{"@context":"http://iiif.io/api/presentation/3/context.json","id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/iiif/4q7qn60s02/manifest","type":"Manifest","label":{"en":["Wright, Tanisha"]},"logo":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/organizations/logo_images/000/000/548/original/OHA_Mark_2.0_Transp._copy.png?1752767076","metadata":[{"label":{"en":["Narrator(s)"]},"value":{"en":["Tanisha Wright (Full Name)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Refer to as"]},"value":{"en":["Coach Wright"]}},{"label":{"en":["Narrator Pronouns"]},"value":{"en":["she/her"]}},{"label":{"en":["Interview Summary"]},"value":{"en":["\u003cp\u003eTanisha Wright shares her love for her community \u0026amp; for playing Basketball. Although there were problems in the public housing community some of her most valuable lessons came from where she grew up. She describes typical days playing basketball in different communities and how her drive and determination led her to give back to her community and also receive a scholarship to play basketball. Along her journey of playing basketball professionally the impact of her grandmother and close family and friends provided the support she needed to pursue her dreams.\u003c/p\u003e (summary)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Public Housing Affiliation"]},"value":{"en":["Former Resident"]}},{"label":{"en":["Public Housing Locations"]},"value":{"en":["Mon View Heights","Smurf Village (Brooklyn NYC)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Content Warnings"]},"value":{"en":["Physical Violence"]}},{"label":{"en":["Themes/Topics"]},"value":{"en":["Family","Entrepreneurship","Religion and/or Spirituality","Community (Overarching)","Play/Sports/Recreation"]}},{"label":{"en":["Keywords"]},"value":{"en":["basketball","best friends","neighbors","penny candy","God's Favor","low income neighborhoods","free lunch program","high-rises"]}},{"label":{"en":["Life Dates"]},"value":{"en":["1983 (Birth)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Biographical Context"]},"value":{"en":["\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eWhere do you now call home?\u003c/em\u003e Atlanta, GA\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eWhat do you do when you need to reconnect to your h\u003c/em\u003e\u003cem\u003eeart? \u003c/em\u003eGoing home and spending time with family always makes me reminisce on my childhood and growing up in the projects with such a tight knit community.\u003c/p\u003e"]}},{"label":{"en":["Interview materials available"]},"value":{"en":["Audio—.wav","Audio—.mp3","Index (in Aviary time-sync)","Transcript—in Aviary time-sync","Transcript—polished PDF","Finding aid—rough PDF"]}},{"label":{"en":["Oral Historians"]},"value":{"en":["Shakira Johnson (Interviewer)","Shakira Johnson (Post-Production by)","cosmo (Post-Production by)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Interview Date"]},"value":{"en":["2019-11-14 (Recorded)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Method of Interview"]},"value":{"en":["in-person"]}},{"label":{"en":["Recording Location(s)"]},"value":{"en":["Charlotte, North Carolina (Both)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Audio Quality Notes"]},"value":{"en":["none"]}},{"label":{"en":["Rights Statement"]},"value":{"en":["\u003cp\u003eEach oral history interview is considered to be co-created, ‘joint work’ among the oral historian, narrator, and, in this case, the Museum. In joint works, the creators are considered joint copyright owners, who have “an equal right to register and enforce the copyright” (Rich Stim, Stanford Libraries, “Copyright Ownership: Who Owns What?”). Standard copyright law grants a number of exclusive rights to each of the copyright owners, including: the rights toreproduce, distribute, adapt, perform, and displaythe work(s), privately and publicly. NPHM manages these components using Creative Commons Licenses. All interviews are shared withAttribution and Non-Commercial 4.0 International licenses (CC BY-NC 4.0 Deed), meaning that they can be reproduced, distributed, performed, and displayed for the general public if the user credits the co-creators (Attribution) and does not make money from the usage (Non-Commercial). \u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003ePlease contact the NPHM Oral History Programs Manager if you'd like to download a copy of any of the interview materials (audio file, transcript, or finding aid contents).\u003c/p\u003e"]}},{"label":{"en":["Preferred Citation"]},"value":{"en":["\u003cp\u003eWhen using an interview from the NPHM Oral History Archive, use the narrator's full name the first time you reference them. Use the narrator's \"Refer to As\" name in additional mentions of their name. \u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003ePlease use the following formatting when citing the interview in academic settings:\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eBibliography Example\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003ePegues, Janetta Sue. Interviewed by Francesco De Salvatore. National Public Housing Museum Oral History Archive, [insert URL/DOI], recorded June 18, 2018, accessed June 2, 2024: pp. 10-15.\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eBibliography Format\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e[NarratorFullName in Last First Middle order]. Interviewed by [InterviewerFullName in First Middle Last Order]. National Public Housing Museum Oral History Archive, [insert URL], recorded [write out full date of interview], accessed [write out full date of most recent access]: pp. [pages of transcript cited]. \u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eFootnote Example\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eJanetta Sue Pegues, interviewed by Francesco De Salvatore, National Public Housing Museum Oral History Archive, [insert URL], recorded June 18, 2018, accessed June 2, 2024: pp. 10-15. \u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eFootnote Form\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e[NarratorFullName in First Middle Last Order], interviewed by [InterviewerFullName in First Middle Last Order] National Public Housing Museum Oral History Archive, [insert URL], recorded [write out full date of interview], accessed [write out full date of most recent access]: pp. [pages of transcript cited]. \u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e"]}}],"summary":{"en":["\u003cp\u003eTanisha Wright shares her love for her community \u0026amp; for playing Basketball. Although there were problems in the public housing community some of her most valuable lessons came from where she grew up. She describes typical days playing basketball in different communities and how her drive and determination led her to give back to her community and also receive a scholarship to play basketball. Along her journey of playing basketball professionally the impact of her grandmother and close family and friends provided the support she needed to pursue her dreams.\u003c/p\u003e"]},"requiredStatement":{"label":{"en":["Attribution"]},"value":{"en":["\u003cp\u003eEach oral history interview is considered to be co-created, \u0026lsquo;joint work\u0026rsquo; among the oral historian, narrator, and, in this case, the Museum. In joint works, the creators are considered joint copyright owners, who have \u0026ldquo;an equal right to register and enforce the copyright\u0026rdquo; (Rich Stim, Stanford Libraries, \u0026ldquo;Copyright Ownership: Who Owns What?\u0026rdquo;). Standard copyright law grants a number of exclusive rights to each of the copyright owners, including: the rights toreproduce, distribute, adapt, perform, and displaythe work(s), privately and publicly. NPHM manages these components using Creative Commons Licenses. All interviews are shared withAttribution and Non-Commercial 4.0 International licenses (CC BY-NC 4.0 Deed), meaning that they can be reproduced, distributed, performed, and displayed for the general public if the user credits the co-creators (Attribution) and does not make money from the usage (Non-Commercial).\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003ePlease contact the NPHM Oral History Programs Manager if you'd like to download a copy of any of the interview materials (audio file, transcript, or finding aid contents).\u003c/p\u003e"]}},"provider":[{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/aboutus","type":"Agent","label":{"en":["National Public Housing Museum"]},"homepage":[{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/","type":"Text","label":{"en":["National Public Housing Museum"]},"format":"text/html"}],"logo":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/organizations/logo_images/000/000/548/original/OHA_Mark_2.0_Transp._copy.png?1752767076","type":"Image"}]}],"thumbnail":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/collection_resource_files/thumbnails/000/250/349/small/OH_Dept_Planning_2024_%287%29.png?1725985214","type":"Image","format":"image/png"}],"items":[{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349","type":"Canvas","label":{"en":["Media File 1 of 1 - Wright__Tanisha_Interview_Audio_2019.11.14.mp3"]},"duration":2142.9551,"width":640,"height":40,"thumbnail":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/collection_resource_files/thumbnails/000/250/349/small/OH_Dept_Planning_2024_%287%29.png?1725985214","type":"Image","format":"image/png"}],"items":[{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/content/1","type":"AnnotationPage","items":[{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/content/1/annotation/1","type":"Annotation","motivation":"painting","body":{"id":"https://aviary-p-nphm.s3.wasabisys.com/collection_resource_files/resource_files/000/250/349/original/Wright__Tanisha_Interview_Audio_2019.11.14.mp3?1725985159","type":"Audio","format":"audio/mpeg","duration":2142.9551,"width":640,"height":40},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349","metadata":[]}]}],"annotations":[{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195","type":"AnnotationPage","label":{"en":["Coach Wright Transcript [Transcript]"]},"items":[{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/1","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Shakira Johnson: Hi, this is Shakira Johnson. Today's date is November 14, 2019. We are in Charlotte, North Carolina. I am here with— to be honest, I don't know if I can remember the exact moment, but I do know, like, just remembering, like, “Dang, there are schools out there that want you to come play for their school,” right, and general.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=2.0,21.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/2","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Johnson: Could you start off telling us a little bit about yourself and where you're from? how big that is. I've never been somebody","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=21.0,25.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/3","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Wright: Originally, I am from New York, I was born in New York. Moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, at a young age—probably when I was five or six years old—so I was definitely raised in Pittsburgh. Most of my family still was from and lives in New York, but raised in Pittsburgh, went to West Mifflin elementary, middle and high school, so Pittsburgh kid for sure. who's just been like, for lack of words, big-headed or anything like that. I've always been super cool, super calm, or whatever, but just, like, knowing that you have an opportunity to go play and now the teams out there—or programs out there—like, you know, gawking for you, wanting you to come there, and stuff like","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=25.0,53.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/4","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Johnson: And then, what was your childhood like staying in Pittsburgh? that, like that—that was nice to know. Like, “You can go somewhere, you don't have to worry about your grandmother having to pay for school. You know, college is a reality for you now.” So that was big—big moments for me.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=53.0,92.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/5","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Johnson: And then, what were neighbors like for you? So could you tell us one of fine memories you had of staying where you stayed?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=92.0,98.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/6","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Wright: Neighbors? Some of my best friends were a pair of twins, twin boys, Bill and Ty. Growing up, we were neighbors pretty much from five to about 12—or something like that. They were my best friends. I could just remember, we went to school together. They were twins so they dressed alike, obviously. I thought I was a triplet with them and wanted to dress alike. We took pictures together, school pictures. We were in the same kindergarten class? Or first grade—I can't remember— but I just remember standing up next to them in between them, one on my right, one on my left. I probably have a picture somewhere. Just, you know, neighbors were great. Everybody took care of everybody, you know what I mean? You became friends very, very easily—but that's one of my fondest memories was really being, really close with those two growing up and we stayed pretty close throughout, you know, my adolescent years as well.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=98.0,99.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/7","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Johnson: Nice. So who did you stay with when you were growing up?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=99.0,207.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/8","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Johnson: Grandmas are definitely important.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=207.0,209.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/9","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Wright: Oh, yeah, yeah.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=209.0,210.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/10","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Johnson: They play a huge role.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=210.0,211.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/11","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Wright: Absolutely, absolutely. My grandmother from my dad's side of my family, and my cousin also was from my dad’s side of family. So I was raised with my dad's side of my family.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=211.0,221.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/12","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Johnson: Cool. So you talked a little bit about your Grandma. If you can, describe some of the personality she had, like, what characteristics would describe your Grandma?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=221.0,232.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/13","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Wright: My Grandma was funny, she’s outgoing. She's one of those grandmothers where, you know, my friends loved to be around like, “Oh, your grandma was fun.” You know what I mean? “Your grandma was funny.” So she definitely had a very outgoing personality, but also it was a very “no nonsense” type of person as well, you know? She allows you to have as much freedom and rope as you can handle, until you hung yourself and then that got taken away, and got pulled back in. So she was just, you know, she was one of those supportive—in my basketball career as well. So just just a, just a cool individual. Very cool, that's what most people would describe her. Affectionately known as Miss B or Aunt Thelm. Yeah, Miss B or Aunt Thelm, is what most people called her.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=232.0,283.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/14","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Johnson: And then what would be one of your fondest memories of, like, school? Or how was your experience with school and then starting to figure out that you actually like basketball and that’s what you wanted to do?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=283.0,295.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/15","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Wright: Wow. School, to be honest with you, school—I was a terror in school all the way up until, like, eighth grade. School wasn’t—it wasn't the best, it wasn't the most fun thing. I didn't necessarily enjoy school until I started playing basketball, to be honest with you. It wasn't until I had something that reeled my attention in, right? It's something that, you know, could be taken away if I didn't do what I was supposed to be doing on that side of—on that side of things. So, it wasn't until about eighth grade when I started playing eighth grade basketball, but for me growing up—especially growing up into projects—like, basketball was the one mainstay that everybody has and that everybody connects with. So, we all—we all played basketball, whether you were good at it or not, you know what I mean? You kind of connected through basketball, and other sports as well, but I think the main sport definitely was basketball because as a kid, I played football with my friends, you know, kickball—but, really, we all play basketball and either you grew from there, or you didn't, you know? So that—and that was just something fun. Me and my friends, like, we would play basketball all day, every day. Before school, after school.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=295.0,347.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/16","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Johnson: Definitely, all day. [laughs]","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=347.0,369.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/17","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Wright: Yeah, any chance that we can get, so my love really grew. You know, as a kid growing up in New York, obviously, basketball is huge. So, you know, going outside, like, that's all you see, that's all you really know, so, it was around for me since I can remember.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=369.0,386.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/18","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Johnson: And then, so, if you could tell us one particular day that you're outside on the court with your friends, that sticks out to you, what was that day like?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=386.0,397.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/19","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Wright: I can't, I really can't tell you. [laughs]","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=397.0,399.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/20","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Wright: I really can't tell you one particular day, because every day was like that. I mean, anybody can tell you, if you if you grew up where we grew up, like, every day was like that and it wasn't, like, if you wanted to play—I can tell you this, if you wanted to play you had to play with the bigger kids, with the older kids. I mean, I was playing with kids, when I was in eighth grade—probably even younger than that, 6th-7th grade—that were already in high school. You know what I mean? And that's just—if you wanted to play, and play for real, like that's what you—that's what you had to do. But, you know, my friends and I, we would get our five together and we would travel to other places that we knew people played basketball too. So, it wasn't just like we were in Whitaker all the time, no, we would take our five or six—or however many we had—and then we would go, you know, to Homeville and play people in Homeville or go to, to nether parts of Whitaker and play people down there and different stuff like that. So, I mean, basketball was just—that was our mainstay, that’s what we knew, you know what I mean? It was every day, like, it was a lifestyle for us. It wasn't just something that—it was a lifestyle.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=399.0,462.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/21","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Johnson: That's cool. Were there any stores in the community? Or like—","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=462.0,0.