Interview, Elizabeth McDade

Elizabeth McDade was born in Bowling Green, Ohio, in 1961. Her father was a Scottish immigrant who came to live in the United States in 1949. Her mother was born and raised in New Rochelle, New York. Both McDade’s parents were teachers. Her family moved to Rochester, New York, in 1964 because her father took a job teaching at the newly opened Monroe Community College. She went to local schools and graduated high school from School Without Walls. She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in photography and a Bachelor of Arts in Italian literature.

In this interview, Elizabeth McDade discusses growing up in Rochester, her experiences at School Without Walls, and the various jobs she worked as a teenager. She explains her work with the Coalition to Prevent Lead Poisoning, her continuing relationship to the 19th Ward, and how the neighborhood she grew up in has changed. She also discusses the Westside Farmers Market, her work in the local community, and some stories from her childhood.