, or just things that people have witnessed,” said Reyes.
Reyes says there is real power in story-telling. It’s something that helps to connect human beings in a unique way. She says that’s why this is such a big part of the Seguin Talks About Race initiative.
“The purpose of this is to make it more of a personal feel to these stories, because you hear about them, and they are happening all over the nation, but we want to hear them locally. That brings a connection towards home and where we are in our community. And talking about previous experiences, like (these) unique stories, we are able to then see the faces behind it and hear the voices of people we know here locally in the community,” said Reyes.
The library is able to record stories on site. Reyes says all you have to do is schedule your recording and they can take care of it for you. You can also record and submit your story using your cellphone, tablet or computer. She says it doesn’t matter how they receive your story, the most important thing is that your story comes in and that it gets to be added to this community collection.
“So they can come in and we can record their story. It can be a short story or a long story or a collection of stories. They can (also) submit it themselves and email it to the library, (library@seguintexas.gov). All we ask is that it be in landscape form, or horizontal, when you record on your cell phone,” said Reyes.
The stories collected will be pieced together to form a full “Share Your Story: Seguin Talks About Race” presentation. That presentation will be made available to the public on Saturday.
“We are going to have this collection of stories for the community here at the library. It’s going to be Saturday, November 14. We are going to have it (playing) on a loop. So you can come into the library (and see it). It will be in the Community Meeting Room and it will be playing. The ultimate goal is to hopefully have it archived in the Library of Congress, so we are working with them and trying to get it archived, so future generations can listen to it and it can be available,” said Reyes.
The library has been collecting stories for a few weeks now. Reyes says there have been all kinds of stories shared, but she says she would like to have more. She says there’s no need to be bashful or embarrassed about your experiences with race. There are all kinds of stories to be shared when it comes to talking about race.
“We know that there are very many perceptions on race and privilege and everything that’s going on. We welcome all of it, because everyone has a different perspective on their life. We want to hear these different perspectives and ways of life (and) what people have experienced. Whether it’s a direct experience that has affected you or something that you’ve witnessed or something that you’ve heard that has affected a family member or someone you know or care about. So that’s what we are trying to do, and we welcome all stories,” said Reyes.
One story that has already been shared, comes from a local woman who is 80-years old. She didn’t give her name to the library, but she talked about growing up in Marion and having to take a public bus into Seguin to go to school. This happened when she was only 14-years old, yet it’s an experience that she speaks about vividly today.
“My parents decided to send us to school in Seguin — my two younger brothers and myself. At that time, there was a Boeing Bus Line, not Greyhound. It was the Boeing Bus Line. And we would ride the bus to Seguin to Ball High School everyday. We would get on the bus in Marion (and) the bus driver would say to us ‘you all can ride up here with me until we get to the railroad track in McQueeney. And when we would get to the railroad track in McQueeney, you all are going to have to go to the back of the bus, because a white lady is going to get on (who) works in Seguin.’ On that bus, it was just the driver, one white lady and three black kids. And we had to go to the back of the bus. For two years, this happened to us,” said the woman in her story.
Her story — and the many others that have come forward — reflects a complicated and often painful history of racial inequality. Not all stories will be the same, which is why so many more people need to come forward. This woman’s story wasn’t just about her, but it also included a plea for others to come forward and share their experiences.
“I wish more black (people) that live in Seguin would come and talk about it. You see, I grew up in Marion, but we have blacks here that lived it too,” said the woman in her story to the library.
The story-telling is not just for African-Americans in the community, but their stories are definitely a huge focus of this event. Reyes says all residents — regardless of age, race or ethnicity — should come try to be part of this event, which will be archived for future generations, and it will help Seguin continue to have a much needed conversation about race.
To schedule an appointment to record your story, call the library at 830-401-2422 or send an email to library@seguintexas.gov. You can also email your video directly to the library if you have the ability to record yourself at home.