"it seem like it was a series of assassinations"

Posted by Leyitha Achoute in African American History - Roy - C on

Abstract:

This interview is between a librarian, Ms. Jean and I. During the time of the Civil rights movement Ms. Jean was between 13-15 yrs old. She lived with her family in Philadelphia in a pretty much segregated neighborhood. Her 3 older sisters was attending high school, Cardinal Dougherty High school were they was some incident between the white and the black students. She talks about Malcolm X and how he was look upon by the adults at the time. She also mention how she saw things as a child at the time.


Research:

One of the Civil Rights Movement’s figure was Malcolm X. He was born May 19,1925 and died February 21. 1965. Malcolm X had a big influence with the Muslimamics. He wasn’t look upon favorable to adults base on what the person I interview said. I can understand that because from my research on Malcolm X, I found that he was applying the opposite of Martin Luther King beliefs. One of Malcolm X famous quote, “ by any means necessary” this encourage African American to use violence in order to have equal rights with white people. He was also involve in a group that used violence in the protest for the Civil Rights movement.  



Interview Transcript.

Interviewer: Me (Leyitha Princesse Achoute)

Interviewee: Ms. Jean ( the librarian)

Interview setting: At the free library of philadelphia.

Affiliation with interviewee: She’s a librarian that’s at the library I usually goes to.


( Start of interview)

Me: May I ask what your name please?

Ms. J: My name is Jean

Me: (voice fading in background) You work at the library

Ms.J: I work at the library.

Me: So ma’am what do you recall about the Civil Rights Movement?

Ms.J: Ok umh the one umh memory that comes to mind is after umh Martin Luther King was assassinated umh I think I was in the seven grades. And I was pretty much in a non integrated neighborhood it was pretty much a white neighborhood that I grew up in. Umh and then there was a period where they were some unrasted (???) seem like people were upset and I do remember maybe an occasion my sisters were in high school so they were in a more integrated school and they were problems between the white and black students. … It didn’t seem to me, it was minor problems. I mean they might have been the occasion where they talk about rocks got throwing at the bus or that kind of thing. But it seem to me that they didn’t feel afraid and they and I never feel afraid. It seem like my parents and the adults in my life were very scared. But as it , I didn’t see it as a...uhm as a scary time but it seems like the adults made it seem more serious.

Me: Do you remember about what school your sisters went?

Ms. J: It was Cardinal Dougherty High school it was, it’s close now but it umh it was like at second and Olney.

Me: ( fading in the background) Is in Pennsylvania

Ms.J: Yes it was in Philadelphia

Me: Do you recall any big events that might put umh, any big events that happened?

Ms.J:  I don’t that’s what I mean I just remember, I just remember it seem like it was a series of assassinations it was umh John F. Kennedy, than it was his brother and I know that they were somehow involved in the Civil Rights Movement but as a child I didn’t realized the significance of umh what they were doing  and how that was effecting in the Civil Right Movement. Umh and I do remember with like Martin Luther King he seem like a positive figure and uhm again it was like a tragedy when he was assassinated. But then I do remember than I think Malcolm X was also assassinated around the time or he was killed not sure but that seem more he didn’t seem to be looked upon as favorably uhm by the adults uhm he didn’t seem to be as much of a moder say as like John (pres. John F. Kennedy), and Robert (pres. John F. Kennedy’s brother) and Martin ( Martin Luther King) like they seem like they were kinda moders (???) for the cause were as with Malcolm X although I think he was also part of the Civil rights movement but probably like a more radical way but that didn’t seem to be as much of a tragedy when that happened.

Me: Why did you think Malcolm X wasn’t that wasn’t favorable to the adults?

Ms.J:  I didn’t know as a child but as an adult uhm when I read his autobiography and I know that the umh had umh started out a umh he broke the law and he was in prison for a time and that’s actually when he found his religion and umh but I think because he was he was probably associated with with  umh radical probably a more radical group and probably the fact with the muslim religion they probably were uncomfortable with that because I was raised Catholic.

(Movement in the background)

Me: Thank you for your time, thank you very much.

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