Bianca Oglesby's Oral History Report

Interviewing my grandfather, Kevin Oglesby was a very informative project. We talked about a lot of things during the interview, it really didn't feel like a interview. It was more like a conversation, I think that, that was what I was supposed to be doing anyway. We mostly talked about the racial aspects between 1960 and now. He talked about how the first time he was getting a job, he was denied because he was black. He talked about how they called Barack Obama is a liar and no one said anything about it and the only people who were upset was African American. We also talked about how racism was continued through generations and people do nothing about it to stop it. It was a interesting conversation and I think that in the future people will soon know what the situation was and what it is now.

Research:

In 2010, President Barack Obama was call a liar while explaining what his health care would do. Rep. Joe Wilson call him one. If feel like after everything happened, the only people who were upset was the African Americans. No one of any other race really made it clear on how they felt. No one said anything about that Rep. saying that about Barack Obama. I honestly believe that the reason was that because he was racist. I mean no one really said anything about it. I hate that they said that about him and it makes me feel really angry, even though this happened over 4 years ago. People always talk about how Barack Obama is a bad President, which he is not. People make it hard for him to do his job.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnF4rQQktfs

Kevin Oglesby: Good afternoon, my name is Kevin Oglesby. I am doing a interview with my granddaughter, Bianca. I am 59 years-old, I was born October 14, 1954.

Bianca: Okay, When the first time you encountered an act of racism?

Kevin: My first encounter that I can remember happen when I um.. applied for the first job that I went out for. That was in 1973. At that time there was umm.. a kinda rough economy jobs weren't too present. What I encounter was applying for a job that I was qualified for and someone else applied for the jobs also. My qualifications for the job was excellent, the other person qualifications were subpar. The was given the job with subpar qualifications and a job was created for me just to keep me employed there but i was give a job of sweeping the floor instead was working on the machinery that I was qualified for.

Bianca: Okay, how does that encounter effect you from then until now?

Kevin: Well, as you go through everyday life you see things that remind you of how America was born. When I was younger it was more in your face as time went on it seem to go behind closed doors, never the less I think still there, maybe not as intense. But there are still things daily that remind you that racism is still there.

Bianca: Okay umm, well I am 15 now, when you were 15 umm….. Well the question I had on here was what difference do you see in the United States now for when you were 15, but I think you pretty much answered the question when you did that so. You also answered my other question.

Kevin: What’s the next question?

Bianca: It was do you think that racism still exist in you the United States.

Kevin: Yes.

Bianca: Why?

Kevin: Why? Because there is so many things that are seen, so many things that are felt, so many things that are heard. There has never been a time in my life where people were people would disrespect the President of the United States of America until there was a black President. There has been people who has call him names, people in congress called him a liar on TV witnessed by the whole United States of American. There wasn't one  ounce of rejection for that congressman. All of America should have been outraged, but yet the only people that it seen to bother was African Americans. I didn't see, hear anything from any other race, culture or religion that would say that congressman should have been booted out of congress, stripped of his job anything. But even when President Richard Nixon broke the law no one in congress stood up and call him liar. Even though he was a liar in record, pubic and all things of that nature, but America still had respect for the office of the President of the United states. And you ask me if there is still racism, racism are alive and provident.

Bianca: So, do you think the reason why racism is still around because it has been passed down through generations or..?

Kevin: Yes, umm it’s been passed down through generations and is still passed down through generations because people that can present racism don’t try to eliminate or stamp it out. What I think about about this, for instance a Caucasian family or any other race besides African American, hear, see things that their family friends do that is racist. They don’t try to stamp it out, they don’t try to vilify that person. The strongest they might go is don’t say that, by just saying “don’t say that”, allows it to continue. And it’s fortified when young people get around there friends and groups and it runs rampant. If they didn’t approve of racism, they would stop hanging with them, they would point those people out, you know to the community, to other parents, but they don’t. This is why it will still have a heart beat, in America.

Bianca: Okay, This is the question that I just thought of now. If you were born in a different time era, do you think that you would be a different person, or would you still have these thoughts, or kind of feelings toward this?

Kevin: I’m sorry can you repeat the question.

Bianca: ( Repeated the questions) ( changed her mind about the question)

Bianca: Do you think that hate for whites is past down through generations of black people or any other race, but white?

Kevin: From my perspective, I just don’t see African Americans, just hating white people in mass numbers because it’s just not there. I’m not saying that, you know there’s not any black people that dislike white people, of course there is. But as a whole, or group to say that African Americans hate or dislike whites is just not there, not even 20%  because we understand that we have to be apart of society and which they control most of it, so I could you go through life hating something that you need to survive.

https://www.wevideo.com/hub/#editor/194131617

When you go on the site just click play.