The voices of the civil rights movement swelled into a wave of protest that profoundly changed America. This collection of interviews seeks to make this massive movement local and understandable by reducing it into its smallest parts—the people that participated, in small and large ways. These people were former slaves who taught their children the value of education, or high school principals who insisted on punctuality. Drawing together interviews from a variety of Southern Oral History Program collections, this cluster includes interviews with students and teachers at West Charlotte High School in Charlotte, North Carolina, where the successes of integration are encountering the realities of a segregated past; the difficult transition to integrated schooling for students at the all-black Lincoln High School in Chapel Hill, North Carolina; and the roles of black workers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. This collection gives voice to the voices, loud and soft, of the movement to desegregate public life in the South.
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James Arthur Jones, November 19, 2003. Interview U-0005. Native Americans and Integration in Robeson County, NC: A principal remembers integration in a majority-Native American community. Interviewee: James Arthur Jones Interviewer: Malinda Maynor Duration: 01:34:22 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 6 excerpts. | |
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Barry Nakell, October 1, 2003. Interview U-0012. Legal Defense of Native American Rights in Robeson County, NC: A lawyer argues for Native American civil rights in Robeson County, NC. Interviewee: Barry Nakell Interviewer: Malinda Maynor Duration: 01:03:57 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 11 excerpts. | |
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Arthur Griffin, May 7, 1999. Interview K-0168. Continuing the Progress Begun by Desegregation in Charlotte, NC: Arthur Griffin reminisces about Second Ward High School in Charlotte, NC, and reflects on the legacies of desegregation. Interviewee: Arthur Griffin Interviewer: Pamela Grundy Duration: 01:33:14 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 13 excerpts. | |
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John Hope Franklin, July 27, 1990. Interview A-0339. A Legendary Historian’s Early Years in the Segregated South: John Hope Franklin remembers life as a student in the segregated South. Interviewee: John Hope Franklin Interviewer: John Egerton Duration: 01:00:00 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 4 excerpts. | |
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Robert Lee Mangum, November 18, 2003. Interview U-0008. Christian Faith Drives Social Activism: The Reverend Robert Lee Mangum channels his Christian faith into social action in Robeson County, NC. Interviewee: Robert Lee Mangum Interviewer: Malinda Maynor Duration: 01:34:16 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 14 excerpts. | |
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Latrelle McAllister, June 25, 1998. Interview K-0173. The Value of Integration versus the Value of Community: Values at Odds?: Latrelle McAllister remembers a nurturing, vibrant environment at West Charlotte High School and worries that this ethos may be at risk. Interviewee: Latrelle McAllister Interviewer: Pamela Grundy Duration: 00:56:36 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 12 excerpts. | |
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Alice Battle, February 20, 2001. Interview K-0523. Persistent Racism in Post-Integration Schools: Racism and segregation return to declining integrated schools. Interviewee: Alice Battle Interviewer: Bob Gilgor Duration: 01:34:24 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 6 excerpts. | |
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Fred Battle, January 3, 2001. Interview K-0525. Fighting for an Uncertain Legacy: Race and Rights in Chapel Hill, North Carolina: African American reflects on race and protest in segregated Chapel Hill, NC. Interviewee: Fred Battle Interviewer: Bob Gilgor Duration: 01:13:25 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 10 excerpts. | |
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William Culp, February 19, 1999. Interview K-0277. A White Teacher at West Charlotte High School: A white teacher recalls a harmonious racial atmosphere at West Charlotte High School during his short stint there in the 1970s. Interviewee: William Culp Interviewer: Pamela Grundy Duration: 00:49:44 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 10 excerpts. | |
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Nate Davis, February 6, 2001. Interview K-0538. The Persistence of Racism in an Integrated School: Segregation and integration caused difficulties in the life of this African American student. Interviewee: Nate Davis Interviewer: Bob Gilgor Duration: 01:34:32 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 15 excerpts. | |
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Alma Enloe, May 18, 1998. Interview K-0167. The Decline of the West Charlotte Ideal: Alma Enloe remembers West Charlotte High School as an extension of the pre-integration African American community in Charlotte. Interviewee: Alma Enloe Interviewer: Pamela Grundy Duration: 01:03:46 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 6 excerpts. | |
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Burnis Hackney, February 5, 2001. Interview K-0547. Integrating Chapel Hill Schools: From Personal Development to Academic Achievement: One of the first African American students to attend Chapel Hill High School discusses his continuing ambivalence about integration and its effect on the black community. Interviewee: Burnis Hackney Interviewer: Bob Gilgor Duration: 01:34:32 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 14 excerpts. | |
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Ned Irons, March 16, 1999. Interview K-0170. Learning about Racism as a White Minority at West Charlotte High School: White student reflects on race and racism at West Charlotte High School. Interviewee: Ned Irons Interviewer: Pamela Grundy Duration: 00:47:23 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 7 excerpts. | |
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Leroy Miller, June 8, 1998. Interview K-0174. A Black Administrator Navigates Desegregation in Charlotte, NC: A black administrator describes the intricacies of administrative changes during desegregation and how he brought his passion for discipline to Charlotte-area schools, including West Charlotte High School. Interviewee: Leroy Miller Interviewer: Pamela Grundy Duration: 02:04:07 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 8 excerpts. | |
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Stella Nickerson, January 20, 2001. Interview K-0554. The Growing Presence of African Americans in Georgia's Government: Rita Jackson Samuels, Coordinator of the Governor's Council on Human Relations in Atlanta, GA, describes her role in expanding the presence of African Americans in Georgia's state government. Interviewee: Stella Nickerson Interviewer: Bob Gilgor Duration: 01:12:00 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 8 excerpts. | |
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Raney Norwood, January 9, 2001. Interview K-0556. A Frustrating Transition in Chapel Hill: A former student at Lincoln and Chapel Hill High School recalls the frustrations of integration. Interviewee: Raney Norwood Interviewer: Bob Gilgor Duration: 01:46:07 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 13 excerpts. | |
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Willa V. Robinson, January 14, 2004. Interview U-0014. Struggling through Integration in Maxton, North Carolina: Residents of Maxton, N.C., respond to integration. Interviewee: Willa V. Robinson Interviewer: Malinda Maynor Duration: 01:16:04 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 13 excerpts. | |
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Angus Thompson, Sr., October 21, 2003. Interview U-0017. Stuck in the Middle of the Civil Rights Struggle: Fighting for Equality against White Obstruction and Black Accommodation: African American activist fights for integration. Interviewee: Angus Thompson Interviewer: Malinda Maynor Duration: 01:34:36 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 11 excerpts. | |
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Aaron Henry, April 2, 1974. Interview A-0107. Race and Politics in Mississippi: Aaron Henry describes the role of race and racism in Mississippi politics. Interviewee: Aaron Henry Interviewer: Jack Bass Duration: 01:28:07 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 15 excerpts. | |
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Orval Faubus, June 14, 1974. Interview A-0031. A Southern Governor Reflects on His Legacy: Orval Faubus defends his legacy. Interviewee: Orval Faubus Interviewer: Jack Bass, Walter DeVries Duration: 01:35:30 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 16 excerpts. | |
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C. Vann Woodward, January 12, 1991. Interview A-0341. A Historian Reflects on Race in the South: Noted historian C. Vann Woodward reflects on race relations in the American South. Interviewee: C. Vann Woodward Interviewer: John Egerton Duration: 01:24:00 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 2 excerpts. | |
