2) What did you learn while completing this project?
I learned how to use Go animate and create videos that are both fun and educational.
3) What was the hardest part about completing this project?
The hardest part was dragging the character into the video. It was very annoying to drag and pop them into the video.
4) What was the most fun/exciting part?
The most exciting part was showing people my video and making them laugh.
5) If you were to do this project over again, what would you do differently?
I would get the premium version so I could make a much longer video.
Abstract:
On may the 7th Margaret Coleman was interview by Darian Scudder and she was born in Alabama greenville 1960 she’s a African American her mom raise her up in church and she played games with brothers and sister’s. Her Dad made her brother ‘s and sister’s pick crops and take care of the farm she enjoyed being home with brother’s and sister’s working on the farm. She had to pick food and cotton and crops from the farm, she would play baseball, hide and go seek, and jacks, hopscotch, her dad drove the school bus, Mom would be at home and when come from school. She would spend a lot of time together with her family and she would come home from church and they would go shopping , and sometimes her family would sit outside on the porch and watch the cars go by together. Her parents would always watch out for her health not to eat junk food she would go into town and go into the little stores and get hun buns and little snacks from the corner stores. She would eat ice cream from the dairy queens but mostly her family would eat at home her favorite movies were (Gone with the wind) and (Romeo and Juliet) she would watch them in school. Her Favorite Hobbies were Fishing, and she Made up her own baseball, and Walking to her neighbors houses she was very close to her mother Dad and sister and brothers, The school’s I went to had all blacks schools and I would be in the country schools. Most of her friends were blacks because the area she was in when her mom did house cleaning her boss was white and he had white children she would play around when she was little they help them when they had a lot of work.
Research:
I my Research I found that: African-American slaves, sharecropping came to define the method of land lease that would eventually become a new form of slavery. Without land of their own, many blacks were drawn into schemes where they worked a portion of the land owned by whites for a share of the profit from the crops. They would get all the seeds, food, and equipment they needed from the company store, which allowed them to run a tab throughout the year and to settle up once the crops, usually cotton, were gathered. When accounting time came, the black farmer was always a few dollars short of what he owed the landowner, so he invariably began the new year with a deficit. As that deficit grew, he found it impossible to escape from his situation by legal means. The hard, backbreaking work led to stooped, physically destroyed, and mentally blighted black people who could seldom envision escape for themselves or their children; their lives were an endless round of poor diet, fickle weather, and the unbeatable figures at the company store.Sources:
http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-1396
http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-1613
http://www.netstate.com/economy/al_economy.htm
What was one of the best things you did growing up?
My mom raise us up in church, played games with brothers and sister’s, Dad made us pick crops in all this happen in greenville Alabama , enjoyed being home with brothers, working on the farm.
Did you have a rough childhood?
I had to work on a farm pick food and cotton and crops
Did you play any fun games growing up?
I would play baseball, hide and go seek, and jacks, hopscotch
Did you spend a lot of time with your parents?
My dad drove the school bus , Mom would be at home and when come from school they would spend a lot of time together and they would got to church and they would go shopping , and sometimes We would sit outside on the porch and watch the cars go by together, My parents would always watch our health not to eat junk food.
What was your favorite food store/place growing up?
I go into town and go into the little stores and get hun buns and little snacks from the corner stores they would eat ice cream from the dairy queens but mostly we would eat at home.
What was your favorite movie?
(Gone with the wind) and (Romeo and Juliet) We saw it in the school
Did you have a favorite hobbies?
Fishing, Made up their own baseball, Walk to our neighbors houses
Did you have a person that you were close to growing up ?
I was very close to my mother Dad and sister and brothers
Did your school allow blacks and whites to be together?
The school’s I went to had all blacks schools and I would be in the country schools.
Do did you have many friends that were black or white?
Most of My friends were blacks because the area I was in when my mom did house cleaning her boss was white and he had white children we would play around with them help them when they had a lot of work.
Research
Overall, in American history, the social disadvantage of blacks has been present and is obvious even though people deny it. While speaking with my grandfather he believes the white privilege or the advantage over minorities still exist, and I agree with him. There are many big situations like the Trayvon Martin case, the Ferguson situation, and some situations that have been lost in history like the MOVE Bombing are all forms of racism or actions towards black people that simply happen the way they do for being black. In the times my grandfather spoke of(civil rights movement), blacks being treated unfairly, was not frowned upon and was a normal day to day thing. Now we are in 2015, and you would think that people would be past being racist, but because it is something that is taught and passed down to later generations it still unfortunately exist. This leads to people who would have the advantage making white supremacy something realistic, and it leads to unnecessary situations or deaths of blacks with the encounters most times.
For example, one of the situations my grandfather told me people don’t pay enough attention to was the MOVE Bombing. This was a bombing where police destroyed 65 homes which was the whole neighborhood, leaving many homeless, and an unfortunate amount killed. The MOVE group was a black group of people who took one their surnames(last names) as Africa. This group was a black liberation group, and advocated for a larger group of people which is blacks in general. They owned a house all together which they called Osage, and they would use a speakerphone to scream obscenities. Once neighbors called the police saying that they were disturbing the peace, and somehow it lead to unnecessary death and destruction. When the count of homeless and dead people, were counted everyone was black or African American, which was not a surprise.
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Interview between my grandfather Carlton Pryor and I, Jaden McClain,
J. M.- Ard, so the first question is how important do you think race is in America?
Grandfather- How important do I think race is in America?
J.M.- Yes
Grandfather- I think, um, race is very important in America, because America is a very multicultural country, where you have people from all different ethnic *sysities* (backgrounds) and it's important that people recognize each other as individuals rather that the way they look, the way they comb hair, the size they are, or how they speak, because life is about treating people equally.
J.M.-Ard thank you, so um, so you know, when you were my age did you think being black, or your specific race was a dangerous thing, or people didn't like you for that?
Grandfather-When I was your age, um, race was an issue, however I was taught that your treat people the way you wanted to be treated, and to always be respectful to your elders and law enforcement. And as long as you live by credible ethics and you know that was is important is how you see yourself and how other people see you, you should not be threatened. Though I recognized that racism was there, I never let that get into the way of what I wanted to be. Ya know, and I never used the race card as a crutch. I just found ways to try to break down the barriers for example, when I tried to get a position they said, “well you don’t have this”, so I asked what do I need to do to get the position, and I went and got that certificate or degree, and I went back and they told me “I had to get something else”, and I went back until I go to the point where I backed them in a corner where they had nothing else to do except give me the position.
J.M.- So basically, they were being indirect and they didn’t want to give you a position based off of your race.
Grandfather- Well I couldn’t say, it was race related, or academia, but im pretty sure it dealt with race, but it didn't stop me from pursuing my goal.
J.M.- Right, so when you were younger when race was a big problem and you had segregation and things of that sort, were you apart of any kind of protesting or did you have anything to do with the ending of segregation?
Grandfather- Well I never was apart, well I was apart of a political group in my school when I was majoring in political science and I advocated, for treating people based on their credibility, and based on their credentials rather than the way they look, or their color. However I recognized there were rules and regulations, there was still areas all over the country through the south that was segregated, and that you still couldn’t do the things you thought you were aloud to do. For instance when I was in basic training in um, Kentucky, when I went into a restaurant to get food they ran out of food, although their were hundreds of people eating. So other than me creating an issue I went back to the base. When I was in the farm with my grandfather, and we went to the market my grandfather was very fair, and I couldn’t go in through the front door, I had to go to the back, and he couldn’t let them know that I was his grandson, because he compared to being white. So growing up you recognize boundaries that you have to deal with at that time, you had to deal with it.
J.M.- So how did that make you feel, do you think it made you a better person, or was it simply unnecessary?
Grandfather- I think um, i made me a better person, il say this you are who you are, and no one else can change you because of what they think of you, and think that you're something you're not. We were always taught that we could achieve and excel, even though I knew, and sometimes I was unhappy, and sometimes I got discouraged because I knew it was race related I didn’t let that stop me, because if you let that barrier stop you, you are laying into their hands because you become, factated.
J.M.- Right, um, hmm so for instance, if their was anything else you could have done to help, like you did with you political science, did you go around and speak to people about segregation, and how it should be fair, or was it more of a thing were you and some people just spoke about it.
Grandfather- I always told people that violence did not solve the segregation issue, what violence did was reinforce that we were arrogant, rebellious, and that we were hostile, because I recognized that I can be very expressive in my thoughts, and be considered radical, and however the white sector, who was racist or biased, felt like they were entitled to say anything, and they were just expressing their opinion. So tone, was very important, if you didn't deliver the right tone, you were not heard, if your tone was hostile back then, the actions that came upon you were different(violent). There, is an old saying that “I can catch more bees with honey than vinegar”, so I tried very hard to portray myself as being hostile, although I knew I had to be very careful about what I said, how I presented myself because they wanted me to act in a certain manner to you their forceful will by locking me up, imprisoning me, and things of that natural, like stomping you or your front door and questioning you. So those were things you had to overcome, and even though I try hard to do that there were people who felt like just because you were black you were a hoodlum.
J.M.- So do you feel like even though certain places of the country blacks didn’t make the situation better, do you think as a culmination or whole, what people did protest wise, do you think that made a big impact?
Grandfather- I believe that today kids and generation do not understand the struggles their parents and grandparents and civil rights activist have done to get them the right to vote, sit a counters, or to walk in any restaurant. They just do not recognize that, they have not taken the time to learn their history, and quit frankly they just don’t, and the generation today has lost their morals and values.
J.M.- So what do you mean by that do you think it’s taken for granted, or it’s not appreciated as much as it should be?
Grandfather- I don’t think that the young generation doesn't respect the generation of the past, and don't respect one another. They feel that they should look for the easy way out and do not want to work for anything. Or they feel that everything should be given to them, like welfare, and they need to break the cycle. And now violence is a way of life for them, when I was coming up they had games with shooting and stabbing but there was a difference. The media is very privileged aspect, because the media promote negative things, never what kid did good or what kid acceled.
J.M.- It;s like the negatives
Below is the interview I conducted with my grandmother. The interview took place May 11th, in the comfort of her own home. She was born in Philadelphia during the year 1955. Therefor she grew up during the time period of the civil rights movement. During the interview she shares a great deal of memories and personal stories. She gives her opinions and reactions of a lot of incidents that happened during the civil rights movement. Often sharing her strong emotions on specific events. She was strongly influenced by her parents and civil rights activist.
A.S: What is your name?
D.J- My name is Diane Jones- Roseman.
A.S: How old are you?
D.J- 60 years old.
A.S: What is your date of birth?
D.J- April 8th, 1955
A.S: Can you give brief background history about yourself?
D.J- I was born in the city of Philadelphia to my two parents. My father was a self employed painter and my mother worked half time. And I have one older sister. Grew up and went to school in the city of philadelphia. Ummm attended Temple university after High School. Uhhh I have only traveled outside of the United states once. And that was to South Africa. Well I shouldn't say once. Ive been to Africa, I’ve been to several caribbean islands. I’ve been to Canada, I’ve been to mexico. Ummm and of course I have traveled to a few states outside of pennsylvania but inside of the united states.
A.S: The civil rights movement lasted from about 1955-1968. How old were you during this period?
D.J It was between my birth and my 18th birthday. My im sorry my 8th.. right? 55..65.. 13th birthday.
A.S: How do you define civil rights?
The laws of the land applying to everyone within it regardless of their race
A.S: Was anyone in your family involved in the civil rights movement?
D.J- Movement.. umm yes everyone directly or indirectly.
A.S: Growing up during segregation, can you recall an early incident when you recognized a difference of treatment on account of color?
D.J- Uhh yes for myself personally it was at girl scout camp when I was about 10. And others of the time it was through rumors relayed verbally through their parents and television.
A.S: Describe your memories of segregation.
D.J- Umm segregation I Remember vividly stories my dad used to tell us about segregation in the united states army. Where he remembers uh being on bases in certain parts of the country and he couldn’t use the same water fountain as his white counterparts.
A.S: Have you ever personally been discriminated against because of your race?
D.J- hmmm Yea both suttley and blatantly,
A.S: How did you respond to this treatment?
D.J- My first reaction is hurt and questioning what's wrong with me, my second reaction is anger after realizing it ain't me.
A.S: What are key events you remember during that time period?
D.J- Key events… uhhh.. I would say the assassination of martin luther king, the assassination of president kennedy, the assassination of his brother, the assassination of Malcolm X, the uhh arrest and riots of different groups like the panthers and the college students against unfair treatment in the south. What else do I remember? I remember the marches the churches put together to the white house in D.C. Uhh I remember guest speakers at our church I don't remember anyone coming to school but I do remember guest speakers at church.
A.S: What did you do during the Civil Rights movement?
D.J- I was a school student so I can't say I actively participated but we used to have many discussions and debates around the table as to how the situation could be fixed. Discussions about Martin Luther King’s peaceful ways. And Malcolm X and the nation of islam and the panthers by any means necessary methods. Of course my parents being christians they leaned more towards non violence.
A.S: What was the most memorable event during the civil rights movement that affects you today?
D.J- The fact that Dr. Martin Luther king did spread nothing but word of nonviolence and equality and they still killed him. Very Violently killed him to silence him
A.S: What were the failures of the Civil Rights Movement?
D.J- I guess that the impact of it was not felt or honored as highly by the next generation.
A.S: Do you think marches, sit-ins, and other demonstrations helped or hurt the movement?
