Amber Brannon oral history interview, 2017-07-27

Partial Transcript: CYNDI CARPENTIERI: My name is Cyndi Carpentieri and I'm interviewing Amber Brannon for the Georgia State University's Women's March Oral History Project.

Segment Synopsis: Amber Brannon describes growing up in rural Georgia with parents who voted Democrat until Barack Obama was elected. She describes her career and her own political leanings. She talks about the financial hardships her family faced when her father had a stroke, and describes her conversations with her mother around her participation in the Atlanta march.

Subjects: Families; Medical care; Obama, Barack; Political and social views; Racism

Partial Transcript: CYNDI CARPENTIERI: Let's talk about something maybe a little bit more happy which is let's talk about Mar-- or, January 21st.

Segment Synopsis: Brannon talks about making plans to attend the Atlanta march with various friends. She describes one "very Republican" friend who nevertheless attended the march because of her disapproval of Donald Trump.

Subjects: Atlanta March for Social Justice and Women (2017); Political and social views; Republican Party (U.S. : 1854- )

Partial Transcript: CYNDI CARPENTIERI: Why did you want to go out to march that day?

Segment Synopsis: Brannon talks about having predicted Trump's election, and feeling that she had to stand up for what she believes in light of his administration's potential to cause harm. She describes her view that patriotism includes the responsibility to stand up for herself and others.

Subjects: Patriotism; Political and social views; Trump, Donald, 1946-

Partial Transcript: CYNDI CARPENTIERI: -- did you think that many other people -- what did you think of how big the crowd was compared to what you expected?

Segment Synopsis: Brannon talks about being overwhelmed by the size of the crowd at the march. She and Carpentieri discuss an older couple they saw at the march who surprised them with their liberal politics.

Keywords: Diversity

Subjects: Atlanta March for Social Justice and Women (2017); Crowds; Older people

Partial Transcript: CYNDI CARPENTIERI: Yeah, and do you remember -- I don't remember how packed the train was.

Segment Synopsis: Brannon describes the diverse crowd she saw on MARTA heading into the march. She talks about the wide swath of issues she saw represented at the march and expresses approval that such a variety of people came together to march.

Keywords: Diversity

Subjects: Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority

Partial Transcript: CYNDI CARPENTIERI: We saw a lot of cool signs.

Segment Synopsis: Brannon talks about feeling comfortable in the crowd despite usually feeling nervous in crowds. She describes a minor conflict between police officers and marchers.

Keywords: Protest signs

Subjects: Atlanta March for Social Justice and Women (2017); Crowds; Police

Partial Transcript: AMBER BRANNON: -- pick and choose little side things that are really bad. Just like the Black Lives Matter --

Segment Synopsis: Brannon talks about the tendency of media and opponents to portray activists as unreasonable or violent and to focus on negative isolated incidents. She expresses disbelief at how difficult it is to convict police officers who kill black men.

Subjects: Black lives matter movement; Police brutality; Press

Partial Transcript: CYNDI CARPENTIERI: So what do you -- what do you hope that your role is in this, by going out and marching and being more active?

Segment Synopsis: Brannon defines white privilege and acknowledges her own. She describes the way that her white privilege influences the way people respond to her in activist spaces.

Keywords: Intersectionality; White privilege

Subjects: Black lives matter movement; Feminism; Police brutality; Racism; Sexism

Partial Transcript: CYNDI CARPENTIERI: What about other law enforcement officers? Did you see a lot of them during the march?

Segment Synopsis: Brannon talks about the low-key police presence at the march, and relates the law enforcement presence to Black Lives Matter marches. She describes the lone counter-protester she saw at the march.

Keywords: Counter-protesters

Subjects: Black lives matter movement; Police

Partial Transcript: AMBER BRANNON: That's another thing I loved about the women's marches, I mean it was literally almost fifty-fifty men versus women --

Segment Synopsis: Brannon describes the Atlanta march as evenly split between men and women. She discusses the responsibility of citizens to use the privilege afforded them by their race, gender, or religion to defend those whose race, gender, or religion makes them less privileged.

Keywords: Male privilege; White privilege

Subjects: Atlanta March for Social Justice and Women (2017); Protest movements

Partial Transcript: AMBER BRANNON: I remember when John Lewis went by us.

Segment Synopsis: Brannon talks about being overwhelmed by seeing John Lewis walk by her in the march crowd. She expresses appreciation for the level of civility that was present at the march, and for being able to feel like part of something bigger than herself.

Keywords: Local marches; March for Science

Subjects: Atlanta March for Social Justice and Women (2017); Lewis, John, 1940 February 21-

Partial Transcript: AMBER BRANNON: By the way, I don't know if I've told you this, I don't mind people calling us snowflakes.

Segment Synopsis: Brannon talks about reclaiming the pejorative term "snowflake." She describes seeing the size of the crowd at the Atlanta march.

Subjects: Political and social views

Partial Transcript: CYNDI CARPENTIERI: Yeah, let's talk about the momentum, because you talked a little bit about the science march.

Segment Synopsis: Brannon talks about the waning momentum of the movement since the march ended. She discusses Donald Trump's ban on transgender troops serving in the military.

Subjects: Transgender military personnel; Trump, Donald, 1946-

Partial Transcript: CYNDI CARPENTIERI: -- what do you hope will happen, kind of going forward?

Segment Synopsis: Brannon talks about the importance of Planned Parenthood and wanting to get more politically involved but being unsure of how to start. She describes her fears of what Trump could accomplish and the ways he is alienating Muslims by refusing to take in refugees.

Subjects: Electoral college; Planned Parenthood Federation of America; Political participation; Refugees

Partial Transcript: CYNDI CARPENTIERI: So what would -- because I want to in general kind of ask about your advice to other people --

Segment Synopsis: Brannon talks about what Carpentieri's son and other children will need to do as adults to advocate for others. She and Carpentieri talk about chants from the march.

Keywords: Chants

Subjects: Children; Political participation; Trump, Donald, 1946-