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Oral History Interview with James Arthur Jones, November 19, 2003. Interview U-0005. Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007).
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  • Abstract
    James A. Jones, former principal of Prospect School in Robeson County, North Carolina, describes how integration affected this largely Native American community. A redistricting controversy in the late 1960s revealed how much Prospect's Native American community valued their educational traditions, and they resented what they saw as attacks on those traditions, whether in the form of redrawn district lines or the enforcement of racial integration. Jones believes that mergers and integration have damaged Prospect School, dissipating its sense of community and poisoning the school with violent racial animosity. Like many older educators, Jones remembers a time of calm, when close ties between students, teachers, and parents strengthened his community. That time, he fears, is long gone.
    Excerpts
  • Close-knit Native American community
  • Redistricting controversy in Native American schools
  • Resisting integration
  • Non-Native American teachers do well at Native American school
  • Tuscaroras oppose redistricting
  • Mergers and integration damage Native American school
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  • Finding aid to the Southern Oral History Program Collection
  • Database of all Southern Oral History Program Collection interviews
  • Subjects
  • North Carolina--Race relations--20th century
  • Robeson County (N.C.)--Race relations
  • Civil rights--North Carolina
  • Education--North Carolina--History--20th century
  • Civil rights movements--North Carolina--History--20th century
  • Civil rights movements--North Carolina--Robeson County
  • Education--North Carolina--Robeson County
  • Indians of North America--North Carolina--Robeson County
  • Indians of North America--Civil rights--North Carolina--History--20th century
  • Robeson County (N.C.)--History--20th century
  • Segregation in education--North Carolina--Robeson County
  • Schools--North Carolina--Robeson County
  • School integration--North Carolina--Robeson County
  • Teachers--North Carolina--Robeson County
  • 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.