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/22","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Shakira Johnson: Hi, this is Shakira Johnson. Today's date is November 14, 2019. We are in Charlotte, North Carolina. I am here with— ]Johnson: Could you start off telling us a little bit about yourself and where you're from? Wright: Originally, I am from New York, I was born in New York. Moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, at a young age—probably when I was five or six years old—so I was definitely raised in Pittsburgh. Most of my family still was from and lives in New York, but raised in Pittsburgh, went to West Mifflin elementary, middle and high school, so Pittsburgh kid for sure. Johnson: And then, what was your childhood like staying in Pittsburgh? Johnson: And then, what were neighbors like for you? So could you tell us one of fine memories you had of staying where you stayed? Wright: Neighbors? Some of my best friends were a pair of twins, twin boys, Bill and Ty. Growing up, we were neighbors pretty much from five to about 12—or something like that. They were my best friends. I could just remember, we went to school together. They were twins so they dressed alike, obviously. I thought I was a triplet with them and wanted to dress alike. We took pictures together, school pictures. We were in the same kindergarten class? Or first grade—I can't remember— but I just remember standing up next to them in between them, one on my right, one on my left. I probably have a picture somewhere. Just, you know, neighbors were great. Everybody took care of everybody, you know what I mean? You became friends very, very easily—but that's one of my fondest memories was really being, really close with those two growing up and we stayed pretty close throughout, you know, my adolescent years as well. Johnson: Nice. So who did you stay with when you were growing up? Johnson: Grandmas are definitely important. Wright: Oh, yeah, yeah. Johnson: They play a huge role. Wright: Absolutely, absolutely. My grandmother from my dad's side of my family, and my cousin also was from my dad’s side of family. So I was raised with my dad's side of my family. Johnson: Cool. So you talked a little bit about your Grandma. If you can, describe some of the personality she had, like, what characteristics would describe your Grandma? Wright: My Grandma was funny, she’s outgoing. She's one of those grandmothers where, you know, my friends loved to be around like, “Oh, your grandma was fun.” You know what I mean? “Your grandma was funny.” So she definitely had a very outgoing personality, but also it was a very “no nonsense” type of person as well, you know? She allows you to have as much freedom and rope as you can handle, until you hung yourself and then that got taken away, and got pulled back in. So she was just, you know, she was one of those supportive—in my basketball career as well. So just just a, just a cool individual. Very cool, that's what most people would describe her. Affectionately known as Miss B or Aunt Thelm. Yeah, Miss B or Aunt Thelm, is what most people called her. Johnson: And then what would be one of your fondest memories of, like, school? Or how was your experience with school and then starting to figure out that you actually like basketball and that’s what you wanted to do? Wright: Wow. School, to be honest with you, school—I was a terror in school all the way up until, like, eighth grade. School wasn’t—it wasn't the best, it wasn't the most fun thing. I didn't necessarily enjoy school until I started playing basketball, to be honest with you. It wasn't until I had something that reeled my attention in, right? It's something that, you know, could be taken away if I didn't do what I was supposed to be doing on that side of—on that side of things. So, it wasn't until about eighth grade when I started playing eighth grade basketball, but for me growing up—especially growing up into projects—like, basketball was the one mainstay that everybody has and that everybody connects with. So, we all—we all played basketball, whether you were good at it or not, you know what I mean? You kind of connected through basketball, and other sports as well, but I think the main sport definitely was basketball because as a kid, I played football with my friends, you know, kickball—but, really, we all play basketball and either you grew from there, or you didn't, you know? So that—and that was just something fun. Me and my friends, like, we would play basketball all day, every day. Before school, after school. Johnson: Definitely, all day. [laughs] Wright: Yeah, any chance that we can get, so my love really grew. You know, as a kid growing up in New York, obviously, basketball is huge. So, you know, going outside, like, that's all you see, that's all you really know, so, it was around for me since I can remember. Johnson: And then, so, if you could tell us one particular day that you're outside on the court with your friends, that sticks out to you, what was that day like? Wright: I can't, I really can't tell you. [laughs] Wright: I really can't tell you one particular day, because every day was like that. I mean, anybody can tell you, if you if you grew up where we grew up, like, every day was like that and it wasn't, like, if you wanted to play—I can tell you this, if you wanted to play you had to play with the bigger kids, with the older kids. I mean, I was playing with kids, when I was in eighth grade—probably even younger than that, 6th-7th grade—that were already in high school. You know what I mean? And that's just—if you wanted to play, and play for real, like that's what you—that's what you had to do. But, you know, my friends and I, we would get our five together and we would travel to other places that we knew people played basketball too. So, it wasn't just like we were in Whitaker all the time, no, we would take our five or six—or however many we had—and then we would go, you know, to Homeville and play people in Homeville or go to, to nether parts of Whitaker and play people down there and different stuff like that. So, I mean, basketball was just—that was our mainstay, that’s what we knew, you know what I mean? It was every day, like, it was a lifestyle for us. It wasn't just something that—it was a lifestyle. Johnson: That's cool. Were there any stores in the community? Or like— Wright: Rony’s— Wright: Oh yeah— Johnson: That’s dope. [laughs] Wright: Yeah, I mean, to be honest, I don't know if I can remember the exact moment, but I do know, like, just remembering, like, “Dang, there are schools out there that want you to come play for their school,” right, and how big that is. I've never been somebody who's just been like, for lack of words, big-headed or anything like that. I've always been super cool, super calm, or whatever, but just, like, knowing that you have an opportunity to go play and now the teams out there—or programs out there—like, you know, gawking for you, wanting you to come there, and stuff like that, like that—that was nice to know. Like, “You can go somewhere, you don't have to worry about your grandmother having to pay for school. You know, college is a reality for you now.” So that was big—big moments for me. Johnson: Yeah. Wright: Yeah. Johnson: Or just in general. Johnson: Nice. Wright: Okay.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=0.0,467.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/23","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Johnson: [laughs] Rony’s?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=467.0,468.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/24","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Wright: corner store! Rony’s, yeah!","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=468.0,470.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/25","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Johnson: Like a candy store?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=470.0,471.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/26","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Wright: It was a candy, it was everything—it was a convenience store. You can go to Ronnie's and get whatever it was that you needed; bread, milk, whatever. Ronnie's and then the dairy the dairy was a little bit far so if you got called to go to the dairy you were mad. But if you got told to go to Ronnie's it was like all right, like you get to be outside for a little bit longer. Whatever the case may be Ronnie's was outside of the projects. Literally right across the street. Right across the street so","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=471.0,502.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/27","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Johnson: And then, sometimes we hear stories about like candy ladies in the developments, like restaurants—","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=502.0,0.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/28","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Shakira Johnson: Hi, this is Shakira Johnson. Today's date is November 14, 2019. We are in Charlotte, North Carolina. I am here with— ]Johnson: Could you start off telling us a little bit about yourself and where you're from? Wright: Originally, I am from New York, I was born in New York. Moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, at a young age—probably when I was five or six years old—so I was definitely raised in Pittsburgh. Most of my family still was from and lives in New York, but raised in Pittsburgh, went to West Mifflin elementary, middle and high school, so Pittsburgh kid for sure. Johnson: And then, what was your childhood like staying in Pittsburgh? Johnson: And then, what were neighbors like for you? So could you tell us one of fine memories you had of staying where you stayed? Wright: Neighbors? Some of my best friends were a pair of twins, twin boys, Bill and Ty. Growing up, we were neighbors pretty much from five to about 12—or something like that. They were my best friends. I could just remember, we went to school together. They were twins so they dressed alike, obviously. I thought I was a triplet with them and wanted to dress alike. We took pictures together, school pictures. We were in the same kindergarten class? Or first grade—I can't remember— but I just remember standing up next to them in between them, one on my right, one on my left. I probably have a picture somewhere. Just, you know, neighbors were great. Everybody took care of everybody, you know what I mean? You became friends very, very easily—but that's one of my fondest memories was really being, really close with those two growing up and we stayed pretty close throughout, you know, my adolescent years as well. Johnson: Nice. So who did you stay with when you were growing up? Johnson: Grandmas are definitely important. Wright: Oh, yeah, yeah. Johnson: They play a huge role. Wright: Absolutely, absolutely. My grandmother from my dad's side of my family, and my cousin also was from my dad’s side of family. So I was raised with my dad's side of my family. Johnson: Cool. So you talked a little bit about your Grandma. If you can, describe some of the personality she had, like, what characteristics would describe your Grandma? Wright: My Grandma was funny, she’s outgoing. She's one of those grandmothers where, you know, my friends loved to be around like, “Oh, your grandma was fun.” You know what I mean? “Your grandma was funny.” So she definitely had a very outgoing personality, but also it was a very “no nonsense” type of person as well, you know? She allows you to have as much freedom and rope as you can handle, until you hung yourself and then that got taken away, and got pulled back in. So she was just, you know, she was one of those supportive—in my basketball career as well. So just just a, just a cool individual. Very cool, that's what most people would describe her. Affectionately known as Miss B or Aunt Thelm. Yeah, Miss B or Aunt Thelm, is what most people called her. Johnson: And then what would be one of your fondest memories of, like, school? Or how was your experience with school and then starting to figure out that you actually like basketball and that’s what you wanted to do? Wright: Wow. School, to be honest with you, school—I was a terror in school all the way up until, like, eighth grade. School wasn’t—it wasn't the best, it wasn't the most fun thing. I didn't necessarily enjoy school until I started playing basketball, to be honest with you. It wasn't until I had something that reeled my attention in, right? It's something that, you know, could be taken away if I didn't do what I was supposed to be doing on that side of—on that side of things. So, it wasn't until about eighth grade when I started playing eighth grade basketball, but for me growing up—especially growing up into projects—like, basketball was the one mainstay that everybody has and that everybody connects with. So, we all—we all played basketball, whether you were good at it or not, you know what I mean? You kind of connected through basketball, and other sports as well, but I think the main sport definitely was basketball because as a kid, I played football with my friends, you know, kickball—but, really, we all play basketball and either you grew from there, or you didn't, you know? So that—and that was just something fun. Me and my friends, like, we would play basketball all day, every day. Before school, after school. Johnson: Definitely, all day. [laughs] Wright: Yeah, any chance that we can get, so my love really grew. You know, as a kid growing up in New York, obviously, basketball is huge. So, you know, going outside, like, that's all you see, that's all you really know, so, it was around for me since I can remember. Johnson: And then, so, if you could tell us one particular day that you're outside on the court with your friends, that sticks out to you, what was that day like? Wright: I can't, I really can't tell you. [laughs] Wright: I really can't tell you one particular day, because every day was like that. I mean, anybody can tell you, if you if you grew up where we grew up, like, every day was like that and it wasn't, like, if you wanted to play—I can tell you this, if you wanted to play you had to play with the bigger kids, with the older kids. I mean, I was playing with kids, when I was in eighth grade—probably even younger than that, 6th-7th grade—that were already in high school. You know what I mean? And that's just—if you wanted to play, and play for real, like that's what you—that's what you had to do. But, you know, my friends and I, we would get our five together and we would travel to other places that we knew people played basketball too. So, it wasn't just like we were in Whitaker all the time, no, we would take our five or six—or however many we had—and then we would go, you know, to Homeville and play people in Homeville or go to, to nether parts of Whitaker and play people down there and different stuff like that. So, I mean, basketball was just—that was our mainstay, that’s what we knew, you know what I mean? It was every day, like, it was a lifestyle for us. It wasn't just something that—it was a lifestyle. Johnson: That's cool. Were there any stores in the community? Or like— Wright: Rony’s— Johnson: [laughs] Rony’s? Wright: corner store! Rony’s, yeah! Johnson: Like a candy store? Wright: It was a candy, it was everything—it was a convenience store. You can go to Ronnie's and get whatever it was that you needed; bread, milk, whatever. Ronnie's and then the dairy the dairy was a little bit far so if you got called to go to the dairy you were mad. But if you got told to go to Ronnie's it was like all right, like you get to be outside for a little bit longer. Whatever the case may be Ronnie's was outside of the projects. Literally right across the street. Right across the street so Johnson: And then, sometimes we hear stories about like candy ladies in the developments, like restaurants— Wright: Oh yeah— Johnson: That’s dope. [laughs] Wright: Yeah, I mean, to be honest, I don't know if I can remember the exact moment, but I do know, like, just remembering, like, “Dang, there are schools out there that want you to come play for their school,” right, and how big that is. I've never been somebody who's just been like, for lack of words, big-headed or anything like that. I've always been super cool, super calm, or whatever, but just, like, knowing that you have an opportunity to go play and now the teams out there—or programs out there—like, you know, gawking for you, wanting you to come there, and stuff like that, like that—that was nice to know. Like, “You can go somewhere, you don't have to worry about your grandmother having to pay for school. You know, college is a reality for you now.” So that was big—big moments for me. Johnson: Yeah. Wright: Yeah. Johnson: Or just in general. Johnson: Nice. Wright: Okay.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=0.0,509.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/29","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Johnson: Like, people cook plates—","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=509.0,511.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/30","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Wright: Yeah, we definitely had—we definitely had candy ladies. Dang, I can’t—","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=511.0,515.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/31","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Johnson: What was that like?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=515.0,519.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/32","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"]Johnson: Quarter candy.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=519.0,520.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/33","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Wright: And it was—Yeah, nowadays they don't have one cent—penny candy, that’s what we called it growing up, penny candy. They don't have penny candy, but we had an Icee lady,","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=520.0,529.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/34","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Johnson: Love the Icees.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=529.0,530.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/35","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Wright: The Icee ladies. We had—Miss Andrea used to make plates, taco plates. You know, you can get tacos—and her tacos were the bomb. I wish today that I can pull up to her house and go ask for a taco, no lie.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=530.0,544.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/36","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Johnson: How much were taco plates?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=544.0,545.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/37","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Wright: Dang, I can't remember. A couple dollars—probably like two or three dollars.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=545.0,0.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/38","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Shakira Johnson: Hi, this is Shakira Johnson. Today's date is November 14, 2019. We are in Charlotte, North Carolina. I am here with— ]Johnson: Could you start off telling us a little bit about yourself and where you're from? Wright: Originally, I am from New York, I was born in New York. Moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, at a young age—probably when I was five or six years old—so I was definitely raised in Pittsburgh. Most of my family still was from and lives in New York, but raised in Pittsburgh, went to West Mifflin elementary, middle and high school, so Pittsburgh kid for sure. Johnson: And then, what was your childhood like staying in Pittsburgh? Johnson: And then, what were neighbors like for you? So could you tell us one of fine memories you had of staying where you stayed? Wright: Neighbors? Some of my best friends were a pair of twins, twin boys, Bill and Ty. Growing up, we were neighbors pretty much from five to about 12—or something like that. They were my best friends. I could just remember, we went to school together. They were twins so they dressed alike, obviously. I thought I was a triplet with them and wanted to dress alike. We took pictures together, school pictures. We were in the same kindergarten class? Or first grade—I can't remember— but I just remember standing up next to them in between them, one on my right, one on my left. I probably have a picture somewhere. Just, you know, neighbors were great. Everybody took care of everybody, you know what I mean? You became friends very, very easily—but that's one of my fondest memories was really being, really close with those two growing up and we stayed pretty close throughout, you know, my adolescent years as well. Johnson: Nice. So who did you stay with when you were growing up? Johnson: Grandmas are definitely important. Wright: Oh, yeah, yeah. Johnson: They play a huge role. Wright: Absolutely, absolutely. My grandmother from my dad's side of my family, and my cousin also was from my dad’s side of family. So I was raised with my dad's side of my family. Johnson: Cool. So you talked a little bit about your Grandma. If you can, describe some of the personality she had, like, what characteristics would describe your Grandma? Wright: My Grandma was funny, she’s outgoing. She's one of those grandmothers where, you know, my friends loved to be around like, “Oh, your grandma was fun.” You know what I mean? “Your grandma was funny.” So she definitely had a very outgoing personality, but also it was a very “no nonsense” type of person as well, you know? She allows you to have as much freedom and rope as you can handle, until you hung yourself and then that got taken away, and got pulled back in. So she was just, you know, she was one of those supportive—in my basketball career as well. So just just a, just a cool individual. Very cool, that's what most people would describe her. Affectionately known as Miss B or Aunt Thelm. Yeah, Miss B or Aunt Thelm, is what most people called her. Johnson: And then what would be one of your fondest memories of, like, school? Or how was your experience with school and then starting to figure out that you actually like basketball and that’s what you wanted to do? Wright: Wow. School, to be honest with you, school—I was a terror in school