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Interview Date
11-10-2025
Interviewer
Melinda Marchand
Description
Oral history interview with Brenda Jenkins. Brenda Jenkins, YMCA Community Wellness Relation Director Coordinator and Co-Chair of the Main South Beacon Brightly Neighborhood Association, reflects on more than 40 years of work in Worcester and her experiences partnering with Clark University. Jenkins discusses the YMCA’s longstanding relationship with Clark students through internships, employment, volunteer work, and community organizing, emphasizing the importance of students becoming involved in the neighborhoods surrounding the university. She also describes her work with Mosaic Cultural Complex, a grassroots organization focused on racial disparities, health access, and social justice, and recalls how Clark students helped organize Worcester-area colleges in support of Mosaic when the organization faced public accusations and scrutiny. Throughout the interview, Jenkins reflects on the value of grassroots organizing, relationships between community institutions, and the need for universities to listen directly to residents and businesses rather than assuming what communities need. She identifies several opportunities for stronger collaboration between Clark and Main South, including neighborhood outreach, needs assessments, cultural asset mapping, student involvement, and community leadership initiatives. Jenkins ultimately calls for Clark to become more accessible and connected to Main South residents through sustained, community-driven partnerships, including the possibility of collaborative town halls and neighborhood events with the YMCA.
Note on Transcription Methodology: Interviews were transcribed verbatim to preserve authenticity. Minor editorial interventions were limited to the removal of excessive verbal fillers (e.g., "um," "ah," and repetitive uses of "like") that do not alter meaning or context. No substantive changes were made to interview content, grammar, or narrative structure.
The transcript for this oral history is available as a supplemental file for this work.
Type
audio; text
Genre
oral history; interview transcript
Format
mp3; pdf
Language
English
Location
Worcester, MA
Duration
00:32:12
Keywords
Worcester, Clark University, oral histories, women, women's history
Recommended Citation
Jenkins, Brenda; Marchand, Melinda; and Levy, Spencer, "Oral History with Brenda Jenkins" (2025). Brenda Jenkins. 1.
https://commons.clarku.edu/brendajenkins/1
