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  *SAMPLE* Oral History - M. Roy

Posted by Matthew Roy in African American History - Roy - C on
Below is a sample of the post that you should create for your oral history interview. It should be divided into the abstract, research (with sources), and the transcript. All of these portions will be put in the "Write Text" portion of the post. I suggest that you type up everything in a Google Doc first and then copy/paste it here in the event that there is a problem saving the post. Your audio file should be uploaded through the "Upload Media" tab. If you encounter any problems, see me ASAP to resolve them.

The example below comes from an oral history found at:

http://dc.lib.unc.edu/cdm/compoundobject/collection/sohp/id/13824/rec/1

Abstract

In this interview, Floyd Alston and his mother, Ethel Thorpe Alston, remember their lives in Granville County, North Carolina. Floyd and Ethel trace their family lines, some of which lead to slaves, others to sharecroppers, some to brothers and sisters who died, still others to factory workers. This interview offers more information on the Alston and Thorpe families than it does about African Americans’ lives in the rural South generally, but it does offer some revealing insights into racial identity and the struggles of post-emancipation African Americans to find economic and social security.


​Research

After the end of slavery, many African Americans were drawn into sharecropping. Without land of their own, former slaves raised crops on land owned by whites in exchange for a share of the profits. Sharecroppers generally purchased all of their supplies on credit from the landowner and usually found themselves still in debt once the crops were sold. “As that deficit grew, he [the sharecropper] found it impossible to escape from his situation by legal means.” Sharecroppers often ate a poor diet, suffered ill health, and lacked the freedom to choose a new path for themselves. In the interview, Floyd Alston references his grandfather’s experiences with sharecropping. Somewhat unusually, Alston’s grandfather did not come to this practice after emancipation. Rather, he was born in New York and moved to the South later. He managed to leave sharecropping by getting work in a mill.

Sources

  • http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/poets/a_f/brown/sharecropping.htm
  • http://www.pbs.org/tpt/slavery-by-another-name/themes/sharecropping/
  • http://digital.library.okstate.edu/encyclopedia/entries/t/te009.html

Transcript

Interview with ETHEL THORPE ALSTON and FLOYD ALSTON, JR.

29 NOVEMBER 1995

JAMES EDDIE McCOY: The date is November the 29th, 1995. I’m visiting with Floyd Alston, Jr. His mother Mrs. Ethel Thorpe Alston. The address is 201 First Street. Mr. Floyd Alston's birthday is 6-15-1933. Age sixty two. Mrs. Ethel Thorpe Alston's birthday is April 29th, 1916. Mrs. Austin, what area that you growed up in?

ETA: Well, uh, we were raised up most around in the county.

EM: But when you was a kid, you came up in Tar River Station? 

ETA: No, that's when.........????????? Uh, two years, or three years, you know people you used to farm one year and move to another farm. 

EM: Were your parents sharecroppers?

ETA: Uh-huh. 

EM: What was your daddy's name?

ETA: Ather Thorpe 

EM: What? 

ETA: Ather. 

EM: Ather. 

ETA: Ather Thorpe. 

EM: Ather Thorpe. Where did he come from?

ETA: He must have come back.........??????????????? 

EM: What about your mother's name, what was her name? 

ETA: Pearl Thorpe 

EM: What was her name before she was a Thorpe?


oral history sample post

The great migration

Posted by Dejah Williams in African American History - Roy - C on

Interviewee: Pearl Williams

Interviewee DOB: May 5 1954

Interviewee Ethnicity: African American

Interviewer: De'jah Williams


Abstract

I interviews my grandmother who was kind of apart of the great migration because she moved to Philadelphia at the age of 11 and She moved here from Warsaw,North Carolina. I'm this interview we talked about how slavery impacted Her as a child living in the south and the difference between North Carolina and Philadelphia. We also talked about the MLK speech and how his speech impacted us as a whole and did it change much I'm the world today.


Research

The Great Migration is the movement of 6 million African Americans out of the rural Southern United States to the urban Northeast, Midwest, and West that lasted up until the 1960s.



