Oral History Interview with Judith Byfield
Title
Oral History Interview with Judith Byfield
Narrator (written)
Judith Byfield
Narrator First Name
Judith
Narrator Last Name
Byfield
Interviewer
Dean Lowery '27
Abstract
Dr. Judith A. Byfield '80 was born in Kingston, Jamaica, in 1959. In this interview for the Dartmouth Black Lives project, Dr. Byfield discusses her life centered around her experiences at Dartmouth as both a student and faculty member. She begins by discussing her early life in Kingston and the intense educational environment in which she was raised. Next, she discusses her family's decision to move to the United States as a result of political strife in Jamaica. Her parents, seeking both economic and educational opportunity for their children, eventually settled in Queens, New York. Later, Dr. Byfield discusses her experiences at the prestigious Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan and her decision to apply to and commit to Dartmouth. Throughout the interview, Dr. Byfield discusses how her experiences in education, both in Jamaica and at Dartmouth, have shaped her work as an academic. Additionally, Dr. Byfield discusses the role of her educational experiences as a youth and a Dartmouth student in the way she approaches her role as a professor.
Date of Interview
February 11, 2026
Subject
Dartmouth alumni
Dartmouth faculty
academics
Language
English
Rights
Interview Audio Source (MP3)
//rcweb.dartmouth.edu/DartmouthBlackLives/histories/byfield_judith/byfield_judith.mp3
Interview Transcript Source (PDF)
//rcweb.dartmouth.edu/DartmouthBlackLives/histories/byfield_judith/byfield_judith_transcript_final.pdf
HTML
//rcweb.dartmouth.edu/DartmouthBlackLives/histories/byfield_judith/byfield_judith_transcript_final.html