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Oral History Interview with Willa V. Robinson, January 14, 2004. Interview U-0014. Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007).
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  • Abstract
    This interview reveals a variety of responses to the integration process in one southern town. Willa V. Robinson describes the integration process in Maxton, North Carolina. Robinson, who grew up poor in this small town in eastern North Carolina, attended all-black schools, and her children were among the last students in the area to attend segregated schools. The Maxton area has a significant Native American population, but their presence did not seem to complicate the integration process or many whites' response to it. Some whites responded by burning down a black school, but most simply pulled their children from public schools. The legacy of this flight is underfunded public schools.
    Excerpts
  • Childhood absent of racial awareness
  • White child casts off black friend
  • Whites burn down black school
  • Tensions arise over desegregation
  • Blacks and Native Americans live and work together
  • White flight from integrating schools
  • Post-integration decline of educational quality
  • Blacks feel helpless during integration
  • Whites burn down black school
  • Poor high school resources leave black students unprepared for college
  • Post-integration decline of public schools
  • Opposition to integration
  • Whites burn down black school
  • Learn More
  • 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
  • African Americans--North Carolina--History--20th century
  • Civil rights--North Carolina
  • African Americans--Civil rights--North Carolina
  • Civil rights movements--North Carolina--History--20th century
  • Civil rights movements--North Carolina--Robeson County
  • Robeson County (N.C.)--History--20th century
  • African Americans--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.