I got to interview Kembe about moving from Haiti to Orange County, life in California, identity as an immigrant and a black American, and his goals for the future as a part of the Stories From The OC initiative.
I”m a longtime fan of StoryCorps, an organization whose mission is to record, preserve, and share the stories of Americans from all backgrounds and beliefs. For over a decade, they’ve been doing pop-up StoryBooths, which are small, publicly accessible recording studios located in public places. Community builder FivePoint has brought the experience to our community in Orange County for the first time, in Irvine at Cadence Park in the Great Park Neighborhoods. The Stories from the OC interactive exhibit, which opened to the public on August 15, is inviting Orange County residents to record meaningful conversations with a family member, loved one or friend. The conversations are recorded through the StoryCorps app and preserved for posterity at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress, the largest single collection of digitally-recorded human voices ever gathered.
The exhibit is really fun and creative, capturing the nostalgia of a California campsite and celebrating the tradition of gathering around a campfire to share stories and memories. It features a recording studio housed within a custom Airstream trailer, which is where Kembe and I recorded our interview.
The exhibit also features a display of a number of products that are made in Orange County, including some of my favorites like Krochet Kids and Volcom.
They also have a number of question-starters available to help spark conversation, such as ask your parents how they met, how would you like to be remembered, what has been the happiest moment of your life so far or describe some traditions that have been passed down through your family.
You can learn more about the experience and hear some of the first recorded stories by visiting their website at storiesfromtheoc.com. And I encourage you to make an appointment and record your own story. It is truly such a fun experience!
