Stewart Buchanan

Interviewee/ Narrator

Stewart Buchanan

Stewart Buchanan

Interviewer

Ella Dietrich

Date

October 28, 2023

Location of the Interview

Sewanee, TN

Length

16 minutes, 7 seconds

Abstract

Stewart Buchanan, born and raised in Dallas, Texas in 2002 and is currently a junior at The University of the South: Sewanee. The interview begins with discussions of Stewart’s life in Texas and how he found community not only in his home state, but at boarding school in North Carolina. He discusses how his family has grown since being away: now finding his place at the “grownups table”(2:25). He describes his new found family through football after having a rough time in high school. He discusses how social media post-George Floyd has influenced his way of thinking about his community and his peers. The main reason behind not being overly influenced by social media when it comes to the Black Lives Matter Movement is because the majority of the people he is surrounded by in his hometown are/were older affluent white people that had a lot of internalized racist views. He speaks to the positives that have occurred from the movement, including giving new, younger generations proud voices and lasting platforms. He has learned various strategies in terms of bringing up sensitive topics with people who may be hurt by the discussion. In terms of his friends' lives, he has seen changes in their lives where their voices are starting to be heard. On his football team today, he has learned from different voices. Stewart’s experience in traveling around the world, including staying with a family in Guatemala, has shifted his perspective and he tried to be inclusive and stand up for people who have often been put down. Since the COVID-pandemic Stewart sees the BLM movement disappearing without active participation in the fight.