all the way up until, like, eighth grade. School wasn’t—it wasn't the best, it wasn't the most fun thing. I didn't necessarily enjoy school until I started playing basketball, to be honest with you. It wasn't until I had something that reeled my attention in, right? It's something that, you know, could be taken away if I didn't do what I was supposed to be doing on that side of—on that side of things. So, it wasn't until about eighth grade when I started playing eighth grade basketball, but for me growing up—especially growing up into projects—like, basketball was the one mainstay that everybody has and that everybody connects with. So, we all—we all played basketball, whether you were good at it or not, you know what I mean? You kind of connected through basketball, and other sports as well, but I think the main sport definitely was basketball because as a kid, I played football with my friends, you know, kickball—but, really, we all play basketball and either you grew from there, or you didn't, you know? So that—and that was just something fun. Me and my friends, like, we would play basketball all day, every day. Before school, after school. Johnson: Definitely, all day. [laughs] Wright: Yeah, any chance that we can get, so my love really grew. You know, as a kid growing up in New York, obviously, basketball is huge. So, you know, going outside, like, that's all you see, that's all you really know, so, it was around for me since I can remember. Johnson: And then, so, if you could tell us one particular day that you're outside on the court with your friends, that sticks out to you, what was that day like? Wright: I can't, I really can't tell you. [laughs] Wright: I really can't tell you one particular day, because every day was like that. I mean, anybody can tell you, if you if you grew up where we grew up, like, every day was like that and it wasn't, like, if you wanted to play—I can tell you this, if you wanted to play you had to play with the bigger kids, with the older kids. I mean, I was playing with kids, when I was in eighth grade—probably even younger than that, 6th-7th grade—that were already in high school. You know what I mean? And that's just—if you wanted to play, and play for real, like that's what you—that's what you had to do. But, you know, my friends and I, we would get our five together and we would travel to other places that we knew people played basketball too. So, it wasn't just like we were in Whitaker all the time, no, we would take our five or six—or however many we had—and then we would go, you know, to Homeville and play people in Homeville or go to, to nether parts of Whitaker and play people down there and different stuff like that. So, I mean, basketball was just—that was our mainstay, that’s what we knew, you know what I mean? It was every day, like, it was a lifestyle for us. It wasn't just something that—it was a lifestyle. Johnson: That's cool. Were there any stores in the community? Or like— Wright: Rony’s— Johnson: [laughs] Rony’s? Wright: corner store! Rony’s, yeah! Johnson: Like a candy store? Wright: It was a candy, it was everything—it was a convenience store. You can go to Ronnie's and get whatever it was that you needed; bread, milk, whatever. Ronnie's and then the dairy the dairy was a little bit far so if you got called to go to the dairy you were mad. But if you got told to go to Ronnie's it was like all right, like you get to be outside for a little bit longer. Whatever the case may be Ronnie's was outside of the projects. Literally right across the street. Right across the street so Johnson: And then, sometimes we hear stories about like candy ladies in the developments, like restaurants— Wright: Oh yeah— Johnson: Like, people cook plates— Wright: Yeah, we definitely had—we definitely had candy ladies. Dang, I can’t— Johnson: What was that like? ]Johnson: Quarter candy. Wright: And it was—Yeah, nowadays they don't have one cent—penny candy, that’s what we called it growing up, penny candy. They don't have penny candy, but we had an Icee lady, Johnson: Love the Icees. Wright: The Icee ladies. We had—Miss Andrea used to make plates, taco plates. You know, you can get tacos—and her tacos were the bomb. I wish today that I can pull up to her house and go ask for a taco, no lie. Johnson: How much were taco plates? Wright: Dang, I can't remember. A couple dollars—probably like two or three dollars. Johnson: That’s dope. [laughs] Wright: Yeah, I mean, to be honest, I don't know if I can remember the exact moment, but I do know, like, just remembering, like, “Dang, there are schools out there that want you to come play for their school,” right, and how big that is. I've never been somebody who's just been like, for lack of words, big-headed or anything like that. I've always been super cool, super calm, or whatever, but just, like, knowing that you have an opportunity to go play and now the teams out there—or programs out there—like, you know, gawking for you, wanting you to come there, and stuff like that, like that—that was nice to know. Like, “You can go somewhere, you don't have to worry about your grandmother having to pay for school. You know, college is a reality for you now.” So that was big—big moments for me. Johnson: Yeah. Wright: Yeah. Johnson: Or just in general. Johnson: Nice. Wright: Okay.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=0.0,548.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/39","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Wright: Yeah, you get a couple of tacos, you know what I mean? Probably like two, three dollars you get a couple of tacos, you know? Back then, you can go to the candy lady with 25 cents and come out with some candy or you could go to Icee lady with 50 cents, you know what I mean? So yes, we—exactly the good old days.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=548.0,565.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/40","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Johnson: Gotta miss ‘em, right?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=565.0,566.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/41","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Wright: The good old days, where you couldn’t run around and do whatever you wanted because people telling on you because, you know what I mean? Everybody knows everybody, you know. We had arts and crafts growing up, when I was a kid, like, people from the neighborhood would, you know, connect with the center or the housing company and just create, you know, opportunities for us to do different things and to see different things. We had free lunch growing up. You know, you better take yourself to free lunch in the summertimes, get yourself a free lunch.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=566.0,576.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/42","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Johnson: What would the free lunches be like?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=576.0,605.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/43","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Wright: Chocolate milks, for sure.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=605.0,606.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/44","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Johnson: Okay!","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=606.0,625.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/45","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Johnson: Definitely came in handy, though. [laughs]","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=625.0,626.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/46","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Wright: Oh yeah, cause you didn't have to go home. You can go right, chocolate milk—I mean, go right to get a free lunch and back to playing, you know what I mean? You never had to go home.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=626.0,636.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/47","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Johnson: And then you talked a little bit about the center. Were all the activities at the center free? Or is that something you had to pay for?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=636.0,643.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/48","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Wright: Well center—the center wasn't really around when, when I was like super younger. That came—that became later and at that point, I was already heavily involved in basketball. So, really, just traveling a lot for basketball, and not really around to use that but a lot of my friends and people in the neighborhood still use it and worked in—it was just a resource area, right? Books, place where they can go get their—get help with their homework—and computers, different stuff like that, and that stuff was free, you know. When dealing with government grants and different stuff like that, they provide—they provide that different stuff, but what I was talking about earlier was like—it was just people within a neighborhood having different things and activities for us to do. So, like I said, arts and crafts, where we'd make T shirts or make necklaces and different, and different stuff like that throughout the summer and mainly that was people within our neighborhood taking the realms on that and doing those—doing those things for the neighborhood kids.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=643.0,707.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/49","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Johnson: Cool. And then when you were growing up, did you know that you stayed in, like, you called it “the projects.” Did you know that you stayed in the projects? Or it's just like—","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=707.0,810.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/50","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Johnson: And then you talked a little bit about, like, how you play basketball now and how, it was more of like a lifestyle for you—","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=810.0,817.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/51","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Wright: Yeah.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=817.0,818.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/52","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Johnson: —something you loved to do. Who was one of the people that you looked up to, in your younger days?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=818.0,884.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/53","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Johnson: So how do you think is different for you actually mean like, because there's a lot of women who actually pursue playing basketball. I wanted the people who like made it pretty successful. being great at","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=884.0,898.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/54","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Wright: a mindset. I think a lot of it has to Do it a mindset and, and a big part of that mindset for me is the fact that I grew up in a project every man for themselves, you know what I mean, the type of games that we play, where every man for themselves, the only way you eat is if you go get it, you know what I mean? And so that has a lot to do with it and having tough skin right? Again, a skill that I that I was able to grow and hone, by living in the projects and being in it, you know what I mean, and being in those type of environments. So, that's part of it and then, I'd be remiss if I just don't say, just favor God—God's favor, you know what I mean? Like, I feel like I was handpicked to be in the position that I am, that I am. So, I don't take it for granted but, you know, my hard work and my dedication, and my attitude towards life in general definitely played a part in it.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=898.0,953.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/55","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Johnson: So, what was one of the moments you realize, like I actually made it where I want to be in basketball? Where I learned what I think I wanted to learn, and I can share that with others. When did you feel like you got to that point? Or have you got to that point, in your perspective?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=953.0,1030.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/56","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Johnson: Nice, and then, how was that first moment when you got that offer for that scholarship? How did you feel, like, what was going through your mind?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=1030.0,0.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/57","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Shakira Johnson: Hi, this is Shakira Johnson. Today's date is November 14, 2019. We are in Charlotte, North Carolina. I am here with— ]Johnson: Could you start off telling us a little bit about yourself and where you're from? Wright: Originally, I am from New York, I was born in New York. Moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, at a young age—probably when I was five or six years old—so I was definitely raised in Pittsburgh. Most of my family still was from and lives in New York, but raised in Pittsburgh, went to West Mifflin elementary, middle and high school, so Pittsburgh kid for sure. Johnson: And then, what was your childhood like staying in Pittsburgh? Johnson: And then, what were neighbors like for you? So could you tell us one of fine memories you had of staying where you stayed? Wright: Neighbors? Some of my best friends were a pair of twins, twin boys, Bill and Ty. Growing up, we were neighbors pretty much from five to about 12—or something like that. They were my best friends. I could just remember, we went to school together. They were twins so they dressed alike, obviously. I thought I was a triplet with them and wanted to dress alike. We took pictures together, school pictures. We were in the same kindergarten class? Or first grade—I can't remember— but I just remember standing up next to them in between them, one on my right, one on my left. I probably have a picture somewhere. Just, you know, neighbors were great. Everybody took care of everybody, you know what I mean? You became friends very, very easily—but that's one of my fondest memories was really being, really close with those two growing up and we stayed pretty close throughout, you know, my adolescent years as well. Johnson: Nice. So who did you stay with when you were growing up? Johnson: Grandmas are definitely important. Wright: Oh, yeah, yeah. Johnson: They play a huge role. Wright: Absolutely, absolutely. My grandmother from my dad's side of my family, and my cousin also was from my dad’s side of family. So I was raised with my dad's side of my family. Johnson: Cool. So you talked a little bit about your Grandma. If you can, describe some of the personality she had, like, what characteristics would describe your Grandma? Wright: My Grandma was funny, she’s outgoing. She's one of those grandmothers where, you know, my friends loved to be around like, “Oh, your grandma was fun.” You know what I mean? “Your grandma was funny.” So she definitely had a very outgoing personality, but also it was a very “no nonsense” type of person as well, you know? She allows you to have as much freedom and rope as you can handle, until you hung yourself and then that got taken away, and got pulled back in. So she was just, you know, she was one of those supportive—in my basketball career as well. So just just a, just a cool individual. Very cool, that's what most people would describe her. Affectionately known as Miss B or Aunt Thelm. Yeah, Miss B or Aunt Thelm, is what most people called her. Johnson: And then what would be one of your fondest memories of, like, school? Or how was your experience with school and then starting to figure out that you actually like basketball and that’s what you wanted to do? Wright: Wow. School, to be honest with you, school—I was a terror in school all the way up until, like, eighth grade. School wasn’t—it wasn't the best, it wasn't the most fun thing. I didn't necessarily enjoy school until I started playing basketball, to be honest with you. It wasn't until I had something that reeled my attention in, right? It's something that, you know, could be taken away if I didn't do what I was supposed to be doing on that side of—on that side of things. So, it wasn't until about eighth grade when I started playing eighth grade basketball, but for me growing up—especially growing up into projects—like, basketball was the one mainstay that everybody has and that everybody connects with. So, we all—we all played basketball, whether you were good at it or not, you know what I mean? You kind of connected through basketball, and other sports as well, but I think the main sport definitely was basketball because as a kid, I played football with my friends, you know, kickball—but, really, we all play basketball and either you grew from there, or you didn't, you know? So that—and that was just something fun. Me and my friends, like, we would play basketball all day, every day. Before school, after school. Johnson: Definitely, all day. [laughs] Wright: Yeah, any chance that we can get, so my love really grew. You know, as a kid growing up in New York, obviously, basketball is huge. So, you know, going outside, like, that's all you see, that's all you really know, so, it was around for me since I can remember. Johnson: And then, so, if you could tell us one particular day that you're outside on the court with your friends, that sticks out to you, what was that day like? Wright: I can't, I really can't tell you. [laughs] Wright: I really can't tell you one particular day, because every day was like that. I mean, anybody can tell you, if you if you grew up where we grew up, like, every day was like that and it wasn't, like, if you wanted to play—I can tell you this, if you wanted to play you had to play with the bigger kids, with the older kids. I mean, I was playing with kids, when I was in eighth grade—probably even younger than that, 6th-7th grade—that were already in high school. You know what I mean? And that's just—if you wanted to play, and play for real, like that's what you—that's what you had to do. But, you know, my friends and I, we would get our five together and we would travel to other places that we knew people played basketball too. So, it wasn't just like we were in Whitaker all the time, no, we would take our five or six—or however many we had—and then we would go, you know, to Homeville and play people in Homeville or go to, to nether parts of Whitaker and play people down there and different stuff like that. So, I mean, basketball was just—that was our mainstay, that’s what we knew, you know what I mean? It was every day, like, it was a lifestyle for us. It wasn't just something that—it was a lifestyle. Johnson: That's cool. Were there any stores in the community? Or like— Wright: Rony’s— Johnson: [laughs] Rony’s? Wright: corner store! Rony’s, yeah! Johnson: Like a candy store? Wright: It was a candy, it was everything—it was a convenience store. You can go to Ronnie's and get whatever it was that you needed; bread, milk, whatever. Ronnie's and then the dairy the dairy was a little bit far so if you got called to go to the dairy you were mad. But if you got told to go to Ronnie's it was like all right, like you get to be outside for a little bit longer. Whatever the case may be Ronnie's was outside of the projects. Literally right across the street. Right across the street so Johnson: And then, sometimes we hear stories about like candy ladies in the developments, like restaurants— Wright: Oh yeah— Johnson: Like, people cook plates— Wright: Yeah, we definitely had—we definitely had candy ladies. Dang, I can’t— Johnson: What was that like? ]Johnson: Quarter candy. Wright: And it was—Yeah, nowadays they don't have one cent—penny candy, that’s what we called it growing up, penny candy. They don't have penny candy, but we had an Icee lady, Johnson: Love the Icees. Wright: The Icee ladies. We had—Miss Andrea used to make plates, taco plates. You know, you can get tacos—and her tacos were the bomb. I wish today that I can pull up to her house and go ask for a taco, no lie. Johnson: How much were taco plates? Wright: Dang, I can't remember. A couple dollars—probably like two or three dollars. Johnson: That’s dope. [laughs] Wright: Yeah, you get a couple of tacos, you know what I mean? Probably like two, three dollars you get a couple of tacos, you know? Back then, you can go to the candy lady with 25 cents and come out with some candy or you could go to Icee lady with 50 cents, you know what I mean? So yes, we—exactly the good old days. Johnson: Gotta miss ‘em, right? Wright: The good old days, where you couldn’t run around and do whatever you wanted because people telling on you because, you know what I mean? Everybody knows everybody, you know. We had arts and crafts growing up, when I was a kid, like, people from the neighborhood would, you know, connect with the center or the housing company and just create, you know, opportunities for us to do different things and to see different things. We had free lunch growing up. You know, you better take yourself to free lunch in the summertimes, get yourself a free lunch. Johnson: What would the free lunches be like? Wright: Chocolate milks, for sure. Johnson: Okay! Johnson: Definitely