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Herman Talmadge, November 8, 1990. Interview A-0347. Reflections and Resentments Regarding Race and Desegregation in Georgia: Georgia politician Herman Talmadge reflects on race in southern politics and the intrusive process of desegregation. Interviewee: Herman Talmadge Interviewer: John Egerton Duration: 00:50:19 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 6 excerpts. | |
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Hylan Lewis, January 13, 1991. Interview A-0361. Considering Civil Rights before the 1960s: Sociologist Hylan Lewis describes his experiences with race in the American South in the post-World War II period. Interviewee: Hylan Lewis Interviewer: John Egerton Duration: 02:05:38 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 9 excerpts. | |
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Hodding Carter, April 1, 1974. Interview A-0100. A Journalist Puts an Acid Tongue and Incisive Mind to Race in Mississippi: Journalist Hodding Carter describes the changes wrought in Mississippi by the civil rights movement. Interviewee: Hodding Carter Interviewer: Jack Bass, Walter DeVries Duration: 01:36:09 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 12 excerpts. | |
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Richard Arrington, July 18, 1974. Interview A-0001. The Slow Growth of Black Political Leadership in Alabama: African American Birmingham City Council member Richard Arrington discusses the slowly increasing presence of African Americans on Birmingham's political landscape. Interviewee: Richard Arrington, Richard Arrington Interviewer: Jack Bass Duration: 00:47:23 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 9 excerpts. | |
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Daisy Bates, October 11, 1976. Interview G-0009. Leading the Fight for Integration in Little Rock, Arkansas: Journalist and activist Daisy Bates recalls working for civil rights in desegregation-era Arkansas. Interviewee: Daisy Bates Interviewer: Elizabeth Jacoway Duration: 01:56:16 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 10 excerpts. | |
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Modjeska Simkins, May 11, 1990. Interview A-0356. Fighting for Civil Rights before the Civil Rights Era in South Carolina: Civil rights leader Modjeska Simkins discusses race and civil rights before World War II. Interviewee: Modjeska Simkins Interviewer: John Egerton Duration: 01:29:17 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 6 excerpts. | |
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Stetson Kennedy, May 11, 1990. Interview A-0354. A Crusading Activist Against Segregation in the South: Veteran activist Stetson Kennedy describes his desire to strike down segregation in the American South and some of the ways he translated this impulse into action. Interviewee: Stetson Kennedy Interviewer: John Egerton Duration: 01:26:45 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 13 excerpts. | |
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U.W. Clemon, July 17, 1974. Interview A-0006. Evaluating 1970s Birmingham: Birmingham lawyer and politician U.W. Clemon describes his place in Birmingham politics and the city's continuing problems with race. Interviewee: U. W. Clemon Interviewer: Jack Bass Duration: 01:00:31 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 10 excerpts. | |
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Arthur Shores, July 17, 1974. Interview A-0021. Slow but Significant Progress in Birmingham, Alabama: Birmingham politician Arthur Shores offers his thoughts on the intersection of race and politics in his home city. Interviewee: Arthur Shores Interviewer: Jack Bass Duration: 00:57:07 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 8 excerpts. | |
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Gov. George Wallace, July 15, 1974. Interview A-0024. The Past, Present, and Future of George Wallace: Longstanding Alabama governor and former presidential candidate George Wallace discusses Alabama politics and racial issues in the United States. Interviewee: George Wallace Interviewer: Jack Bass, Walter DeVries Duration: 01:39:59 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 14 excerpts. | |
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Guy B. Johnson, July 22, 1990. Interview A-0345. A Southern Sociologist at the Dawn of the Civil Rights Movement: Sociologist Guy B. Johnson describes his path to sociology and recalls his participation in the Southern Regional Council in the 1940s. Interviewee: Guy B. Johnson Interviewer: John Egerton Duration: 02:03:25 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 5 excerpts. | |
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James Moore, October 16, 2003. Interview U-0011. Tense Desegregation in Prospect, NC: Longtime Prospect, N.C., resident James Moore recalls desegregation in that town. Interviewee: James Moore Interviewer: Malinda Maynor Duration: 00:15:41 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 2 excerpts. | |
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Sheila Florence, January 20, 2001. Interview K-0544. The Trial of Desegregating Chapel Hill High School: Sheila Florence, among the first African Americans to desegregate Chapel Hill High School in Chapel Hill, NC, remembers growing up in the segregated South and working to end desegregation. Interviewee: Sheila Florence Interviewer: Bob Gilgor Duration: 01:39:54 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 7 excerpts. | |
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Kathryn Cheeks, March 27, 2003. Interview K-0203. Fear and Violence in Desegregating Chapel Hill: One White Girl's Experience: White student remembers fear and violence during desegregation in Chapel Hill. Interviewee: Kathryn Cheeks Interviewer: Susan Upton Duration: 00:30:58 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 9 excerpts. | |
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Robert Yost, November 22, 2000. Interview K-0487. Chess and English at West Charlotte High School: Robert Yost discusses coaching chess and teaching English at West Charlotte High School in Charlotte, N.C. Interviewee: Robert Yost Interviewer: Pamela Grundy Duration: 01:34:12 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 5 excerpts. | |
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Edwin Caldwell, March 2, 2001. Interview K-0202. A Political Organizer Becomes a Politician: Edwin Caldwell recalls a lifetime of political organization and advocacy. Interviewee: Edwin Caldwell Interviewer: Oliver White Duration: 02:59:20 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 8 excerpts. | |
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Glennon Threatt, June 16, 2005. Interview U-0023. Academic Success and Persistent Segregation in Birmingham, Alabama: A Birmingham lawyer shares his reflections on segregation in Birmingham, Alabama, and racism in the U.S. Interviewee: Glennon Threatt Interviewer: Kimberly Hill Duration: 01:35:07 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 17 excerpts. | |
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Thurman Couch, February 12, 2001. Interview K-0537. New Challenges for the African American Community in an Integrated Chapel Hill: Thurman Couch describes social, cultural, and economic splintering in African American networks in Chapel Hill following integration. Interviewee: Thurman Couch Interviewer: Bob Gilgor Duration: 01:02:34 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 15 excerpts. | |
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Jeff Black, March 29, 1999. Interview K-0276. Individuality Meets Diversity at West Charlotte High School: Jeff Black reflects on the legacies of desegregation at West Charlotte High School, a school hailed as an exemplar of successful desegregation. Interviewee: Jeff Black Interviewer: Pamela Grundy Duration: 00:43:26 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 8 excerpts. | |
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Rebecca Clark, June 21, 2000. Interview K-0536. Earning and Buying in Jim Crow North Carolina: Rebecca Clark describes the economic impact of Jim Crow: denying African Americans desirable jobs, forcing them into low-paying jobs, and humiliating African American consumers. Interviewee: Rebecca Clark Interviewer: Bob Gilgor Duration: 03:18:40 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 12 excerpts. | |
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Joanne Peerman, February 24, 2001. Interview K-0557. Pushing for Integration at Chapel Hill High School: Joanne Peerman describes the efforts of black students to thoroughly integrate Chapel Hill High School and discusses her relationship with her father, a beloved coach at Lincoln High School and a powerful figure in the black high school community. Interviewee: Joanne Peerman Interviewer: Bob Gilgor Duration: 01:33:45 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 18 excerpts. | |
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Gloria Register Jeter, December 23, 2000. Interview K-0549. The Shortcomings of Integration: Integration was incomplete and did little to rid schools of racism, maintains Gloria Register Jeter in this interview. The close ties between school and community that existed in segregated black Chapel Hill evaporated when black schools were absorbed into a system that Jeter believed had little interest in black students' success. Interviewee: Gloria Register Jeter Interviewer: Bob Gilgor Duration: 01:24:36 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 15 excerpts. | |