D.J- They helped
A.S: why?
D.J- It brought the issues more permanently to the surface of a lot of people attention.
A.S: Do you think that the president did everything in his power to better the situation at the time?
D.J- There were other president though. Before kennedy it might have been nixon. But umm I think he tried. He really tried that why he got killed.
A.S: What are your thoughts on nonviolence?
D.J- It .. my thoughts are ideally it would be great if problems could be solved without violence. Through out history it seems that something is as drastic as warfare for one side to win. But in any case both sides are going to lose something or someone
A.S: Are there records of civil rights activity in your community?
D.J- Sure
A.S Such as?
D.J - Well there is chapters of the NAACP. Theres uh civil unions.. uhh lawyers you can secure to um do probational civil cases. Umm what else in my community. We vote, I think that's a form of excising our civil rights. There are many voter registration drives to educate people about our rights.
A.S : Who were your civil rights heroes locally? Nationally? Why?
D.J- Malcolm X.. uhhh who else, yea I already mentioned King. I’m trying to think locally. There are many but the names slipped my mind.
A.S: Thank you
D.J- You're Welcome
Research
My grandmother brings up a lot of topics that could have been researched. For one the assassinations of many influential people. These people include; Martin Luther king , Malcolm X, John F. Kennedy, and his brother.
Martin Luther king: Martin Luther King Jr. was killed April 4, 1968. He was killed in Memphis, Tennessee. Not too long after his, “I have a dream speech”, and before he was preparing for another one. He was killed on the balcony of his hotel room. www.ibtimes.com/martin-luther-king-assassinat…
Malcolm X: Malcolm was killed February 21, 1965. This was one week after his home was firebombed. He died by being shot multiple times by a group of Islam members while he was speaking at an organization in New York city. www.history.com/this-day-in-history/malcolm-x-assassinated
John F Kennedy: JFK was assassinated November 22, 1963, Dallas, TX. Cause of death: Gunshot en.wi kipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_John_F._Kennedy. His brother Robert Kennedy was also assassinated. June 6th 1968 in Los Angeles, California.
During the interview, my grandmother brought up stories my great grandfather told her about segregation in the U.S military. During the Jim crow era, there were laws that whites and blacks could not use the same bathroom, water fountains or waiting areas as whites. My grandmother says she recalls the marches, riots and arrest of protesters. In one specific event, the marches to washington and the White house. Between 1957 and 1968 there were about 7 marches to washington. Two specific marched led and based on african Americans were:
Prayer Pilgrimage for Freedom- Ran by Martin Luther King, in attempt to having a right to vote.
March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_protest_marches_on_Washington,_D.C.#1950.E2.80.931999
Abstract
While Interviewing Robert he explains his broad experience with his experience of Racism. He had left some things out that were pretty explicit and he didn’t feel comfortable saying. Yet he said I could share and he said that his white friends would chase african americans out of the park by screaming them out of there names and beating them up if they didn’t leave.
Additional Research
Cinnaminson is an eastern suburb of Philadelphia that borders the Delaware River. "The inhabitants of the township of Chester having become so numerous that it is impracticable for them to meet with convenience and good order in one assembly... the Township shall be divided." The name of "Cinnaminson" comes from the Lenape Native American word "Senamensing," which means "sweet water".
Interview Details: May 2nd or 3rd, either the evening of May 2nd or the afternoon of May 3rd and at 2521 Pine St Cinnaminson, NJ 08077
Robert Sigler:
How often was segregation or racism brought up in your household when you were younger?
Not very often we did not talk much family wise, school wise not much.
When people said or say racial slurs how does it make you feel? why?
I don't know I pretty much just ignore them. Do you think you hear them on a daily basis? Ah No
When you were in school were there colored kids that went there?
Yes, How many? Ah maybe a half dozen.
Did you ever display any type of segregation or racism towards anyone?
No, not really.
When you were growing up do you think anyone in your family did? Eh maybe grandparents somewhat. Can you give us an example? Excuse me? I said can you give me an example? Well well the last time I saw my grandmother who was born in the 1890's in a nursing home she expressed displeasure with the black attendants in the Nursing Home. Let's put it that way.
How many colored families lived in your neighborhood when you were a child?
There was one elderly couple that lived up the street.
Has anyone treated you different because of your race?
Not really.
Are you aware of the African Americans being killed by police? what is your response?
Yes I am aware of it I mean it's been all over the news. Umm as for the whole police shootings some are justified and some aren't it depends on the certain circumstances.
How many colored people do you see or interact with on a daily basis?
Now? Ahh two or three probably.
Do you think where you live is segregated? No
No
In the neighborhood you live in is the diversity in it?
Yes
On April 20th, 1971 how old were you when The Supreme Court, in Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education, upholds busing as a legitimate means for achieving integration of public schools happened? How did you feel?
I was about 13 and I it really didn't affect our areas I really didn't think much about it.
What grade were you in? eighth or ninth somewhere in there.
Abstract: In the interview with Ms.Helen we hit topics that just dealt with the basics of the civil war like Brown vs. Education or segregation. Then we got a bit personal and spoke about segregation and racial differentiation in Jamaica her birthplace. My interviewee however was not so educated on the factor of war and her knowledge is based off of new reports and personal opinions.
Additional Research: “Although Jamaica has a diverse population, Afro-Jamaicans constitute the overwhelming majority. The 1991 census recorded a total population of 2.3 million. Blacks accounted for 2.08 million, or 90.5 percent of the total population, while whites accounted for 5,200, or 0.2 percent. East Indians made up 1.3 percent and Chinese 0.3 percent. Other ethnic groups as well as small numbers of Syrians, Lebanese, and Jews made up 0.5 percent. People of mixed descent accounted for 7.3 percent of the population. Recognition of this diversity led the framers of Jamaica's constitution at independence, in 1962, to choose as the island's motto 'Out of Many, One People,' suggesting that despite racial and ethnic differences, all live united as one Jamaican people.”
As taken from: http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/43/130.html
This excerpt is stating that Jamaica had no racial segregation and was full of diversity even though the mass population was of blacks.
Interview of Helen James by Nacere James 5/8/15
NJ: Good Evening, Ms. Helen how are you today?
Ms.Helen: I’m fine thank you, how are you?
NJ: I’m alright, can you answer a few questions for me if that’ll be okay?
Ms. Helen: Yes it’ll be okay
1. What do you know about the civil war?
Nothing really because I wasn’t really interested in war.
2. If you didn’t know about it, how did you find out it exist?
Oh from listening to the news
3. Do you think the civil war was important and why?\
I don’t think any war was important
NJ: |I agree war really is pointless.|
4. Do you know about Brown vs. Education? Do you think that was important and why?
Education is important but I don’t know about the court case.
5. What was the racial variety like in Jamaica?
We didn’t have racial problems in Jamaica.
6. Did you experience any racial segregation once coming to America?
Yes one time in a Korean store and it wasn’t very pleasant, I didn’t spend very much time in there just bought some flower pots and some baskets, some flower baskets
7. Did you experience anything out of the racial norm?
No not in Jamaica
8. Do you think things like these (Civil War etc..) are important to be taught in schools and why?
No, they waste time teaching that because it’s unnecessary to go back in the past.
9. Why do you think the History lessons are disrupting young minds?
Because they spend time going back in the past it doesn’t make any sense to me
10. Do you think the way segregation ended was right?
I- it’s not over
NJ: Okay that’ll be all for today,
Ms. Helen: Okay
Interview Details: May 2nd or 3rd, either the evening of May 2nd or the afternoon of May 3rd and at 2521 Pine St Cinnaminson, NJ 08077
Please state your name. Lynda Marie Staniskis Sigler:
How often was segregation or racism brought up in your household when you were younger?
Never
Do you think your parents could have been low key to racism and segregation? Do you think they thought of anything like that?
I don't know. If they did they did not share it.
When people said or say racial slurs how does it make you feel? why?
It makes me feel bad that it puts people all in one bin instead of an individuality. Because everybody is different and slurs are not necessary for anybody whether you're white Spanish black or anything we're all human.
Do you think stereotypes in society are all true like for all races?
Society does make them true, it depends on the group of people that they are speaking of like if you have people that are lazy and don't want to go to work whether they are white, black, Spanish whatever then they are in a segregation that are non workers, they don't want to work than they are non workers. That is the segregation I see and hear.
When you were in school were there colored kids that went there?
In Holy Name of Jesus School? No. In St. Boniface Business School. Yes.
Do you think it is because as you got older the people in your neighborhood were more accepting people in different races?
No, when I went to High School, the High School was based in a mixed neighborhood. And that's when I got my introduction to mixed races.
Did you ever display any type of segregation or racism towards anyone?
No
Do you feel that as part of your personality there is a reason why?
Because I think everybody are human we all have feelings, we all have choices whether we take a good choice or the wrong choice, every race can make their decision.
How many colored families lived in your neighborhood when you were a child?
Has anyone treated you different because of your race?
Not that I am aware of.
Are you aware of the African Americans being killed by police? what is your response?
Yes I am aware of it I think it is horrifying depending on the situation, I do not know if the Police officers were threatened but if they were not it is just wrong.
How many colored people do you see or interact with on a daily basis?
Six to Seven
Is this throughout your daily routine or in your work environment?
My Work Environment.
9. Would you say that there is not a majority of people in your work environment?
There's a mixture I haven't counted how many of each.
So there is a Diversity?
Yes
10 On April 20th, 1971 how old were you when The Supreme Court, in Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education, upholds busing as a legitimate means for achieving integration of public schools happened? How did you feel?
I had just turned 11, and had no clue.
Did you think where you lived it was segregated?
Not that I was aware of.
Where you live now is it segregated Is there more of one race than the other?
No.
Abstract,
In this interview my interviewee is talking about her being happy graduating from high school when she was younger. I ask her if she could tell me how is it different from back in the day from today. She said lived in a African American community. How her house was when she was younger. She talks about her not going to a segregated school. I ask her if she was ever discriminated About her race or skin color but she couldn't remember. I also asked if she had white friends but she didn't. And my last question I asked was why she came to Philadelphia from North Carolina and she said because there was more jobs in the north than the south.
Research
The topic I choose is when Mrs.Nixon migrated from North Carolina to Pennsylvania. She migrated in 1966, she was 23. The Great Migration is when more than 6 million African Americans relocated from the rural South to the cities of the north. From 1916 through 1970 it had a huge impact on urban life in the united States. Driven from their homes by bad economic opportunities and harsh segregationist laws, many African Americans headed north, where they took advantage of the need for industrial workers that first arose during the First World War.During the Great Migration, African Americans began to build a new place for themselves in public life, actively confronting economic, political and social challenges and creating a new black urban culture that would exert enormous influence in the decades to come. Shortly after the Civil War, large numbers of newly freed men and women left the plantations where they had served as slaves and moved to new areas, but most remained primarily in the South.In the south they had driven in a part of economic concerns. Many african americans didn’t have jobs and they were having a poor living condition, so that lead them to move to the North but they needed help to get there. Also the south was losing people and they were probably losing money. (b) In the North many african americans were looking for jobs because they heard they had more jobs than the south. Many of them were still in poor living condition because they still had a low fare waged.
Sources:
http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/great-migration
http://www.uni.edu/historyofblackhawkcounty/peopimmigrants/African-AmericanMig/HeadingNorth.htm
I used some information from an old assignment
Transcript
May 11,2015
Time 6:20
Person who interview her: Ivana Gutierrez
Interviewee: Mrs.Rosa Nixon
IG: Um, hi this is ivana, um I’m interviewing Egypt’s grandmother. Um what is your name?
RN: Um, hi ivana. I’m Ms.Nixon.
IG: I’m gonna be asking you some questions today. Um, so um first question um.
What was like your best childhood memory?
RN: Uh, best memory, my childhood memory is uh graduating from high school. (hahaha)
IG: That's good. Um my second question is what was it back in the day? Is it different from today?
RN: Uh, different from today uh , back when i was growing up uh it was different uh the community that we lived in uh was most all black community.So we didnt have that much uh you know uh assoseation with other groups of people. We just lived you know in a close community. and we lived in a farm, uh we uh grew peanuts, corn and soybeans um we had a 8 room home which was one level, like a ranch house and it was nine of us, and my mother and father.
IG: oh ok. So um my third question is Did you go to a segregation school? If yes How was it?
RN: uh when we went to school there was no segregation, it was an all black school, and even the principal and teachers were black. There was none white person in that school that I can remember.
IG: will um if you did go to a school like that would uh you be friends with the white people?
RN: Yes i would be yes.
IG: Were you ever discriminated about your race or your skin color?
RN: No I can’t remember being discriminated about my skin color or race.
IG: Um, Did you ever had white friends when you were younger?
RN: No i never had whites friends when I was growing up.
IG: Oh ok, Um what made you come to the North from North Carolina?
RN: What made me come to the north was uh, I was in the south, I finished um high school and I needed a job to help my mother so i came to the north because I heard that you will get a good job if you come to north, that they had a lots of jobs available. So I came to the north to get a job.
IG: Oh okay, well thats all my questions for right now. Thank you for answering my questions.