came in handy, though. [laughs] Wright: Oh yeah, cause you didn't have to go home. You can go right, chocolate milk—I mean, go right to get a free lunch and back to playing, you know what I mean? You never had to go home. Johnson: And then you talked a little bit about the center. Were all the activities at the center free? Or is that something you had to pay for? Wright: Well center—the center wasn't really around when, when I was like super younger. That came—that became later and at that point, I was already heavily involved in basketball. So, really, just traveling a lot for basketball, and not really around to use that but a lot of my friends and people in the neighborhood still use it and worked in—it was just a resource area, right? Books, place where they can go get their—get help with their homework—and computers, different stuff like that, and that stuff was free, you know. When dealing with government grants and different stuff like that, they provide—they provide that different stuff, but what I was talking about earlier was like—it was just people within a neighborhood having different things and activities for us to do. So, like I said, arts and crafts, where we'd make T shirts or make necklaces and different, and different stuff like that throughout the summer and mainly that was people within our neighborhood taking the realms on that and doing those—doing those things for the neighborhood kids. Johnson: Cool. And then when you were growing up, did you know that you stayed in, like, you called it “the projects.” Did you know that you stayed in the projects? Or it's just like— Johnson: And then you talked a little bit about, like, how you play basketball now and how, it was more of like a lifestyle for you— Wright: Yeah. Johnson: —something you loved to do. Who was one of the people that you looked up to, in your younger days? Johnson: So how do you think is different for you actually mean like, because there's a lot of women who actually pursue playing basketball. I wanted the people who like made it pretty successful. being great at Wright: a mindset. I think a lot of it has to Do it a mindset and, and a big part of that mindset for me is the fact that I grew up in a project every man for themselves, you know what I mean, the type of games that we play, where every man for themselves, the only way you eat is if you go get it, you know what I mean? And so that has a lot to do with it and having tough skin right? Again, a skill that I that I was able to grow and hone, by living in the projects and being in it, you know what I mean, and being in those type of environments. So, that's part of it and then, I'd be remiss if I just don't say, just favor God—God's favor, you know what I mean? Like, I feel like I was handpicked to be in the position that I am, that I am. So, I don't take it for granted but, you know, my hard work and my dedication, and my attitude towards life in general definitely played a part in it. Johnson: So, what was one of the moments you realize, like I actually made it where I want to be in basketball? Where I learned what I think I wanted to learn, and I can share that with others. When did you feel like you got to that point? Or have you got to that point, in your perspective? Johnson: Nice, and then, how was that first moment when you got that offer for that scholarship? How did you feel, like, what was going through your mind? Wright: Yeah, I mean, to be honest, I don't know if I can remember the exact moment, but I do know, like, just remembering, like, “Dang, there are schools out there that want you to come play for their school,” right, and how big that is. I've never been somebody who's just been like, for lack of words, big-headed or anything like that. I've always been super cool, super calm, or whatever, but just, like, knowing that you have an opportunity to go play and now the teams out there—or programs out there—like, you know, gawking for you, wanting you to come there, and stuff like that, like that—that was nice to know. Like, “You can go somewhere, you don't have to worry about your grandmother having to pay for school. You know, college is a reality for you now.” So that was big—big moments for me. Johnson: Yeah. Wright: Yeah. Johnson: Or just in general. Johnson: Nice. Wright: Okay.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=0.0,1038.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/58","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Johnson: And then, did you have times where you felt like it was gonna be more difficult for you being a female basketball player than, you know, a male basketball player? Or you feel like it's pretty much game?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=1038.0,1088.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/59","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Wright: No, yeah. I mean, I grew up playing against all males. So, basketball was basketball. In our world, like, we don't look at it like, “Oh, you're female,” “Oh, you're a male,” like, no. Growing up when I grew up, and at the time that I grew up, they could care less than I was a female.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=1088.0,1094.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/60","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Johnson: Exactly.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=1094.0,1095.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/61","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Wright: Right? Like, I still got knocked down just like anybody else would get knocked down on the basketball court. Yeah, they didn't worry about hitting me or not hitting me. They were too worried about “Well, damn, is she gonna score me?” You know what I mean? So like, it was all fair. It was all fair. So, so no, I don't think that that was a big deal.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=1095.0,1122.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/62","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Johnson: And then, going a little bit back to, like, your experience staying in public housing, or the projects that you stayed in, do you feel like there were ever problems in the community that you had—like, like, gang problems or things like that? Or was it just all around, like, a good atmosphere with community? Because it sounds like it was a pretty good bond.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=1122.0,1201.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/63","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Johnson: So how do you think that’s changed over time? From, like, the era when you were growing up to how it is now, like, staying in public housing because it—it looks a little different now in the sense that, I guess a majority of the high rises are gone—well, all of the high rises are gone, for the most part—but, how do you feel about that? How do you think it's changed?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=1201.0,1290.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/64","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Johnson: Yeah, I definitely agree with that, in the sense of, most of the times, we're only exposed to what we have in that community, what we have in the area—","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=1290.0,1300.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/65","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Wright: the resources, yeah.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=1300.0,1301.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/66","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Johnson: —and we don’t know that there's more things out there.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=1301.0,1304.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/67","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Wright: Yeah, there's no influx of resources.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=1304.0,0.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/68","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Shakira Johnson: Hi, this is Shakira Johnson. Today's date is November 14, 2019. We are in Charlotte, North Carolina. I am here with— ]Johnson: Could you start off telling us a little bit about yourself and where you're from? Wright: Originally, I am from New York, I was born in New York. Moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, at a young age—probably when I was five or six years old—so I was definitely raised in Pittsburgh. Most of my family still was from and lives in New York, but raised in Pittsburgh, went to West Mifflin elementary, middle and high school, so Pittsburgh kid for sure. Johnson: And then, what was your childhood like staying in Pittsburgh? Johnson: And then, what were neighbors like for you? So could you tell us one of fine memories you had of staying where you stayed? Wright: Neighbors? Some of my best friends were a pair of twins, twin boys, Bill and Ty. Growing up, we were neighbors pretty much from five to about 12—or something like that. They were my best friends. I could just remember, we went to school together. They were twins so they dressed alike, obviously. I thought I was a triplet with them and wanted to dress alike. We took pictures together, school pictures. We were in the same kindergarten class? Or first grade—I can't remember— but I just remember standing up next to them in between them, one on my right, one on my left. I probably have a picture somewhere. Just, you know, neighbors were great. Everybody took care of everybody, you know what I mean? You became friends very, very easily—but that's one of my fondest memories was really being, really close with those two growing up and we stayed pretty close throughout, you know, my adolescent years as well. Johnson: Nice. So who did you stay with when you were growing up? Johnson: Grandmas are definitely important. Wright: Oh, yeah, yeah. Johnson: They play a huge role. Wright: Absolutely, absolutely. My grandmother from my dad's side of my family, and my cousin also was from my dad’s side of family. So I was raised with my dad's side of my family. Johnson: Cool. So you talked a little bit about your Grandma. If you can, describe some of the personality she had, like, what characteristics would describe your Grandma? Wright: My Grandma was funny, she’s outgoing. She's one of those grandmothers where, you know, my friends loved to be around like, “Oh, your grandma was fun.” You know what I mean? “Your grandma was funny.” So she definitely had a very outgoing personality, but also it was a very “no nonsense” type of person as well, you know? She allows you to have as much freedom and rope as you can handle, until you hung yourself and then that got taken away, and got pulled back in. So she was just, you know, she was one of those supportive—in my basketball career as well. So just just a, just a cool individual. Very cool, that's what most people would describe her. Affectionately known as Miss B or Aunt Thelm. Yeah, Miss B or Aunt Thelm, is what most people called her. Johnson: And then what would be one of your fondest memories of, like, school? Or how was your experience with school and then starting to figure out that you actually like basketball and that’s what you wanted to do? Wright: Wow. School, to be honest with you, school—I was a terror in school all the way up until, like, eighth grade. School wasn’t—it wasn't the best, it wasn't the most fun thing. I didn't necessarily enjoy school until I started playing basketball, to be honest with you. It wasn't until I had something that reeled my attention in, right? It's something that, you know, could be taken away if I didn't do what I was supposed to be doing on that side of—on that side of things. So, it wasn't until about eighth grade when I started playing eighth grade basketball, but for me growing up—especially growing up into projects—like, basketball was the one mainstay that everybody has and that everybody connects with. So, we all—we all played basketball, whether you were good at it or not, you know what I mean? You kind of connected through basketball, and other sports as well, but I think the main sport definitely was basketball because as a kid, I played football with my friends, you know, kickball—but, really, we all play basketball and either you grew from there, or you didn't, you know? So that—and that was just something fun. Me and my friends, like, we would play basketball all day, every day. Before school, after school. Johnson: Definitely, all day. [laughs] Wright: Yeah, any chance that we can get, so my love really grew. You know, as a kid growing up in New York, obviously, basketball is huge. So, you know, going outside, like, that's all you see, that's all you really know, so, it was around for me since I can remember. Johnson: And then, so, if you could tell us one particular day that you're outside on the court with your friends, that sticks out to you, what was that day like? Wright: I can't, I really can't tell you. [laughs] Wright: I really can't tell you one particular day, because every day was like that. I mean, anybody can tell you, if you if you grew up where we grew up, like, every day was like that and it wasn't, like, if you wanted to play—I can tell you this, if you wanted to play you had to play with the bigger kids, with the older kids. I mean, I was playing with kids, when I was in eighth grade—probably even younger than that, 6th-7th grade—that were already in high school. You know what I mean? And that's just—if you wanted to play, and play for real, like that's what you—that's what you had to do. But, you know, my friends and I, we would get our five together and we would travel to other places that we knew people played basketball too. So, it wasn't just like we were in Whitaker all the time, no, we would take our five or six—or however many we had—and then we would go, you know, to Homeville and play people in Homeville or go to, to nether parts of Whitaker and play people down there and different stuff like that. So, I mean, basketball was just—that was our mainstay, that’s what we knew, you know what I mean? It was every day, like, it was a lifestyle for us. It wasn't just something that—it was a lifestyle. Johnson: That's cool. Were there any stores in the community? Or like— Wright: Rony’s— Johnson: [laughs] Rony’s? Wright: corner store! Rony’s, yeah! Johnson: Like a candy store? Wright: It was a candy, it was everything—it was a convenience store. You can go to Ronnie's and get whatever it was that you needed; bread, milk, whatever. Ronnie's and then the dairy the dairy was a little bit far so if you got called to go to the dairy you were mad. But if you got told to go to Ronnie's it was like all right, like you get to be outside for a little bit longer. Whatever the case may be Ronnie's was outside of the projects. Literally right across the street. Right across the street so Johnson: And then, sometimes we hear stories about like candy ladies in the developments, like restaurants— Wright: Oh yeah— Johnson: Like, people cook plates— Wright: Yeah, we definitely had—we definitely had candy ladies. Dang, I can’t— Johnson: What was that like? ]Johnson: Quarter candy. Wright: And it was—Yeah, nowadays they don't have one cent—penny candy, that’s what we called it growing up, penny candy. They don't have penny candy, but we had an Icee lady, Johnson: Love the Icees. Wright: The Icee ladies. We had—Miss Andrea used to make plates, taco plates. You know, you can get tacos—and her tacos were the bomb. I wish today that I can pull up to her house and go ask for a taco, no lie. Johnson: How much were taco plates? Wright: Dang, I can't remember. A couple dollars—probably like two or three dollars. Johnson: That’s dope. [laughs] Wright: Yeah, you get a couple of tacos, you know what I mean? Probably like two, three dollars you get a couple of tacos, you know? Back then, you can go to the candy lady with 25 cents and come out with some candy or you could go to Icee lady with 50 cents, you know what I mean? So yes, we—exactly the good old days. Johnson: Gotta miss ‘em, right? Wright: The good old days, where you couldn’t run around and do whatever you wanted because people telling on you because, you know what I mean? Everybody knows everybody, you know. We had arts and crafts growing up, when I was a kid, like, people from the neighborhood would, you know, connect with the center or the housing company and just create, you know, opportunities for us to do different things and to see different things. We had free lunch growing up. You know, you better take yourself to free lunch in the summertimes, get yourself a free lunch. Johnson: What would the free lunches be like? Wright: Chocolate milks, for sure. Johnson: Okay! Johnson: Definitely came in handy, though. [laughs] Wright: Oh yeah, cause you didn't have to go home. You can go right, chocolate milk—I mean, go right to get a free lunch and back to playing, you know what I mean? You never had to go home. Johnson: And then you talked a little bit about the center. Were all the activities at the center free? Or is that something you had to pay for? Wright: Well center—the center wasn't really around when, when I was like super younger. That came—that became later and at that point, I was already heavily involved in basketball. So, really, just traveling a lot for basketball, and not really around to use that but a lot of my friends and people in the neighborhood still use it and worked in—it was just a resource area, right? Books, place where they can go get their—get help with their homework—and computers, different stuff like that, and that stuff was free, you know. When dealing with government grants and different stuff like that, they provide—they provide that different stuff, but what I was talking about earlier was like—it was just people within a neighborhood having different things and activities for us to do. So, like I said, arts and crafts, where we'd make T shirts or make necklaces and different, and different stuff like that throughout the summer and mainly that was people within our neighborhood taking the realms on that and doing those—doing those things for the neighborhood kids. Johnson: Cool. And then when you were growing up, did you know that you stayed in, like, you called it “the projects.” Did you know that you stayed in the projects? Or it's just like— Johnson: And then you talked a little bit about, like, how you play basketball now and how, it was more of like a lifestyle for you— Wright: Yeah. Johnson: —something you loved to do. Who was one of the people that you looked up to, in your younger days? Johnson: So how do you think is different for you actually mean like, because there's a lot of women who actually pursue playing basketball. I wanted the people who like made it pretty successful. being great at Wright: a mindset. I think a lot of it has to Do it a mindset and, and a big part of that mindset for me is the fact that I grew up in a project every man for themselves, you know what I mean, the type of games that we play, where every man for themselves, the only way you eat is if you go get it, you know what I mean? And so that has a lot to do with it and having tough skin right? Again, a skill that I that I was able to grow and hone, by living in the projects and being in it, you know what I mean, and being in those type of environments. So, that's part of it and then, I'd be remiss if I just don't say, just favor God—God's favor, you know what I mean? Like, I feel like I was handpicked to be in the position that I am, that I am. So, I don't take it for granted but, you know, my hard work and my dedication, and my attitude towards life in general definitely played a part in it. Johnson: So, what was one of the moments you realize, like I actually made it where I want to be in basketball? Where I learned what I think I wanted to learn, and I can share that with others. When did you feel like you got to that point? Or have you got to that point, in your perspective? Johnson: Nice, and then, how was that first moment when you got that offer for that scholarship? How did you feel, like, what was going through your mind? Wright: Yeah, I mean, to be honest, I don't know if I can remember the exact moment, but I do know, like, just remembering, like, “Dang, there are schools out there that want you to come play for their school,” right, and how big that is. I've never been somebody who's just been like, for lack of words, big-headed or anything like that. I've always been super cool, super calm, or whatever, but just, like, knowing that you have an opportunity to go play and now the teams out there—or programs out there—like, you know, gawking for you, wanting you to come there, and stuff like that, like that—that was nice to know. Like, “You can go somewhere, you don't have to worry about your grandmother having to pay for school. You know, college is a reality for you now.” So that was big—big moments for me. Johnson: And then, did you have times where you felt like it was gonna be more difficult for you being a female basketball player than, you know, a male basketball player? Or you feel like it's pretty much game? Wright: No, yeah. I mean, I grew up playing against all males. So, basketball was basketball. In our world, like, we don't look at it like, “Oh, you're female,” “Oh, you're a male,” like, no. Growing up when I grew up, and at the time that I grew up, they could care less than I was a female. Johnson: Exactly. Wright: Right? Like, I still got knocked down just like anybody else would get knocked down on the basketball court. Yeah, they didn't worry about hitting me or not hitting me. They were too worried about “Well, damn, is she gonna score me?” You know what I mean? So like, it was all fair. It was all fair. So, so no, I don't think that that was a big deal. Johnson: And then, going a little bit back to, like, your experience staying in public housing, or the projects that you stayed in, do you feel like there were ever problems in the community that you had—like, like, gang problems or things like that? Or was it just all around, like, a good atmosphere with community? Because it sounds like it was a pretty good bond. Johnson: So how do you think that’s changed over time? From, like, the era when you were growing up to how it is now, like, staying in public housing because it—it looks a little different now in the sense that, I guess a majority of the high rises are gone—well, all of the high rises are gone, for the most part—but, how do you feel about that? How do you think it's changed? Johnson: Yeah, I definitely agree with that, in the sense of, most of the times, we're only exposed to what we have in that community, what we have in the area— Wright: the resources, yeah. Johnson: —and we don’t know that there's more things out there. Wright: Yeah, there's no influx of resources. Johnson: Yeah. Wright: Yeah. Johnson: Or just in general. Johnson: Nice. Wright: Okay.