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<rdf:Description rdf:about="https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/omeka/items/show/11814">
    <dcterms:title><![CDATA[Oral Memoirs of Curtis Joshua Rayam Jr.<br />
]]></dcterms:title>
    <dcterms:alternative><![CDATA[Oral History, Curtis Joshua Rayam Jr.<br />
]]></dcterms:alternative>
    <dcterms:subject><![CDATA[Orlando (Fla.)<br />
]]></dcterms:subject>
    <dcterms:subject><![CDATA[Parramore (Orlando, Fla.)]]></dcterms:subject>
    <dcterms:subject><![CDATA[African Americans--Florida--Orlando]]></dcterms:subject>
    <dcterms:subject><![CDATA[Teachers--Florida]]></dcterms:subject>
    <dcterms:subject><![CDATA[Educators--Florida]]></dcterms:subject>
    <dcterms:subject><![CDATA[Segregation--Florida]]></dcterms:subject>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[An oral history interview of Curtis Joshua Rayam Jr. The interview was conducted by Eric Thompson at the Melrose Center at the Orlando Public Library in Orlando, Florida, on March 5, 2025. Rayam, born February 4, 1951, is a native of the Parramore neighborhood in Orlando and a successful opera and concert singer. Some of the topics covered include his family&#039;s move to Orlando in search of better educational opportunities, his experiences growing up in Parramore, and the influence of teachers and mentors such as Masie Cosby and Jessie B. Demps Smith. Rayam shares memories of attending Callahan Elementary School and Jones High School and reflects on the role that educators played in shaping his musical ambitions. He describes community life centered around churches such as Mt. Olive AME Church and Saint Mark AME Church and remembers the vibrant cultural and commercial activity in Parramore. He mentions streets such as Green Street, Jackson Street, Jefferson Street, and Orange Avenue, as well as businesses like Pyramid Cleaners and the Carver and Lincoln Theaters. He reflects on community figures including Chief Wilson, who attended the 1964 New York World’s Fair, as well as other key figures like Queenie Powell, Augusta Rogers, Alma Polope, and Georgia Wallace. He also discusses the work of Jessie B. Demps Smith at the Magnolia School. Rayam recalls his later studies at the University of Miami, the legacy of segregation, the importance of entrepreneurship, and the changes he has witnessed in Parramore over the decades, including poverty and homelessness.]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:abstract><![CDATA[Oral history interview of Curtis Joshua Rayam Jr. Interview conducted by Eric Thompson on March 5, 2025.<br />
]]></dcterms:abstract>
    <dcterms:tableOfContents><![CDATA[00:00 Moving from Bellville to Orlando and settling in Parramore<br />02:51 Childhood memories and family life in rural Florida<br />05:12 Discovering his voice and early musical education<br />08:00 Attending Jones High School and some of his influential teachers and singers<br />12:13 Attending the University of Miami and beginning his opera career<br />14:58 Family talents and activities outside of music<br />16:16 Memories of old Parramore and its community businesses<br />19:29 Reflections on economic decline and loss of Black-owned businesses<br />21:43 Defining the geographic borders of Parramore<br />24:44 Challenges in Parramore today, including poverty and homelessness, and local support<br />26:40 The role of churches in supporting the community, and his family’s involvement in the church choir <br />28:12 The strength and leadership of women in Parramore<br />28:51 Remembering educators and community leaders who shaped his life, working with special needs children, and the definition of “community” <br />31:31 How the sense of community in Parramore has changed, the legacy of Parramore and how to rebuild the community<br />35:25 Remembering Chief Wilson and his lasting influence]]></dcterms:tableOfContents>
    <dcterms:creator><![CDATA[Thompson, Eric]]></dcterms:creator>
    <dcterms:creator><![CDATA[Rayam Jr., Curtis Joshua<br />
]]></dcterms:creator>
    <dcterms:source><![CDATA[Raya, Jr., Curtis. Interviewed by Eric Thompson, March 25, 2025. Audio record available. <a href="http://riches.cah.ucf.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">RICHES</a>, Orlando, Florida.]]></dcterms:source>
    <dcterms:publisher><![CDATA[<a href="http://riches.cah.ucf.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">RICHES</a>]]></dcterms:publisher>
    <dcterms:created><![CDATA[2025-03-05<br />
]]></dcterms:created>
    <dcterms:dateCopyrighted><![CDATA[2025-03-05<br />
]]></dcterms:dateCopyrighted>
    <dcterms:isPartOf><![CDATA[<a href="https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/omeka/collections/show/229" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Parramore Speaks Collection</a>, <a href="https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/omeka/collections/show/180" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Parramore Collection</a>, <a href="https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/omeka/collections/show/20" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Orlando Collection</a>. <a href="https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/omeka/collections/show/46" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Orange County Collection</a>, RICHES.]]></dcterms:isPartOf>
    <dcterms:requires><![CDATA[Multimedia software, such as <a href="http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> QuickTime</a>.; <a href="http://www.adobe.com/products/reader.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Adobe Acrobat Reader&lt;/a </a>]]></dcterms:requires>
    <dcterms:format><![CDATA[video/mp4]]></dcterms:format>
    <dcterms:format><![CDATA[application/pdf]]></dcterms:format>
    <dcterms:extent><![CDATA[1.7 GB]]></dcterms:extent>
    <dcterms:extent><![CDATA[253 KB]]></dcterms:extent>
    <dcterms:medium><![CDATA[38-minutes and 21-seconds video recording<br />
]]></dcterms:medium>
    <dcterms:medium><![CDATA[16-page digital transcript]]></dcterms:medium>
    <dcterms:language><![CDATA[eng]]></dcterms:language>
    <dcterms:type><![CDATA[Moving Image]]></dcterms:type>
    <dcterms:coverage><![CDATA[Orlando, Florida<br />
]]></dcterms:coverage>
    <dcterms:coverage><![CDATA[Jones High School, Orlando, Florida]]></dcterms:coverage>
    <dcterms:coverage><![CDATA[University of Miami, Miami, Florida]]></dcterms:coverage>
    <dcterms:accrualMethod><![CDATA[Item Creation]]></dcterms:accrualMethod>
    <dcterms:mediator><![CDATA[History Teacher]]></dcterms:mediator>
    <dcterms:mediator><![CDATA[Music Teacher]]></dcterms:mediator>
    <dcterms:provenance><![CDATA[Originally created by Curtis Joshua Rayam Jr. and Eric Thompson and published by <a href="http://riches.cah.ucf.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">RICHES</a>.]]></dcterms:provenance>
    <dcterms:rightsHolder><![CDATA[<a href="http://riches.cah.ucf.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">RICHES</a>]]></dcterms:rightsHolder>
</rdf:Description></rdf:RDF>
