Interview with CJ Randall
Dublin Core
Title
Interview with CJ Randall
Description
CJ Randall, an artist and former resident of Asheville who was based in Philadelphia during Hurricane Helene and at the time of the interview, was interviewed by Buncombe County Special Collections Library Assistant Jenny Bowen on August 21, 2025. This interview took place at Pack Memorial Library and was conducted as part of the Come Hell or High Water Oral History Project for Buncombe County Special Collections, Pack Memorial Library.
Randall discusses his experience organizing logistical aid remotely during the information blackout that followed the storm. He describes social media as critical infrastructure during the crisis [00:08:16]; coordinating relief efforts in partnership with a friend, Jacob Peacock [00:09:06]; his anger at politicians’ responses [00:15:26]; returning to Asheville to distribute supplies in late October [00:23:21]; and frustration with the spread of misinformation and conspiracies [00:38:37]. Throughout the interview, he expresses a deep distrust of government and media narratives, as well as profound anger and frustration over the politicization of the disaster, with a particular emphasis on Donald Trump’s campaign and presidency.
Narrator portrait by Jenny Bowen, Pack Memorial Library, August 21, 2025.
Randall discusses his experience organizing logistical aid remotely during the information blackout that followed the storm. He describes social media as critical infrastructure during the crisis [00:08:16]; coordinating relief efforts in partnership with a friend, Jacob Peacock [00:09:06]; his anger at politicians’ responses [00:15:26]; returning to Asheville to distribute supplies in late October [00:23:21]; and frustration with the spread of misinformation and conspiracies [00:38:37]. Throughout the interview, he expresses a deep distrust of government and media narratives, as well as profound anger and frustration over the politicization of the disaster, with a particular emphasis on Donald Trump’s campaign and presidency.
Narrator portrait by Jenny Bowen, Pack Memorial Library, August 21, 2025.
Date
Rights
Interview copyright CJ Randall and Buncombe County Special Collections.
Format
Language
English
Identifier
MS456.002C
Extent
1 digital audio recording (01:02:55); 1 transcript (34 pages); 1 digital photograph
Oral History Item Type Metadata
Duration
01:02:55
Interviewer
Jenny Bowen
Interviewee
Corey J. Randall
Collection
Tags
Citation
Friends of Buncombe County Special Collections, “Interview with CJ Randall,” Come Hell or High Water Community Memory Project, accessed December 17, 2025, https://helenehistory.omeka.net/items/show/1336.