"Emmanuel George interviews Shirley Baker on April 12, 2024 at the African American Research Library and Cultural Center. Shirley Baker was born in Blakley, Georgia. She moved to Florida with her family around 1955. She discusses her mother’s ancestry in Georgia. Shirley Baker describes her childhood growing up with her family in Hallandale, Hollywood, Dania, and Fort Lauderdale. She attended schools such as Colins Elementary, Chester A. Moore Elementary, Lanier Junior High, and Attucks High School. She recounts school integration during her tenth-grade year of high school at Hollywood Hills High School. She was part of the first integrated graduating class of Hollywood Hills High School in 1969. She describes the segregated conditions of Broward County, explaining the close knit African American community in Liberia. Shirley was the first African American to work in the mayor’s office as a receptionist in Fort Lauderdale. After high school, Shirely attended Florida A&M University (FAMU) and graduated with a degree to teach English in 1973. She recalls her teaching experiences at Cooper City High School and Plantation High School. Shirely founded a mentoring program for students called the African American Male Student Achievement (AMSA). Now the program is called Mentoring Tomorrow’s Leaders. She retired from teaching in 2023. Shirley Baker discusses her involvement in Delta Sigma Theta Sorority since college. She served as a president of the Broward County Chapter. Shirley also served in the Urban League of Broward County, National Achievers, a past vice president of the FAMU Alumni Association, a member of the National Council of Negro Women and the Friends of the Library at the African American Research Library and Cultural Center (AARLCC). She describes the groundbreaking and opening ceremonies of the AARLCC, and the impact of the library on the community."