Oral History- J. Martin

Abstract

In this interview, Jackie Walker expressed her experiences and beliefs about the time during the Civil Rights Movement. She is an African American who was born and raised in Philadelphia Pennsylvania. Although she was very young and lived in the North during the Civil Rights Movement she told stories that was told to her by her mother and when she took vacation trips to her mother’s hometown in South Carolina. She talked about her first experiences witnessing racism and segregation.

Research

The 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama was bombed on Sunday, September 15, 1963 as an act of white  terrorism. It exploded right before Sunday morning services. With a  predominantly black congregation that served as a meeting place for civil rights leaders. Four young girls were killed and many other people injured. The bombing of the church and the killing of the girls marked a turning point in the Civil Rights Movement.

Sources

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/16th_Street_Baptist_Church_bombing

http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/birmingham-church-bombing

Transcrpit

Time and Setting of the Interview

Place : Ms. Walker home in Philadelphia, PA

Date : May 18, 2014

Persons present during the interview : Ms.Walker and Jada

Jada : Good afternoon, today is Sunday May 18, 2014 it is 1:20 where I will be interviewing Ms.Walker about her life during the Civil Rights Movement. So, Ms.Walker lets start off by asking you some questions about your family, when and where were you born.

Ms.Walker :  I was born May 27, 1951

Jada : Now lets talk about your family

Ms.Walker : My mother was a school teacher. My father was a construction worker. I have one sibling. We lived on a small block in West Philadelphia. Where every family had two parents and home. Most of them had cars and all the fathers worked. It was just one big happy family.

Jada : What was your sister name?

Ms.Walker : Dolores

Jada : What school did y'all attend?

Ms.Walker : I attended West Philadelphia High School. She attended Bok Vocational High School. We both attended McMichael Elementary School.

Jada : How was school during the Civil Rights Movement?

Ms.Walker : It was okay. In our neighborhood school it was all black. For 9th grade we were bused to South Philadelphia from West Philadelphia for Junior High. Which was a white neighborhood. Well it was white and black but it was ok.

Jada : Since there was white and black did you experience any racism?

Ms. Walker :  Not in school I didn't.

Jada : So outside of school ?

Ms.Walker : No, to be honest I was grown when I experienced racism. I was at a nursing home visiting my aunt and I got called a Nigger for the first time. By some one who was about 90 years old stuck in a wheel chair in a nursing home. And I thought that was sad to be in that position and to have those type of feelings.

Jada : How do you feel about the Civil Rights Movement?

Ms.Walker : The Civil Rights Movement was a very good experience. Living in the North we didn't experience to much of it. It was hidden a lot but in the South it was not hidden. I remember my mother took my sister and I to her hometown in South Carolina. We went to a store and while we were in the store shopping we had to use the restroom. When we got to the restroom it said colored and white. That was a new experience for my sister and I. It was a airy feeling. Another experience we had in the South was going to the laundromat with my aunt.  One side were for whites and the other side was for colored.

Jada : How old were y'all at that time.

Ms.Walker :  We were teenagers any where from 14 to 17.

Jada : How has your views on race changed in the last decades.

Ms.Walker : Well I never . .I wasn't taught that way. So I never had any racism. But on this day . . this morning I was standing on my porch. The neighborhood has changed so much. That all of the older people have died. Their properties have been sold or rented out. So we have a lot of college students now. I spoke to a college student walking down the street as I was standing on my porch and he didn't acknowledge me. I thought that was sad for 2014.

Jada : Well do you think it was because of his race ?

Ms.Walker : It was racism. He probably was taught to be that way. My feelings were I've been here for 62 years and if you're going to come in you should be polite.

Jada : Since you were born in the year 1955 that was the year Rosa Parks

Ms. Walker : I was born 1951

Jada : I'm sorry 1951 so you were born before Rosa Parks went to jail for the bus boycott so you were about three. So you really didn't have much experience with that.

Ms.Walker : No we .. Most of the Civil rights War we watched on tv. The right to vote and the bombing of the churches. We were around but we were children. I was sad and we did a lot of crying watching the news because it was very sad. Children couldn't go church while being afraid of being blown up.

Jada : Has your mother and father shared their stories with you about segregation?

Ms. Walker : Yes, my mother told us storied of going to the movies.She had two friends a female and a male that both could pass for white. The white people sat on the main floor and black people had to enter from a different door and sit on the balcony. And how her friends sat on the balcony with them and didn't pass for white.

Jada : Well thank you Ms. Walker for your time

Ms. Walker : You're welcome.