Oral History Interview with Rakar West: Video, Eugene Lesbian Oral History Project

Title: Oral History Interview with Rakar West: Video, Eugene Lesbian Oral History Project
LC Subject: Lesbianism Lesbian community
Local Collection ID: Coll 520
Repository: University of Oregon. Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives
Interviewee: West, Rakar
Interviewer: Long, Linda, 1956- Raiskin, Judith L.
Description: The Eugene Lesbian Oral History Project collection consists of interviews of 83 people for the Eugene Lesbian Oral History Project, conducted by Professor Judith Raiskin and Curator Linda Long at the University of Oregon starting in the summer of 2018.
Abstract: Rakar was born in Atlanta, Georgia and grew up in Decatur. She was a tomboy growing up, which was at odds with her family’s southern culture. She discusses racism in the south. She went to college in the 1960s to study chemistry, and received the B.S. and M.A degrees. When she was living in South Carolina in 1975, she came out. She moved to Eugene in 1977, and worked at Starflower Natural Foods & Botanicals. Rakar discusses the pleasures of working first in the warehouse, then becoming a purchasing agent and finally driving a truck, delivering food all over the Pacific Northwest and Northern California. Rakar discusses the collective nature of Starflower, a largely lesbian cooperative. She bought a house in Eugene in 1978 with a friend, Kate, when she was working at Starflower. She discusses the difficulty getting a loan. She met her partner, Lina Van Brunt (then known as “Gypsy”) and she took a special liking to Lina’s dog, “Leafy Greens.” They have been together for forty years now. Rakar and Lina moved to the Oregon Coast for several years, where they started a graphic design company together. Rakar discusses work and play in the lesbian community in Eugene. Finally, she discusses the nature of the lesbian community and assimilation of lesbians into the larger culture.
Subject: Collectives; Cooperatives; Country VW; Full Moon Rising planting crew; Gertrude’s Café; Graphic design; Hoedads; Jackrabbit Press; Newport, Oregon; Oregon Coast; Peralandra Pearl Divers; Port Orford, Oregon; Printing business; Shooting Stars basketball team; Softball; Truck driving; Wheelchair basketball; Wild Iris (restaurant); Women’s Press.
Location: University of Oregon >> Lane County >> Oregon >> United States
Date: 2018-08-27
Identifier: Coll520_do062
Rights: In Copyright
Dc Rights Holder: University of Oregon Libraries
Local Collection Name: Eugene Lesbian Oral History Project
Type: Moving Image
Format: video/mp4
Set: Eugene Lesbian Oral History Project
Institution: University of Oregon