Terris McMahan Grimes and Diane Miller

Title

Terris McMahan Grimes and Diane Miller

Abstract

In this oral history interview, alumnae Terris McMahan Grimes and Diane Miller reflect on their experiences as Black women and first-gen students at Chico State from 1969 to 1973. They describe arriving from West Oakland and South Central Los Angeles, navigating limited institutional guidance, and finding community and assistance through the Black Student Union and the “Black House.” The narrators recall their involvement in nearby Chapman Town, including a student-organized free breakfast program at a local Black church– modeled on Black Panther initiatives– that primarily served poor white children, as well as the creation of a literary anthology funded by student government. Grimes and Miller discuss campus and national protest cultures surrounding the Vietnam War, farmworker organizing, civil rights, and Indigenous activism, alongside feelings of social exclusion and safety concerns within Chico’s predominantly white party culture. They describe both quiet and overt forms of resistance– challenging course reading lists, attending talks by prominent social justice-oriented figures, mentoring local children, and building spaces for Black cultural life– as expressions of free speech and student activism. The interview concludes with their reflections on social media, intergroup dialogue, and the persistence of structural inequities. Grimes and Miller emphasize that meaningful change depends on sustained engagement and that every voice and every contribution, whether highly visible or quietly behind the scenes, is necessary in ongoing struggles for justice.

Interviewee

Terris McMahan Grimes and Diane Miller

Interviewer

Septen Flores

Date Created

October 24, 2025

Format

m4a

Length

1 hour, 21 minutes, 18 seconds

Library of Congress Subject Heading

Cultural centers (Institutions)—California
United States local history—California
Student activities
Social activism

Copyright

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Collection number

Chico State Free Speech History

Collection Project

Chico State Free Speech History