Phyllis Miller oral history interview, November 16, 2007

Item — othertype: Oral History

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

Interviewed by Hilary Morrish. Phyllis Miller opens her oral history by discussing her childhood in Virginia. After completing college, she gained extensive job experience through her many different roles at Grady Hospital. She talks about the impact of her work at Grady in pediatrics, as well as her transition later in life to working in the high-risk nursery as a full time OB/GYN social worker. Miller details her transition to the DeKalb Rape Crisis center, highlighting the services they provide, her role as Executive Director, fundraising initiatives, as well as the importance of volunteers and volunteer-based activities they organize. She then describes her children and her opinions about the family unit. She transitions into focusing on the changing views of society pertaining to date rape, as well as the link between the media and sexual violence. Going beyond the realms of sexual assault, Miller explains her passion for other issues including child abuse and the downfall of education. In closing, she offers her opinions about feminists, the current generation of young women, and the discrimination she has experienced as an African-American.

Dates

Creation: November 16, 2007

Creator

Miller, Phyllis W. (Interviewee, Person)

Restriction on Access

Oral history available for research.

Biographical Note

Phyllis Miller was born in Elizabeth City, North Carolina and was raised in Newport News, Virginia. She has a Master’s degree in Social Work from Lafayette College. In 1978, she began working at Grady Hospital as a social worker, and remained there for the next 28 years. During her time at Grady, Miller including chaired the child abuse team, supervised pediatric services, worked in the burn unit and obstetrics, and worked as an OB/GYN social worker in the high-risk nursery. Her time at Grady sparked her interest in the issue of sexual assault, and in 2007 she took over as the Executive Director of the DeKalb Rape Crisis Center. Miller is the mother of three children. Other than sexual assault, she has interests in children’s rights and racial equality.