Sources

•http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129827444

•http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/great-migration

•http://www.pbs.org/wnet/jimcrow/stories_events_migration.html


Transcript


dw: What events do you remember around the time martin luther king gave his speech?

aw: what events do I.. that i remember , i don't know i as only , i was in the fourth grade when martin luther king gave his speech , so i mean i really don't remember. you have to remember now that i am 60 years old now , that was a long time ago.

dw. so you don't remember anything around the time ..

aw: when he gave his speech.

dw: and what do you actually know like where were you what was going on during the time of the speech?

aw: i was ugh… i don't know where was I, maybe ugh , i guess i wasn't at school at the time when he gave the… when did he give the speech? when you know i don't know maybe in school maybe i was in school . i remember the speech i remember when all those people went to washington you know cause i was in north carolina at the time, so i can't remember exactly where i was.

dw: Did, did any of that , that was going on affect your childhood in any way as far as segregation?

aw: yes cause ugh at that time i was in north carolina like i said and we did go to school with white children we was ugh we went to there was a black scholl and white school you know during that time

dw: okay

aw: and white people was always calling us the ‘’n’’ word back then i remember that do you want me to tell you about what i did to somebody that called me the ‘’n’’ word?

dw: sure.

aw: the was this girl that lived across the road from me and that the time it was a little road highway like and it was was me and my oldest brother wade  and it was a boy and a girl they lived across the road and they had plum tree ugh i think  they had a pear tree they had all kinds of fruit trees they had bates fig tree and we liked the plums and you know by them having the tree they didn't  eat all them plums they be falling on the ground and sometimes they would really act.. they would stand across that road and throw  plums at us instead of giving them to us.. (laughter)

dw: (laughter)

aw: letting us eat em .  cause we wanted to they you know they had so many , it didn't matter to them , they actually would stand across that road and through those plums at us and call us the ‘’n’’ word and see my brother is real dark skin wade he is real dark real dark and they really use to call  him black you know names, so, the, the girl had a long pony tail so when our parents wasn't around because my father and my mother use to tell us don't bother them just don't may then no mind you know but you know we was tired of them calling us names so we caught them one day , i caught that girl and i tried to beat her head in that ground i told her dont you never ever call me a nigger again and every time she would see me she run, she hall tailed in the house mmhm and …

dw: during this time did it affect your education in any way?

aw: no cause i learned what i wanted to lean anyway , if i didn't wanna do nothing in school ( laughter) no let me stop at that time yes, no it didn't affect my learning at all because during that time i had to remember the getsy bird adrees i remember that abraham lincoln gets bird adress i was in the fourth grade and i remember we all had to learn and everybody had to stand up in the class and recite the and i remember Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure, now i don't remember anything else now i you know its it comes back every now and then ugh ok now

dw: ummm… what major changes happened during the civil war and now , are there any major changes during then and now

aw: thats why they umm i think thats when we all started going to school together black and whites , i think that umm we even started to going to churches because you know we didn't go to the same church with white people you we you know we had our little black little church and  they had they and  you knew they ugh and you know of course, of course they churches was big  and pretty we just had the little wood  churches them little shakes but, we had the holy ghost now (claps) we use to get down you know cause i went to church  every every sunday, bible school you know but umm it was i mean  looking back at it i see that it was hard you know from our parents but when , as me being a kid it it was it wasn't bad for me  you know  i mean because it was the way it was the time them it was you know and thats thats how i you know thats where i lived and that's how the people was and we just played and mind our business and you know play with each other and it wasn't like  i didn't have a problem with it it was the older people it was out parents that you know but umm you know like i said i don't remember a lot because i was young you know i was a kid i was just in fourth grade at that time

dw: how did you feel about discrimination , did it .. did you feel any kind of way ?

aw: umm no well yea i do remember i felt a certain way one time cause my father use to take us to the beach every summer , and one summer he took us ………...



(media file not downloading )

Interview with an American Air Force vet.

Posted by Zhihong Zhang in African American History - Roy - C on

​Abstract:
This interview is between Mr. Perrone, an Air Force vet and I. Mr.Perrone has experienced a lot of environments with different concepts of race as well as religion as well as lived through 2 civil rights movements that happened recently.
In this interview, Mr.Perrone tells of how the concepts of race differs in other countries.

