In this life history interview, Kim Russell speaks about her youth, the Atlanta art scene, a mugging that left her injured and a friend dead, and gun violence prevention. Russell speaks about her immediate family, growing up in the country, and moving to suburban Atlanta as a teenager. She also presents her trajectory as a young woman: her desire to go to art school, teaching at summer camp in Main e, moving to London, returning to Atlanta, and a brief move to Telluride, Colorado. She describes returning and settling in Atlanta and her involvement in the arts scene there. She gives a detailed account of the evening that she and friend Philip Rau were each shot in an attempted mugging outside a warehouse party. Russell was injured and Rau was killed. Russell describes the aftermath: the trial and the effect of Rau's murder on her and his family. There is also an extended conversation on Russell's involvement with gun violence prevention (GVP), guns in American culture, her family's experiences with gun culture, factions and strategy within the GVP movement, and the gun lobby
Kim Russell grew up in the countryside south of Atlanta with her parents and older sister. Her parents had grown up near East Point, Georgia, and her father ran a successful construction company. When she was twelve, her parents divorced and Russell m oved to Smyrna, Georgia with her mother. Russell briefly attended the University of Georgia in Athens, before entering a program to work in London. After returning to the United States, she completed art school in Atlanta, lived briefly in Colorado, and traveled, before returning to Atlanta. She was active in the art community and worked in graphic design, including for Jefferson Holt, the long-time R.E.M. manager. In July of 1999, Russell and friend Philip Rau were mugged outside of a warehouse party. Rau was killed, and Russell received a surface wound on the back as she ran from the attacker in a zig-zag fashion. Russell moved to New York City in 2002, got married, and had a son and daughter. Her daughter was in first grade when the Sandy Hook massacre happened in 2012. The news of this tragedy sparked her involvement in the gun violence prevention (GVP) movement
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Interviewed by Holly Werner-Thomas on November 12, 2018