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=0.0,1319.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/69","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Wright: —to my projects for me to go in, maybe at night or in the wintertime. You know what we did? We played outside on the basketball court in the winter time. Trying to—","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=1319.0,1329.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/70","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Johnson: That’s what you gotta do.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=1329.0,1330.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/71","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Wright: —because that's what we have to do, but imagine, imagine the opportunity, for me, as a basketball player to get better if I have an indoor space to be able to do that, right. So just, different things like that. Imagine the trouble that so and so could have stayed out of if they had this, you know what I mean? If they had more resources? So, I think, [hits table] like, that's a big problem.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=1330.0,0.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/72","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Shakira Johnson: Hi, this is Shakira Johnson. Today's date is November 14, 2019. We are in Charlotte, North Carolina. I am here with— ]Johnson: Could you start off telling us a little bit about yourself and where you're from? Wright: Originally, I am from New York, I was born in New York. Moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, at a young age—probably when I was five or six years old—so I was definitely raised in Pittsburgh. Most of my family still was from and lives in New York, but raised in Pittsburgh, went to West Mifflin elementary, middle and high school, so Pittsburgh kid for sure. Johnson: And then, what was your childhood like staying in Pittsburgh? Johnson: And then, what were neighbors like for you? So could you tell us one of fine memories you had of staying where you stayed? Wright: Neighbors? Some of my best friends were a pair of twins, twin boys, Bill and Ty. Growing up, we were neighbors pretty much from five to about 12—or something like that. They were my best friends. I could just remember, we went to school together. They were twins so they dressed alike, obviously. I thought I was a triplet with them and wanted to dress alike. We took pictures together, school pictures. We were in the same kindergarten class? Or first grade—I can't remember— but I just remember standing up next to them in between them, one on my right, one on my left. I probably have a picture somewhere. Just, you know, neighbors were great. Everybody took care of everybody, you know what I mean? You became friends very, very easily—but that's one of my fondest memories was really being, really close with those two growing up and we stayed pretty close throughout, you know, my adolescent years as well. Johnson: Nice. So who did you stay with when you were growing up? Johnson: Grandmas are definitely important. Wright: Oh, yeah, yeah. Johnson: They play a huge role. Wright: Absolutely, absolutely. My grandmother from my dad's side of my family, and my cousin also was from my dad’s side of family. So I was raised with my dad's side of my family. Johnson: Cool. So you talked a little bit about your Grandma. If you can, describe some of the personality she had, like, what characteristics would describe your Grandma? Wright: My Grandma was funny, she’s outgoing. She's one of those grandmothers where, you know, my friends loved to be around like, “Oh, your grandma was fun.” You know what I mean? “Your grandma was funny.” So she definitely had a very outgoing personality, but also it was a very “no nonsense” type of person as well, you know? She allows you to have as much freedom and rope as you can handle, until you hung yourself and then that got taken away, and got pulled back in. So she was just, you know, she was one of those supportive—in my basketball career as well. So just just a, just a cool individual. Very cool, that's what most people would describe her. Affectionately known as Miss B or Aunt Thelm. Yeah, Miss B or Aunt Thelm, is what most people called her. Johnson: And then what would be one of your fondest memories of, like, school? Or how was your experience with school and then starting to figure out that you actually like basketball and that’s what you wanted to do? Wright: Wow. School, to be honest with you, school—I was a terror in school all the way up until, like, eighth grade. School wasn’t—it wasn't the best, it wasn't the most fun thing. I didn't necessarily enjoy school until I started playing basketball, to be honest with you. It wasn't until I had something that reeled my attention in, right? It's something that, you know, could be taken away if I didn't do what I was supposed to be doing on that side of—on that side of things. So, it wasn't until about eighth grade when I started playing eighth grade basketball, but for me growing up—especially growing up into projects—like, basketball was the one mainstay that everybody has and that everybody connects with. So, we all—we all played basketball, whether you were good at it or not, you know what I mean? You kind of connected through basketball, and other sports as well, but I think the main sport definitely was basketball because as a kid, I played football with my friends, you know, kickball—but, really, we all play basketball and either you grew from there, or you didn't, you know? So that—and that was just something fun. Me and my friends, like, we would play basketball all day, every day. Before school, after school. Johnson: Definitely, all day. [laughs] Wright: Yeah, any chance that we can get, so my love really grew. You know, as a kid growing up in New York, obviously, basketball is huge. So, you know, going outside, like, that's all you see, that's all you really know, so, it was around for me since I can remember. Johnson: And then, so, if you could tell us one particular day that you're outside on the court with your friends, that sticks out to you, what was that day like? Wright: I can't, I really can't tell you. [laughs] Wright: I really can't tell you one particular day, because every day was like that. I mean, anybody can tell you, if you if you grew up where we grew up, like, every day was like that and it wasn't, like, if you wanted to play—I can tell you this, if you wanted to play you had to play with the bigger kids, with the older kids. I mean, I was playing with kids, when I was in eighth grade—probably even younger than that, 6th-7th grade—that were already in high school. You know what I mean? And that's just—if you wanted to play, and play for real, like that's what you—that's what you had to do. But, you know, my friends and I, we would get our five together and we would travel to other places that we knew people played basketball too. So, it wasn't just like we were in Whitaker all the time, no, we would take our five or six—or however many we had—and then we would go, you know, to Homeville and play people in Homeville or go to, to nether parts of Whitaker and play people down there and different stuff like that. So, I mean, basketball was just—that was our mainstay, that’s what we knew, you know what I mean? It was every day, like, it was a lifestyle for us. It wasn't just something that—it was a lifestyle. Johnson: That's cool. Were there any stores in the community? Or like— Wright: Rony’s— Johnson: [laughs] Rony’s? Wright: corner store! Rony’s, yeah! Johnson: Like a candy store? Wright: It was a candy, it was everything—it was a convenience store. You can go to Ronnie's and get whatever it was that you needed; bread, milk, whatever. Ronnie's and then the dairy the dairy was a little bit far so if you got called to go to the dairy you were mad. But if you got told to go to Ronnie's it was like all right, like you get to be outside for a little bit longer. Whatever the case may be Ronnie's was outside of the projects. Literally right across the street. Right across the street so Johnson: And then, sometimes we hear stories about like candy ladies in the developments, like restaurants— Wright: Oh yeah— Johnson: Like, people cook plates— Wright: Yeah, we definitely had—we definitely had candy ladies. Dang, I can’t— Johnson: What was that like? ]Johnson: Quarter candy. Wright: And it was—Yeah, nowadays they don't have one cent—penny candy, that’s what we called it growing up, penny candy. They don't have penny candy, but we had an Icee lady, Johnson: Love the Icees. Wright: The Icee ladies. We had—Miss Andrea used to make plates, taco plates. You know, you can get tacos—and her tacos were the bomb. I wish today that I can pull up to her house and go ask for a taco, no lie. Johnson: How much were taco plates? Wright: Dang, I can't remember. A couple dollars—probably like two or three dollars. Johnson: That’s dope. [laughs] Wright: Yeah, you get a couple of tacos, you know what I mean? Probably like two, three dollars you get a couple of tacos, you know? Back then, you can go to the candy lady with 25 cents and come out with some candy or you could go to Icee lady with 50 cents, you know what I mean? So yes, we—exactly the good old days. Johnson: Gotta miss ‘em, right? Wright: The good old days, where you couldn’t run around and do whatever you wanted because people telling on you because, you know what I mean? Everybody knows everybody, you know. We had arts and crafts growing up, when I was a kid, like, people from the neighborhood would, you know, connect with the center or the housing company and just create, you know, opportunities for us to do different things and to see different things. We had free lunch growing up. You know, you better take yourself to free lunch in the summertimes, get yourself a free lunch. Johnson: What would the free lunches be like? Wright: Chocolate milks, for sure. Johnson: Okay! Johnson: Definitely came in handy, though. [laughs] Wright: Oh yeah, cause you didn't have to go home. You can go right, chocolate milk—I mean, go right to get a free lunch and back to playing, you know what I mean? You never had to go home. Johnson: And then you talked a little bit about the center. Were all the activities at the center free? Or is that something you had to pay for? Wright: Well center—the center wasn't really around when, when I was like super younger. That came—that became later and at that point, I was already heavily involved in basketball. So, really, just traveling a lot for basketball, and not really around to use that but a lot of my friends and people in the neighborhood still use it and worked in—it was just a resource area, right? Books, place where they can go get their—get help with their homework—and computers, different stuff like that, and that stuff was free, you know. When dealing with government grants and different stuff like that, they provide—they provide that different stuff, but what I was talking about earlier was like—it was just people within a neighborhood having different things and activities for us to do. So, like I said, arts and crafts, where we'd make T shirts or make necklaces and different, and different stuff like that throughout the summer and mainly that was people within our neighborhood taking the realms on that and doing those—doing those things for the neighborhood kids. Johnson: Cool. And then when you were growing up, did you know that you stayed in, like, you called it “the projects.” Did you know that you stayed in the projects? Or it's just like— Johnson: And then you talked a little bit about, like, how you play basketball now and how, it was more of like a lifestyle for you— Wright: Yeah. Johnson: —something you loved to do. Who was one of the people that you looked up to, in your younger days? Johnson: So how do you think is different for you actually mean like, because there's a lot of women who actually pursue playing basketball. I wanted the people who like made it pretty successful. being great at Wright: a mindset. I think a lot of it has to Do it a mindset and, and a big part of that mindset for me is the fact that I grew up in a project every man for themselves, you know what I mean, the type of games that we play, where every man for themselves, the only way you eat is if you go get it, you know what I mean? And so that has a lot to do with it and having tough skin right? Again, a skill that I that I was able to grow and hone, by living in the projects and being in it, you know what I mean, and being in those type of environments. So, that's part of it and then, I'd be remiss if I just don't say, just favor God—God's favor, you know what I mean? Like, I feel like I was handpicked to be in the position that I am, that I am. So, I don't take it for granted but, you know, my hard work and my dedication, and my attitude towards life in general definitely played a part in it. Johnson: So, what was one of the moments you realize, like I actually made it where I want to be in basketball? Where I learned what I think I wanted to learn, and I can share that with others. When did you feel like you got to that point? Or have you got to that point, in your perspective? Johnson: Nice, and then, how was that first moment when you got that offer for that scholarship? How did you feel, like, what was going through your mind? Wright: Yeah, I mean, to be honest, I don't know if I can remember the exact moment, but I do know, like, just remembering, like, “Dang, there are schools out there that want you to come play for their school,” right, and how big that is. I've never been somebody who's just been like, for lack of words, big-headed or anything like that. I've always been super cool, super calm, or whatever, but just, like, knowing that you have an opportunity to go play and now the teams out there—or programs out there—like, you know, gawking for you, wanting you to come there, and stuff like that, like that—that was nice to know. Like, “You can go somewhere, you don't have to worry about your grandmother having to pay for school. You know, college is a reality for you now.” So that was big—big moments for me. Johnson: And then, did you have times where you felt like it was gonna be more difficult for you being a female basketball player than, you know, a male basketball player? Or you feel like it's pretty much game? Wright: No, yeah. I mean, I grew up playing against all males. So, basketball was basketball. In our world, like, we don't look at it like, “Oh, you're female,” “Oh, you're a male,” like, no. Growing up when I grew up, and at the time that I grew up, they could care less than I was a female. Johnson: Exactly. Wright: Right? Like, I still got knocked down just like anybody else would get knocked down on the basketball court. Yeah, they didn't worry about hitting me or not hitting me. They were too worried about “Well, damn, is she gonna score me?” You know what I mean? So like, it was all fair. It was all fair. So, so no, I don't think that that was a big deal. Johnson: And then, going a little bit back to, like, your experience staying in public housing, or the projects that you stayed in, do you feel like there were ever problems in the community that you had—like, like, gang problems or things like that? Or was it just all around, like, a good atmosphere with community? Because it sounds like it was a pretty good bond. Johnson: So how do you think that’s changed over time? From, like, the era when you were growing up to how it is now, like, staying in public housing because it—it looks a little different now in the sense that, I guess a majority of the high rises are gone—well, all of the high rises are gone, for the most part—but, how do you feel about that? How do you think it's changed? Johnson: Yeah, I definitely agree with that, in the sense of, most of the times, we're only exposed to what we have in that community, what we have in the area— Wright: the resources, yeah. Johnson: —and we don’t know that there's more things out there. Wright: Yeah, there's no influx of resources. Johnson: Yeah. Wright: —to my projects for me to go in, maybe at night or in the wintertime. You know what we did? We played outside on the basketball court in the winter time. Trying to— Johnson: That’s what you gotta do. Wright: —because that's what we have to do, but imagine, imagine the opportunity, for me, as a basketball player to get better if I have an indoor space to be able to do that, right. So just, different things like that. Imagine the trouble that so and so could have stayed out of if they had this, you know what I mean? If they had more resources? So, I think, [hits table] like, that's a big problem. Wright: Yeah. Johnson: Or just in general. Johnson: Nice. Wright: Okay.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=0.0,1367.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/73","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Johnson: So, what do you think that they should probably, like, put together?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=1367.0,1443.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/74","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Johnson: And then going a little bit back to, like, your early years playing basketball. Can you talk a little bit about one of the moments that you think it was, like, you had the hardest time trying to figure out if this was really what you wanted to pursue? Or, like, one of the biggest challenges you faced?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=1443.0,1464.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/75","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Wright: In earlier years?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=1464.0,0.