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Oral History Interview with Alexander M. Rivera, February 1, 2002. Interview C-0298. Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007).
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  • Abstract
    This is the second of two interviews with African American photojournalist Alexander M. Rivera. In this interview, Rivera focuses in more detail on certain events and issues he addressed in his first interview, which traced the trajectory of his career as a photojournalist, notably during his years with the Pittsburgh Courier. He describes in greater detail his work as a reporter covering the Briggs v. State of South Carolina desegregation case. In addition, he discusses more fully the impact of the Brown decision (and the eventual demise of legal Jim Crow segregation) on African American businesses. Rivera also describes his favorite photographs from this time period. Finally, Rivera talks about his work at North Carolina Central College in the late 1960s and 1970s. He describes how he was able to bring Gerald Ford to speak at the school's fiftieth anniversary celebration and the impact of desegregation on the school's academics and athletics.
    Excerpts
  • Impact of the Briggs and Brown decisions on southern race relations
  • Impact of the Brown decision on black-owned businesses
  • Impact of desegregation on African American schools
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  • Finding aid to the Southern Oral History Program Collection
  • Database of all Southern Oral History Program Collection interviews
  • Subjects
  • African American journalists
  • Rivera, Alexander M.
  • Segregation in education--Law and legislation--United States
  • North Carolina Central University
  • African American business enterprises
  • The Southern Oral History Program transcripts presented here on Documenting the American South undergo an editorial process to remove transcription errors. Texts may differ from the original transcripts held by the Southern Historical Collection.

    Funding from the Institute for Museum and Library Services supported the electronic publication of this title.