Julieanna Richardson facts for kids

Julieanna L. Richardson was born on June 10, 1954. She is an American lawyer who studied at Harvard. She is famous for starting and leading The HistoryMakers. This is a special group that saves video recordings of African-American people telling their own life stories. These recordings are called oral histories.

Before she started The HistoryMakers in 1999, Julieanna Richardson worked in cable television. She was also a corporate lawyer. She created two companies: SCTN Teleproductions and Shop Chicago Inc. SCTN Teleproductions helped produce shows for C-SPAN. Shop Chicago Inc. was a TV shopping channel that became well-known. Julieanna Richardson lives in Chicago.

Early Life and School

Julieanna Richardson was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Her mother was Margaret Richardson, and her father was Julius Richardson. She is the oldest of four sisters. She grew up in a town called Duquesne, near Pittsburgh. Her father was in the Army, so she lived with her mother and grandmother. Her father, Julius, had wanted to be a lawyer. But he stayed in the military to support his family.

Julieanna went to Interlochen Arts Academy for high school. This school is in Michigan. In 1976, she earned her college degree from Brandeis University. She studied Theater Arts and American Studies. She graduated with high honors. During college, she spent time studying in Norwich, England, at the University of East Anglia.

While at Brandeis, she learned about the power of oral history. She did research on the Harlem Renaissance. This was a time when African-American art and culture grew in New York City. She also studied the poet Langston Hughes. Her research taught her how important it was to hear people's stories directly.

In 1980, Julieanna Richardson earned her law degree from Harvard Law School. This school is in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Her Career Journey

Julieanna Richardson has had an interesting career. She has worked as a lawyer and in television. But she is best known for creating The HistoryMakers.

Working as a Lawyer

After finishing law school, Julieanna Richardson worked at a law firm in Chicago called Jenner & Block. She worked on business and company law. She also focused on banking and copyright law.

Working in Television

In 1982, Julieanna Richardson started working for the City of Chicago. She helped manage cable television. She set up the Chicago Cable Commission. This group helped control cable TV in the city.

In 1985, she started Shop Chicago. This was a new kind of TV shopping channel. It reached many homes in the Chicago market. It showed products from local stores. Shop Chicago became famous for mixing shopping with longer commercials.

Later, Richardson started her own company called SCTN Teleproductions. This company made videos for businesses and cable TV shows. For eight years, SCTN managed three local cable channels. SCTN Teleproductions also helped produce shows for C-SPAN.

Creating The HistoryMakers

In February 2000, Julieanna Richardson did her first interview for The HistoryMakers. She spoke with Barry Mayo, a black radio executive. Many famous people followed, like Harry Belafonte, Ruby Dee, and Julian Bond.

But a special meeting changed her view. She met William Thompson, a veteran from World War II. He was one of the Tuskegee Airmen, an all-black group of pilots. Thompson told her about the Golden 13. These were the first thirteen black men to become officers in the Navy during World War II. He also told her that one of them, William Sylvester White, was nearby.

Julieanna interviewed both men. They have since passed away. She said, "It was one of those moments when I knew I was on the right path." This experience showed her that The HistoryMakers was about finding important history everywhere. It wasn't just about famous names.

From their office in Chicago, Julieanna and her team have recorded over 2,000 interviews. This is more than 8,000 hours of video! They have interviewed well-known African Americans like General Colin Powell, Angela Davis, Maya Angelou, and even President Barack Obama when he was a state senator.

They also interview less famous people who have achieved great things. These include:

• Myrtis Dightman: The first black cowboy to qualify for the Professional Rodeo Association National Finals.
• Geraldine Johnson: The first African-American woman to be a Superintendent of Schools in Connecticut.
• Ludie Jones: A tap dancer famous for her performances during the prohibition era.

Julieanna Richardson is the Executive Director of The HistoryMakers. She also leads its National Board of Directors.

She has also created public events and programs. One important event is "An Evening With...". This is an annual interview and fundraiser shown on PBS-TV. It features famous African Americans like Eartha Kitt, Smokey Robinson, and Quincy Jones.

In 2004, The HistoryMakers received a grant. This helped them create a special digital archive with Carnegie Mellon University. This online archive started in 2006. It has over 310 interviews and 3,500 users from many countries.

Awards and Recognition

Julieanna Richardson has received many awards and honors. She is part of the Honors Council of Lawyers for the Creative Arts. In 2011, she joined the Comcast NBCUniversal African American Diversity Council.

In May 2012, she received an Honorary Doctorate degree from Howard University. This was during their graduation ceremony.

Scholarly Works

Julieanna Richardson has also presented her work at conferences. Some of her presentations include:

• "From the Slave Narrative to The HistoryMakers" (2010)
• "Bridges of Memory (Interviewer Timuel Black)" (2009)
• "The HistoryMakers: A New Primary Resource for Scholars" (2007)
• "Women Shaping Chicago: Sustaining the Journey" (2002)