Oral History of Marcus McDonald, interviewed by Mills Pennebaker, 21 April 2021
Title
Oral History of Marcus McDonald, interviewed by Mills Pennebaker, 21 April 2021
Subject
Description
Marcus McDonald was born in Silver Springs, MD, and grew up in Columbia, SC. He moved to Charleston in 2014 to attend the College of Charleston, where he graduated with a degree in finances. McDonald is the founder of Adesso Entertainment.
In 2020, after the killing of Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd, he felt compelled to act and started organizing with Black Lives Matter. McDonald talks about the marches organized in downtown Charleston right after the video of George Floyd’s police killing was released and about the police repression that followed. He discusses the challenges of being a new face in the Charleston organizing scene, the process of forming the Independent Charleston Black Lives Matter Chapter, and how he became identified as its leader.
In the interview, McDonald reflects on teaching at Burke High School, his work with the Eastside Community Development Corporation, and his participation in several local coalitions that focus on police brutality, racism, and gentrification.
In 2020, after the killing of Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd, he felt compelled to act and started organizing with Black Lives Matter. McDonald talks about the marches organized in downtown Charleston right after the video of George Floyd’s police killing was released and about the police repression that followed. He discusses the challenges of being a new face in the Charleston organizing scene, the process of forming the Independent Charleston Black Lives Matter Chapter, and how he became identified as its leader.
In the interview, McDonald reflects on teaching at Burke High School, his work with the Eastside Community Development Corporation, and his participation in several local coalitions that focus on police brutality, racism, and gentrification.
Publisher
The Citadel Archives and Museum
Date
Rights
Materials in The Citadel Archives & Museum Digital Collections are intended for educational and research use. The user assumes all responsibility for identifying and satisfying any claimants of copyright. For more information contact The Citadel Archives & Museum, The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, 29409.
Format
application/pdf
Language
English
Type
Text
Identifier
https://citadeldigitalarchives.omeka.net/items/show/1655
Coverage
Charleston (S. C.)
Duration
121 minutes
Interviewer
Mills Pennebaker
Interviewee
Marcus McDonald
Location
Charleston, South Carolina
Collection
Citation
The Charleston Oral History Program at the Citadel, “Oral History of Marcus McDonald, interviewed by Mills Pennebaker, 21 April 2021,” The Citadel Archives Digital Collections, accessed April 23, 2024, https://citadeldigitalarchives.omeka.net/items/show/1655.