RN: You're welcome
Time Code | Subject | AUDIO |
00:00 | Interview with my Grandpa, Dr. Michael Kelly | EK: So, what was it like in school when you first started before the Civil Rights Movement? MK: What was it like in school? EK : Yeah. MK: I think...when I was in public school, when I was young, I lived in a very white community. So my parents were liberal, So we, you know, we were comfortable with racial relationships. But the community as a whole is not, it just never came up...people...my classmates were never confronted with black people, or any ethnic people. And it was just, uh, sort of a non issue. uh, and uh that continued through high school...and then when I went away to college, of course, I went to NorthWestern and things were different. But I was raised away. I was comfortable. So, in my contact, there was no Civil Rights Movement. There was no issue of racial..problems because we didn’t have any real mix. So it certainly was a different world...after the sixties. |
01:16 | EK: So, after the Civil Rights Movement, did you like how schools were more diverse? MK: Yeah. I always appreciated diversity, again, because of my parents. Uh, and uh, I think once I became more conscious of the problem, I must admit, as a public student...it just wasn’t conscious of the problem. You read about things in the south. This is an interesting incident. I think my first real awareness was during one of our summer rigs in high school. A friend of mine and I decided to go down to New Orleans. We were working in the summer, we had a couple of weeks off. And we took the bus down from Chicago to New Orleans, which was a pretty long trip. But the bus comes down from Chicago through Illinois and it crosses into Kentucky. Carol, Illinois into Paducah Kentucky. And when we arrived in the Paducah Kentucky, bus station, the driver came and rearranged the passengers, so that the black people moved to the back where they were “supposed to be.” And we had a break, and there was black drinking fountains and I think that was my first real awareness that things were different elsewhere. It was very uncomfortable for me. And I felt pretty good about the Civil Rights Movement happening and correcting some of those problems. | |
02:54 | EK: Was your school segregated that you taught, and if so, did schools attended by the opposite race interact with yours and how did the students react? MK: Over where I taught? Over at Glassboro? EK: Yeah. MK: Yes. it certainly was not segregated. We didn’t have a high percentage of black students, but I’m not sure I have a percentage, uh, I would say, anyway 5%. And a few asians. Other minorities. A few hispanics. And it was completely comfortable in my awareness...uh...as far as interacting and the kids interacting with each other. Now I’m sure there were isolated incidents that I’ve never heard of, but in terms of my general feelings about how students behaved, and...it was a comfortable situation. I do remember Glassborough becoming very active in the Civil Rights protests. I remember there were places where they would take down the American flag and stomp on it, you know, reaction. there were a lot of kids that maybe took advantage and made more out of protesting than they really believed...Glassborough was, I think, very active in favoring and promoting Civil Rights Movement, and I never felt that racial inequality would factor it on our campus. | |
04:35 | EK: Were there any books or speeches that changed your opinion about race and segregation? MK: Well, I don’t, I don’t know that my opinions on race ever really needed to be changed outside of what I said before, becoming more aware of the problem. Uh, I guess Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream” speech is a key time in everybody’s background and relation of the Civil Rights Movement and realizing the power of a person like that and I think that the power of words, since I was a speech major and I have been always interested in the spoken word and use of language, I stood in awe of that speech by King and other civil rights leaders. That certainly strengthened my feelings about the need for civil rights action, and the need for promoting equality that didn’t exist everywhere. I can’t say my opinions changed, my awareness probably changed.5: | |
5:45 | EK: Do you think schools today should be more diverse, for example, Philadelphia public schools? MK: Do you mean in the sense of racial mix? EK: Yeah MK: I am not all that familiar how it is now, Eoin. Uh, I certainly believe in uh, racial mix, and it certainly seems with Russell Byers, I guess there were relatively few white students there, but I think racial mixing and equality is very important, and wherever it doesn’t exist, I guess there are movements to bus students from neighborhoods to schools that need more balance, I’m not quite aware of all of that. But I think it’s important that racial mixing occur, continue, and be improved if there are places in the school system where it is lacking. | |
6:41 | EK: And, what do you think we can do to make them more diverse? MK: To make the schools more diverse? EK: Yeah. MK: Well that’s a tough one. Uh… certainly um, and again, I am speaking out of basic ignorance of the school system as a whole, like I know your guy’s schools because we’ve been very acquainted with them and it doesn’t seem to be a problem in there. But, staffing certainly, the equality of staffing is important, racial equality and mix, um, making sure that if problems emerge, they aren’t put under the rug. If there are some kind of racial issues in a school, they have got to be dealt with directly and openly and uh, with meetings of students and assemblies and whatever is necessary to be sure that things don’t get out of hand. It’s hard for me to say anymore, because I just don’t know what is needed and how much of a problem still exists in the Philadelphia schools but certainly where there are problems, where kids feel cheated, because they are in a minority situation. Uh, they have got to be dealt with, they have got to be confronted by admins and not passed by. |
ABSTRACT
In this interview, my grandpa, Dr. Michael Kelly, talks about what school was like before and after the Civil Rights Movement. Towards the end, he talks about how we can help schools today. Since he was a teacher, his experiences were different than the students. He liked how schools were more diverse, and never had a problem with it.
RESEARCH
In 1945, it was decided that kids of different races should be able to attend schools. The first school to allow this was Little Rock High School. Most people did not agree with this, and stopped going to school for a while. After a while, the people started to realize that the people of different races were not going to leave, and they started going back to the schools.
SOURCES
http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/civil_rights_education.htm
http://www.civilrights.org/resources/civilrights101/desegregation.html
http://www.civilrights.org/education/brown/
Andre Thomas: I’m not going to ask you these questions in any particular order….they’re kinda disarrayed. So.....how has racism changed since you were younger?
Marietta Deshields: Well, when I was younger there were certain places you couldn’t go. You really wasn’t wanted actually. Certain schools...uh...you could not go to those schools. You just were not accepted and you felt it. You could actually tell the difference in the attitudes of how people were at the time. And you wanna know about how it is now?
AT: Mm-hmm
MD: Now it’s better... people have an opportunity to show their talents. They had the talents at the time, but it was stifled because they were afraid to show it. So I see a big change in the entertainment field and politics.
AT: What was your first experience with discrimination?
MD: My first experience with discrimination was...we had a party. It was just an ordinary house party and it got raided. And all we were doing was just sitting there, but the cops came in and they took us to jail. We stayed in jail all night. They fingerprinted us and also took our pictures, and I’m sure if you looked at the record books in City Hall you would see my face.
AT (Follow up): So what was that like. How did you feel at that moment?
MD: I felt prejudice. I felt that we hadn’t done anything that would cause us to go to jail. But, uh, I just felt that it was discrimination.
AT: How do you recall the events of the Civil Rights Movement (CVR)?
MD: Well the first one that I remember *cough* was, uh, when they were building Strawberry Mansion High School. And, uh, they didn’t have any Black electricians. Now many Black people had that ability. But because they didn’t, uh, hire them, we walked around the school and we protested. So the Black, uh, laborers that were working, they all walked off the job. And I can remember walking around the school, my youngest daughter was about 1 year old and I had her on my shoulders as we were protesting against the construction workers.
AT (Follow up): Um, about when was that?
MD: Uh, 1962, uh, also I can remember a Black person being shot in North Philadelphia and there was riots. Now the protest it started off nicely but then everybody got really hype and excited, and they started looting. They started breaking into stores and things like that, and I remember being caught up in that situation. And for some odd reason you get this sensational feeling that you have accomplished something but when you get home you realize that you didn’t. And that was not going to be the way for us to get justice in North Philadelphia.
AT: Sorry to hear. So what was it like growing up in those times? Like what feelings did you face, what did you encounter on a daily basis that you feel was unordinary?
MD: On a daily basis I thought that I would never measure up. But my very best friend, that I love to this very day, was Caucasian. She lived about 5 doors from me. And she would come out every Saturday, and she would give me a brush and I would brush her hair. And I used to think that her hair was the most beautiful hair I had ever seen- I thought mine was horrible but I thought hers was beautiful. But then I had woke up one day and they had moved. She didn’t tell us they were moving. To this very day, I think about her because she didn’t make me feel like I was Black: she made me feel like I was equal to her. I think about her a lot her name was Marie. That’s all I remember.Mukhtar Stones
5/18/15
History-Roy
Oral History Interview: Oreva Stones
For my Oral Interview project for African American History, I choose my grandmother Oreva Stones. What was most compelling about interviewing her was her belief that the system of America Are not doing anything about the problems that African Americans make and all people. She believed that the times had gotten better, but us as people are still having to go through the same problems and difficulties all over again. She connected her beliefs with racism in the workforce, education for blacks during her time,and even going to public places. Such as the Brown V. Board of Education case, part of that her Aunt on her father's side was apart of the case. Her Aunt had bad heart problems and it was hard for her to walk to the black schools which was farther than the white schools which was closer. She believes that all people should be treated equally no matter what and that we should change the system.
Part of the Brown V. Board of Education, the NAACP created the “separate but equal” doctrine as part of segregating blacks from whites in public school education in 1954. Even though this doctrine was made, the outcome wasn't as it was said to be, black neighborhood schools did not have good educational systems for black students, which made black parents angry to the point where they got the supreme court involved. The case was a part of several other cases, taking place in Kansas, South Carolina, Virginia, and Delaware. There were several black children through their legal representatives, went out to seek admission for public schools that required or permitted racial segregation.
Sources-
http://www.lawnix.com/cases/brown-board-education.html
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/supremecourt/rights/landmark_brown.html
Transcript:
Thursday, 4/30/15
Time 4:30 Grandmother's house
Interview questions:
M.S: Okay, so hello Nanna.
O.S: Hello Mukhtar, how are you today?
M.S: I'm feeling good. Can you give us your full name?
O.S: Oreva Stones
M.S: Oreva stones and you are the mother of my father jihad stones, and when were you born.
O.S: February the third, 1950
M.S: So, as part of your childhood, how did you experience the role of your race in society or other races?
O.S: Well I found out about slavery when I was seven cause my great grandmother was a slave, and I was very upset, very upset, but I didn't really experience racism until I went to Junior high school, because the junior high school I went to was majority white.
M.S: Oh!
O.S: And that's when I experienced racism.
M.S: So do you think the roles that races were set for have changed and are differently now?
O.S: Uh I don't know about differently I would say its more undercover now it ain't so straight outward like it was then, but basically its the same.
M.S: You still think it's the same?
O.S: Um, because we still haven to march and protest after the sixties. When we tore up our neighborhoods, and I was living on a block where they uhh.. In this neighborhood, where I accessorize all the people riding turning over buses, and breaking news stories. You know, and we... in 2015 have to do that again, so to me we had not really did anything. We didn't really move from those things. You know we're still being treated the same way.
M.S: Yeah um, and as a racial society we're stuck in the same place. We're not doing anything, and so when something happens you try to change it but it's not, we're not doing it right. Like what they're doing in Baltimore
O.S: I think now in my opinion is that they know the way um minorities are treated is wrong
M.S: Right
O.S: And instead of treating us right, they still want to go by the old laws and makes us do other kind of things to change the law, when its wrong, and they know it's wrong. They should just change the law without having us going through all changes they makes us make
M.S: Yeah I do see what your saying there.So what do you remember from and during the Civil Rights movements?
O.S: Um...well church of the advocate had black power convention and I believe it was sixty seven, sixty eight, and I lived down the street from there. So I experience uh... the movement I was involved in the movement. Umm the people were marching up and down the avenues with rifles and I witnessed all of that. A guy I was dating was in the national guard and the guys marching up the avenue with rifles, you know. People came all over from everywhere, Chicago, uhh I meet so many interest in people umm...it was...it really changed a lot for me.
M.S: Wow. So tell me how you experience racism in high school, but did you experience a lot of racial segregation, during the Jim Crow Laws?
O.S: No no, that was uhh.. before my time and more down south. It weren't so Jim Crow as we know separate bathrooms and and water fountains and all that, I didn't experience none of that.
M.S: Ohh, I do know that it was more, I mean in the south, but I do know it had some influence on the north, so I was wondering if like is there any occasions you were being segregated.
O.S: No not that way my my experience was was things we just knew we couldn't do because we were black, ya' know
M.S: Oh can you give me a few things.
O.S: Uh, lets see what I could give you well there wast that many people playing football or basketball or baseball or or things like that and ya' know there were no umm managers in the job situation or supervisors, none of that none of that were black when I was a little girl, ya' know by time I got out of high school and stuff they were just changing where they would let us get those positions at work. But where as before my job seniority when you got seniority you could move up, but when they start letting the black people moved up, instead of just moving up because of the seniority they would make us take test to get the position the same position the white people got we would have to take test in order to get those positions
M.S: Well it's somewhat like that now but not racially with sometimes getting jobs or getting into schools, so i think i think i know what you're saying there. Um how was the educational system back then and how do you think it's different now.
O.S: Umm... I think it's better now because you know my aunt your great aunt was in that brown vs the board of education she was involved in that because my aunt had heart problems, and to walk to school was a hard on her because her heart so this is how she got involved in that because the white schools were closer to her and she could walk without the problem and she had to walk the way to get to black schools and that's how she got involved i have a jet magazine that they were in did i ever show that to you?
M.S: No but that's like interesting because we were just learning about that in school
O.S: Hahahaha!
M.S: Yeah so I... such a great coincidence.keep on going.
O.S: So my so my aunt was involved in that, so i do know a little about that but umm.. when I went to school umm the neighborhood schools were all black..
M.S: All black?
O.S: Mhm. And umm I went out to neighborhood to school which is how I ended up in a school that was majority white.
M.S: So that's somewhat like that now, majority of the neighborhood schools are black, now they have white students, and other racial groups, but mainly black and white. More black than white, so I see what your saying it has change, it has gotten better, which is which is good for the African American society more today.