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Carrie Abramson, February 21, 1999. Interview K-0275. Incomplete Integration at West Charlotte High School: A white student's experience with racial division at West Charlotte convinces her of the importance of integrated education. Interviewee: Carrie Abramson Interviewer: Pamela Grundy Duration: 00:47:25 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 8 excerpts. | |
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William Hamlin, May 29, 1998. Interview K-0169. Cultural Pluralism versus Integration at West Charlotte High School: Former West Charlotte student muses about the school and the uncertain legacies of integration. Interviewee: William Hamlin Interviewer: Pamela Grundy Duration: 01:34:12 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 8 excerpts. | |
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Saundra Davis, May 12, 1998. Interview K-0278. Support for West Charlotte, Concerns about Integration: Enthusiasm for West Charlotte High School clashes with uncertainty about the efficacy of integration. Interviewee: Saundra Davis Interviewer: Pamela Grundy Duration: 01:13:04 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 6 excerpts. | |
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Harriet Gentry Love, June 17, 1998. Interview K-0171. Reflections on Community, Family, and West Charlotte High School: Harriet Love shares memories of and fondness for West Charlotte, a truly unique school. Interviewee: Harriet Love Interviewer: Pamela Grundy Duration: 01:12:05 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 5 excerpts. | |
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John Love, February 17, 1999. Interview K-0172. Culture, Race, and Belonging at West Charlotte High School: Former student remembers West Charlotte High as a place where diversity created both opportunity and conflict. Interviewee: John Love Interviewer: Pamela Grundy Duration: 01:17:09 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 9 excerpts. | |
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Rita Jackson Samuels, April 30, 1974. Interview A-0077. The Growing Presence of African Americans in Georgia's Government: Rita Jackson Samuels, Coordinator of the Governor's Council on Human Relations in Atlanta, GA, describes her role in expanding the presence of African Americans in Georgia's state government. Interviewee: Rita Jackson Samuels Interviewer: Jack Bass, Walter DeVries Duration: 00:47:44 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 8 excerpts. | |
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Carnell Locklear, February 24, 2004. Interview U-0007. A Struggling Movement Fights for Lumbee Rights: Carnell Locklear recalls his fight for Lumbee Indian rights in eastern North Carolina in the 1970s and 1980s. Interviewee: Carnell Locklear Interviewer: Malinda Maynor, Willie Lowery Duration: 00:59:55 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 6 excerpts. | |
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Elizabeth Brown, June 17, 2005. Interview U-0019. Successful Integration, Uncertain Legacy: Integration in Birmingham, Alabama: Elizabeth Brown, a white teacher who taught at John Carroll High School in Birmingham, Alabama, describes desegregation and its legacies in her city. Interviewee: Elizabeth Brown Interviewer: Kimberly Hill Duration: 01:56:22 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 12 excerpts. | |
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Howell Heflin, July 9, 1974. Interview A-0010. A Changing Judiciary in Alabama: Howell Heflin, who sat on the Alabama State Supreme Court in the 1970s before a two-decade tenure in the US Senate, discusses the post-segregation Alabama judiciary. Interviewee: Howell Heflin Interviewer: Jack Bass, Walter DeVries Duration: 01:11:49 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 10 excerpts. | |
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Virginia Durr, February 6, 1991. Interview A-0337. The Early Stages of the Civil Rights Movement: Civil rights activist Virginia Foster Durr describes her involvement in the nascent civil rights movement of the 1940s and 1950s. Interviewee: Virginia Durr Interviewer: John Egerton Duration: 01:32:35 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 5 excerpts. | |
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Madge Hopkins, October 17, 2000. Interview K-0481. Watching the Desegregation Process at West Charlotte High School: Madge Hopkins, a graduate of West Charlotte High School and the vice-principal of the school at the time of the interview, describes her experiences with segregation and school desegregation in Charlotte, NC. Interviewee: Madge Hopkins Interviewer: Pamela Grundy Duration: 01:04:14 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 5 excerpts. | |
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Walter Durham, January 19 and 26, 2001. Interview K-0540. An African American Response to the Process and Consequences of School Integration: Walter Durham discusses coming of age during the 1950s and 1960s in Orange County, North Carolina. Walter Durham focuses especially on the process of school integration as it occurred in the merging of the all black Lincoln High School and the newly integrated Chapel Hill High School. According to Durham, this was a tense process in which many of the school traditions he fondly remembers from his days at Lincoln were lost in the transition to integrated schools. Interviewee: Walter Durham Interviewer: Bob Gilgor Duration: 02:11:25 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 9 excerpts. | |
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Lyman Johnson, July 12, 1990. Interview A-0351. Civil Rights Battles in a Progressive City: Lyman Johnson traces his lifelong pursuit of racial equality through his father's rejection of racial hierarchies, his experiences as an educated black Navy solder, his observations of racial violence, and his efforts to get equal pay and union representation for Louisville teachers. Interviewee: Lyman Johnson Interviewer: John Egerton Duration: 01:03:17 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 10 excerpts. | |
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Paul Hardin, Jr., December 8, 1989. Interview C-0071. Integration of the United Methodist Church: Bishop Paul Hardin helped bring about racial integration of the United Methodist denomination in the 1960s. He recalls several points in his long ministry career when white and black pastors opposed his efforts to move ministers to other districts, accept church members of other races, and dissolve the Black Methodist district. Supportive church members helped him withstand criticism of his personal stance, even when he faced pressure from conservative ministers on one side and Martin Luther King on the other. Interviewee: Paul Hardin Interviewer: Donald Mathews Duration: 01:23:00 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 9 excerpts. | |
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Septima Poinsette Clark, July 30, 1976. Interview G-0017. Effective Strategies and Leadership in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference: Septima Clark describes the work of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in the late 1950s to mid 1960s, especially the community education programs that she directed for the SCLC and the Highlander Folk School. She rejoices in the new voters and civil rights legislation that resulted from their work but noticed drawbacks arising from prejudice against female leaders, disdain for the poor, and clashes in leadership styles. Interviewee: Septima Poinsette Clark Interviewer: Eugene Walker Duration: 01:26:08 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 11 excerpts. | |
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James Atwater, February 28, 2001. Interview K-0201. Segregation in Chapel Hill, North Carolina: James Atwater discusses life in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, from the 1930s to the 1950s. He describes the black community, the impact of segregation on schools and neighborhoods, and experiences of African American staff at the University. Interviewee: James Atwater Interviewer: Jennifer Nardone Duration: 01:18:24 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 13 excerpts. | |
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Harold Fleming, January 24, 1990. Interview A-0363. The Southern Regional Council Addresses Racial Prejudice and Fear in the 1940s and 1950s: Harold Fleming recounts how he became involved with the Southern Regional Council and the kinds of criticisms he faced for opposing racism in the 1940s and 1950s. He especially remembers many Communist trials designed to scare racial progressives and how many limited their involvement in organizations like the S.R.C. for fear of losing their jobs. Fleming compares the leadership styles of those he encountered in the organization and mentions that he was motivated by frustration with the Jim Crow system and its consequences for the South. Interviewee: Harold Fleming Interviewer: John Egerton Duration: 02:05:55 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 15 excerpts. | |
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Cornelia Spencer Love, January 26, 1975. Interview G-0032. A Chapel Hill Daughter Returns: Cornelia Spencer Love, granddaughter of Cornelia Phillips Spencer and sister of Burlington Industries founder J. Spencer Love, discusses her long relationship with UNC, Chapel Hill, and its black community. Interviewee: Cornelia Spencer Love Interviewer: Lee Kessler Duration: 01:41:07 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 8 excerpts. | |
