Sandra Matthews

In episode two of The Future of UE Archives Podcast, hosts Chloe Burns and Samantha Anderson sit down with Sandra Matthews, founder of Our Times newspaper and the Evansville African American Museum. Matthews shares stories from her remarkable life as an activist, journalist, and community leader — from her early days in Milwaukee’s civil rights movement, to launching Our Times to give voice to Evansville’s Black community, to founding the African American Museum. She reflects on the challenges of starting a Black newspaper, her efforts to cover underrepresented stories, and her hopes for the preservation of Black history through her recent donation of the Our Times collection to the UE Archives. Matthews closes with heartfelt advice for young people to follow their purpose, stand up for justice, and bring hope to their communities.