O.S: Yeah because you had to go to the school in your neighborhood, now the kids can go to any school they wanna go to any school they qualify to go to.
M.S: SO when you were growing up what was it like to be a younger Black/African American girl?
O.S: I didn't have a problem growing up because the whole neighborhood were, ya' know everywhere I went it was majority black. You know what I mean, its only going to be black like in town or or um to the movies n stuff, and that's when i I saw racism because we would be in line and they would wait on the white people before they would wait on us and um they wouldn't want us to sit in seats that weren't that really good or comfortable, where they would give white people with better seats, seating arrangements and things like that. That wasn't until I got older, when I was a little girl I didn't really experience but when i started getting older and started going out of the neighborhood, going places where I saw that at.
M.S: At least its not like that now cause I would have a fit at least you get your own seat cause I would have a fit.
O.S: Yeah.
M.S: When you were growing up did you have black and white friends, white friends, or just black friends.
O.S: When I started junior high I started making white friends, up to that point I didn't have any white friends.
M.S: Oh okay, not even now.
O.S: Oh now I have white friends, but then I didn't, so I've learned to expect people for who they are not just uh she white or she Puerto Rican or ya know you learn to treat people quarter to how they treat you and that's how you get along with people.
M.S: Yeah that's how the world should work.
O.S: That's how the world should work.
M.S: Do you believe all people should have equal rights? No matter who they are?
O.S: No matter who they are.
M.S: Awesome! Have you ever encountered racism, from a police man, teacher, or a random person?
O.S: When I first started working, and this will be seventies after your dad was born, when I started working, at the Philadelphia gas works, that's when I saw really opened racism, umm me and my closest friend, my closest friend at the time was white her name was Debbie and we did almost everything together and she got a cold i got a cold, and when she went to our dispensary, they gave her more medicine or better medicine then they gave me, she would go and she would "Reeva go down to the dispensary, they give you so and so.", but they would never give me the same things that they gave her.
M.S: Oh did she even know that?
O.S: And this is this is like when I started working at the gas company in the 80s, no she didn't know that because i never mentioned it to her at the time but that's when i started um... getting notes and again when i started working at the gas company, because we were melting in the sixties and you would go up o different places and you would learn that people are people but when I started working at the gas company I.. i started getting militating again because there was so much open racism.
M.S: Oh!
O.S: Ya' Know I had to threaten my job with getting a lawyer in order to get the position i should of gotten because of my seniority but they wanted to give it to this white girl and they thought I would let it go and i wouldn't. When i first started working at the gas company i was really amazed at how they did to black people and the black people would say "Reeva this is how it is here" and I would say not for me, because it's not right and I'm not gonna let them treat me like that so i had to get back to being militant and fighting for what i deserve.
M.S: You gotta fight for whats right.
O.S: Yes, you gotta fight for whats right.
M.S: If you could be more involved in the Civil Rights movement how much involvement would you contribute?
O.S: If I could be more involved...
M.S: That's a tie.
O.S: Right now um I'm older I don't know about getting so involved because I have no faith in the American system and its not just so i don't the voting is is to me is fake, ya' know I don't believe in none of that because when it comes to our time the system changes, they make more rules and do other kind of things y'know which makes us have to fight for what is our right.Abstract
In this interview, my grandmother, Margaret Kelly remembers and speaks on her live living in Wilmington, Delaware. When asked about heritage and their views, my grandmother talks about never being encouraged to act differently or rude towards African Americans. My grandmother shares about attending schools together and what it felt like to view the protests but never had any bad interactions with African Americans. I believe this interview reveals a look into different types of people no matter what the skin color. When asked if she had any friends who were racist towards Blacks my grandmother responded that she did not surround herself with those kind of people.
My name is Madeline Kelly, today is May 2, 2015. It is about 6:30 pm, I am interviewing Margret Kelly born April 26, 1948 in Wilmington, Delaware. This interview takes place in Allamuchy, New Jersey.
MK: How would you describe your parents when it comes to new ideas and new situations?
MK: I believe that they were very open, I think it was a generation that uh-mm, there's people whose parents had gone through a rough time and a’ made it, and I think they were very optimistic as far as their future and the future of their children.
MK: And uhh directly towards the topic of African Americans coming into your community and coming into their lives when they were younger as well?
MK: I do not recall my parents having too much interaction with blacks in their era, as I went to school after 3rd grade we did have a interaction with black children. It was never a problem, my parents never told us anything but to respect them and to treat them as we would any other person we came across.
MK: So your parents haven’t told you any stories about them growing up around African Americans or any of their interactions with them?
MK: No, I don’t know they had much interaction with Negroes.
MK: What did your group of friends look like when you were younger?
MK: uh-mm, average middle class children, parents were working, you know the regular 9 to 5 job, we probably went out to play after school uh-mm…
MK: Were they White?
MK: Yes, they were all White, yes.
MK: Did your group of friends evolve in color as you grew older? Or did they primarily stay White?
MK: A lot of my group of friends stayed in contact after we started High school, I did meet a lot of black children, when I went into High school. I had never had any problems we got along well, we ate lunch together. We spoke, we really didn’t have any problems. Uh-mm.
MK: And what year is this?
MK: And this would be in the uh-mm, this would be in the 60’s. I started High School in 1962, and I graduated in 66 so all through that time we had you know, a relationship with African Americans who were in our classes and so forth and never had any problems, we always got along well together.
MK: Do you happen to remember your first interaction with an African American?
MK: (Pause) Yes, that would have been back in my Elementary school a’ in 3rd grade the school I was attending, was integrated.
MK: was this, this was a catholic school?
MK: This was a catholic school, and the small catholic church, not far from where I went closed. And these children started coming to our school, that was my first interaction was in 3rd grade with black children and never had a problem.
MK: How did you feel during the Civil Right’s movement? During a’ protests and any other type of movement that African Americans projected?
MK: I did have a sincere feeling for them, uh-mm it was probably a little hard for me to understand all the facts completely. But I realized these are people a lot of them I went to school with and I thought of that when I saw these protests I thought ‘I went to school with these people.’ And that they were good people, and that they felt maybe portrayed or, or ya know there was someone, like Martin Luther King who, who was assassinated and the reaction I could understand. Do I agree with it? No, because I don’t agree with violence, but I can understand where they were probably coming from.
MK: Do you feel a sense of closeness to the idea of feeling mistreated or misunderstood because of our heritage of being Irish?
MK: Yes I do, I think that every nationality that came to the United states went through a period of unacceptance, and had to sort of earn their way. The blacks I think were a little different because they were slaves and they were freed. Just a whole different evolve, evolvement of things where they evolved differently than other nationalities that came to this Country. And a’ I think it still goes on to even today a great degree.
MK: Do you remember where you were during the march on Washington?
MK: I was probably living at home, with my mother. My father had passed away at that point. uh-mm, I remember thinking about it saying ‘wow, ya know look at all this destruction and everything else.’ and it was kind of a’ new to you, you know when you’re experiencing something like this for the first time it’s like, wow. I don’t think I had a yes or no about it, just kind of you sat back and you saw it on TV and you just kinda’ watched it. I but you know it was hard to think that people that I knew that were black were actually doing these things, I couldn't believe they would be burning houses and turning cars over and stuff like that. uh-mm, but basically I can’t say, it was like a new experience, you didn’t know how to react to it.
MK: Right, so did you watch Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech on television?
MK: Yes I did.
MK: And how did the speech make you feel the first time you heard it?
MK: I was very moved by his speech, I wouldn’t say I cried but my eyes certainly filled up. I thought it was just, his sentiments were just absolutely beautiful and they really related to my christian beliefs and I felt that he was correct. These people should not be treated the way that they were, that they were equal to the rest of us and his dream is really the way it should be.
MK: And where you were growing up at the time, were there any movements in that area?
MK: There were some, nothing like there was in major cities. I lived in Wilmington, Delaware at the time, a Philadelphia at the time I feel was much more active as far as reacting to all this, but a’ Wilmington itself was not as severe no.
MK: Is there a certain event you can remember that happened during the movement that you may have saw on TV, that shocked you or…
MK: You know shocked, I don’t know if i could even use that term, when I watched some of these things on TV, it was like, almost in disbelief. That you just kind of looked at this and said ‘wow is this really happening?’
MK: Right
MK: You know, it a’ it didn’t hit, the actually, the reality of it actually I don’t think really sunk in. Now were speaking of someone who’s some 18 years old and who’s never experienced anything like this, and it just never really hit me, watching this, this a variety of what was really going on, I don’t think I completely understood it.
MK: Within Wilmington did you ever witness any African Americans being treated poorly or differently? At a restaurant, maybe getting your hair done, anything like that?
MK: No, no I was not
MK: You didn’t witness anything at all?
MK: No, nothing at all.
MK: So, within the school you attended, the Catholic Elementary School and the Catholic High School did you feel that any of the teachers had a different…
MK: Attitude or?
MK: Attitude towards the African American students? Can you remember any of them?
MK: No, I really can’t recall anything either in Elementary School which was Catholic, High School was public, so consequently there was probably more African American students attending there. But I don’t I dont recall feeling, of course I wasn’t a black person, but as far from a White persons standpoint feeling that they were treated differently no.
MK: Do you remember having any friends or friends of friends in your group that felt very racist towards African Americans.
MK: No, no I didn’t. But I think you kind of chose your friends based on the way you grew up and who you associated with and I think everybody that I met like that I don’t think I would have stayed with. I don’t think that was part of my upbringing and how I was taught.
MK: And my last question is, how are your feelings today on the evolution of race and how people are treated today versus how you felt they were growing up?
MK: I still think we have a lot to improve on that is not totally gone uh-mm and not just in the black but in other areas too that people have to learn to accept and to recognize and I, I do think we still have some ground we need to cover on it, most definitely. Things have not changed that greatly.
Research
When my grandmother was talking about Wilmington, Delaware it sounded peaceful and a very warm place. I decided to look deeper into what my grandmother was saying, maybe there was something she had missed. When I looked up Wilmington, Delaware the first thing that stood out was a site that read “Murder Town (a.k.a Wilmington, Delaware.) I thought, this could not be the same place my grandmother grew up in as a child. “Wilmington once again ranked third on the FBI's annual list of most violent cities among cities of comparable size. Wilmington also ranked fifth when compared to all cities with populations greater than 50,000, up from eighth in 2012.” I’ve decided to look deeper into when things took a change for the worse. In my research I found an event that my grandmother did not mention in our interview. “Before any concrete steps could be taken to implement the grand development plan, events intruded on Wilmington as it became part of a tragic national story. The riots that followed the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King in the Spring of 1968 hit Wilmington’s West Center City the hardest, leaving buildings and homes smoldering. The downtown business district received a severe scare but little direct damage. The most damaging aspects were the psychological scars left in its wake and the dramatic overreaction of Delaware’s Governor, Charles Terry. A downstater and former judge, Terry believed an insurrection was underway and kept Delaware National Guard troops on patrol in downtown Wilmington for 9 months, long after the violence had subsided. This became the longest military occupation of an American city since the Civil War. Businesses joined the white flight to the suburbs in ever- greater numbers.” I find this to be an important event in Wilmington, whites took flight after this event which caused the great decline in population. My grandmother moved away from Wilmington to be with my Grandfather, she never mentioned an event that actually caused a great number of Whites to leave.
Shirin: When and where were you born?
Dr. Galson: I was born in Mont Clare, NJ in 1950.
Shirin: Do you have like kids?
Dr. Galson: I have two sons. I have a 29 year old son and 23 year old son.
Shirin: Do you want to talk about what you are doing now?
Dr. Galson: You mean like career wise? I am a psychologist. I have a full time job with the School of Philadelphia as a school psychologist. And I have a private practice of psychotherapy.
Shirin: How was your experience at school like back in the days? Like how was your experience?
Dr. Galson: I was a very conscience student. I worked very hard on my assignments. I really had a drive to do well. I was very interested in learning.
Shirin: Did kids from different backgrounds get along?
Dr. Galson: In my school….in my high school……let’s see. I would say the kids from different backgrounds kind of kept to their own selves.
Shirin: So like their own group?
Dr. Galson: Their own group. There were separate groups. There was not very much mixing accept on the sports teams. The people who were on sports teams related to all different kinds of people and mine interest and my friends were mostly in like the literaray magazine and I’m just trying to think who was working on the literacy magazine and there were some differences in background but not a lot.”
Shirin: What did you experience during the Civil War or Civil Rights?
Dr. Galson: Civil war? I was not alive?
Shirin: I’m sorry.
Dr. Galson: That was a long time ago.
The civil rights movement
I finished high school in 1958. I wen to a college that was very full of politically active people.In fact, I went to Antioch College, the alumna of my college was Coretta Scott King. And 50 years ago, Martin Luther King Jr was the commencement speaker. And also the brother of you those civil rights, the three civil rights guys, anyway, these 3 civil rights guys who were killed. Um, one of their brothers went to my college. So, as you might expect, there was a lot of political activism a lot of participation in various marches and movements related to voting rights struggles. Also ending the war and draft in Vietnam. There was a draft then and there was a lot of activism around not sending people into the army. And actually Martin Luther King made himself very unpopular with both the civil Rights community with his base of support when he came out against the Vietnam War. And his broader agenda to confront racism and also the military industrial complex at that time wasn’t his most popular stand because folks thought the most important thing was Civil Rights for all different races but he saw it as.
Shirin:Do you want to talk about what you went through? Did you have race problems?