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Andrew Young, January 31, 1974. Interview A-0080. An African American Congressman from Georgia Remembers Changing Race Relations During the Civil Rights Movement: Andrew Young, the first African American congressman from Georgia since Reconstruction, describes his involvement in the early civil rights movements. After dedicating much time and energy to voter registration drives as a minister in Georgia, Young later entered politics and was first elected to Congress in 1972. Young cites the Voting Rights Act of 1965 as the decisive turning point in race relations and argues that it was this access to political power that allowed African Americans to bring to fruition other advances they had made in education, business, and social standing. Interviewee: Andrew Young Interviewer: Jack Bass, Walter DeVries Duration: 00:42:21 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 4 excerpts. | |
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James P. Coleman, September 5, 1990. Interview A-0338. Former Attorney General and Governor of Mississippi Discusses Race and Politics: Former attorney general and governor of Mississippi James P. Coleman discusses his role in southern politics from the 1930s through the 1960s. Coleman focuses specifically on the issue of racial segregation and its impact on Mississippi politics. Interviewee: James P. Coleman Interviewer: John Egerton Duration: 00:46:55 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 4 excerpts. | |
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Richard Bowman, July 8, 1998. Interview K-0513. An Asheville Native Describes Segregation and Racism in North Carolina and California: Richard Bowman reflects on growing up in segregated Asheville, North Carolina, and facing racism during his employment with the Army and the Los Angeles Department of Motor Vehicles. He also discusses his work to improve the current Asheville school district and rebuild his old high school. He lived in Los Angeles for four decades and experienced two major riots. Interviewee: Richard Bowman, Richard Bowman Interviewer: Kelly Navies Duration: 01:27:26 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 15 excerpts. | |
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Leslie W. Dunbar, December 18, 1978. Interview G-0075. Former Director of the Southern Regional Council Describes His Role in the Civil Rights Movement: Former executive director of the Southern Regional Council Leslie Dunbar (1961-1965) discusses his involvement in the civil rights movement, focusing on changes that occurred in the early 1960s. Dunbar describes the SRC as an organization dedicated to changing people's attitudes about race. He emphasizes the SRC's attempts to work with the federal government—particularly the Kennedy administration—and other civil rights organizations, especially in the Voters Education Program. Interviewee: Leslie W. Dunbar Interviewer: Jacquelyn Hall, Helen Bresler Duration: 03:34:07 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 6 excerpts. | |
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Septima Poinsette Clark, July 25, 1976. Interview G-0016. Educator and Activist Works for Civil Rights in South Carolina: Septima Clark served as a board member and education director for the Highlander Folk School and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in the 1950s and 1960s. She links her activism to the memory of her parents' struggles with poverty and racism. She also describes how community relations functioned within the NAACP and SCLC. Her plans for increasing community involvement, protecting the labor rights of black teachers, and educating black voters were often ignored because she was female. She discusses why these types of gender roles persisted in the SCLC and the role of leaders in the black community. Interviewee: Septima Poinsette Clark Interviewer: Jacquelyn Hall Duration: 03:46:55 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 19 excerpts. | |
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Viola Turner, April 15, 1979. Interview C-0015. From Macon, Georgia to Durham, North Carolina: An African American Woman from the South Remembers Her Childhood and Early Adult Years in the South: Viola Turner, who served as treasurer of North Carolina Mutual Insurance Company, describes her childhood in Macon, Georgia, and her experiences in Durham, North Carolina, after she settled there in the early 1920s following brief sojourns in Alabama, Mississippi, and Oklahoma. In remembering her life experiences in the early twentieth century. She focuses particularly on education, race relations, the importance of skin color, and segregation in business and leisure activities in the South. Interviewee: Viola Turner Interviewer: Walter Weare Duration: 03:52:00 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 13 excerpts. | |
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Elizabeth Brooks, October 2, 1974. Interview E-0058. An African American Woman Discusses Her Role in the UNC Food Workers' Strike of 1969: Elizabeth Brooks was one of the leaders of the UNC Food Workers' Strike of 1969. As a new worker in the Lenoir Dining Hall, Brooks helped to organize the food workers with the help of Preston Dobbins and the Black Student Movement. This interview focuses on the first strike, which was sparked by the unexpected firing of one worker, low wages, and withheld back pay for overtime. Interviewee: Elizabeth Brooks Interviewer: Beverly Jones Duration: 01:04:43 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 8 excerpts. | |
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H.M. Michaux, November 20, 1974. Interview A-0135. The Influence of Black Electoral Politics in North Carolina's Government: H. M. Michaux, a Durham, NC, state representative, describes the role of black electoral politics in North Carolina's state government. He reflects on staying power of the Republican Party in Southern politics. Interviewee: H. M. Michaux Interviewer: Jack Bass Duration: 01:15:27 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 11 excerpts. | |
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William Gordon, January 19, 1991. Interview A-0364. African American Journalist Describes His Views on Segregation and Race Relations in the South: African American journalist William Gordon describes growing up in the rural South in the 1920s and 1930s. Following his education at LeMoyne College in Memphis, Tennessee, and his service in the army during World War II, Gordon attended graduate school and became a journalist. He explains his relationship with civil rights advocates such as Ralph McGill and Herman Talmadge, and describes his perspective on changing race relations and the fall of Jim Crow segregation. Interviewee: William Gordon Interviewer: John Egerton Duration: 01:24:03 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 6 excerpts. | |
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Clark Foreman, November 16, 1974. Interview B-0003. Civil Rights Advocate Discusses his Work with the Roosevelt Administration and Civil Rights Organizations: Clark Foreman worked in the Atlanta Commission on Interracial Cooperation, the Roosevelt Administration, and the Southern Conference for Human Welfare from the 1920s through the 1940s. This interview traces his efforts to provide equal social services and political rights for African Americans through these organizations and explains how he developed these goals. He also discusses his travels in Europe, his work with Black Mountain College and organized labor, and his criticism of the communist scare. His wife, Mairi Foreman, explains how his views sometimes offended his associates but inspired his children to lifelong political awareness. Interviewee: Clark Foreman Interviewer: Jacquelyn Hall, Bill Finger Duration: 04:55:32 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 17 excerpts. | |
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Moon Landrieu, January 11, 1974. Interview A-0089. New Orleans Mayor Moon Landrieu Surveys the Changing Political Landscape: New Orleans Mayor Moon Landrieu describes the changing political landscape of the Crescent City following World War II through his tenure as mayor in the 1970s. Stressing the importance of voter registration and the appointment of African American public officials, Landrieu emphasizes the role of political leadership in effecting real change in New Orleans race relations during the long years of the civil rights movement. Interviewee: Moon Landrieu Interviewer: Jack Bass, Walter DeVries Duration: 01:23:13 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 5 excerpts. | |
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Terry Sanford, [date unknown]. Interview A-0140. A Southern Governor's Reflections on North Carolina Politics: Terry Sanford recalls his political career as a Democratic governor of North Carolina. He explains the impact of race on Southern politics and the realignment of political parties in the late twentieth century. Sanford attempts to reject the image of Southern exceptionalism. Interviewee: Terry Sanford Interviewer: Jack Bass, Walter DeVries Duration: 02:02:36 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 17 excerpts. | |
