Oral history interview with Chiseche Mibenge, 2020
Abstract
Chiseche Mibenge starts the first session describing her background: education in law, volunteer work on HIV/AIDS through church, corporate legal work, human rights education in the Netherlands, and teaching college in the United States. She chronicles the arrival of COVID-19 in New York City, conditions in Riverdale in the Bronx, and sources of information about the pandemic. She describes what sh e has heard about COVID conditions in Zambia. She discusses changes to worship in the United States and Africa. She discusses misinformation about the pandemic on the pandemic around the world. She compares COVID-19 with the AIDS epidemic in Africa. She analyzes whether the pandemic might be the point at which changes for systemic issues might happen in the United States
In the second session, Mibenge had moved to Zambia. She describes a weariness that she felt being in New York City and how some of her colleagues had also left. She discusses being able to socialize more and feeling relaxed and happy. Mibenge talks about becoming a naturalized citizen before departing for Zambia. She also discusses the Black Lives Matter protests in the United States in the summer of 2020, including her observations about the racial dynamics in her neighborhood. She describes her church activities and her group for African women in the diaspora
COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020-; COVID-19 (Disease)--Social Aspects; Epidemics--Social Aspects; Social distancing (Public health) and recreation; COVID-19 (Disease)--Religious aspects; AIDS (Disease); Black lives matter movement; United States Politics and government 21st century; Riverdale (New York, N.Y.); Zambia; Mibenge, Chiseche Salome
Format
oral histories
Genre
Interviews
Date
2020
Physical Description
66 pages
Note (Biographical)
A lawyer by training, Chiseche Mibenge received her Master's degree in human rights and a PhD in international human rights law. She is a Zambian citizen and is currently working for a faith-based humanitarian relief organization
Note
Interviewed by Denise Milstein on April 28 and November 23, 2020
Note (Provenance)
Chiseche Mibenge, Gift, transferred from Columbia Center for Oral History Research 2023