Pamela J. Badila

This interview was conducted in Hudson, NY on July 20, 2012 with Pamela Badila. Pamela’s husband, Elombe, passed away in Hudson on July 10, 2012. Her interview mostly consisted of speaking about him, their family, the strength she receives from their ten children and the importance of community and spiritual beliefs at this time. Her optimism and resilience were palpable. She expressed how much she loved her husband and how significant he was to the Hudson community, even though he did not speak English.

She described a memorial march Hudson held for him along Warren Street replete with community members wearing bright colors and following the couple’s nightly route down to the river where they watched the sun set. She described his coffin and a ritual she shared with her children that included artfully painting it and placing mementos inside, including two feet of her own hair placed like a halo around his head. “He loved my hair,” she said.

Her life history included growing up with twelve siblings; meeting her husband in Paris; her career as a dancer, playwright and painter; raising their children; moving to Hudson over a decade ago; confronting racism but she calls “ignorance.” She critiqued the Hudson school system while praising the informal homeschooling she enabled for the children.

This interview might interest people interested in the experience of an African family in a small town upstate New York and how radically they impacted the larger community.