Living History: Robert Kesten on Activism, Identity, and the Stories That Shape Us

Robert Kesten, Executive Director of the Stonewall National Museum & Archives, shares a deeply personal and wide-ranging conversation that spans civil rights, global activism, the importance of preserving history, and his lifelong commitment to justice. From organizing a fundraising event as a child in response to Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination to producing a Holocaust documentary and leading initiatives in human rights education, Robert’s journey reflects the intersection of compassion, curiosity, and courageous leadership. His reflections on history, identity, and the enduring struggle for human dignity are as timely as ever.

Interview recorded in Fort Lauderdale, FL.

Key Takeaways:

• Robert Kesten is the Executive Director of the Stonewall National Museum & Archives, which preserves and shares LGBTQ history and culture.
• His activism began in childhood after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., when he organized a fundraiser to help send kids to camp.
• Robert emphasizes the importance of telling full, interconnected histories—likening it to a dense tapestry where every thread matters.
• He has worked across diverse causes: LGBTQ+ rights, civil rights, Holocaust remembrance, and international human rights education.
• Kesten produced a documentary on the Holocaust for March of the Living, focusing on emotional impact over dialogue.
• His view of compassion is putting the greater good above oneself, and his guiding philosophy is to leave the world better than he found it.
• Despite decades of global work, he describes his life as "rewarding" rather than "successful"—a reflection on the value of impact over recognition.

Robert Kesten’s Bio:

Kesten is president and CEO of Stonewall National Museum, Archives, & Library based in Fort Lauderdale, FL. The nonprofit organization is one of the largest of its kind in the LGBTQ+ world and one of the oldest, having been started in 1973.

Prior to joining Stonewall, Kesten traveled around the world promoting acceptance of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a foundational document in building a better and more stable world. Kesten conceptualized the United Nations Decade of Human Rights Education, which was approved by the General Assembly and ran from 1994-2004.

Connect with Robert:

stonewall-museum.org

#TheHumanExperiencePodcast 

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Can you pinpoint a moment in time when your life changed? Maybe it wasn’t a moment, maybe it was a complicated chain of events that led you to where you are today. Or maybe, it was a generational impact that started before you were even born. Regardless of what it contains, all humans have a story. And those stories are the building blocks of who we are, at our very core. Join host, Jennifer Peterkin - lover and collector of stories, as she interviews humans from all walks of life. Tune in every week to hear stories of love and loss, triumph and defeat, and all that exist in between.