In a week, Palama Settlement will open its doors for an event to celebrate its history and the people who helped to make it a safe place for children to dream and to help a community grow strong and thrive.
"Reflections of Palama Oral History" will bring together community members, athletes, artists, social workers and more to hear their personal experiences about Palama Settlement on Sept. 7.
Former NFL player Chris Maʻafala remembers his time at the settlement with his family.
"My two older siblings, even though they were outstanding, their outstanding athletes, they kind of had to hide and do it behind my back. But when my dad, you know, at his job would find with people would come up and say, 'Hey, do you know these kids, they have your last name.' And they're on a paper in front of the paper. I guess our introduction to Palama Settlement and sports," he said.
Like Ma’afala, Paula Rath has deep roots in the neighborhood. She is the project director for oral histories and will present clips of people affected by the settlement. It’s her family legacy she has worked tirelessly to continue.
"My grandparents were the founders, James Arthur and Ragna Rath. And my father was born and raised here. And you literally grew up as a barefoot Palama boy. And my mother spent over 10 years creating the Palama archives. So I kind of grew up here too, in a lot of ways," she said.
The neighborhood clubhouse is the heart of something beautiful which will be celebrated at the settlement next Thursday night in a free oral history event at 5:30 p.m. It will include many who have built successful careers around their passion, including musician Brother Noland and Maʻafala.
"A lot of great surprises came up. When you're doing an oral history, it can go in a lot of different directions. And some of them are surprising. But all of them are interesting," Rath said.
Walk-in attendees are welcome, but RSVP is encouraged by calling 808-848-2530 or emailing mlouie@palamasettlement.org.
Click here for more information.
This interview aired on The Conversation on Sept. 1, 2023. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on HPR-1.
