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Hillary Porter

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@ Weeksville Heritage Center

Lloyd Porter, Hillary Porter

Description

Longtime Brooklyn Residents and owners of a local Bedford-Stuyvesant business, the bakery and coffee shop “Bread-Stuy” In this recording, Lloyd Porter interviews his wife, Hilary, about her childhood, their relationship, and their decision to move to Bedford-Stuyvesant and open their bakery and coffee shop, Bread-Stuy. Hillary and Lloyd were both born in 1970. Hillary was born in California: she recalls that her father was a doctor and her mother eventually became a medical photographer and a physical therapist. Her father, Haywood Lloyd Alexander, was originally from New Jersey, and often told Hillary about his experiences growing up. He was one of the few African-Americans on his swim team, and one of three black students in his medical class. When Hillary was young, she lived with her parents in Los Gatos, California, which she describes as “very rustic, very rural”. Her father built and designed their house himself. Hillary’s mother, Betty Lou Spencer, was born and raised in Bakersfield, CA. Her parents met while students at UCLA. Hillary’s parents separated when she was young, and she moved to Monterey Bay, CA with her mother. In this interview, she recalls the time they spent together on vacations and nature walks, despite her mother’s busy schedule. Hillary credits her mother with the reason she became a baker. Originally trained as an engineer, Hillary eventually left her job and went to culinary school. In this interview, she richly evokes the rituals of making bread that her mother taught her. Her mother baked bread on...
Type:
Oral History Wav
Contributors:
Lloyd Porter, Hillary Porter, Meron Tebeje
Created Date:
1970 2007
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Record Contributed By

Weeksville Heritage Center