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Frances Pauley, July 18, 1974. Interview G-0046. A White Southern Woman Describes Her Involvement in the Civil Rights Movement: Frances Pauley was born and raised in Decatur, Georgia, during the early twentieth century. An advocate of poor people and of racial integration, Pauley served as president of the Georgia League of Women Voters in the 1940s and 1950s, where she focused specifically on integration of public schools. In 1960, she became director of the Georgia Council on Human Relations and worked within the civil rights movement to promote African American leadership and interracial organizations. Interviewee: Frances Pauley Interviewer: Jacquelyn Hall Duration: 01:56:44 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 7 excerpts. | |
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Virginia Foster Durr, March 13, 14, 15, 1975. Interview G-0023-1. Emerging from a Cocoon: How Virginia Foster Durr Became a Civil Rights Activist: Virginia Foster Durr discusses her early life and how she became aware of the social justice problems plaguing twentieth-century America. In this part of a multi-part interview, Durr describes her life on the plantation when she was a child; race issues in Birmingham, where she grew up; and how her views began to change when she left Birmingham to attend Wellesley College. Interviewee: Virginia Foster Durr Interviewer: Jacquelyn Hall, Sue Thrasher Duration: 06:16:45 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 39 excerpts. | |
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Calvin Kytle, January 19, 1991. Interview A-0365. Southern Husband and Wife Discuss Issues of Civil Rights and Civil Rights Leaders in Georgia in the Years Following World War II: Calvin and Elizabeth Kytle were both born and raised in the South. After World War II, they spent several years in Atlanta, Georgia, before moving to Ohio. The Kytles held liberal views on race issues and supported civil rights. Here, they describe their perceptions of race problems and their thoughts on the actions of various leaders and politicians, ranging from pro-segregationists to racial moderates to civil rights activists. Interviewee: Calvin Kytle Interviewer: John Egerton Duration: 01:18:52 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 5 excerpts. | |
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John Ivey, July 21, 1990. Interview A-0360. Southern Sociologist Describes the Southern Regional Education Board: John Ivey received his doctoral degree in sociology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1944. He and his wife, Melville Corbett Ivey, describe their interaction with such leading figures as Howard Odum, Rupert Vance, and Frank Porter Graham. After a brief sojourn working for the Tennessee Valley Authority, Ivey became the director of the Southern Regional Education Board, where he advocated for the desegregation of public schools in the South. Interviewee: John Ivey Interviewer: John Egerton Duration: 01:30:56 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 4 excerpts. | |
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Virginius Dabney, July 31, 1975. Interview A-0311-2. Reflections on a Southern Newspaper Editor's Career: Virginius Dabney traces his involvement with the school desegregation crisis in post-1954 Virginia. Dabney's political and social beliefs about integration appeared in the newspaper he edited, the Richmond Times Dispatch. This interview spans the breadth of his career from the 1920s to the 1970s.Interviewee: Virginius Dabney Interviewer: Daniel Jordan, William H. Turpin Duration: 04:27:55 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 37 excerpts. | |
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Geraldine Ray, September 13, 1977. Interview R-0128. Growing Up as an Unofficial Nurse and Farm Girl in Rural North Carolina: Geraldine Ray has lived in Barnardsville, North Carolina, nearly her entire life. In this interview, she describes growing up on her family's farm, attending all-black schools, and caring for sick relatives and friends. She describes racial segregation as a problem that seemed less difficult to avoid than segregation and prejudice between local black residents. Geraldine learned several essential skills of farm life from her grandmother and then used them to support the family through illness. The interview concludes with a description of her husband—a childhood friend—and how they chose to raise their children. Interviewee: Geraldine Ray Interviewer: Kelly Elaine Navies Duration: 01:21:53 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 14 excerpts. | |
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Charles M. Jones, July 21, 1990. Interview A-0335. A Presbyterian Pastor Loses His Job Because of Racial Activism and Liberal Views on Faith: Charles Jones led the First Presbyterian Church in Chapel Hill as pastor in the late 1940s. He describes his education and ministry in this interview and the controversies during his time at the church. The regional presbytery disapproved of Jones's active support of the Freedom Riders, black attendance in the church, and his failure to read the Article of Faith during services. He describes how he was expelled from the church despite the support of some UNC students and faculty. At the end of the interview, he discusses his views on why "separate but equal" failed and whether people missed an opportunity to change race relations between 1945 and 1950. Interviewee: Charles M. Jones Interviewer: John Egerton Duration: 01:02:34 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 7 excerpts. | |
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Guy B. Johnson, December 16, 1974. Interview B-0006. Leadership of the Southern Regional Council and the North Carolina Committee for Interracial Cooperation, 1924-1945: Dr. Guy B. Johnson was a UNC sociology professor and author. This interview focuses on his work as the first executive director of the Southern Regional Council (SRC) and as a member of the North Carolina Committee for Interracial Cooperation. Johnson discusses the role that women and church groups played in the Interracial Commission, and he describes the debate over issues such as segregation among SRC members. He also describes the conflict between SRC leaders and the Southern Conference for Human Welfare. The interview ends with Johnson's analysis of post-war economic issues and foreign politics in relation to the Southern Conference and SRC. Interviewee: Guy B. Johnson Interviewer: Jacquelyn Hall Duration: 03:09:14 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 11 excerpts. | |
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Laurie Pritchett, April 23, 1976. Interview B-0027. Former Albany, Georgia, Police Chief Reflects on His Role in the Civil Rights Movement: Laurie Pritchett, who served as a police chief in Albany, Georgia, for seven years, describes his role in the civil rights movement in that city. He encouraged a moderate response to large demonstrations in the 1960s, a tactic that prevented the negative publicity brought about by brutal police reaction to marches in other towns in the Deep South. Interviewee: Laurie Pritchett Interviewer: James Reston Duration: 01:00:35 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 10 excerpts. | |
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David Burgess, August 12, 1983. Interview F-0006. Laying the Foundation for a Christian Civil Rights Movement: A northerner who followed his passion for justice south, David Burgess spent his life living his religious convictions through a devotion to economic and racial justice. Burgess recalls his involvement with some vanguard rights organizations, such as the Fellowship of Southern Churchmen, a group Burgess believes laid the foundation for a civil rights movement motivated by Christian beliefs. Interviewee: David Burgess, David Burgess Interviewer: Dallas Blanchard Duration: 01:11:23 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 9 excerpts. | |
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David Burgess, September 25, 1974. Interview E-0001. Religious Activist Reflects on Southern Labor Union Work: David Burgess discusses how his religious faith fused into his life work of social activism. In particular, he explains his involvement in labor organizing in the South. Interviewee: David Burgess Interviewer: Jacquelyn Hall, Bill Finger Duration: 01:32:40 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 17 excerpts. | |
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Elizabeth and Courtney Siceloff, July 8, 1985. Interview F-0039. Quaker Couple's Lifelong Social Activism: Elizabeth and Courtney Siceloff recall their work with the Fellowship of Southern Churchmen and with the Penn School. The interview centers largely on the internal problems and external mission of the Fellowship. Interviewee: Elizabeth Siceloff, Courtney Siceloff, Elizabeth Siceloff, Courtney Siceloff Interviewer: Dallas Blanchard, Dallas Blanchard Duration: 01:21:17 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 9 excerpts. | |
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Josephine Clement, July 13 and August 3, 1989. Interview C-0074. Gender and Race in Durham: An African American Woman Recalls Her Career in Politics: Josephine Dobbs Clement talks about her various civic roles, including her activity as a member of the League of Women Voters, the Durham City-County Charter Commission, the Board of Education, and the Board of County Commissioners. She also discusses her efforts on behalf of social justice and her views on race, gender, and environmental issues. Interviewee: Josephine Clement Interviewer: Kathryn Nasstrom Duration: 01:46:33 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 16 excerpts. | |
