Curtis Decker interview

Description

In this oral history, attorney, activist, and advocate Curtis Decker recounts a life of civic and political engagement. Born in Albany, New York, Decker attended Hamilton College and Cornell Law School. He came to Baltimore as an Americorps VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) volunteer in the early 1970s. In this interview Decker discusses his work with the Baltimore Legal Aid Bureau, H.E.L.P. Resource Project for Abused and Neglected Children, Maryland Disability Law Center, and his experience as Executive Director of the National Disability Rights Network. He also discusses in great detail his experience in the mid-to-late 1980s working to pass a Gay and Lesbian Rights Bill for Baltimore City. Additionally, Decker discusses his collaboration with Dr. B. Frank Polk, who established Johns Hopkins Hospital's AIDS outpatient clinic in 1984 and who worked closely with Decker in establishing an AIDS research project.