AOHP-007. Lemuel LaRoche (Life the Griot) interviewed by Alexander Stephens. January 20, 2015.

Lemuel LaRoche, also known as a Life The Griot, is a poet, community activist, and founder of the Athens non-profit, Chess and Community. He grew up in New York, and moved to Georgia where he attended Gordon College and later transferred to the University of Georgia. In this interview, LaRoche talks about his upbringing and early influences, his experience of the intersection between race and education, his decision to study social work at the master’s level, and his growing involvement in community engagement in Athens. He discusses Dreaded Mindz and Chess and Community, two community engagement initiatives he helped to spearhead. He discusses social conditioning, structural issues that affect the African-American community in Athens, and the relationship between the University of Georgia and the community. He reflects on fatherhood and working towards creating a better future.