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Nancy Kester Neale, August 6, 1983. Interview F-0036. Religious Leadership and Economic Justice in the Early Civil Rights Movement: Nancy Kester Neale remembers her father, Howard "Buck" Kester, who founded the Southern Tenant Farmers Union and held leadership positions in the Fellowship of Southern Churchmen and the Committee on Economic and Racial Justice. Interviewee: Nancy Kester Neale, Nancy Kester Neale Interviewer: Dallas Blanchard, Dallas Blanchard Duration: 01:10:33 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 5 excerpts. | |
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Igal Rodenko, April 11, 1974. Interview B-0010. Political Pacifist Explains the Founding of CORE and the Journey of Reconciliation: Igal Rodenko came of age during the 1930s and became increasingly involved in leftist politics during those years. During World War II he embraced philosophies of non-violence and pacifism and worked in a camp for conscientious objectors during the conflict. He became a member of CORE during its formative years and participated in the 1947 Journey of Reconciliation, an interracial endeavor to test segregation policies on buses in the South. Interviewee: Igal Rodenko Interviewer: Jacquelyn Hall, Jerry Wingate Duration: 02:13:59 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 7 excerpts. | |
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Harvey B. Gantt, January 6, 1986. Interview C-0008. Seizing the Success of the Civil Rights Movement: Architect and politician Harvey Gantt describes his ascent from a childhood in segregated Charleston, SC, to becoming the first black mayor of Charlotte, NC. As a southerner, he sees the accomplishments of the civil rights movement as dramatic; as a member of the black middle class, he leans toward negotiation rather than revolt. Interviewee: Harvey B. Gantt Interviewer: Lynn Haessly Duration: 01:14:43 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 13 excerpts. | |
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Marion Wright, March 8, 1978. Interview B-0034. A Measured Push for Justice in the Pre- BrownSouth:
Marion Wright was one of a group of white southerners who sought to tackle the entrenched racism of the 20th-century South. As a member of the Southern Regional Council (SRC), he sought to do so without direct action. This interview is a portrait of a civil rights leader in the era before the movement was defined by public protestInterviewee: Marion Wright Interviewer: Jacquelyn Hall Duration: 01:43:13 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 14 excerpts. | |
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Broadus Mitchell, August 14 and 15, 1977. Interview B-0024. An Economic Historian From the South Describes His Participation in Leftist Politics During the First Half of the Twentieth Century: John Broadus Mitchell grew up in a family that held to liberal politics and believed in community involvement. Educated as an economic historian, Mitchell conducted extensive research on the establishment of the cotton textile industry in the South following the Civil War. In the 1920s and 1930s, he advocated for worker rights, spoke out against racial violence, and socialist politics. Interviewee: Broadus Mitchell Interviewer: Mary Frederickson Duration: 03:53:51 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 11 excerpts. | |
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William Patrick Murphy, January 17, 1978. Interview B-0043. A University Professor Defends Brown v. Board of Education in 1950s Mississippi:
Lawyer William Patrick Murphy describes his 1950s battle against segregation and his struggle to keep his job after his beliefs became public in Oxford, Mississippi. Murphy, who taught constitutional law at the University of Mississippi, used journal articles and his classroom to speak out in favor of the Brown decision. He recalls this tumultuous time and downplays his accomplishments in this interview.Interviewee: William Patrick Murphy Interviewer: Sean Devereux Duration: 01:01:48 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 10 excerpts. | |
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Ernest Seeman, February 13, 1976. Interview B-0012. Southern Printer and Writer Describes Life in Durham During the Rise of the Tobacco Industry: Ernest Seeman offers a critical assessment of life in Durham, North Carolina, during the late nineteenth century. Seeman spent his early career as a printer, first as his father's apprentice and later as sole proprietor of the Seeman Printery, and he discusses interactions between his family and the Duke family. In addition, Seeman explains his increasing radicalization as head of the Duke Press (1925 to 1934) and briefly discusses his decision to become a writer in later years. Interviewee: Ernest Seeman Interviewer: Mimi Conway Duration: 02:44:21 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 9 excerpts. | |
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Ruth Vick, 1973. Interview B-0057. A Look Inside the Southern Regional Council: In this lengthy interview, Ruth Vick describes her tenure at the Southern Regional Council (SRC), an interracial organization committed to racial justice in the South. The SRC supported the direct action civil rights movement that emerged in force in the 1950s and 1960s, but chose study over sit-ins as a means of change. This interview addresses this decision as well as decades of internal disputes. Interviewee: Ruth Vick Interviewer: Jacquelyn Hall, Bob Hall Duration: 06:33:17 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 11 excerpts. | |
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William W. Finlator, April 19, 1985. Interview C-0007. A Christian Passion for Justice: The Reverend William W. Finlator speaks about his Christian devotion to racial and economic justice and his fear that the modern-day mingling of religion and politics is polluting both. Interviewee: William W. Finlator Interviewer: Jay Jenkins Duration: 01:28:28 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 11 excerpts. | |
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Vivion Lenon Brewer, October 15, 1976. Interview G-0012. Women's Emergency Committee Activist's Role in the Little Rock Crisis: In this interview, Vivion Lenon Brewer explains how her awareness of racial disparities caused her to support school desegregation in Little Rock, Arkansas. She discusses her leadership in pushing politicians to reopen the closed public schools during the 1958-1959 Little Rock school crisis. Interviewee: Vivion Lenon Brewer Interviewer: Elizabeth Jacoway Duration: 01:32:00 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 17 excerpts. | |
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Louise Young, February 14, 1972. Interview G-0066. A White Teacher Describes Her Work at Historically Black Colleges: Louise Young was an educated Southern woman from Tennessee who spent most of her adult life working to promote better race relations in the South. Young describes her years teaching at African American institutions of higher education—Paine College and the Hampton Institute—during the 1910s and 1920s; her job as the director of the Department of Home Missions of the Methodist Episcopal Church, where she trained students at Scarritt College in race relations; her support of women's organizations, particularly the Association of Southern Women for the Prevention of Lynching; and labor activism, as exemplified by the Highlander Folk School in Tennessee. Interviewee: Louise Young Interviewer: Jacquelyn Hall Duration: 03:09:02 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 13 excerpts. | |
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Herman Talmadge, July 15 and 24, 1975. Interview A-0331-1. Senator Herman Talmadge Recalls His Early Involvement in Georgia Politics, His Father's Political Legacy, and His Rise to Prominence: In this interview, the first in a three-part series, Herman Talmadge discusses his political career as Governor of Georgia and his decision to run for the United States Senate. The son of Eugene Talmadge, Herman Talmadge recalls his involvement in his father's gubernatorial campaigns during the 1930s and 1940s. He explains in detail his perception of the 1947 "three governors controversy" (referred to by Talmadge here as the "Two Governors Row"), which arose after he was appointed governor by the legislature, only to be removed following a ruling by the Georgia Supreme Court. Talmadge also discusses his own political campaigns, his relationship with his political rivals and colleagues, and the growing importance of race in Southern politics during the mid-twentieth century. Interviewee: Herman Talmadge Interviewer: Jack Nelson Duration: 01:48:53 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 10 excerpts. | |
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Herman Talmadge, July 29 and August 1, 1975. Interview A-0331-2. Georgia Senator Herman Talmadge Offers His Perspective on National Politics During His Years in the Senate: Senator Herman Talmadge of Georgia recalls his years in the Senate from the mid-1950s through the mid-1970s. He discusses changes in the Democratic party; assesses the leadership styles and accomplishments of presidents and other major political figures during his tenure in the Senate; explains his views on civil rights, environmentalism, consumerism, and the impact of television on national politics; and he offers his thoughts on problems facing America during the 1970s, particularly in relationship to the Watergate scandal. Interviewee: Herman Talmadge Interviewer: Jack Nelson Duration: 01:37:30 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 8 excerpts. | |