Dr. Galson: I personally as a white person did not have what I would call race problems. I am Jewish and have encountered very little anti-Semitism. In fact Jewish people were pretty active on behalf of the Civil Rights Movement on behalf of racial equality. I wouldn’t way I had problems personally
Shirin:How old are you?
Dr. Galson: Since I was born in 1950 I am 64 year old. My birthday is not until the end of the year. I’ll be 65 in December.
Shirin: Thank you for your time.
Dr. Galson: It was my pleasure.
During the interview on April 29,2015. My grandmother and I spoke on the topic of her childhood and how she really never seen or experienced racism. The audio first started off with the few questions I had as it went on she spoke on how she didn't care for racism because race didn't play a big part in her life. She witnessed a lot horrible things but only in the south, she never backed down when there was a problem with race. She also talked about how she lived in majority white / Jewish neighborhood. Her best friend was white she went to a school name Stokley which is no longer existence but she did attend Benedict College that’s when she started to see the racism existed. As an young adult she helped in her community with the Strawberry Mansion Civic.
Research
Promoting place- Strawberry Mansion neighborhood and environs... Pride of place and connecting opportunities ... "building bridges". In this document I found for the planes of ‘The strawberry Mansion Neighborhood Association “ it gave what they were about and why they did it. The Strawberry Mansion neighborhood was the first area to receive neighborhood planning support and to complete the planning process through the issuance of this document. The planning process has involved the residents of Strawberry Mansion and community input has been a key component in this process. Several community meetings were held with area residents at Strawberry Mansion High School where citizen comments were documented. Informational reports and presentations were also given at these meetings in order to facilitate discussion and ideas to support the plan.
“The Jewish history of Strawberry Mansion is documented in the book, Strawberry Mansion: The Jewish Community of North Philadelphia, by Allen Meyers” talked about the neighborhood my grandmother lived in the 50 and 60’sTRANSCRIPT
A.E:What is your name
Grand: Chestine
A.E: when were you born ?
Grand:March 14th 1949
A.E:where were you born
Grand: Philadelphia Pennsylvania Hahnemann hospital
A.E:what were your parents like
Grand: umm my mom was born in Georgia my dad was born in New York uhh we came from a middle class background both parents worked were my mother worked as a cafeteria cook Philadelphia School District
A.E ok so what was your spouse and children
Grand: Uhh My husband name was Gerald he was and uh elementary school teacher I was a uhh secondary school teacher uh I taught health and physical education in the Philadelphia school district uhh I have 3 children uhh they attended Greenwood elementary school year end 1980 we moved to Los Angeles California uhh there I taught Linwood school district my husband uhh taught in the private sector un in California. My children attended a private school in California as they became of older uh, one attended bale high school the one attended Inglewood high school and one child went to long beach Polly high school .
A.E: okay so what is your religion ?
Grand: I'm a muslim
A.E : okay did you ever have any community involvement?
Grand : Yes umm in college in uhh as an adult work with the Strawberry Mansion Civic Association uh we did a lot of community project uh which involved teenagers umm, I taught dance kids in my neighborhood and we did a lot physical activities within the neighborhood
A.E : Okay what was it like growing up during the civil rights era?
Grand: umm uh for me growing up in the Strawberry Mansion area It was an area uhh I guess uhh I guess during the early 50's uhh it was an integrated neighbor hood actually one of my best friends was an Caucasian her name was Ann I remember her so vividly because uhh the neighbor which I lived was mixed black, white uh primary a Jewish community and so I didn't see too much uh segregation until I attended college in Columbia South Carolina. Benedict College I first saw a sign that said colored only which to me a back because I never experienced that before, so that was strange uh setting uh I didn't realize it was segregation until I went to College Uh I attended an all black high school in Philadelphia color was never really an issue I never thought about color or segregation you know as i said until I went to college that's when I begin to see uh difference in in the world
Grand: Anything else?
SourceAbstract
This interview is on Ms Delores and nabor of mines. In this interview she talk about her childhood leading up to her adulthood she talks about all the challenges she face in her life and even talks about famous past a current event that happened and are happening. She also gives her input in my things like this happen and who it could be stopped
Research
The baltimore riot stated becuase a a young mans death. Gray's death on April 19 reignited a public outcry over police treatment of African Americans that flared last year after the killings of unarmed black men in Ferguson, New York City and elsewhere. More than 3,000 police from Maryland, New Jersey and the District of Columbia, and National Guard members in helmets, took up posts in front of businesses and hospitals in Baltimore a day after the worst rioting in the United States in years.
Resources
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/27/us-usa-police-baltimore-idUSKBN0NI1N720150427
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/28/us-usa-police-baltimore-idUSKBN0NI1N720150428
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015_Baltimore_protests
Interview Below
Me ~ Hi may you please state your name?
Deloris~ Deloris Thompson
Me ~ Hi Deloris Thompson so umm what year were you born?
Deloris ~ 1956
Me ~ Umm were you born?
Deloris ~ Philadelphia Pennsylvania
Me ~ Umm where were you raise umm and where were brought up at?
Deloris ~ well, i was partially raised in north philly, Uhh after my mother had difficulty she had mental problems i went to live with my cousin Junoir for her to complete raising me
Me ~ O ok, umm were you were a little kid life as a black kid as they state it, umm what was life like for you?
Deloris ~ It was tuf- Ruff because my mom had left home my father raise us at one time and he couldn't complete the job, so they moved us children up into germantown it was kinda difficult
Me ~ Did- Did you ever feel like alone like you didnt really have someone?
Deloris ~ At one time yeah
Me ~ Hmm, um, do you remember any raci- like did you ever get any racist remarks, against you while you were little that you remember of?
Deloris ~ Not really dont remember racist remarks towards me
Me ~ Ummm, what would you, What would you say was the hardest thing for you growing up in those times when things were segregated?
Deloris ~ I try to block them out
Me ~ Do you remember any riots that happened?
Deloris ~ Well, i , uh, well Martin Luther King was killed (chuckles) i remember newton stores and tearing things up and everything because the was really upset and, so uh i seen a lot of ..
Me ~ Violence?
Deloris ~ Violence, at that time
Me ~ Umm did you ever participate in any riots?
Deloris ~ No
Me ~ Were you ever part of a group trying to prevent Segregation?
Deloris ~ No i didn't try to prevent it i tried to embrace it and make a difference i think all people are made equal so the thing was ignorance played a big part and segregation so i always look at it like, trying to make a difference, trying to bring people together, tu from all races, that was the biggest thing i learned from being a child because were all were all the same
Me ~ So you agree with umm, basically your trying to say that you shouldn't ,fig- fight back with ignorance you should fight back with intelligence and kindness
Deloris ~ yes
Me ~ okay, umm would you say as you got older did things get better for you ?
Deloris ~ yes
Me ~ Could you state some of those things that got better for you?
Deloris ~ i decided to go to school for nursing, that became a big help because i got to meet different type of people, umm, i got married and my husband, i was a doll baby and queen to him so i was treated very well, but i went into the health feal because i knew people needed to be helped and to be able to un- understand because after i got older you know working in that field you hear the colored girl or the black girl or sometime the niger so i learned to embrace it and i learned to talk to people about it, eh, im just the same as you, eh, im just darker thats it and thats how i coped with that situation
Me ~ So when you were working there were racial remarks through to you but you embraces you were proud of who you were and you were a beautiful young black women who was doing what you needed to do to per, pursue in life
Deloris ~ yes
Me ~ okay as you were little in any, in any point in your life were you ever afraid or concerned of anything that had to do with segregation, like were you ever scared to go outside because of segregation or anything?
Deloris ~ eh, uh, eh eh fishtown you didn't want to get caught in after dark and all i could here is you better not go in that neighborhood (manly voice), but uh at one time Kensitin was the same way and uhhh, so i was scared to go into fishtown, but i did venture into Kensiten f and Westmorland and at the time it was rr- you know fights, so uhh i played bingo there for a long time like 10 years and they embraced me and that took care of me and it was a beautiful thing
Me ~ So Ms Deloris i have one final question for you earlier in the interview you stated that you umm, believe that you dont fight ignorance with ignorance you fight it with intelligence, umm so do you feel as though you segregation has gatten better over the years?
Deloris ~ Well yeah it got a lot better, it better than what it use to be because you can go in just about anywhere you want in philadelphia without it being really racist so its much better
Me ~ Thank you Ms Daloris
Deloris ~ Your Welcome
During this interview me and my godmother, Elizabeth Watkins discussed various topics. The interview was mainly about how she viewed racism and how it has effect today’s time and back in the days time. We also talked about the recent violence that has been going on and how it is affecting the society that we all have to live in. She also talked about her life growing up in New Jersey and how racism did not have a direct effect on her. In closing that is what the interview is mostly about.
Research:
During my research I found a lot of answers. For instance, my godmother stated that she didn’t have any run ins when it came to racism in New Jersey. My research infers otherwise, now She may have not have had an encounter with racism, but New Jersey was one of the most racist states. I also stated that my godmother talked about how she viewed racism. Some students from a university stated, “African Americans face a high percentage of discrimination. As you stated earlier in class they are running a close second after Hispanics. Also, African Americans are citizens of the US whereas some/most Hispanics are not, so there is more evidence there of discrimination.”. Last but not least, my godmother talked about how today’s violence is affecting our society. I found a blog that talked about violence is corrupting our society because it rubs off on our next generation. In the end, this is what I researched and the answers that I concluded.
Resources:
http://readersupportednews.org/pm-section/78-78/15617-new-jersey-worlds-most-corrupt-a-racist-state
http://users.ipfw.edu/hollandd/RACe%20ISSUES.HTM
http://www.ojjdp.gov/jjbulletin/9804/community.html
Transcript:
SB:My name is Salina Beattie, this is for my history project, today's date is May 12 2015 and the time is 7:51(pm). Okay so my first question is, what is your concept of race?
E.W: Of what?
SB: Of race
EW:Race?
SB: Uhm
EW:(pause)
SB: what is your conception of, well not concept but conception?
EW:(pause) Well (pause) I, As a Christian, were all one race, were all God's children were all one race.
SB: Okay,uhm, how is your conception changed and if not then why?
EW:It hasn't changed, because that's my belief.
SB: Okay, How do you see the role of race in society
EW:It's really unequal
SB: And why do you say that?
EW:Just listening to the news and that's all. Like I said, it's unequal. Well because... a lot of opportunities don't come to everyone equally.
SB:uhm, okay next question, do you think African Americans play victim more so now or back then?
EW: Victim of racism?
SB: Like victim in the sense of anything. Like if a situation happened and like do you think, Do you think we have like ugh. Do you think like African Americans like play victim more now then like back in the day?
EW: I think more in the past. I think we have come along way. We have certainly improved in relationships and equality. We are probably not there yet but I think we have definitely improved from what we went through years and years ago. Just take for instance, Selma. that's a perfect example of what happen and how we have come through it.
SB: Okay, next question, Do you remember the Civil rights movement?
EW: Yes
SB: What do you remember about it?
EW:(pause) I remember Dr. King. I remember him sorta leading, leading us through the trials and tribulations that blacks were going through at the time. And I remember him being assassinated.
SB: Uhm okay, Uhm What were your educational experiences back then? Like did you, did segregation= and race interfere with your educational development?
EW: Not really,uhm well to me it was I guess less minor because I had, instead of being a librarian, and then of course being in Philadelphia, there was no black librarians. So I quickly decided to go another direction.
SB: Why is that, Like why didn't you , u know do what you wanted to be?
EW: Well I wasn't the pioneer type. I wasn't tryna push through.
SB: Okay, uhm, Do you think the world would be different (good/bad) if discrimination did not happen?
EW: I think it certainly would have been better if discrimination hadn't happen. I think it would have been better for all.
SB: Right, not just for blacks
EW: No not just for blacks, everybody
SB: Okay, With all the killings of particularly black men today by white police officers, do you think it's worse today or back then?
EW: Uhm I believe it was worse back then, and this is just police or whites in general?
SB: I mean you can expand it to whites in general.
EW:Well a lot of things were just kept quiet back then. Where as it's out in the open now.
SB: If you had a choice, would you want to be born in today’s society or back then society?
EW: Heck no! I didn't wanna use anything stronger than that.
SB: Okay, right Just elaborate a little bit on that. What do you think was better back then than it is now that gives you the mindset, like I don't wanna be born in this society.
EW: Well, We had on thing. We were more family orientated. Even though most people, well I'll say even though we were poor. Family, loving family and as children we didn't realize how the parents had to struggle to do and to get what they managed to get. But it was just , I think it was, is the closeness of family that kept us from knowing or feeling different or unwanted or what ever.
SB: Okay, last question, Did you or any if your family play a role in the Civil rights movement in any kind of way?
EW: No, just to pray and that's the main thing, pray and let God take over.
SB: Okay well thank you!
EW: You're welcome!
Abstract
In this interview, Mr.Diallo mentioned that there were positive and negative views of President Sekou Toure. One of the negative things Sekou Toure did that had a huge impact in his life is that he was racist. Sekou Toure was so generous and kind, but he used segregation between the different tribes in Guinea. Mr. Diallo was a victim of segregation between the Fulanis and the Mandingos tribes in Guinea, Africa. He was denied the access to go abroad to study when he was in college. While his other classmates were allowed to go abroad to pursue their dreams he was denied the access to make the dreams a reality simply because of his tribe..
