Oral History: Geneva Flyod

Lamira Jeffreys: Lamira Jeffreys I am Interviewing Geneva Floyd The date is 5/31/2015 and the time is 8:21 Pm. Alright Hello, So my First questions is how was it growing up as a African American child?

Geneva Floyd: Rough, It was hard; it was hard but we survived but it was hard.

LJ: How often did you learn about black historians back in the day?

GF: Only by watching television and seeing the life interaction of black african americans.

LJ:What are some things you remember from Martin Luther king Speech?

GF: I remember they were um talking about freedom and expression of I remember them, them what was they doing hanging black men quite often.

LJ: Did his words inspire you to do anything different in life?

GF: Yes it inspired me to get a better education

LJ: Have you ever been to one of his speeches?

GF: No I listen to alot of his records

LJ: How was school like for you around the time of segregation?

GF: I don’t know I didn't go to a segregated school i went to an all black school i dont know f it was segregated or not I ain't go to school with no white folks Only white people was the teachers

LJ: Were you able to protest when you were younger?

GF: Yes but I wasn’t able to protest because my mother didn’t allowed it, my mother didn’t allow us to go to none of them rallies. She was scared her girls would get hurt.   

LJ: How did you feel when you heard about Rosa parks ?

GF: I dont understand how she wanted to be on the bus with white folks, I don't know why they wanted to segregate the bathrooms and stuff because we was much cleaner than the white folks you know I really didnt understand that and thats when our food got to be garbage.

LJ: Did you agree with her not getting up? or did you think she was over reacting?

GF: I don’t think she should have gotten up why should she I think the girl rosa should sit on her ass and let the white man stand up.

LJ: If you could chose to be apart of any protest which one would you chose to be in and why?

GF: Today I would rather be in the Montgomery march i would have marched because the bus boycott we was paying money and was treated like we was inferior and that wasn’t wassup if

i gotta pay the same fair as the white man i should be treated the same way.

LJ: What would your stance be would it be nonviolent or by any means necessary?

GF: Any means necessary because we were being brutalized as a race of people and i think we should have picked em arms and straightened all this out.

LJ: I heard that you were a black panther growing up how was the experience of being one?

GF: Being a black panther greatly benefited me because it made me realized that my people were suppressed and they need uh a partner to come up and fight for our rights Huey P Newton stood up for our rights and he fought for our rights fought for the breakfast program we have today and the child care situation we have today which we really forgotten about.

LJ: Which protest do you think was more beneficial martin Luther king or Malcolm X?