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Herman Talmadge, December 18, 1975. Interview A-0331-3. Georgia Senator Herman Talmadge Reflects on Political and Social Issues in the 1970s and His Political Legacy: Senator Herman Talmadge of Georgia offers concluding remarks in this final interview of a three-part series. He reflects on contemporary political issues of the mid-1970s, including civil rights, Vietnam, and abuses of power on the part of the CIA and the FBI. Finally, he reflects on his political legacy in the state of Georgia. Interviewee: Herman Talmadge Interviewer: Jack Nelson Duration: 00:38:19 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 5 excerpts. | |
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Howard Kester, July 22, 1974. Interview B-0007-1. Southern Social Justice Activist Describes Views on Race, Labor, and Religion: Howard Kester was a pacifist and social reformer in the South from the early 1920s through the 1960s. In this interview, he focuses on his adherence to pacifism, Christianity and the Social Gospel, and Socialism. He describes his work to end injustices associated with race and labor, and assesses the work of prominent social justice leaders in the South during the 1920s and 1930s. Interviewee: Howard Kester Interviewer: Jacquelyn Hall, William Finger Duration: 02:58:02 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 10 excerpts. | |
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J. Randolph Taylor, May 23, 1985. Interview C-0021. The Good Fights: J. Randolph Taylor on Social Justice, Civil Rights and Presbyterian Reunification: J. Randolph Taylor pauses to reflect on his participation in the Civil Rights Movement, the reunification of the Presbyterian Church of the United States of America, and various other social justice campaigns. Interviewee: J. Randolph Taylor Interviewer: Bruce Kalk Duration: 01:39:23 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 9 excerpts. | |
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William Dallas Herring, February 14, 1987. Interview C-0034. Shaping a Mission for North Carolina's Public Schools: William Dallas Herring discusses his rise to membership and tenure on the North Carolina State Board of Education and the struggle to create a community college system. Interviewee: William Dallas Herring Interviewer: Jay Jenkins Duration: 02:55:51 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 12 excerpts. | |
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William Dallas Herring, May 16, 1987. Interview C-0035. Democratizing Education in North Carolina: William Dallas Herring, longtime chairman of the North Carolina State Board of Education, discusses the ins and outs of education in his state. Interviewee: William Dallas Herring Interviewer: Jay Jenkins Duration: 02:20:39 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 4 excerpts. | |
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Howard Kester, August 25, 1974. Interview B-0007-2. Southern Socialist and Christian Activist Discusses Civil Rights and Labor Activism During the 1930s and 1940s: Socialist and Christian activist Howard Kester describes his work in various organizations committed to social justice in the South during the 1930s and 1940s. In particular, Kester focuses on his work in promoting equality for African Americans and working people in the South, including his efforts to bridge gaps between those two groups. Interviewee: Howard Kester Interviewer: Mary Frederickson Duration: 01:35:38 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 6 excerpts. | |
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Guion Griffis Johnson, July 1, 1974. Interview G-0029-4. Southern Sociologist Discusses Roles in Social Justice Issues: Southern sociologist Guion Griffis Johnson describes her work with the Georgia Conference on Social Welfare during the 1940s and her involvement with the women's movement and civil rights activism during the 1960s and 1970s in North Carolina. She discusses strategies for effecting change, the achievements of the Georgia Conference in promoting awareness of social welfare and race-related issues, and the progress of women and African Americans in their struggle for equality. Interviewee: Guion Griffis Johnson Interviewer: Mary Frederickson Duration: 02:38:58 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 11 excerpts. | |
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Kojo Nantambu, May 15, 1978. Interview B-0059. "Them Old Gun-Toting Militants"?: Kojo Nantambu Reflects on the 1971 Wilmington, NC, Race Conflicts and the Wilmington Ten: In May 1978, Kojo Nantambu—one of the participants in the 1971 Wilmington, NC, race conflicts—sat down with Larry Thomas, a historian, jazz disc jockey and Wilmington native. During the interview, Nantambu describes what he remembers of the 1971 strife, the inequities present in the trial of the Wilmington Ten, and the aftermath of the discord. Interviewee: Kojo Nantambu Interviewer: Larry Thomas Duration: 01:02:59 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 18 excerpts. | |
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Patricia Neal, June 6, 1989. Interview C-0068. School Board Member Describes Process of Integration in Durham Schools: Patricia Neal settled in Durham, North Carolina, during the 1950s and became an active member of the community. Having served on the County Board of Education from the late 1960s through the 1980s, Neal describes the process of integration and its impact on Durham schools and on the community. Interviewee: Patricia Neal Interviewer: Kathryn Nasstrom Duration: 01:26:42 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 5 excerpts. | |
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Phyllis Tyler, October 10, 1988. Interview C-0080. Southern White Woman Describes Her Involvement in the Civil Rights Movement and Race Relations in Raleigh, North Carolina: Phyllis Tyler first moved to North Carolina during the 1940s in order to join the Blessed Community of Quakers in Celo. In the 1950s, she moved with her family to Raleigh, where she became increasingly involved in the civil rights movement. Throughout the interview, she emphasizes the changing nature of race relations from the 1950s into the 1980s. Interviewee: Phyllis Tyler Interviewer: Terri Myers Duration: 00:47:03 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 4 excerpts. | |
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Willie Mae Lee Crews, June 16, 2005. Interview U-0020. African American Teacher Describes the Process of Desegregation and its Implications for Students in Birmingham, Alabama: Willie Mae Crews, the daughter of a sharecropper, was a teacher at Hayes High School, an African American school in Birmingham, Alabama, during the 1960s and 1970s. Crews describes Hayes as an excellent segregated school that did not benefit from the desegregation that began during the 1970-1971 school year. Interviewee: Willie Mae Lee Crews Interviewer: Kimberly Hill Duration: 02:21:29 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 6 excerpts. | |
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William and Josephine Clement, June 19, 1986. Interview C-0031. Husband and Wife Discuss Race Relations in Atlanta and Durham: Josephine and William Clement were both born and raised in the South. Both describe their family backgrounds and education. Josephine focuses on race relations in Atlanta and her father's radical politics, while William describes his participation with the Masons and his work with North Carolina Mutual. Interviewee: William Clement, Josephine Clement Interviewer: Walter Weare, Juanita Weare Duration: 03:10:11 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 11 excerpts. | |
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Edward L. Rankin, Jr., August 20, 1987. Interview C-0044. Assistant to Governors Umstead and Hodges Describes North Carolina Politics and the Pearsall Plan: Edward L. Rankin served as private secretary to North Carolina Governors William Umstead (1952-1954) and Luther Hodges (1954-1961). In this interview he describes their political leadership, the Pearsall Plan, and the spectrum of political responses to the Brown v. Board of Education decision.Interviewee: Edward L. Rankin Interviewer: Jay Jenkins Duration: 01:34:55 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 7 excerpts. | |
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Henry Ell Frye, February 18 and 26, 1992. Interview C-0091. North Carolina Lawyer and Supreme Court Justice Discusses Race Relations and His Career: Henry Frye grew up in a segregated farming community in North Carolina during the 1930s and 1940s before becoming a lawyer. He went on to become the first African American elected to the North Carolina General Assembly and to serve on the state Supreme Court. In this interview, he describes race relations, his career as a lawyer, and his experiences in politics. Interviewee: Henry Ell Frye Interviewer: Amy E. Boening Duration: 02:44:14 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 10 excerpts. | |
