Washington County Oral Histories

Amber Benton oral history recording

An audio recording of an oral history of Amber Benton, Pacific University Class of 2009, recounting memories of her time at Pacific as a college student. Topics covered in the recording include: what it was like to be a first-generation student and one of very few Black students at Pacific in the 2000s; living on campus for four years; serving as an RA (Resident Assistant) in Burlingham Hall; serving as a Student Ambassador; becoming involved with Nā Haumāna O Hawai'i, Pacific's Hawaiian student club; performing at Lu'au; going whitewater rafting with Pacific's Outdoor Pursuits; being a Spanish major and participating in Spanish Club; impressions of Pacific's Black Student Union and Black Alumni Chapter after she graduated; changes she has observed at Pacific since she graduated; memories of Pacific's President Phil Creighton; how her time at Pacific connected to her current work in diversity, equity and inclusion; being the victim of a racial hate incident while she was an RA; lack of awareness or celebration of Black culture while she was a student; the value of Pacific's education and how it encouraged critical thinking skills.

This is one of a group of recordings made during a reunion in October, 2024. The recording is accompanied by a transcript.

Benton, Amber

Oct. 2024

Pacific University Archives Memory Lab

Pacific University

Student activities

African American college students

Dormitories

Luaus

Forest Grove, Oregon

1 audio file (19 min.)

English

PUA_OH_59

http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Pacific University Archives

MP3

Johnson-Riley, Jenny