Research
Ahmed Sekou Toure segregated the Fulanis because the were very smart, rich and had a larger population. The Fulanis in Fouta Jallon (the village were the Fulani ancestors were came from) were very smart. Chérif Manta Mady, told Sekou that the Fulanis were threat because of their power, wealth and education. They might be the reason why he would lose his place as president. Since then Sekou feared Fulanis. Since he didn’t get a chance to finish his education, he had a feeling that the future Fulanis will come and try to rule the land, so in order to stop them, he had to stop them from getting education. The only way to that was possible, to deny them the access to study outside of the land.
Resources
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahmed_S%C3%A9kou_Tour%C3%A9
http://www.webguinee.net/bibliotheque/histoire/andre-lewin/sekou-toure-president/volume-1/chapitre01.html
How did Sekou Toure rule as a presidente?
The positive rating, Sekou Toure had no diversion in cases of the state in the bank, in finance, and that the people do not steal his money in a very positive side, but they did not steal money, money had value, they did not have inflection. The rating of the employer is naive there's no lateness , if the student finish their study, They are all employed in good jobs.You understand? so that about it. And security, now also I’ve talked about the security. you can go around walking all night and even a fly won’t touch you. The people don’t come in the houses of other people, to break to destroy the houses of people, and stealing whatever they want, and killing people, no. Or stopping on the roads to attack taxi drivers and they people inside of it,
Me: They still do that though?
Mr.Diallo: They had a total and very strong security. okay you understand? These are positive rating.
Negative rating now, is that Sekou Toure ... he recognize that every person that he thought could replace him at the place of being a president. He would catch them and put them in prison.
Me: What put them in prison?
Dad: Yes, any high quadre, the people that studied well in schools, that have their diploma, that are so so good. He knows that they can validly take/replace his place, he fears that they will try to replace him. So he would arrest them and they were forced to be killed. That’s the negative side about Sekou Toure.
Me: That’s sad
Mr.Diallo: He denied the access for all the Fulanis to go abroad and study
Me: Wow, why is that?
Mr.Diallo: Because they are fulanis
Me: Wait, only for fulanis?
Mr.Diallo: Only the fulanis! All the fulani students that had scholarships was decline. I was a victim, me that is talking to you right now.
Me: Awww!
Mr.Diallo: I was a victim! Your dad was a victime de racial segregations of Sekou toure. A had the scholarship to go to romany ut because I was fulanis I didn’t go. like Sekou Toure until that year, that when I started hating Sekou Toure.
What can you tell me about Africa(Guinea) that was scary back in your days? because I heard stories about it.
Mr. Diallo: Oh you know, umm scary… Africa scary back in my generation, don’t know what you’re trying to say, I don’t know what you mean by that, you are asking me about witches?
Me:Yes
Mr.Diallo: No, you know every people has their own culture, every people as their own tribes, their rules. That what differentiate the people. So in Africa we always talk about witches. Particularly in the African countries , we say this person is a witch, they can eat people, But is that cently proved?.. It’s not scientifically proved. We can’t explained about that ciently. But in Africa in the villages when someone is sick, we say that it the witches that ate them, and the witch is the persons and or uncle, and their are the ones who ate them But isis true or is it a lie..
Me: That’s what they call black magic?
Mr.Diallo: because it’s not scientifically proven, I don’t know. But It’s true that it exist in Africa, that promen of witches, they say there are people that eat other people.
Me: You know your little brother back in the village was eaten by the witches, they used black magic on him.
Mr.Diallo: My brother. No he wasn’t eaten by the witches, it’s something else. But what I really believe exit is the les fetiche. When they tell you you are going to die and you are. They can kill you if they want. they can even make lighting when it’’s not raining.
Me: Is that still continued in African? Like do they still make that?
Mr.Diallo: yes, It’s still excite and it’s the most scariest thing about Africa.
Abstract
In my interview with my grandfather on May 11, 2015 at 6:23pm, he talked about a place called the Black Bottom in West Philadelphia. When he was around 8 years old he moved from 60th & Callowhill to 38th & Fairmount ave. My grandfather said he moved down their because his mother and father broke up and she didn’t have any money to stay where they were at first so they moved down to the Black Bottom where it was predominantly African Americans which is the reason why it’s called the Black Bottom.
Research
In the source I found it tells where the Black Bottom is and what it is. The Black Bottom was a part of the city in West Philadelphia. It was referred to as Area 3 but is now known as University City. In the source it says “The Black Bottom was framed by 33rd and 40th Streets on the east and west, and Lancaster / Powelton and Curie Boulevard (University Avenue) on the north and south. The Black Bottom received its name from its location at the “bottom” of West Philadelphia.” In another article I read it talked about the wealthier white people lived towards the top of West Philly. Both sources below are for the same topic of the Black Bottom.
Sources:
https://theblackbottom.wordpress.com/communities/blackbottom/history/
Transcript
Grandpa Interview- James Johnson & Egypt Bracey (May 11, 2015 @6:23pm)
Background About My Grandpa: My grandfather was born and raised in West Philadelphia in 1939. He lived on 44th and Fairmount Ave which is called “Down the Bottom.” He learned to drive at the age of 14. He had one brother who went into the Army and later died. AT a young age he had various jobs and later became a chef working at many restaurants. In 1968 he met my grandmother and they got married and had two children. He still lives in West Philly with his wife, children and grandchildren.
EB: Hi I’m Egypt
JJ: Hi I’m James Johnson grandfather to Egypt Nixon.
EB: Okay I’m just gonna ask you 10 questions about your childhood and segregation, discrimination when you were younger.
JJ: Ok.
EB: Okay umm, how was your life during segregation?
JJ: Well it was pretty rough. I live about 44th and Fairmount Ave and I was born in raised in Philadelphia. So it wasn’t to much segregation where I was at.
EB: Okay. Was the school you went to segregated
JJ: Umm… No
EB: Ok. Did you ever experience any discrimination while you were in school or were you ever bullied?
JJ: Yes I was bullied.
EB: Can you tell me more about that?
JJ: Ok well yes because I was bullied because I was by myself i guess. I went to school by myself because I was the only child, well not the only child but I was the only young child from my mother and I went to school and all that and I guess I was bullied more because most of the kids were darker than me and I was lighter. And actually my grandparents, my grandmother was white and grandfather was Indian. Ok and I was really born and raised 60th and Callowhill, I was born and raised up here, and actually when I was living up here on to the age of eight it was really integrated. But it was only three black families on the block. On the five city blocks of 60th and Callowhill on down to 60th and Haverford on over to 60th and Market.
EB: Were you ever disrespected by anybody white?
JJ: Yes
EB: Okay umm, do you have any personal experiences with discrimination or racism?
JJ: No, not really.
EB: Do you remember being friends with any white kids?
JJ: umm, yes. They kids I went to school with when I was living up here on 60th street there was a boy named Louis Brogen, he was white and umm, there was white families on both sides of me. On 60th street there was white families that lived on 60th street on both sides of my house.
EB: Ok. Was the neighborhood you lived in mostly blacks or whites.?
JJ: Mostly white when I was younger and as I got older we moved from mixed neighborhood to the thing that was called the Black Bottom down 37th and Fairmount and that was mostly black. My mother and father had broke up, so my mother didn’t have and wasn’t earning enough to live up here so we moved down to the Black Bottom.
EB: Were you ever bullied in school about your skin color?
JJ: Yes.
EB: Can you tell me more about that?
JJ: Well I was mostly lighter than the rest of the kids, most of the kids were dark skin and I was brown skin.
EB: How is your life different now than when you were a child?
JJ: Well it’s great now. Its altogether different than when I was a child. I have a good life now, good life.
EB: Were you ever apart of any Black Movements such as the Black Panthers?
JJ: No.
EB: Okay Well thank you for letting me interview you.
JJ: Ok
Abstract
In my grandmother’s interview on May 11, 2015 at 6:10pm, she discussed that she moved up to the North from North Carolina in 1966 during the Great Migration. She was born in Washington, NC and grew up in a predominantly black community. The stores weren’t good to shop at and her mother and father couldn’t really make a living down there. When my grandma turned 23 she was searching for a job so that she can support her mother. So she moved Philadelphia to search for a job, she then started a career as a nurse at the University of Pennsylvania hospital and made a living in Philadelphia.
Research
http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/great-migration
http://www.blackpast.org/aah/great-migration-1915-1960
http://www.inmotionaame.org/print.cfm;jsessionid=f83070871432006737061?migration=8&bhcp=1
Transcript:
Grandma Interview- Rosa Nixon & Egypt Bracey (May 11, 2015 @6:10pm)
Background About My Grandma: My grandmother was born and raised in Washington, North Carolina in 1943. She lived on a farm in an eight bedroom house and was one of the nine children in her family. Se is the second oldest and also named after her mom Rosa. She migrated to Philadelphia in 1966 where she became a nurse at the University Of Pennsylvania Hospital. Then she met my grandfather, James Johnson and had 2 children in 1972 and 1977. She then retired in 1998 at the age of 55. She now lives in West Philadelphia with her two kids, husband and grandchildren.
EB: Hey Nana, I’m Egypt you know me already.
RN: Hi Egypt, I’m Rosa Nixon, Mrs. Nixon
EB: Okay, well I’m gonna ask you 10 questions about your life and umm segregation and how you're life was when you were a child.
RN: Okay
EB: Okay, first question is, how was your life growing up in segregation?
RN: Umm… in segregation when we was growing up umm I had kind of a normal life umm, we lived on a farm and uh we grew um, is that ard? We grew uh peanuts, corn and soybeans and uh we used to have to stay home from school a couple of the month in September to work on the farm to help, you know to help our father and um, then we would go back to school and we would go to school almost everyday. Im there was eight of us, there was nine of us but one of us died you know died. The school we went to was all Black school and umm there was no caucasians, and you know the principal was a good principal and we would ride the school bus to school and umm, we umm you know, we would go to school from 8:30 9 o’clock to 3 o’clock in the afternoon.
EB: Okay, umm where were you born? Were you born in the South or the North?
RN: Oh umm I was born in the South.
EB: Where at in the South
RN: I was born in North Carolina in Washington County
EB: Okay, was the school you went to segregated or no?
RN: They school was not segregated in those days and this was in the 50’s the late 40’s the 50’s and the early 60’s.
EB: Okay, um, did you ever experience discrimination while in school?
RN: No we never um I knever well I don’t remember experiencing any uhh...
EB: Discrimination
RN: Discrimination in school no.
EB: Okay, um, were you ever disrespected by anybody who was white?
RN: The only time I could remember I was intimidated by white kids is umm when we would go shopping. My father did not want to shop in the community that we lived. SO the white people would shop in the good markets which was out of town and my father would drive all the way out to the good market where the white people shopped at and we would have to stay in the car until my mother and father went in to do the shopping. And the white kids would be in their car and they would look over at us and stick their tongue out at us, you know I don’t know why maybe because we were black and they were white and we would do the same thing back at them. *(Laughter)*
EB: Umm okay, were you ever friends with any white kids while you were in school or anything or when you got older?
RN: No. In our neighborhood the black people mostly kept to themselves and the whites live out away from the community we lived in because it was an all black community we lived in and the only contact I ever had with white people was when after I graduated from high school this white lady had just had a baby and her husband had to go away uhh, and she need somebody to help her with her baby. one of the black ladies in the neighborhood that knew my mother asked my mother if I could go and stay with that particular lady. And I went and worked with her for a week, for one week.
EB: Okay. Umm
RN: And she had two kids so I got to know those two kids in a week.
EB: Were they ever mean to you or anything?
RN: No they were nice people. They were nice people. So they were the only contact that I had up close with another group of people.
EB: Okay were you ever bullied in school about your skin color?
RN: I was never bullied about my skin color but I was bullied about my head being small. *(Laughter)* They always called me little head
EB: Okay umm. How was your life different now than when you were a child?
RN: It’s different now uhh, then when I was a child, like I say we as black people kept to ourselves. Now a days there’s people mixed different people and different cultures is mixed today, more mixed today then when I was coming up.
EB: Okay last question. Were you ever apart of any Black Movements such as the Black Panthers or anything?
RN: No I was never part of any umm movement.
EB: Do you know anybody who was?
RN: No I really don’t, I really don’t.
EB: Oh I have another, umm why did you choose to move up to the North?
RN: Oh I moved up to the North so that, I had graduated from high school and I moved to the North so that I can get a job and help send money to my mother so that can help the family out.
EB: Okay well thanks for letting me interview you.
RN: You welcome.
Abstract:
On In my interview with my great uncle and former Marine James Jones jr, we first discussed his life in the Marines and what his experiences were with racism and segregation. He briefly talked about his childhood life living in New York City and Philadelphia and how it differed when traveling between the North and South. As an African American male he was definitely put to the test as he faced physical and mental hardships by whites. Towards the end of the interview I was pleased to hear that our views on race in America today, and our views on how African American children today take opportunities for granted were so similar.
Research:
When condoning my own research about segregation and inequality for blacks in the North and South, I found that my uncles interpretation about how life was for blacks was pretty accurate. There was no such thing as land of the free even though slavery had ended. Even though blacks didn’t necessarily have physical shackles and chains around their ankles and necks, but they did have on mental chains and shackles. Racial Inequality took place of slavery. Even after the Civil War the inequality between races continued in the South but they tried to cover it up with this whole idea about being separate but equal. There were even laws made known as Jim Crow Laws, which made it obligatory for things like schools, hospitals, restaurants and public transport to be racially segregated, or which banned marriages between people of different races. As the years have gone by since then, it seems as if things have died down but now with fresh cases like the Brown case and the Trayvon Martin case both sides are starting to get rowed up again.