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Alexander M. Rivera, November 30, 2001. Interview C-0297. African American Photojournalist Describes His Coverage of the Civil Rights Movement (Part I): African American photojournalist Alexander M. Rivera describes the civil rights movement from his perspective as a reporter for the Pittsburgh Courier. He focuses on the nature of race relations and racial violence and describes the impact of the Brown v. Board of Education decision on the changing social landscape.Interviewee: Alexander M. Rivera Interviewer: Kieran Taylor Duration: 01:58:12 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 6 excerpts. | |
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Alexander M. Rivera, February 1, 2002. Interview C-0298. African American Photojournalist Describes His Coverage of the Civil Rights Movement (Part II): African American photojournalist Alexander M. Rivera describes the civil rights movement and its aftermath. In particular, he describes some of his photographs, as well as the impact of the Brown decision (and the demise of legal segregation) on African American businesses and African American schools, including North Carolina Central College.Interviewee: Alexander M. Rivera Interviewer: Kieran Taylor Duration: 00:47:46 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 3 excerpts. | |
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Stanford Raynold Brookshire, August 18, 1975. Interview B-0067. Local Politician's Critique of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County's Consolidation: Stanford Raynold Brookshire, Charlotte's first four-term mayor, explains why Charlotte and Mecklenburg County failed to consolidate their city services in the early 1970s. Interviewee: Stanford Raynold Brookshire Interviewer: Bill Moye Duration: 00:37:26 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 7 excerpts. | |
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Clyde Cook, July 10, 1977. Interview H-0003. African American Worker Describes Social and Economic Inequalities: Clyde Cook describes life and work for African Americans in Badin, North Carolina. Discussing such topics as school segregation, racial hierarchies in the workplace, and the lack of job opportunities, Cook offers insight into social and economic inequalities in a Southern working community. Interviewee: Clyde Cook Interviewer: Rosemarie Hester Duration: 00:58:44 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 5 excerpts. | |
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Virginia Grantham, March 6, 1985. Interview F-0017. Southern Woman Offers Her Thoughts on the Fellowship of Southern Churchmen: Virginia Grantham discusses her thoughts on the Fellowship of Southern Churchman and her participation in it, primarily during the 1950s. In the interview, she focuses on such topics as leadership, socialism, and connections to the civil rights movement. Interviewee: Virginia Grantham, Virginia Grantham Interviewer: Dallas Blanchard, Dallas Blanchard Duration: 00:24:16 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 3 excerpts. | |
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Jean Fairfax, October 15, 1983. Interview F-0013. African American Civil Rights Activist Describes Her Work with the Fellowship of Southern Churchmen During the 1940s: Jean Fairfax first moved to the South in 1942, where she became involved with the Fellowship of Southern Churchmen for several years. Fairfax describes the goals and activities of the Fellowship, discusses the role of leadership in the Fellowship, and draws connections between her work with the Fellowship in the 1940s and her later involvement with the civil rights movement from the late 1950s on. Interviewee: Jean Fairfax, Jean Fairfax Interviewer: Dallas Blanchard, Dallas Blanchard Duration: 00:52:09 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 4 excerpts. | |
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Ashley Davis, April 12, 1974. Interview E-0062. Member of the Black Student Movement Describes the Food Workers' Strike at the University of North Carolina: Ashley Davis was a member of the Black Student Movement (BSM) at the University of North Carolina during the late 1960s and early 1970s. In this interview, he describes how the BSM supported the striking food workers at UNC in 1969. Interviewee: Ashley Davis Interviewer: Russell Rymer Duration: 01:36:10 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 7 excerpts. | |
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Jim Pierce, July 16, 1974. Interview E-0012-3. Southern Labor Organizer Describes his View of the Movement During the Mid-Twentieth Century: Jim Pierce first learned about the labor movement while growing up in Oklahoma during the 1930s. By the late 1940s, he had become a leader in his local union at Western Electric in Fort Worth, Texas. During the 1950s and 1960s, he organized unions for the CIO, the IUE, and the IUD. He describes his belief in labor activism but also his growing disillusionment with the movement by the end of the 1960s. Interviewee: Jim Pierce Interviewer: William Finger Duration: 02:04:47 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 12 excerpts. | |
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Grace Towns Hamilton, July 19, 1974. Interview G-0026. African American Civil Rights Activist Describes Her Work with the YWCA and the Urban League: Grace Towns Hamilton was raised in Atlanta, where both of her parents were involved in community service and issues of social justice. Following family tradition, Hamilton was an active participant in the YWCA during the 1920s, and during the 1940s and 1950s she was the director for Atlanta's Urban League. She describes her work with these organizations, focusing on issues of segregation, education, voter registration, and housing. Interviewee: Grace Towns Hamilton Interviewer: Jacquelyn Hall Duration: 01:34:37 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 9 excerpts. | |
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Emily S. MacLachlan, July 16, 1974. Interview G-0038. Southern Sociologist Discusses Education, Career, and Her Mother's Life: Emily S. MacLachlan grew up in the early 20th century in Jackson, Mississippi, in a family that advocated relatively progressive ideas about race. MacLachlan describes her mother's efforts to balance family life with social activism (specifically with the Association of Southern Women for the Prevention of Lynching), her own academic endeavors, and her advocacy of civil rights and radical politics during the 1930s. Interviewee: Emily S. MacLachlan Interviewer: Jacquelyn Hall Duration: 01:34:59 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 9 excerpts. | |
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Harvey E. Beech, September 25, 1996. Interview J-0075. A Black Educational Pioneer's Quest for Legal Justice: Harvey E. Beech describes his journey to becoming a lawyer fighting for legal justice. In 1951, he was one of five students who made up the first group of African Americans to attend the University of North Carolina's law school. Beech assesses the racial changes since the mid-twentieth century and discusses racism in contemporary America. Interviewee: Harvey E. Beech Interviewer: Anita Foye Duration: 01:33:50 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 11 excerpts. | |
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Jonathan Worth Daniels, March 9-11, 1977. Interview A-0313. Newspaper Editor's Colorful Memories of North Carolina's Race and Politics: In this interview, Jonathan Daniels discusses his father's role as a newspaper editor and Secretary of the Navy, as well as his father's racial and religious views. Daniels also describes how race and the University of North Carolina shaped his own life. Interviewee: Jonathan Worth Daniels Interviewer: Charles Eagles Duration: 09:52:17 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 18 excerpts. | |
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Elizabeth Pearsall, May 25, 1988. Interview C-0056. Wife Recalls Husband's Role in North Carolina's School Desegregation Plan: Elizabeth Pearsall reflects on the role of her husband, Thomas Pearsall, in the North Carolina school desegregation plan. She also discusses her own efforts at fostering racial cooperation. Interviewee: Elizabeth Pearsall Interviewer: Walter Campbell Duration: 01:15:39 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 7 excerpts. | |
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Annie Mack Barbee, May 28, 1979. Interview H-0190. Standing Up: Annie Mack Barbee Reflects on Race and Gender in Durham's Tobacco Industry: Annie Mack Barbee describes her life as a worker in the segregated Liggett & Myers tobacco factories, and discusses how gender, class and race affected her life and the choices she made. Interviewee: Annie Mack Barbee Interviewer: Beverly Jones Duration: 02:08:38 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 17 excerpts. | |
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Anne Queen, April 30, 1976. Interview G-0049-1. From Factory Floor to Yale: A Life Dedicated to Social Justice: Anne Queen spent ten years working for the Champion Paper and Fibre Company in North Carolina before continuing her education at Berea College and Yale Divinity School during the 1940s. In this interview, she describes her life as a worker; her advocacy of social justice causes; her experiences in higher education; and her work at University of Georgia, with the Friends Service Committee, and the YWCA-YMCA at University of North Carolina. Interviewee: Anne Queen Interviewer: Joseph Herzenberg Duration: 02:37:40 Annotated |