As the world looks back on the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., StoryFile is proud to play a part in ensuring that the voices of those who stood beside him during the Civil Rights Movement are not just remembered—but heard, seen, and engaged with, authentically and in real time.

One such voice belongs to Dr. Joyce Ladner, a pioneering sociologist, activist, and former interim president of Howard University. Ladner was a field secretary for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), participated in the 1963 March on Washington, and helped organize the Mississippi Freedom Summer. Her life’s work is a vivid tapestry woven into the struggle for justice and equality. Now, thanks to StoryFile’s interactive AI platform, her testimony lives on—not just in books and archives, but in conversation.

The Living Archive of a Civil Rights Pioneer

In 2020, TIME Magazine documented Dr. Ladner’s experience creating a StoryFile. The process involved filming hundreds of responses to carefully selected questions about her childhood in Mississippi, her activism, her views on race and America, and her personal memories of Dr. King. The result is not a scripted performance, nor a generative AI model; it is Dr. Ladner, in her own voice and expressions, answering questions directly and authentically.

“When I’m gone, people will still be able to interact with me,” she said. “They’ll be able to ask what it was like to be a Black girl growing up in Mississippi. They’ll be able to ask what it felt like to hear Dr. King speak at the Lincoln Memorial. I think that matters.”

Authenticity in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

What sets StoryFile apart from synthetic tools is its unwavering commitment to truth and first-person testimony. While language models like ChatGPT can generate plausible responses to questions about historical events, they cannot replace the emotional resonance and lived detail of someone who was actually there.

Dr. Ladner’s StoryFile is part of a larger March on Washington exhibit—one that includes a virtual reality experience of King’s iconic “I Have a Dream” speech. Together, they offer a powerful, immersive journey through history. One lets you feel the roar of the crowd in 1963; the other lets you sit down and talk with someone who marched in it.

This dual experience—emotionally evocative immersion paired with personal, authentic narrative—is exactly what makes this exhibit so transformative. Visitors are not only educated—they are connected.

Bridging Generations, Building Empathy

The value of StoryFile lies not just in technological innovation, but in human connection. Future students, researchers, and museum-goers will be able to ask Dr. Ladner about her fears, her hopes, her role models, her doubts. Her answers will come from a place of reflection and wisdom. They’ll be hers. As Ladner herself said, “People will be able to ask me things I was never asked in interviews. And they’ll get the real answer. Not what someone thinks I would say. What I actually said.”

In our pursuit of justice and understanding, we must preserve the voices that helped shape history. Dr. Joyce Ladner’s StoryFile does exactly that—not just remembering the past, but making it available for dialogue. And in doing so, it honors the very spirit of the March on Washington: a call to listen, to learn, and to keep moving forward.

1. Smithsonian Magazine – Virtual Reality Exhibit Brings Martin Luther King Jr.’s Iconic “I Have a Dream” Speech to Life

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This article explores how the March exhibit immerses visitors in the Civil Rights Movement through cutting-edge technology, combining virtual reality and conversational AI to bring history to life. Guests experience Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s iconic “I Have a Dream” speech in VR, then engage in interactive conversations with real civil rights leaders like Dr. Joyce Ladner through StoryFile’s AI-powered interviews—offering both emotional immersion and authentic, first-person storytelling.

2. TIME – What It’s Like to Tell Your Life Story to a Machine

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TIME profiles Dr. Joyce Ladner, a civil rights leader and sociologist, as she records her StoryFile. The article examines how StoryFile bridges oral history and AI, preserving authentic voices like Dr. Ladner’s with dignity and agency.