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/76","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Shakira Johnson: Hi, this is Shakira Johnson. Today's date is November 14, 2019. We are in Charlotte, North Carolina. I am here with— ]Johnson: Could you start off telling us a little bit about yourself and where you're from? Wright: Originally, I am from New York, I was born in New York. Moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, at a young age—probably when I was five or six years old—so I was definitely raised in Pittsburgh. Most of my family still was from and lives in New York, but raised in Pittsburgh, went to West Mifflin elementary, middle and high school, so Pittsburgh kid for sure. Johnson: And then, what was your childhood like staying in Pittsburgh? Johnson: And then, what were neighbors like for you? So could you tell us one of fine memories you had of staying where you stayed? Wright: Neighbors? Some of my best friends were a pair of twins, twin boys, Bill and Ty. Growing up, we were neighbors pretty much from five to about 12—or something like that. They were my best friends. I could just remember, we went to school together. They were twins so they dressed alike, obviously. I thought I was a triplet with them and wanted to dress alike. We took pictures together, school pictures. We were in the same kindergarten class? Or first grade—I can't remember— but I just remember standing up next to them in between them, one on my right, one on my left. I probably have a picture somewhere. Just, you know, neighbors were great. Everybody took care of everybody, you know what I mean? You became friends very, very easily—but that's one of my fondest memories was really being, really close with those two growing up and we stayed pretty close throughout, you know, my adolescent years as well. Johnson: Nice. So who did you stay with when you were growing up? Johnson: Grandmas are definitely important. Wright: Oh, yeah, yeah. Johnson: They play a huge role. Wright: Absolutely, absolutely. My grandmother from my dad's side of my family, and my cousin also was from my dad’s side of family. So I was raised with my dad's side of my family. Johnson: Cool. So you talked a little bit about your Grandma. If you can, describe some of the personality she had, like, what characteristics would describe your Grandma? Wright: My Grandma was funny, she’s outgoing. She's one of those grandmothers where, you know, my friends loved to be around like, “Oh, your grandma was fun.” You know what I mean? “Your grandma was funny.” So she definitely had a very outgoing personality, but also it was a very “no nonsense” type of person as well, you know? She allows you to have as much freedom and rope as you can handle, until you hung yourself and then that got taken away, and got pulled back in. So she was just, you know, she was one of those supportive—in my basketball career as well. So just just a, just a cool individual. Very cool, that's what most people would describe her. Affectionately known as Miss B or Aunt Thelm. Yeah, Miss B or Aunt Thelm, is what most people called her. Johnson: And then what would be one of your fondest memories of, like, school? Or how was your experience with school and then starting to figure out that you actually like basketball and that’s what you wanted to do? Wright: Wow. School, to be honest with you, school—I was a terror in school all the way up until, like, eighth grade. School wasn’t—it wasn't the best, it wasn't the most fun thing. I didn't necessarily enjoy school until I started playing basketball, to be honest with you. It wasn't until I had something that reeled my attention in, right? It's something that, you know, could be taken away if I didn't do what I was supposed to be doing on that side of—on that side of things. So, it wasn't until about eighth grade when I started playing eighth grade basketball, but for me growing up—especially growing up into projects—like, basketball was the one mainstay that everybody has and that everybody connects with. So, we all—we all played basketball, whether you were good at it or not, you know what I mean? You kind of connected through basketball, and other sports as well, but I think the main sport definitely was basketball because as a kid, I played football with my friends, you know, kickball—but, really, we all play basketball and either you grew from there, or you didn't, you know? So that—and that was just something fun. Me and my friends, like, we would play basketball all day, every day. Before school, after school. Johnson: Definitely, all day. [laughs] Wright: Yeah, any chance that we can get, so my love really grew. You know, as a kid growing up in New York, obviously, basketball is huge. So, you know, going outside, like, that's all you see, that's all you really know, so, it was around for me since I can remember. Johnson: And then, so, if you could tell us one particular day that you're outside on the court with your friends, that sticks out to you, what was that day like? Wright: I can't, I really can't tell you. [laughs] Wright: I really can't tell you one particular day, because every day was like that. I mean, anybody can tell you, if you if you grew up where we grew up, like, every day was like that and it wasn't, like, if you wanted to play—I can tell you this, if you wanted to play you had to play with the bigger kids, with the older kids. I mean, I was playing with kids, when I was in eighth grade—probably even younger than that, 6th-7th grade—that were already in high school. You know what I mean? And that's just—if you wanted to play, and play for real, like that's what you—that's what you had to do. But, you know, my friends and I, we would get our five together and we would travel to other places that we knew people played basketball too. So, it wasn't just like we were in Whitaker all the time, no, we would take our five or six—or however many we had—and then we would go, you know, to Homeville and play people in Homeville or go to, to nether parts of Whitaker and play people down there and different stuff like that. So, I mean, basketball was just—that was our mainstay, that’s what we knew, you know what I mean? It was every day, like, it was a lifestyle for us. It wasn't just something that—it was a lifestyle. Johnson: That's cool. Were there any stores in the community? Or like— Wright: Rony’s— Johnson: [laughs] Rony’s? Wright: corner store! Rony’s, yeah! Johnson: Like a candy store? Wright: It was a candy, it was everything—it was a convenience store. You can go to Ronnie's and get whatever it was that you needed; bread, milk, whatever. Ronnie's and then the dairy the dairy was a little bit far so if you got called to go to the dairy you were mad. But if you got told to go to Ronnie's it was like all right, like you get to be outside for a little bit longer. Whatever the case may be Ronnie's was outside of the projects. Literally right across the street. Right across the street so Johnson: And then, sometimes we hear stories about like candy ladies in the developments, like restaurants— Wright: Oh yeah— Johnson: Like, people cook plates— Wright: Yeah, we definitely had—we definitely had candy ladies. Dang, I can’t— Johnson: What was that like? ]Johnson: Quarter candy. Wright: And it was—Yeah, nowadays they don't have one cent—penny candy, that’s what we called it growing up, penny candy. They don't have penny candy, but we had an Icee lady, Johnson: Love the Icees. Wright: The Icee ladies. We had—Miss Andrea used to make plates, taco plates. You know, you can get tacos—and her tacos were the bomb. I wish today that I can pull up to her house and go ask for a taco, no lie. Johnson: How much were taco plates? Wright: Dang, I can't remember. A couple dollars—probably like two or three dollars. Johnson: That’s dope. [laughs] Wright: Yeah, you get a couple of tacos, you know what I mean? Probably like two, three dollars you get a couple of tacos, you know? Back then, you can go to the candy lady with 25 cents and come out with some candy or you could go to Icee lady with 50 cents, you know what I mean? So yes, we—exactly the good old days. Johnson: Gotta miss ‘em, right? Wright: The good old days, where you couldn’t run around and do whatever you wanted because people telling on you because, you know what I mean? Everybody knows everybody, you know. We had arts and crafts growing up, when I was a kid, like, people from the neighborhood would, you know, connect with the center or the housing company and just create, you know, opportunities for us to do different things and to see different things. We had free lunch growing up. You know, you better take yourself to free lunch in the summertimes, get yourself a free lunch. Johnson: What would the free lunches be like? Wright: Chocolate milks, for sure. Johnson: Okay! Johnson: Definitely came in handy, though. [laughs] Wright: Oh yeah, cause you didn't have to go home. You can go right, chocolate milk—I mean, go right to get a free lunch and back to playing, you know what I mean? You never had to go home. Johnson: And then you talked a little bit about the center. Were all the activities at the center free? Or is that something you had to pay for? Wright: Well center—the center wasn't really around when, when I was like super younger. That came—that became later and at that point, I was already heavily involved in basketball. So, really, just traveling a lot for basketball, and not really around to use that but a lot of my friends and people in the neighborhood still use it and worked in—it was just a resource area, right? Books, place where they can go get their—get help with their homework—and computers, different stuff like that, and that stuff was free, you know. When dealing with government grants and different stuff like that, they provide—they provide that different stuff, but what I was talking about earlier was like—it was just people within a neighborhood having different things and activities for us to do. So, like I said, arts and crafts, where we'd make T shirts or make necklaces and different, and different stuff like that throughout the summer and mainly that was people within our neighborhood taking the realms on that and doing those—doing those things for the neighborhood kids. Johnson: Cool. And then when you were growing up, did you know that you stayed in, like, you called it “the projects.” Did you know that you stayed in the projects? Or it's just like— Johnson: And then you talked a little bit about, like, how you play basketball now and how, it was more of like a lifestyle for you— Wright: Yeah. Johnson: —something you loved to do. Who was one of the people that you looked up to, in your younger days? Johnson: So how do you think is different for you actually mean like, because there's a lot of women who actually pursue playing basketball. I wanted the people who like made it pretty successful. being great at Wright: a mindset. I think a lot of it has to Do it a mindset and, and a big part of that mindset for me is the fact that I grew up in a project every man for themselves, you know what I mean, the type of games that we play, where every man for themselves, the only way you eat is if you go get it, you know what I mean? And so that has a lot to do with it and having tough skin right? Again, a skill that I that I was able to grow and hone, by living in the projects and being in it, you know what I mean, and being in those type of environments. So, that's part of it and then, I'd be remiss if I just don't say, just favor God—God's favor, you know what I mean? Like, I feel like I was handpicked to be in the position that I am, that I am. So, I don't take it for granted but, you know, my hard work and my dedication, and my attitude towards life in general definitely played a part in it. Johnson: So, what was one of the moments you realize, like I actually made it where I want to be in basketball? Where I learned what I think I wanted to learn, and I can share that with others. When did you feel like you got to that point? Or have you got to that point, in your perspective? Johnson: Nice, and then, how was that first moment when you got that offer for that scholarship? How did you feel, like, what was going through your mind? Wright: Yeah, I mean, to be honest, I don't know if I can remember the exact moment, but I do know, like, just remembering, like, “Dang, there are schools out there that want you to come play for their school,” right, and how big that is. I've never been somebody who's just been like, for lack of words, big-headed or anything like that. I've always been super cool, super calm, or whatever, but just, like, knowing that you have an opportunity to go play and now the teams out there—or programs out there—like, you know, gawking for you, wanting you to come there, and stuff like that, like that—that was nice to know. Like, “You can go somewhere, you don't have to worry about your grandmother having to pay for school. You know, college is a reality for you now.” So that was big—big moments for me. Johnson: And then, did you have times where you felt like it was gonna be more difficult for you being a female basketball player than, you know, a male basketball player? Or you feel like it's pretty much game? Wright: No, yeah. I mean, I grew up playing against all males. So, basketball was basketball. In our world, like, we don't look at it like, “Oh, you're female,” “Oh, you're a male,” like, no. Growing up when I grew up, and at the time that I grew up, they could care less than I was a female. Johnson: Exactly. Wright: Right? Like, I still got knocked down just like anybody else would get knocked down on the basketball court. Yeah, they didn't worry about hitting me or not hitting me. They were too worried about “Well, damn, is she gonna score me?” You know what I mean? So like, it was all fair. It was all fair. So, so no, I don't think that that was a big deal. Johnson: And then, going a little bit back to, like, your experience staying in public housing, or the projects that you stayed in, do you feel like there were ever problems in the community that you had—like, like, gang problems or things like that? Or was it just all around, like, a good atmosphere with community? Because it sounds like it was a pretty good bond. Johnson: So how do you think that’s changed over time? From, like, the era when you were growing up to how it is now, like, staying in public housing because it—it looks a little different now in the sense that, I guess a majority of the high rises are gone—well, all of the high rises are gone, for the most part—but, how do you feel about that? How do you think it's changed? Johnson: Yeah, I definitely agree with that, in the sense of, most of the times, we're only exposed to what we have in that community, what we have in the area— Wright: the resources, yeah. Johnson: —and we don’t know that there's more things out there. Wright: Yeah, there's no influx of resources. Johnson: Yeah. Wright: —to my projects for me to go in, maybe at night or in the wintertime. You know what we did? We played outside on the basketball court in the winter time. Trying to— Johnson: That’s what you gotta do. Wright: —because that's what we have to do, but imagine, imagine the opportunity, for me, as a basketball player to get better if I have an indoor space to be able to do that, right. So just, different things like that. Imagine the trouble that so and so could have stayed out of if they had this, you know what I mean? If they had more resources? So, I think, [hits table] like, that's a big problem. Wright: Yeah. Johnson: So, what do you think that they should probably, like, put together? Johnson: And then going a little bit back to, like, your early years playing basketball. Can you talk a little bit about one of the moments that you think it was, like, you had the hardest time trying to figure out if this was really what you wanted to pursue? Or, like, one of the biggest challenges you faced? Wright: In earlier years? Johnson: Or just in general. Johnson: Nice. Wright: Okay.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=0.0,1515.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/77","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Johnson: And then how do you think your community and where you're from has had that positive effect on you? Especially coming from—or people who come from public housing, like us, how do you think having that community helps?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=1515.0,1532.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/78","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Wright: Yeah, for me, it was, it was always a representation. Like, being very proud of where I'm from, like, I don't—I'm not ashamed of where I'm from. I'm very proud of where I'm from. I love to represent the fact that I'm from I'm from Whitaker, I’m from Monview Heights. And, so, understanding how important that is to that to that community, and how people from that community take pride in that as well. They feel like it's one of their very young, right? That have made it, has done something successful with their lives and so walking around with that—that pride and that representation—remembering who I am and where I'm from, it matters.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=1532.0,1573.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/79","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Johnson: Yeah, and then, um, if you could share, like, advice for what you think will be helpful for people who are kind of like going through that transitional period, and they don't know whether they want to pursue this or that, what is one piece of advice that you would give them?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=1573.0,1645.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/80","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Johnson: And then, how often do you go back to where you're originally from? Like, how often do you go back and visit home?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=1645.0,1650.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/81","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Wright: Ah, I go back home all the time. I mean, I'm still— [laughter]","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=1650.0,1654.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/82","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Wright: Like, I live here, but I'm from—I’m from Pittsburgh. I'll probably go back next week, to be honest with you. I still have family there, and so I go home a lot. I do a book bag drive there every year.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=1654.0,0.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/83","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Shakira Johnson: Hi, this is Shakira Johnson. Today's date is November 14, 2019. We are in Charlotte, North Carolina. I am here with— ]Johnson: Could you start off telling us a little bit about yourself and where you're from? Wright: Originally, I am from New York, I was born in New York. Moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, at a young age—probably when I was five or six years old—so I was definitely raised in Pittsburgh. Most of my family still was from and lives in New York, but raised in Pittsburgh, went to West Mifflin elementary, middle and high school, so Pittsburgh kid for sure. Johnson: And then, what was your childhood like staying in Pittsburgh? Johnson: And then, what were neighbors like for you? So could you tell us one of fine memories you had of staying where you stayed? Wright: Neighbors? Some of my best friends were a pair of twins, twin boys, Bill and Ty. Growing up, we were neighbors pretty much from five to about 12—or something like that. They were my best friends. I could just remember, we went to school together. They were twins so they dressed alike, obviously. I thought I was a triplet with them and wanted to dress alike. We took pictures together, school pictures. We were in the same kindergarten class? Or first grade—I can't remember— but I just remember standing up next to them in between them, one on my right, one on my left. I probably have a picture somewhere. Just, you know, neighbors were great. Everybody took care of everybody, you know what I mean? You became friends very, very easily—but that's one of my fondest memories was really being, really close with those two growing up and we stayed pretty close throughout, you know, my adolescent years as well. Johnson: Nice. So who did you stay with when you were growing up? Johnson: Grandmas are definitely important. Wright: Oh, yeah, yeah. Johnson: They play a huge role. Wright: Absolutely, absolutely. My grandmother from my dad's side of my family, and my cousin also was from my dad’s side of family. So I was raised with my dad's side of my family. Johnson: Cool. So you talked a little bit about your Grandma. If you can, describe some of the personality she had, like, what characteristics would describe your Grandma? Wright: My Grandma was funny, she’s outgoing. She's one of those grandmothers where, you know, my friends loved to be around like, “Oh, your grandma was fun.” You know what I mean? “Your grandma was funny.” So she definitely had a very outgoing personality, but also it was a very “no nonsense” type of person as well, you know? She allows you to have as much freedom and rope as you can handle, until you hung yourself and then that got taken away, and got pulled back in. So she was just, you know, she was one of those supportive—in my basketball career as well. So just just a, just a cool individual. Very cool, that's what most people would describe her. Affectionately known as Miss B or Aunt Thelm. Yeah, Miss B or Aunt Thelm, is what most people called her. Johnson: And then what would be one of your fondest memories of, like, school? Or how was your experience with school and then starting to figure out that you actually like basketball and that’s what you wanted to do? Wright: Wow. School, to be honest with you, school—I was a terror in school all the way up until, like, eighth grade. School wasn’t—it wasn't the best, it wasn't the most fun thing. I didn't necessarily enjoy school until I started playing basketball, to be honest with you. It wasn't until I had something that reeled my attention in, right? It's something that, you know, could be taken away if I didn't do what I was supposed to be doing on that side of—on that side of things. So, it wasn't until about eighth grade when I started playing eighth grade basketball, but for me growing up—especially growing up into projects—like, basketball was the one mainstay that everybody has and that everybody connects with. So, we all—we all played basketball, whether you were good at it or not, you know what I mean? You kind of connected through basketball, and other sports as well, but I think the main sport definitely was basketball because as a kid, I played football with my friends, you know, kickball—but, really, we all play basketball and either you grew from there, or you didn't, you know? So that—and that was just something fun. Me and my friends, like, we would play basketball all day, every day. Before school, after school. Johnson: Definitely, all day. [laughs] Wright: Yeah, any chance that we can get, so my love really grew. You know, as a kid growing up in New York, obviously, basketball is huge. So, you know, going outside, like, that's all you see, that's all you really know, so, it was around for me since I can remember. Johnson: And then, so, if you could tell us one particular day that you're outside on the court with your friends, that sticks out to you, what was that day like? Wright: I can't, I really can't tell you. [laughs] Wright: I really can't tell you one particular day, because every day was like that. I mean, anybody can tell you, if you if you grew up where we grew up, like, every day was like that and it wasn't, like, if you wanted to play—I can tell you this, if you wanted to play you had to play with the bigger kids, with the older kids. I mean, I was playing with kids, when I was in eighth grade—probably even younger than that, 6th-7th grade—that were already in high school. You know what I mean? And that's just—if you wanted to play, and play for real, like that's what you—that's what you had to do. But, you know, my