Sources:
http://www.getting-in.com/guide/history-gcse-revision-53/
https://prezi.com/wl6zibafokhp/racism-against-black-people-in-the-1950s-and-60s/
http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/tserve/freedom/1865-1917/essays/segregation.htm
Transcript:
Me: Hi, my name is Haniah Jones Today is May 8 2015 at 5:13 pm, and I am here with my great uncle and former Marine James Jones. Why don’t you start off by telling me what countries you served in as a Marine.
James: Uuh, Italy, and uh the states, and I went to Germany and uh, I’ve been to Pakistan, Vietnam, uh Neoplen. Theres also lots of countries, Like ive been to morocco, and um...I’m thinking if I missed anything (mumbles to self) Yea I don’t think I missed any.
Me: Ok, um how would you define race and discrimination
James: How would I define race and discrimination?
Me: Mmhm
James: In relationship to what
Me: Like just umm, like i guess just with with the things that you’ve experienced, or what you know uh personally
James: Ok, that’s an easy one. Um, race became an issue when i first went into the service, just being from the North, you know Philadelphia and New York. I really didn’t um come into problems until I went into the military and I was stationed down south. And then when I was stationed down south, places you would go, you would see signs that said you know “White” and “colored” um and a there were places you couldn’t go because of your color
Me: right
James: You could go, you know, you couldn’t go to the movies. Uhh, you couldn’t go to certain um stores. You couldn’t go to certain drive in’s. And there were always signs that said white and colored. You couldn’t even go to the bus station. Uh, when you went to buy your ticket, they sold tickets on one side for colored and on the other side for white folks.
Me: right
James: You couldn’t go into the, the uh, cafeteria that they had in the uh bus station to buy a sandwich or something, you couldn’t do that! And discrimination, they’re just certain places that you couldn’t go, or you didn’t go or they wouldn’t allow you to go in. Like when I was stationed in (cough cough) excuse me. When I ?was stationed in Germany, there were clubs and bars that you couldn’t go in because uh, the white service people didn’t want you in their bars. It wasn’t necessarily the German people, it was American GI’s that didn’t want you in their clubs. So they wouldn’t let you in so they had bars for you know GI’s that were colored and white GI’s. And you know you could go into the different clubs. And discrimination is basically when theyre were places that you could and couldn’t go and it was all based on the color of your skin.
Me: Right ok um,
James: Ok?
Me: Mmhm, so, what made you join the Marines?
James:Um (laughs) you’re gonna laugh at this but I fell in love with John Wayne ok?
Me: Mhm
James: And I had saw some movies that he played in and he was a marine. And uh, I wanted to travel, I knew that Marines traveled quite a bit and I liked their dressful uniform.
Me: (laughs) Ummm. do you ever wish you could be um, when you were stationed in the marines, do you ever wish you could another race so that your life could be easier
James: No. I’ve always wanted to be me. I didn’t want to be somebody else just to get by. I got by being me. Um, I was fortunate in that I was respected being me. I didn’t have to pretend to be somebody else I was just me and I was respected by that.
Me: So other than the signs, you never had like any physical altercations with like white
James: With race
Me: Yea with like..
James: Yea mhm mhm. Uhh I had a guy that I was stationed with and the 3 of us, there were 3 marines. We were selected to go some place for special duties. And there were 2 white marines and me. And one of the white marines uh, where we went um there were only one of the individual rooms but it was a tourist unit. And they only had 2 rooms. 2 of us had to room together. And since we were all corpses at the time and uh the senior corper, we were gonna let him have the room by himself but this one guy went up to this other guy and he said he didn’t want to sleep in the room with me. and he asked the other guy would he mind sleeping in the room with him. And uh he said no he didn’t have a problem with that. And he told me what the guy had said and I said it ain’t no big deal, I knew he was like that um so I, didn’t sleep in the room with him, he didn’t sleep in the room with me. That’s one incident that happened. But yea there were people in the military who didn’t like me because I was black and I understood that because of where they were from and how they were brought up. My biggest problem though when I was in uh when I was in bootcamp niah, um and that was in south Carolina and this was way back and I was, I was 17 years old which was 1954. And uh, there were a lot of guys in boot camp with me who were from the South and there were only 5 black guys in my, in my particular boot camp. And 4 were from Philadelphia, the other guy was from Buffalo New York. And uh when we got to boot camp, our drill instructor he said he was not going to tolerate anything about race, if he heard anything, anybody say anything about race, they were getting kicked out. Um so even though people wanted to say things and do things they didn’t do it because they knew they would get caught.
Me: Yea that’s good
James: Ok
Me: Um, was your, so did, when you were younger like was your educational experiences like similar to your marine experiences? Like in school was it the same way or was it different?
James: Um, no my school friends were the same. I went to school in, I went to Catholic school in New York. And I went to an all black catholic school from Kindergarten to 8th grade. Ok?
Me: Mhmm
James: All of the nun, all of my teachers were white, I had no black teachers. And in my first year of high school was also in New York. And uuh, it was funny becaue I went to highschool that I went to in my first year was an attic of another high school which was very popular but you had to take a test to get into that school. And a lot of people wanted to get into that school that I wanted to go to. So we had 3 annexes in the city that you went to your freshmen year. And I went to one of the annexes, St. Thomas my first year. And uh I noticed something funny, I never realized there was so many different types of black folks. OK, and what im saying is that in my class, i had black puerto ricans, i had a couple cubans, i had a couple people from the west indies, i had a couple guys who came from across the big sea, the big river, uh, north africa, and uh…let me see if i missed anybody. I don’t think i missed anybody.
Me: Are you familiar with the stories of, of um, the Lunch counter sit-ins, the murder of Emmett Till
James: Yes
Me: So when you hear about those like wha-what emotions go through your mind, how do you feel?
James: It’s-it’s funny that you ask me that. When I was stationed in Italy, I was in Italy when Emmett till was killed. The duty that I pulled in Italy, we pulled a duty of 2 Marines in Italian Cabinary. The Cabinary is a officer of Italy. One night we were on duty, me and anither Marine, the other marine on duty was a white Marine who, we fought in Italy together. He was from uh, Washington D.C. We were on duty until like 2 or 3 o clock in the morning, you know we were just in the building. So we were just talking like we do a lot. and this cabinary he had a little um folder a little bag that they wore on their side. And in the bag he pulled out this paper. And he unfolded the paper and it was a picture of Emmett Till of course the paper work was in Italian. And he asked me how I could serve in the military for a country that did something like this. ok? So I was 18 or 19 at the time and obviously I couldn’t explain it to him like I could now, how I could do that. So basically what I said to him was everybody wasn’t like that. Ok, yea it was wrong, i definitely don’t like to see stuff like that. but it’s nothing i can do to change it.
Me: Um let’s see did you ever like when you went back home, did you ever i guess fear the life of you know your siblings that just for the simple fact that they were black, they could be killed at any time like did that ever like cross your mind like at all.
James: That something could happen to them?
Me: Yes, just for the simple fact that they were black during a time like this.
James: Yes it did, um not so much the girls ok, but my cousins and stuff like that the boys, the males. The policemen right there in Philadelphia were uh, very racist, even the black policemen. And they treated black males differently. I got hit a couple times by Philadelphia policemen. I got arrested a couple times by Philadelphia policemen for doing nothing. For just being, as the expression goes, “for just being black”
Me: Do you believe that children in today’s society, today’s century take the opportunities that they have now for granted?
James: Yes, yes I get upset sometimes when I realize that the opportunities that you guys have and the opportunities that were not available for people say my age way back when. That, that that bothers me that the young folks today don’t take advantage of the opportunities but it’s not everybody but I would say most of them don’t take advantage of the opportunities.
Me: Yea, your nephew here is a perfect example (laughs)
James: Yea, I was getting ready to say that, I was getting ready to say that. And its a shame. And yes, your brother is one that uh, I was so glad when I heard that he was going to drexel and all that. But while he’s in school up to this point, he still not taking all the advantages that’s available today based on his ability to do the things he can do. You know what i’m saying?
Me: Yup, sure do.
James: Ok but yes that was a good question, I liked that question
Me: Yea I, I personally, that’s why I asked the question because I know that children today, in today’s society are so disrespectful and do not take advantage of opportunities given to them now. And I just wanted to make sure that like I wasn’t the only person that felt that way.
James: No, you're definitely not the only person niah, you’re definitely not the only person. I mean I feel stron-, very strongly about that. I mean I see kids now and young folks you know who I know that aren’t taking advantage of the things they’re available to, and it hurts me to see that because the advantages weren’t there before. but they’re there now, there is no excuse now, none whatsoever.
Me:Um, this is just a follow up question, do you think like the things that are happening now like the Brown case and Trayvon Martin case, do you think this is a repeat of what’s been happening in the 1950’s?
James: Uuh...yes! Things have never really gone away. This is my personal feeling now. Things have never really gone away, you know they changed some and they’ve gotten better but things aren’t really gone away as even though its not as open as it was before
Me: Mhm
James: You know, its still there.
Me: What do you think it will take for, or do you ever think that there will truly be no racism like ever if at all
James: No, no, I won’t live to see it, you won’t live to see, your children won’t live to see it. I think it will always be there
Me: Sad to here but, I agree
James: (laughs) ok (coughs)
Me: Well thanks for sharing your stories with me
James: No problem, anytime. I have nothing else to do but share stories
Abstract:
DR= Donmir Rolling
RP=Rita Platis
My neighbor next door ( Ms. Rita)
Saturday 4/16/15 at 4:30 pm
DR. Good morning Ms, Rita do you mind if i ask you some question before 1960
RP. Good morning And no I don’t mind
DR. Did you live in Philadelphia all your life
RP. Yes I live here all my life born and raise, paid taxes here, and fought all my life, I was a fighter
DR. Did your mother or father had to go through racist moments in there life
RP. Of course because I had to go through racist time, it was rough, I remember my grandpa showing us the area that mom and I live, at during that time. While my mother was busy watching us he was building homes at 46th and havord and 46th market all those them house down he built he even have pictures that houses before the messy and buggy….Dirt road.
DR. How was life as kid and life before 1960?
RP. I had a very childhood my parent were christian they believing right raising their children giving them an education, making them responsible people
DR. Do you know anyone that had to deal racial problems?
RP. Yea where I raise at the school I went to, i had to make a living, I ran into a lot of racist things, even myself but have to be determined you just can't sit still or stand in a mud hole you have to fight your way through, and if you feel your right stand up and fight for what you believing . standing up for right because right or wrong nobody I was taught that I have carried that my life, Love every body am dastan up for you believing
DP. Do you remember anything from civil rights movement and what was it that you remember?
RP. Yes I remember the marches and Dr Martin Luther King getting shot.
DR. I remember you telling me that you was the first black woman to live on this block, did the whites treat you any different
RP. When I first move here, it didn't affect me because the way I was raised believing what I was doing and if I felt it was right I stood for my right, yes I had a few that you know what to be funny, but I was never afraid to speak up for myself never afraid. And love all the same, and it only one perfect person in the world and its GOD almighty.
DR. Thank you Ms, Rita Platis for interviewing
RP. Your welcome
Another thing we shrug over that is brought up is the fact that segregation is everywhere, around the world there is still slavery. There were mainly racism going on in the Eastern Hemisphere where there was racism in Asia, Middle East, and in Australia. Over 20 million people are in forced labor today, which we talked about before about modern slavery which is a big issue today, that answers the question that slavery will never stop in the world. For the United Nations, slavery has been a topic discussed, but usually lowly delegated by the United States and Britain country's like those. With India and the Arab countries some of them refuse to stop slave trade or oppose against it because it is one of their main sources of wealth through slaves. The U.S has been on and off on racism this past decade where we have had immigration, Police v African-Americans, and 9/11 racism has been slowly creeping into America we just don't know it. Is this Modern Racism? This is what Orlando was talking about that racism is all over the news and we are too busy stuck in the past to see what's going on now.
Interviewer: Adam Bennett
Interviewee: Pop-Pop (Orlando)
May 11, 2015 7:00pm
AB: So, at what age did you first experience discrimination?
PP: I say about 14 or 15
AB: Do you know what happened?
PP: Oh yeah I was in the South, some white guys rolled by in a truck and hollered out the window “hey n*****” and I was in the yard doing something and they was on a back of a truck and I guess it was ten or twelve of em it was girls and guys and it was many years ago.
AB: So, what was your reaction?
PP: I holler back I holler back “hey you cracker” because that what we would say down south somebody would say something to you that’s what you would do.
AB: So, growing up did you hate white people at the time?
PP: No no no no, I didn’t.
AB: Well, how did you feel about them did you feel like they were ignorant?
PP: Well, I was raised on a farm we had our own farm so I wasn’t working under them I was working under my father. I wasn’t like the other black people in the south they didn’t like white people because they treated them wrong. No, I got along with them my next door neighbor was a white guy and we got along good, I used to go up to his house we didn’t go in the house that much, but we would be out at the barn doing things. But no I never disliked white people.
AB: So did you care what was going on at the time or did you sort of pushed it off?
PP: I didn’t care I mean I it was what I was raised into I didn't look at it as much then as i do now and it didn’t look as much different to me I didn't see much of it.
AB: Ok so, how was your teenage life from 14 till you were an actual adult.
