People & Stories is the oral history project of the White Plains Public Library. People & Stories seeks to record and share the voices of people who have lived or worked in White Plains. The project functions by pairing interviewers with storytellers from the community. If you are interested in becoming an interviewer, we have our first training event on Saturday, April 18, from 10:30 am- 12:00 pm at the Library.

Harry Bright's work as an educator took him around the world, from Cambodia to Europe, and, of course, to White Plains. Bright worked as a teacher and coach at White Plains High School and was Executive Director of the Human Rights Commission for many years. Bright grew up in the South before the civil rights movement, was a highly successful athlete in college, and began teaching in Westchester in the early 1960s. He and his wife moved to White Plains in the mid-1960s and he said he “never felt like a stranger.” In this interview, conducted by Librarian for White Plains History Ben Himmelfarb, Bright shares his goals for an integrated community where “everybody has an equal opportunity in this city.” Some of Bright's most moving stories are about the positive impact he made on students' lives through teaching and coaching.

We hope you enjoy listening to this oral history. People & Stories is a great way to learn more about our city and the experiences of the people who make it the dynamic, rich place it is.