Interview with Tal Simmons
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Interviewees
Simmons, Tal
Interviewer
Edwards, Ana
Producer
Unverzagt Goddard, Maggie
Description
In this interview, Dr. Simmons discusses her involvement with the East Marshall Street Well Project with interviewer Ana Edwards. Dr. Simmons’ experience in ethical processing of ancestral remains made her an asset to the EMSWP. She reflects on forensic involvement and support of the EMSWP and the use of DNA evidence and facial recognition technology to give a voice for those who cannot speak for themselves. Additionally, she discusses student involvement and educational opportunities, drawing attention to the balance between student needs and the EMSWP’s Family Representative Council policy. The interview concludes with a discussion of the intersection of student involvement and community involvements, as well as the advances in forensic technology.
Biographical Note
Ana Edwards is a public historian and community activist. Currently, she is a teaching professor in VCU's Department of African American Studies. Most of her work centers on preserving the history and public spaces associated with Gabriel and the African Burial Ground in Shockoe Bottom.
Tal Simmons is a forensic anthropologist and professor in the Department of Forensic Science at Virginia Commonwealth University. She has been at VCU for nine years, coming in as the Forensic Sciences Department chair and since has become the forensic anthropology consultant on the East Marshall Street Well Project. Simmons has worked in conflict zones providing support to human rights groups aiming to prosecute human rights violations since 1997. Her knowledge and experience has been beneficial to the ethics involved in retrieving ancestral remains.
Note
This interview description and biographical information was written by Nichole Harper.
Corporate Name Subject
Hampden-Sydney College. Medical Department--Corrupt practices; Virginia Commonwealth University--Corrupt practices
Topical Subject
Reparations for historical injustices; Human remains (Archaeology)--Repatriation; African American cemeteries--Desecration; Body snatching; History--Virginia--Richmond; Medical colleges--Corrupt practices; Universities and colleges--Corrupt practices; Racism in medicine; Racism against Black people; Public history; Community organization; Forensic anthropology; Forensic anthropologists
Place of Interview
Virginia Commonwealth University, The Workshop
City/Location
Richmond (Va.)
Genre
oral histories (literary genre)
Local Genre
oral history; sound recording; text
Type
Sound; Text
Digital Format
audio/mp3
Language
eng
Rights Statement URL
Rights
This material is protected by copyright, and copyright is held by Tal Simmons. You are permitted to use this material in any way that is permitted by copyright. In addition, this material is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International license (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0). Acknowledgment of Virginia Commonwealth University Libraries as a source is required.
Collection
East Marshall Street Well Oral History Project
Contributors
Virginia Commonwealth University
Source
"Interview with Tal Simmons," East Marshall Street Well Oral History Project, M 573, Special Collections and Archives, James Branch Cabell Library, Virginia Commonwealth University.
File Name
emswoh_simmonstal_interview.mp3
Disciplines
African American Studies | Digital Humanities | History of Science, Technology, and Medicine | Oral History | Social History | United States History