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Excerpt from Oral History Interview with Katushka Olave, December 9, 1998. Interview K-0659. Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007) See Entire Interview >>

Hope for full racial equality

Olave describes her vision of equality.

Citing this Excerpt

Oral History Interview with Katushka Olave, December 9, 1998. Interview K-0659. Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007) in the Southern Oral History Program Collection, Southern Historical Collection, Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Full Text of the Excerpt

ALICIA ROUVEROL:
And what is your vision then? I mean Iߞ.
KATUSHKA OLAVE:
Well, my vision is that in the world we have bad and good people and it's just for the quality of life things sometime happen, but you need to know them. I mean, you need to know in order to say, "Oh, yeah these are really bad people." But that's maybe because they did in this part, I mean it's affecting me but what I want them is to learn also that everybody is a human being in this world and we have the same necessity, the same rights. I mean it's just only changing their thoughts about ourselves.
ALICIA ROUVEROL:
It is interesting because Jackie said something very similar in my interview with her. That in the end, as much as she saw the cultural differences she also said, you know, "We're all human beings and we all have a lot of the same needs and you know we need to be working together."
KATUSHKA OLAVE:
Well, you know if you are thinking we are human beings and everybody needs the same, you know, you need to treat everybody, I mean, perhaps nobody will agree with me, but we need to treat everybody equal. [Laughter]
ALICIA ROUVEROL:
Well, and see what's so interesting is how that's such an American concept and yet, you know how do we always see it played out? No we don't, you know?
KATUSHKA OLAVE:
It is a little bit hard. [Laughter]