friends and I, we would get our five together and we would travel to other places that we knew people played basketball too. So, it wasn't just like we were in Whitaker all the time, no, we would take our five or six—or however many we had—and then we would go, you know, to Homeville and play people in Homeville or go to, to nether parts of Whitaker and play people down there and different stuff like that. So, I mean, basketball was just—that was our mainstay, that’s what we knew, you know what I mean? It was every day, like, it was a lifestyle for us. It wasn't just something that—it was a lifestyle. Johnson: That's cool. Were there any stores in the community? Or like— Wright: Rony’s— Johnson: [laughs] Rony’s? Wright: corner store! Rony’s, yeah! Johnson: Like a candy store? Wright: It was a candy, it was everything—it was a convenience store. You can go to Ronnie's and get whatever it was that you needed; bread, milk, whatever. Ronnie's and then the dairy the dairy was a little bit far so if you got called to go to the dairy you were mad. But if you got told to go to Ronnie's it was like all right, like you get to be outside for a little bit longer. Whatever the case may be Ronnie's was outside of the projects. Literally right across the street. Right across the street so Johnson: And then, sometimes we hear stories about like candy ladies in the developments, like restaurants— Wright: Oh yeah— Johnson: Like, people cook plates— Wright: Yeah, we definitely had—we definitely had candy ladies. Dang, I can’t— Johnson: What was that like? ]Johnson: Quarter candy. Wright: And it was—Yeah, nowadays they don't have one cent—penny candy, that’s what we called it growing up, penny candy. They don't have penny candy, but we had an Icee lady, Johnson: Love the Icees. Wright: The Icee ladies. We had—Miss Andrea used to make plates, taco plates. You know, you can get tacos—and her tacos were the bomb. I wish today that I can pull up to her house and go ask for a taco, no lie. Johnson: How much were taco plates? Wright: Dang, I can't remember. A couple dollars—probably like two or three dollars. Johnson: That’s dope. [laughs] Wright: Yeah, you get a couple of tacos, you know what I mean? Probably like two, three dollars you get a couple of tacos, you know? Back then, you can go to the candy lady with 25 cents and come out with some candy or you could go to Icee lady with 50 cents, you know what I mean? So yes, we—exactly the good old days. Johnson: Gotta miss ‘em, right? Wright: The good old days, where you couldn’t run around and do whatever you wanted because people telling on you because, you know what I mean? Everybody knows everybody, you know. We had arts and crafts growing up, when I was a kid, like, people from the neighborhood would, you know, connect with the center or the housing company and just create, you know, opportunities for us to do different things and to see different things. We had free lunch growing up. You know, you better take yourself to free lunch in the summertimes, get yourself a free lunch. Johnson: What would the free lunches be like? Wright: Chocolate milks, for sure. Johnson: Okay! Johnson: Definitely came in handy, though. [laughs] Wright: Oh yeah, cause you didn't have to go home. You can go right, chocolate milk—I mean, go right to get a free lunch and back to playing, you know what I mean? You never had to go home. Johnson: And then you talked a little bit about the center. Were all the activities at the center free? Or is that something you had to pay for? Wright: Well center—the center wasn't really around when, when I was like super younger. That came—that became later and at that point, I was already heavily involved in basketball. So, really, just traveling a lot for basketball, and not really around to use that but a lot of my friends and people in the neighborhood still use it and worked in—it was just a resource area, right? Books, place where they can go get their—get help with their homework—and computers, different stuff like that, and that stuff was free, you know. When dealing with government grants and different stuff like that, they provide—they provide that different stuff, but what I was talking about earlier was like—it was just people within a neighborhood having different things and activities for us to do. So, like I said, arts and crafts, where we'd make T shirts or make necklaces and different, and different stuff like that throughout the summer and mainly that was people within our neighborhood taking the realms on that and doing those—doing those things for the neighborhood kids. Johnson: Cool. And then when you were growing up, did you know that you stayed in, like, you called it “the projects.” Did you know that you stayed in the projects? Or it's just like— Johnson: And then you talked a little bit about, like, how you play basketball now and how, it was more of like a lifestyle for you— Wright: Yeah. Johnson: —something you loved to do. Who was one of the people that you looked up to, in your younger days? Johnson: So how do you think is different for you actually mean like, because there's a lot of women who actually pursue playing basketball. I wanted the people who like made it pretty successful. being great at Wright: a mindset. I think a lot of it has to Do it a mindset and, and a big part of that mindset for me is the fact that I grew up in a project every man for themselves, you know what I mean, the type of games that we play, where every man for themselves, the only way you eat is if you go get it, you know what I mean? And so that has a lot to do with it and having tough skin right? Again, a skill that I that I was able to grow and hone, by living in the projects and being in it, you know what I mean, and being in those type of environments. So, that's part of it and then, I'd be remiss if I just don't say, just favor God—God's favor, you know what I mean? Like, I feel like I was handpicked to be in the position that I am, that I am. So, I don't take it for granted but, you know, my hard work and my dedication, and my attitude towards life in general definitely played a part in it. Johnson: So, what was one of the moments you realize, like I actually made it where I want to be in basketball? Where I learned what I think I wanted to learn, and I can share that with others. When did you feel like you got to that point? Or have you got to that point, in your perspective? Johnson: Nice, and then, how was that first moment when you got that offer for that scholarship? How did you feel, like, what was going through your mind? Wright: Yeah, I mean, to be honest, I don't know if I can remember the exact moment, but I do know, like, just remembering, like, “Dang, there are schools out there that want you to come play for their school,” right, and how big that is. I've never been somebody who's just been like, for lack of words, big-headed or anything like that. I've always been super cool, super calm, or whatever, but just, like, knowing that you have an opportunity to go play and now the teams out there—or programs out there—like, you know, gawking for you, wanting you to come there, and stuff like that, like that—that was nice to know. Like, “You can go somewhere, you don't have to worry about your grandmother having to pay for school. You know, college is a reality for you now.” So that was big—big moments for me. Johnson: And then, did you have times where you felt like it was gonna be more difficult for you being a female basketball player than, you know, a male basketball player? Or you feel like it's pretty much game? Wright: No, yeah. I mean, I grew up playing against all males. So, basketball was basketball. In our world, like, we don't look at it like, “Oh, you're female,” “Oh, you're a male,” like, no. Growing up when I grew up, and at the time that I grew up, they could care less than I was a female. Johnson: Exactly. Wright: Right? Like, I still got knocked down just like anybody else would get knocked down on the basketball court. Yeah, they didn't worry about hitting me or not hitting me. They were too worried about “Well, damn, is she gonna score me?” You know what I mean? So like, it was all fair. It was all fair. So, so no, I don't think that that was a big deal. Johnson: And then, going a little bit back to, like, your experience staying in public housing, or the projects that you stayed in, do you feel like there were ever problems in the community that you had—like, like, gang problems or things like that? Or was it just all around, like, a good atmosphere with community? Because it sounds like it was a pretty good bond. Johnson: So how do you think that’s changed over time? From, like, the era when you were growing up to how it is now, like, staying in public housing because it—it looks a little different now in the sense that, I guess a majority of the high rises are gone—well, all of the high rises are gone, for the most part—but, how do you feel about that? How do you think it's changed? Johnson: Yeah, I definitely agree with that, in the sense of, most of the times, we're only exposed to what we have in that community, what we have in the area— Wright: the resources, yeah. Johnson: —and we don’t know that there's more things out there. Wright: Yeah, there's no influx of resources. Johnson: Yeah. Wright: —to my projects for me to go in, maybe at night or in the wintertime. You know what we did? We played outside on the basketball court in the winter time. Trying to— Johnson: That’s what you gotta do. Wright: —because that's what we have to do, but imagine, imagine the opportunity, for me, as a basketball player to get better if I have an indoor space to be able to do that, right. So just, different things like that. Imagine the trouble that so and so could have stayed out of if they had this, you know what I mean? If they had more resources? So, I think, [hits table] like, that's a big problem. Wright: Yeah. Johnson: So, what do you think that they should probably, like, put together? Johnson: And then going a little bit back to, like, your early years playing basketball. Can you talk a little bit about one of the moments that you think it was, like, you had the hardest time trying to figure out if this was really what you wanted to pursue? Or, like, one of the biggest challenges you faced? Wright: In earlier years? Johnson: Or just in general. Johnson: And then how do you think your community and where you're from has had that positive effect on you? Especially coming from—or people who come from public housing, like us, how do you think having that community helps? Wright: Yeah, for me, it was, it was always a representation. Like, being very proud of where I'm from, like, I don't—I'm not ashamed of where I'm from. I'm very proud of where I'm from. I love to represent the fact that I'm from I'm from Whitaker, I’m from Monview Heights. And, so, understanding how important that is to that to that community, and how people from that community take pride in that as well. They feel like it's one of their very young, right? That have made it, has done something successful with their lives and so walking around with that—that pride and that representation—remembering who I am and where I'm from, it matters. Johnson: Yeah, and then, um, if you could share, like, advice for what you think will be helpful for people who are kind of like going through that transitional period, and they don't know whether they want to pursue this or that, what is one piece of advice that you would give them? Johnson: And then, how often do you go back to where you're originally from? Like, how often do you go back and visit home? Wright: Ah, I go back home all the time. I mean, I'm still— [laughter] Wright: Like, I live here, but I'm from—I’m from Pittsburgh. I'll probably go back next week, to be honest with you. I still have family there, and so I go home a lot. I do a book bag drive there every year. Johnson: Nice. Wright: Okay.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=0.0,1698.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/84","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Johnson: That’ll be nice.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=1698.0,1699.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/85","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Wright: Yeah, but I do a book bag drive there every year.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=1699.0,1701.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/86","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Johnson: So, what brought you to the point what—to made you want to start doing the book bag drives every year?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=1701.0,1707.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/87","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Wright: Yeah, just to give back to my community? I know how important education—","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=1707.0,1710.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/88","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Johnson: That’s a good way to give back.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=1710.0,1739.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/89","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Johnson: Nice, and then for—‘cause there is a lot of people, if not just some people, out there, who don't really know about like public housing and what that is. Or sometimes there's like, the negative connotations that are associated with public housing. So, if you could tell a little bit about—like for those people who don't necessarily know about it—what would you say it is? Like a representation of it?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=1739.0,1762.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/90","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Wright: Ah, man, I see the positives of it, right? Friendships are built, character is built, loyalty is built, um, determination is built. There's so many different skill sets that you—that you learn there. You grow up a lot, a lot quicker, right. You got tougher skin, your mentality—your mental toughness is built there, you know. Your—your roughness, your ruggedness, like all these different things, like, you grow it there. Your mentality. Like, there's so many different things that I think are based and built upon that foundation that helped you as an adult. You know what I mean? As you—as you grow and as you go out into another world, ‘cause it really is another world, you know what I mean? So those are the things—those are the things that I take from it. Like, yeah, there's some other things, but, like, I'm not who I am without all those things. I'm not all those things without growing up—without growing up there.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=1762.0,1824.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/91","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Johnson: Yeah, and then, we know that your grandma was really influential and then you growing up. Who was another mentor that you would, like, stay close to?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=1824.0,1870.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/92","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Johnson: And then, how useful do you think it is to have those courses—well, to know about financial literacy and other things? Like, how to talk to certain people? Which should be, like, put more into those spaces for sure.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=1870.0,1885.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/93","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Wright: Yeah.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=1885.0,1886.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/94","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Johnson: How much different do you think it will make—like how much of a difference do you think would make if it was in every community of those public houses?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=1886.0,1894.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/95","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Wright: Well, I definitely—I definitely think it's important, you know. We're not necessarily—throughout school, right—we're not necessarily taught those things in school. They're not like something that's ingrained in us at a young age, for whatever—for whatever reasons. Our parents or whoever weren't—that wasn't their upbringing as well, you know what I mean? It wasn't something that they were tot—taught. So, it's not much that they passed down to us. So I think learning that stuff—and it's just how the American—American society is—goes. You know what I mean? Is. So you need to have those—that knowledge and those skill sets. I think those are important pieces to being successful. In, quote, unquote, “the American dream,” but the American dream isn't so much the dream these days, to be honest.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=1894.0,1944.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/96","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Johnson: Yeah, I definitely agree. I think that's interesting that you bring up that point, because everybody has, like, their ideas that what the American dream actually is, and I think it's more of learning what you didn't know and passing it on. So speaking, in that sense, how important do you think it is to start to build, like, generational wealth and give back to your community and teach people what you necessarily didn't know, when you were growing up?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=1944.0,2020.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/97","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Johnson: And then, how do you feel like that ties in to you coaching now, and that transition?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=2020.0,2026.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/98","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Wright: Yeah, it's the biggest platform, right. I have the ability to influence and I'm in a position to influence kids who are 17 to 22—to 22 year olds—every single day, right. And so, especially because of my platform, being a professional athlete, they look at me a lot different, right? Eyes are always always always on me and how I'm using those opportunities is really important. My job is to influence them in the right way, push them in the right way, teach them the right things. You know what I mean? Not just—I think I have it up—“Do what is right, not what is easy,” right, and just teaching them as we go along. We're not just here—I'm not just here to teach them basketball. I'm here to teach them life lessons as well, and hope that they will take that on, and that'll be something that stays inside of them and they can pass it along as they grow and they get older, and they start teaching the next generation.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=2026.0,0.