PP: Well my teenage life was great because when I was 15 I got my driver's license my mother started me in school when I was 5 so when I was 15 my records in school said I was 16 so I got my records from school and went and got my driver’s license and my brother got a car and I started driving the car we worked in the farm and I had a really good teenage life you know I had good parents that raised us good and my teenage life was great all until I turned 18 and moved to Pennsylvania.
AB: When you came to Pennsylvania was it different from the South?
PP: I didn’t see too much difference because in the South we went where we knew we could go you know all the Piccolo Joints and we only went to black Piccolo joints and just like how you were in a town or anywhere else I was raised that way I wasn’t taught that way but when you go in a place you see water fountain white’s only water fountain blacks only I mean you were use to that and it was no other way and when I come to Pennsylvania it just wasn’t no signs so I didn’t see too much discrimination either way.
AB: Were you active in the Civil Rights Movement?
PP: No I was in Pennsylvania no I wasn’t active in it at the time when they started marchin’ and everything I was in Pennsylvania no marching was here.
AB: Have you ever had besides relationship with your neighbor any relationship with white people like a girlfriend?
PP: After I got into Pennsylvania yes yes I dated white girls yes.
AB: Would you like to explain on that?
PP: Well yea I can say that I never had like a steady girl it was like going to the club and meeting a girl and you would drink and you might go to other places. I didn’t have like steady girl that I would date you know I had a good friend that was a white girl and I had no problem with that.
AB: Did you receive “good” education growing up in the South?
PP: Well I had the opportunity to receive a good education and I had an opportunity to go to college and go all the way and my father was able to do it and the ones in my family that wanted to go to college which was only two they went and you know. It might be my fault that I got just about what I want and not just me we were living good we own our own land and everything at the part I didn’t see in having a good education. I wanted to be successful which was having fun and having a nice car and that was it.
AB: Would you say that your family created your own culture?
PP: I could say that my family created my mother and father and yea they created their own culture not too much I didn't have too much into it.
AB: Were you playing any sports, music were you doing anything?
PP: I used to box and wrestle and I was a good wrestler I never been thrown the whole while I been wrestling and it was free wrestling so there wasn’t training I trained myself.
AB: Have you ever been physically motivated to act upon a white person?
PP: Nah nah nah there was some kids that used to come around and we used to beat em up not beat em up but you know just smack em and do stuff just to get them scared and at that time their was more of us and white people would catch black guys if it were more of them. It was never nothing personal that lasted long it was over and we were through with it.
AB: Did you...you were ever like against what was going on in the Civil Rights movement?
PP: Yes I was against that, I knew that not all whites, but the whites didn’t like the blacks, but I didn’t participate in any of them because like I said earlier there were no marches in Philadelphia like it was in the South and I had left the South.
AB: Were you ever able not to do something you really wanted to do because you were black?
PP: Not really well, there are things that I couldn’t do and that I didn’t do because I was black I didn’t put myself in that position. Not really not really, I never approached anything and not done it because I was black because I had better sense not to approach it I understanded segregation in the South and in the North and that’s why I never got caught up in that.
AB: We’re going to wrap up here, but what is your whole thought on Segregation?
PP: Well my whole though on segregation is that a lot of people will look at it as black and white, but segregation is all over the world just like racism. Even in the mid-east all over the world there are segregation it’s races that hate each other races that love each other. Just now, I was looking on the news in China they still got slaver they got thousands of people on fishing ships in slavery we wasn’t the first one in slavery back in Pharaoh days in the middle east and slavery has just been around for awhile.
AB: Thank you Pop-Pop
PP: Well thank you.
The Failed Coup of Opposition Groups or Parties against the Gaafar El-Nimeiri
Interview by: Saraa Fadl
Interviewee: Osama Fadl
Date: 5/15/15
Time: 9:00 pm
Abstract: In 1976, there was an attempted coup located in Khartoum, Sudan in which my father, who was 11 years old at the time, had witnessed. This failed coup was lead by opposition parties against president Jaafar El-Nimeiri and his military at an attempt to overthrow the military government in Sudan and take over. He mentions how the event that happened at that time is connected with what is happening today. He talks about his opinion of the situation and the government.
Research on Jaafar El-Nimeiri
He was president for 17 years (1969-1985). He was a US ally and was known for creating a sharia law that he thought would make Sudan peaceful but instead, it created conflicts between the north and the south. He was responsible for creating a lot of conflicts from his ruling which resulted in him being exiled in Cairo, Egypt. He was in exile for 14 years and came back to Sudan in 1999. He tried to get reelected but did poorly. He died on May 30, 2009 at the age of 79.
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaafar_Nimeiry
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8075376.stm
S.F: Hello this is Saraa Fadl and I'm here to talk about the failed coup led by various groups such as the Islamists, The Uma Party (A Political Party) that opposed Jaafar El-Nimeiri with my father who at the time was 11 years old witnessed it. So how are you?
O.F:I’m alright.
S.F:So, I’m just here to ask you questions based on your knowledge about the failed coup. So, what happened based on your knowledge?
O.F: That time there was we were coming from a wedding of my cousin and the wedding lasted until 4 am in the morning that day and while we were coming my dad’s pickup truck we heard the bombing and shooting. Was like far away it was supposed to be like in downtown which was like maybe about 67, miles from where we were but still we were overhearing the bombing so when we got home we were outside just listening and you know wondering where was that and then the news came in and said there was a coup led by the opposition but the official government was saying like they were saying is a missionary from overseas past soldiers from other countries. They came to invade Sudan so that helped the government which is the military at the time helped them to you know the people help them because they were against the foreigners.
SF: So did this last all day or..?
OF: It was until like from like 3 or 4 am to like maybe around 11 or 12 and then you know when the people that came in, they came in and they couldn’t control the government or the country or the capital. Then they were driven away from there from the center and they came closer to where I lived like a mile so there was shootings all morning.
S.F: Was this a school night or a weekend?
O.F: It was Friday i think Thursday night to Friday night. it was the next day was.. we were
S.F: So it lasted a couple days?
OF: No I think it was the fighting was until 12 or something and then the government came back and the president was overseas and then they took over
SF: So when this happened he didn’t know about it or...?
OF: No he knew about it from overseas and i think he was directing it from overseas but there was some of his ministers and his people in the military you know that helped him.
SF: Did you witness something disturbing? Did you hear, see, or smell something unusual?
OF: No it was far away i mean i was too young to go and you know but we just heard stuff we heard the guns if we weren’t in the wedding we wouldn’t hear that. We would be asleep but it happens at the time of the wedding night of my cousin so we heard the whole thing and we stayed up but i didn’t see anything.
SF: Did you see any helicopters?
OF: No there were soldiers on the ground they were trying to control the radio and the tv stations and the military installations.
SF: So you mentioned it was far away, where was it located?
OF: In downtown like where the TV and the radio stations and the military headquarters.
SF: So where were you?
OF: Like in the suburbs, like 6 or 7 miles away.
SF: Of Khartoum or..?
OF: Downtown yeah.
SF: So when you first saw it, was there anyone in the family that knew about it a little bit, so that they can fill you in because you probably was confused at the time?
OF: Yeah, I had my cousin he was in the secret service, like the internal secret service, so yeah, he didn’t know too, but when he came back later on, he told us it’s a, you know, a missionary they call it مرتزقة (which is like paid soldiers from overseas from other countries). So thats how the government defeated them but they were opposition parties opposing the government but when they came they brought people that didn’t know the area they didn’t know the city, and they looked different from the people in the city, so it was easy to see that they are not sudanese, so the propaganda of the government they told them to pay missionaries to stop. All the sudanese were behind the government so thats what he told me.
S.F: How are people knowing about it now or years after the event happened? Do you think they are teaching that in school or are their relatives telling them?
OF:yea i mean people are talking about it because we are in the same situation right now in Sudan. There is a military government, there is a military taking over the country for now 25 years and the opposition parties are against the government and at this point, there were a lot of fights, there are a lot of wars in the south and the west and now people are trying to come together in a reconciliation so it’s the same situation like at the time 1976 i think ‘75 so its the same scenario happening right now so people are trying to--
SF: Compare?
OF: Yea, it’s comparable because its the same situation. the opposition were against the government. some parties of the opposition are fighting the government and now everybody is trying to come together and have a peaceful reconciliation and have a national government so it doesn’t get worse.
SF: What is your opinion? Do you have a side?
OF: No I am with everyone coming together because the country’s situations are getting worse, economically, politically, and socially. People are going back to their tribes, going back to their ethnicity.
SF: Because of the government.
OF: Because of the government trying to rule by dividing the people, dividing the parties together, dividing people against people, so they managed to control the country but in the end, the country is divided and divided, so hopefully they can come together and bring all the sudanese to one government and then work in improving the situation in Sudan.
SF: Are there leaders in Sudan that are trying to fix it?
OF: Yeah there is some leaders but because i think that personally because of selfishness they don’t want to join. They feel like they supposed to get more than what they can get, they don’t want to compromise. They are selfish and it can’t work with some parties joining and not the others it’s going to be the same problem. So everyone has to come so that's why its difficult to bring everybody in but that’s the only solution right now. otherwise it’s going to be wars its going to be like civil war. There is some wars fighting in the west, in Darfur and other states in the country but it’s going to be more people even in the capital because there is a lot of guns now with each parties so--
SF: So, history is repeating itself.
OF: Yeah. So the president at the time was wise and he managed to reconcile people but now i think the president is trying but i don’t know if he is trying hard and some opposition parties are--
SF: He’s(the president) abusing his power?
OF: Yeah of course I mean he’s responsible for all the mess that happened at the end.
SF: Is he the same president as what happened a long time ago?
OF: No that was El-Nimeiri now it’s Al-Bashir. There was a democratic elected government in between the two military governments but it’s the same problems and same situations.
SF: Ok , thank you!
OF: You’re welcome!
Abstract
On May 9, 2015 at 6:30 pm, Daina Haughton and her grand-aunt Louise Allen talk about Jamaica in the 1960s. Daina and Louise talk about where Louise was born, what she did for fun as child, how many siblings she has and more. The interview has more of Louise’s life than what Jamaica was like in the 60s but it does offer an important event which happened in Jamaica.
Research
Haile Selassie visited Jamaica on Thursday April 21,1966. About 100,000 Rastafari was at the Palisadoes Airport awaiting the man who they thought of as a god. Awaiting his arrival, they smoked marijuana and played drums. When he arrived and stood on the steps of the airplane, the crowd beat calabash drums, lit firecrackers, waved signs and sounded Abeng horns. The crowd pressed past security and was on the red carpet they laid out for him. He returned inside the plane and after a few minutes sent for one of the Rasta leaders. He told him to tell the crowd to be calm. He told the crowd to step back and let the Emperor land. The leader escorted Selassie to his limousine. Selassie did not walk on the red carpet.
Selassie’s visit had an impact on a few lives in Jamaica. Bob Marley’s wife, Rita Marley, converted to Rastafari faith after seeing Haile Selassie. In her book and in interviews, she says she saw a stigma on Selassie’s hand and was instantly convinced of his divinity.
His visit had a great impact on the Rastafari religion. They gained respectability from outsiders for the first time. By making Rasta more acceptable, it opened doors for the commercialization of reggae, which lead to more global spread of Rastafari.
Sources
http://daily.redbullmusicacademy.com/2014/02/haile-selassie-in-jamaica
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grounation_Day
Transcript
DH: What is your name?
LA: Louise Allen.
DH: When and where were you born?
LA: February 22nd 1947 , Westmoreland, Jamaica.
DH:How many brothers and sisters do you have?
LA: 8 brothers, 7 sisters.
DH: What do you remember about your parents?
LA: They were, they always worked very hard and provide for us, very supportive, kind and gentle.
DH: What did you do for fun as a child?
LA: Play a lot a games and I use to crochet a lot.
DH: What big world events were the most memorable while you were growing up?
LA: When Queen Elizabeth and Haile Selassie visited Jamaica in 1966.
DH: What was it like growing up in Jamaica in the 60s?
LA: …. Growing up in the sixties was good although there are a lot of changes over the years.
DH: What was it like before Jamaica gained independence?
LA: Before Jamaica gained independence everything, laws had to be ratified in England by the Queen and signed.
DH: Was this good or bad ?
LA: It was good to a point and umm , well at least it had its advantages and disadvantages.
DH:What was it like after Jamaica gained independence?
LA:That was good for Jamaica because everything was done there and they didn’t have to depend on England for everything although they still had to get some laws ratified there.
DH: What was the education in Jamaica like in the 60s?
LA: Education in the 60s umm were good because we have to study very hard because without, without studying and ahh the education you couldn’t get into college. You had to have pass like a GCE and JSC.
DH: What is GCE and JSC?
LA: GCE is uhh General Certificate of Education, JSC is Jamaica School of Certificate.
DH: What, when did you move to America?
LA: In the late 70s
DH: What was it like when you got here?
LA: I had, it was a little difficult at first because I had to adapt to a lot of changes, which I did adapt very well.
DH: How was race understood in Jamaica?
LA: In Jamaica race was like, there was hardly any racial problem because since the population basically is, mostly black.
DH: How does it compare to the US?
LA: Much, there is a big difference because america is like people from all different parts of the world are here, different nationalities, so that makes a big difference and with so many people, over 300 million people live here.
DH: How has that changed over time if it has changed?
LA: Things have changed but still there are a lot of racial issues to be dealt with.