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/99","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Shakira Johnson: Hi, this is Shakira Johnson. Today's date is November 14, 2019. We are in Charlotte, North Carolina. I am here with— ]Johnson: Could you start off telling us a little bit about yourself and where you're from? Wright: Originally, I am from New York, I was born in New York. Moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, at a young age—probably when I was five or six years old—so I was definitely raised in Pittsburgh. Most of my family still was from and lives in New York, but raised in Pittsburgh, went to West Mifflin elementary, middle and high school, so Pittsburgh kid for sure. Johnson: And then, what was your childhood like staying in Pittsburgh? Johnson: And then, what were neighbors like for you? So could you tell us one of fine memories you had of staying where you stayed? Wright: Neighbors? Some of my best friends were a pair of twins, twin boys, Bill and Ty. Growing up, we were neighbors pretty much from five to about 12—or something like that. They were my best friends. I could just remember, we went to school together. They were twins so they dressed alike, obviously. I thought I was a triplet with them and wanted to dress alike. We took pictures together, school pictures. We were in the same kindergarten class? Or first grade—I can't remember— but I just remember standing up next to them in between them, one on my right, one on my left. I probably have a picture somewhere. Just, you know, neighbors were great. Everybody took care of everybody, you know what I mean? You became friends very, very easily—but that's one of my fondest memories was really being, really close with those two growing up and we stayed pretty close throughout, you know, my adolescent years as well. Johnson: Nice. So who did you stay with when you were growing up? Johnson: Grandmas are definitely important. Wright: Oh, yeah, yeah. Johnson: They play a huge role. Wright: Absolutely, absolutely. My grandmother from my dad's side of my family, and my cousin also was from my dad’s side of family. So I was raised with my dad's side of my family. Johnson: Cool. So you talked a little bit about your Grandma. If you can, describe some of the personality she had, like, what characteristics would describe your Grandma? Wright: My Grandma was funny, she’s outgoing. She's one of those grandmothers where, you know, my friends loved to be around like, “Oh, your grandma was fun.” You know what I mean? “Your grandma was funny.” So she definitely had a very outgoing personality, but also it was a very “no nonsense” type of person as well, you know? She allows you to have as much freedom and rope as you can handle, until you hung yourself and then that got taken away, and got pulled back in. So she was just, you know, she was one of those supportive—in my basketball career as well. So just just a, just a cool individual. Very cool, that's what most people would describe her. Affectionately known as Miss B or Aunt Thelm. Yeah, Miss B or Aunt Thelm, is what most people called her. Johnson: And then what would be one of your fondest memories of, like, school? Or how was your experience with school and then starting to figure out that you actually like basketball and that’s what you wanted to do? Wright: Wow. School, to be honest with you, school—I was a terror in school all the way up until, like, eighth grade. School wasn’t—it wasn't the best, it wasn't the most fun thing. I didn't necessarily enjoy school until I started playing basketball, to be honest with you. It wasn't until I had something that reeled my attention in, right? It's something that, you know, could be taken away if I didn't do what I was supposed to be doing on that side of—on that side of things. So, it wasn't until about eighth grade when I started playing eighth grade basketball, but for me growing up—especially growing up into projects—like, basketball was the one mainstay that everybody has and that everybody connects with. So, we all—we all played basketball, whether you were good at it or not, you know what I mean? You kind of connected through basketball, and other sports as well, but I think the main sport definitely was basketball because as a kid, I played football with my friends, you know, kickball—but, really, we all play basketball and either you grew from there, or you didn't, you know? So that—and that was just something fun. Me and my friends, like, we would play basketball all day, every day. Before school, after school. Johnson: Definitely, all day. [laughs] Wright: Yeah, any chance that we can get, so my love really grew. You know, as a kid growing up in New York, obviously, basketball is huge. So, you know, going outside, like, that's all you see, that's all you really know, so, it was around for me since I can remember. Johnson: And then, so, if you could tell us one particular day that you're outside on the court with your friends, that sticks out to you, what was that day like? Wright: I can't, I really can't tell you. [laughs] Wright: I really can't tell you one particular day, because every day was like that. I mean, anybody can tell you, if you if you grew up where we grew up, like, every day was like that and it wasn't, like, if you wanted to play—I can tell you this, if you wanted to play you had to play with the bigger kids, with the older kids. I mean, I was playing with kids, when I was in eighth grade—probably even younger than that, 6th-7th grade—that were already in high school. You know what I mean? And that's just—if you wanted to play, and play for real, like that's what you—that's what you had to do. But, you know, my friends and I, we would get our five together and we would travel to other places that we knew people played basketball too. So, it wasn't just like we were in Whitaker all the time, no, we would take our five or six—or however many we had—and then we would go, you know, to Homeville and play people in Homeville or go to, to nether parts of Whitaker and play people down there and different stuff like that. So, I mean, basketball was just—that was our mainstay, that’s what we knew, you know what I mean? It was every day, like, it was a lifestyle for us. It wasn't just something that—it was a lifestyle. Johnson: That's cool. Were there any stores in the community? Or like— Wright: Rony’s— Johnson: [laughs] Rony’s? Wright: corner store! Rony’s, yeah! Johnson: Like a candy store? Wright: It was a candy, it was everything—it was a convenience store. You can go to Ronnie's and get whatever it was that you needed; bread, milk, whatever. Ronnie's and then the dairy the dairy was a little bit far so if you got called to go to the dairy you were mad. But if you got told to go to Ronnie's it was like all right, like you get to be outside for a little bit longer. Whatever the case may be Ronnie's was outside of the projects. Literally right across the street. Right across the street so Johnson: And then, sometimes we hear stories about like candy ladies in the developments, like restaurants— Wright: Oh yeah— Johnson: Like, people cook plates— Wright: Yeah, we definitely had—we definitely had candy ladies. Dang, I can’t— Johnson: What was that like? ]Johnson: Quarter candy. Wright: And it was—Yeah, nowadays they don't have one cent—penny candy, that’s what we called it growing up, penny candy. They don't have penny candy, but we had an Icee lady, Johnson: Love the Icees. Wright: The Icee ladies. We had—Miss Andrea used to make plates, taco plates. You know, you can get tacos—and her tacos were the bomb. I wish today that I can pull up to her house and go ask for a taco, no lie. Johnson: How much were taco plates? Wright: Dang, I can't remember. A couple dollars—probably like two or three dollars. Johnson: That’s dope. [laughs] Wright: Yeah, you get a couple of tacos, you know what I mean? Probably like two, three dollars you get a couple of tacos, you know? Back then, you can go to the candy lady with 25 cents and come out with some candy or you could go to Icee lady with 50 cents, you know what I mean? So yes, we—exactly the good old days. Johnson: Gotta miss ‘em, right? Wright: The good old days, where you couldn’t run around and do whatever you wanted because people telling on you because, you know what I mean? Everybody knows everybody, you know. We had arts and crafts growing up, when I was a kid, like, people from the neighborhood would, you know, connect with the center or the housing company and just create, you know, opportunities for us to do different things and to see different things. We had free lunch growing up. You know, you better take yourself to free lunch in the summertimes, get yourself a free lunch. Johnson: What would the free lunches be like? Wright: Chocolate milks, for sure. Johnson: Okay! Johnson: Definitely came in handy, though. [laughs] Wright: Oh yeah, cause you didn't have to go home. You can go right, chocolate milk—I mean, go right to get a free lunch and back to playing, you know what I mean? You never had to go home. Johnson: And then you talked a little bit about the center. Were all the activities at the center free? Or is that something you had to pay for? Wright: Well center—the center wasn't really around when, when I was like super younger. That came—that became later and at that point, I was already heavily involved in basketball. So, really, just traveling a lot for basketball, and not really around to use that but a lot of my friends and people in the neighborhood still use it and worked in—it was just a resource area, right? Books, place where they can go get their—get help with their homework—and computers, different stuff like that, and that stuff was free, you know. When dealing with government grants and different stuff like that, they provide—they provide that different stuff, but what I was talking about earlier was like—it was just people within a neighborhood having different things and activities for us to do. So, like I said, arts and crafts, where we'd make T shirts or make necklaces and different, and different stuff like that throughout the summer and mainly that was people within our neighborhood taking the realms on that and doing those—doing those things for the neighborhood kids. Johnson: Cool. And then when you were growing up, did you know that you stayed in, like, you called it “the projects.” Did you know that you stayed in the projects? Or it's just like— Johnson: And then you talked a little bit about, like, how you play basketball now and how, it was more of like a lifestyle for you— Wright: Yeah. Johnson: —something you loved to do. Who was one of the people that you looked up to, in your younger days? Johnson: So how do you think is different for you actually mean like, because there's a lot of women who actually pursue playing basketball. I wanted the people who like made it pretty successful. being great at Wright: a mindset. I think a lot of it has to Do it a mindset and, and a big part of that mindset for me is the fact that I grew up in a project every man for themselves, you know what I mean, the type of games that we play, where every man for themselves, the only way you eat is if you go get it, you know what I mean? And so that has a lot to do with it and having tough skin right? Again, a skill that I that I was able to grow and hone, by living in the projects and being in it, you know what I mean, and being in those type of environments. So, that's part of it and then, I'd be remiss if I just don't say, just favor God—God's favor, you know what I mean? Like, I feel like I was handpicked to be in the position that I am, that I am. So, I don't take it for granted but, you know, my hard work and my dedication, and my attitude towards life in general definitely played a part in it. Johnson: So, what was one of the moments you realize, like I actually made it where I want to be in basketball? Where I learned what I think I wanted to learn, and I can share that with others. When did you feel like you got to that point? Or have you got to that point, in your perspective? Johnson: Nice, and then, how was that first moment when you got that offer for that scholarship? How did you feel, like, what was going through your mind? Wright: Yeah, I mean, to be honest, I don't know if I can remember the exact moment, but I do know, like, just remembering, like, “Dang, there are schools out there that want you to come play for their school,” right, and how big that is. I've never been somebody who's just been like, for lack of words, big-headed or anything like that. I've always been super cool, super calm, or whatever, but just, like, knowing that you have an opportunity to go play and now the teams out there—or programs out there—like, you know, gawking for you, wanting you to come there, and stuff like that, like that—that was nice to know. Like, “You can go somewhere, you don't have to worry about your grandmother having to pay for school. You know, college is a reality for you now.” So that was big—big moments for me. Johnson: And then, did you have times where you felt like it was gonna be more difficult for you being a female basketball player than, you know, a male basketball player? Or you feel like it's pretty much game? Wright: No, yeah. I mean, I grew up playing against all males. So, basketball was basketball. In our world, like, we don't look at it like, “Oh, you're female,” “Oh, you're a male,” like, no. Growing up when I grew up, and at the time that I grew up, they could care less than I was a female. Johnson: Exactly. Wright: Right? Like, I still got knocked down just like anybody else would get knocked down on the basketball court. Yeah, they didn't worry about hitting me or not hitting me. They were too worried about “Well, damn, is she gonna score me?” You know what I mean? So like, it was all fair. It was all fair. So, so no, I don't think that that was a big deal. Johnson: And then, going a little bit back to, like, your experience staying in public housing, or the projects that you stayed in, do you feel like there were ever problems in the community that you had—like, like, gang problems or things like that? Or was it just all around, like, a good atmosphere with community? Because it sounds like it was a pretty good bond. Johnson: So how do you think that’s changed over time? From, like, the era when you were growing up to how it is now, like, staying in public housing because it—it looks a little different now in the sense that, I guess a majority of the high rises are gone—well, all of the high rises are gone, for the most part—but, how do you feel about that? How do you think it's changed? Johnson: Yeah, I definitely agree with that, in the sense of, most of the times, we're only exposed to what we have in that community, what we have in the area— Wright: the resources, yeah. Johnson: —and we don’t know that there's more things out there. Wright: Yeah, there's no influx of resources. Johnson: Yeah. Wright: —to my projects for me to go in, maybe at night or in the wintertime. You know what we did? We played outside on the basketball court in the winter time. Trying to— Johnson: That’s what you gotta do. Wright: —because that's what we have to do, but imagine, imagine the opportunity, for me, as a basketball player to get better if I have an indoor space to be able to do that, right. So just, different things like that. Imagine the trouble that so and so could have stayed out of if they had this, you know what I mean? If they had more resources? So, I think, [hits table] like, that's a big problem. Wright: Yeah. Johnson: So, what do you think that they should probably, like, put together? Johnson: And then going a little bit back to, like, your early years playing basketball. Can you talk a little bit about one of the moments that you think it was, like, you had the hardest time trying to figure out if this was really what you wanted to pursue? Or, like, one of the biggest challenges you faced? Wright: In earlier years? Johnson: Or just in general. Johnson: And then how do you think your community and where you're from has had that positive effect on you? Especially coming from—or people who come from public housing, like us, how do you think having that community helps? Wright: Yeah, for me, it was, it was always a representation. Like, being very proud of where I'm from, like, I don't—I'm not ashamed of where I'm from. I'm very proud of where I'm from. I love to represent the fact that I'm from I'm from Whitaker, I’m from Monview Heights. And, so, understanding how important that is to that to that community, and how people from that community take pride in that as well. They feel like it's one of their very young, right? That have made it, has done something successful with their lives and so walking around with that—that pride and that representation—remembering who I am and where I'm from, it matters. Johnson: Yeah, and then, um, if you could share, like, advice for what you think will be helpful for people who are kind of like going through that transitional period, and they don't know whether they want to pursue this or that, what is one piece of advice that you would give them? Johnson: And then, how often do you go back to where you're originally from? Like, how often do you go back and visit home? Wright: Ah, I go back home all the time. I mean, I'm still— [laughter] Wright: Like, I live here, but I'm from—I’m from Pittsburgh. I'll probably go back next week, to be honest with you. I still have family there, and so I go home a lot. I do a book bag drive there every year. Johnson: Nice. Johnson: That’ll be nice. Wright: Yeah, but I do a book bag drive there every year. Johnson: So, what brought you to the point what—to made you want to start doing the book bag drives every year? Wright: Yeah, just to give back to my community? I know how important education— Johnson: That’s a good way to give back. Johnson: Nice, and then for—‘cause there is a lot of people, if not just some people, out there, who don't really know about like public housing and what that is. Or sometimes there's like, the negative connotations that are associated with public housing. So, if you could tell a little bit about—like for those people who don't necessarily know about it—what would you say it is? Like a representation of it? Wright: Ah, man, I see the positives of it, right? Friendships are built, character is built, loyalty is built, um, determination is built. There's so many different skill sets that you—that you learn there. You grow up a lot, a lot quicker, right. You got tougher skin, your mentality—your mental toughness is built there, you know. Your—your roughness, your ruggedness, like all these different things, like, you grow it there. Your mentality. Like, there's so many different things that I think are based and built upon that foundation that helped you as an adult. You know what I mean? As you—as you grow and as you go out into another world, ‘cause it really is another world, you know what I mean? So those are the things—those are the things that I take from it. Like, yeah, there's some other things, but, like, I'm not who I am without all those things. I'm not all those things without growing up—without growing up there. Johnson: Yeah, and then, we know that your grandma was really influential and then you growing up. Who was another mentor that you would, like, stay close to? Johnson: And then, how useful do you think it is to have those courses—well, to know about financial literacy and other things? Like, how to talk to certain people? Which should be, like, put more into those spaces for sure. Wright: Yeah. Johnson: How much different do you think it will make—like how much of a difference do you think would make if it was in every community of those public houses? Wright: Well, I definitely—I definitely think it's important, you know. We're not necessarily—throughout school, right—we're not necessarily taught those things in school. They're not like something that's ingrained in us at a young age, for whatever—for whatever reasons. Our parents or whoever weren't—that wasn't their upbringing as well, you know what I mean? It wasn't something that they were tot—taught. So, it's not much that they passed down to us. So I think learning that stuff—and it's just how the American—American society is—goes. You know what I mean? Is. So you need to have those—that knowledge and those skill sets. I think those are important pieces to being successful. In, quote, unquote, “the American dream,” but the American dream isn't so much the dream these days, to be honest. Johnson: Yeah, I definitely agree. I think that's interesting that you bring up that point, because everybody has, like, their ideas that what the American dream actually is, and I think it's more of learning what you didn't know and passing it on. So speaking, in that sense, how important do you think it is to start to build, like, generational wealth and give back to your community and teach people what you necessarily didn't know, when you were growing up? Johnson: And then, how do you feel like that ties in to you coaching now, and that transition? Wright: Yeah, it's the biggest platform, right. I have the ability to influence and I'm in a position to influence kids who are 17 to 22—to 22 year olds—every single day, right. And so, especially because of my platform, being a professional athlete, they look at me a lot different, right? Eyes are always always always on me and how I'm using those opportunities is really important. My job is to influence them in the right way, push them in the right way, teach them the right things. You know what I mean? Not just—I think I have it up—“Do what is right, not what is easy,” right, and just teaching them as we go along. We're not just here—I'm not just here to teach them basketball. I'm here to teach them life lessons as well, and hope that they will take that on, and that'll be something that stays inside of them and they can pass it along as they grow and they get older, and they start teaching the next generation. Wright: Okay.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=0.0,2102.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/100","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Johnson: One may sound small but, to somebody, that can be like a big thing that's, like, life changing, you know what I mean?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=2102.0,2107.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/101","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Wright: Absolutely.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=2107.0,2109.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/102","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Johnson: So that's kind of like the perspective that I take from it, which is kind of like—it ties back into what you do and like giving back to the community, so I definitely love that. It's well—is there anything else like that you thought about that you want to share? Or? No?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=2109.0,2127.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/103","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Wright: Nah, I'm good, I’m good. [laughter]","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=2127.0,2131.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/104","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Johnson: Well, awesome. On behalf of the National Public Housing Museum, we want to thank you for sharing your time and your story with us. I appreciate it.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=2131.0,2138.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/105","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Wright: No problem, it was a pleasure. Thanks for having me.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=2138.0,2141.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/106","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Johnson: No problem.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=2141.0,2142.0"},{"id":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349/transcript/70195/annotation/107","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Wright: Yeah.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://nphm.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2733/collection_resources/129692/file/250349#t=2142.0,2142.9551"}]}]}]}