Research:
The Million Man March, a gathering of African-Americans in D.C on the October of 1995. Called on by Louis Farrakhan, it was to be held on and around the National Mall. A leading group of civil rights activists the National African American Leadership Submit, and the Nation of Islam working in conjunction with scores of civil rights organizations. Rodney King, an African-American construction worker who became nationally known after being beaten by Los Angeles Police following a high-speed car chase on March third, 1991.

Sources:
  • http://www.blackpast.org/aah/million-man-march-1995
  • http://newsone.com/2062043/million-man-march/
  • http://www.biography.com/people/rodney-king-9542141#awesm=~oFqwormE6Vt1he
  • http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/lapd/race/king.html

|Interview Transcript|
Interviewer: Zhi Zhang
Interviewee: Mr.Perrone
Interview Setting: Pier 70
Affiliation with interviewee: Friends

Transcript:

ZZ: “How’s your day, Mr.Perrone?”



CP: “Okay.”



ZZ: “I’m just gonna ask you a few questions, okay?”



CP: “Okay.”



ZZ: “What do you see the role of race in society?”



CP: “I see the role of race acts as a barrier that keep the from working together better.”



ZZ: “What did race mean to you growing up?”



CP: “Growing up, I was taught, there was a lot of stereotypes, but as i grew older I’ve found out they were untrue and I believe no one should be racist.”


ZZ: “Oh..”


ZZ: “How did the concept of race differ between the countries you’ve “visited” while in the Air Force?”


CP: “Well. Being born in America you’re exposed to every race pretty much in the world, but when you travel to other countries it’s more populated by one race and there’s usually small pockets of people (foreigners) from other countries and they stood out more than in America.”


ZZ: (Muffled) “Interesting.”


ZZ: “What’s by far the most racist countries you’ve “visited”?”


CP: “I would say Turkey, and Egypt. I would say it was race and religion driven.”


ZZ: “Can you give me some details?”


CP: “I would say it was more or less not that you’re the race they were “against” when you were there they were more or less you’re anti their religion (You were against their religion), so they didn’t like you for mainly that reason.”


ZZ: (Muffled) “Huh…”


ZZ: “Did your concept of race change as you travel around the world as a military personnel?”


CP: Yes. My concept changed because I got to see all faces of the world and it shows better not to see race and live among everybody in harmony.


ZZ: (Muffled) Interesting.


ZZ: “Did you experience any civil rights movements during your lifetime?”


CP: “Yes, I lived through the “million-man march”, and I also.. um.. was growing up during the Rodney King incident.”


ZZ: “How old were you?”


CP: “I was in highschool during both events.”


ZZ: (Muffled) “Huh..”


ZZ: “Were you anyway affected by these movements?”


CP: “Yes, the race-riots affected a lot of commerce for about a week. And a lot of infrastructure -and houses were burned and businesses were broken into and looted.”


ZZ: (Muffled) “Huh..”


ZZ: “Did you have any experiences with the Ku Klux Klan?”


CP: “Yes. I was stationed down in South Carolina, and I happened to accidentally date a one of the members nieces, and from being from Italy my family, um , they do not see white people. They see, um, Caucasian in the only race so even if you’re white and Italian, or Spanish, you’re still, uh, not like by them.”


ZZ:(Muffled)(Sick): “Huh.. I never knew that..”


ZZ: “How did the Klansmen treat you?”


CP: “Since they knew I was not “white” and they consider Italian not white, they told me to turn around and do not come back here ever again.”


ZZ: (Muffled-Muffled): “Huh.”


ZZ: “Has your encounter with the Klan changed your concept of race?”


CP: “Yes, it makes me feel sorry for the people who has to deal with racism and I wish it would go away.”


ZZ: “Alright, thank you for your time Mr. Perrone.”


CP: “You’re welcome.”


Interview [Final]

"it seem like it was a series of assassinations"

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

Abstract:

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


Research:

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



Interview Transcript.

Interviewer: Me (Leyitha Princesse Achoute)

Interviewee: Ms. Jean ( the librarian)

Interview setting: At the free library of philadelphia.

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


( Start of interview)

Me: May I ask what your name please?

Ms. J: My name is Jean

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

Ms.J: I work at the library.

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

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

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

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

Me: ( fading in the background) Is in Pennsylvania

Ms.J: Yes it was in Philadelphia

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

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

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

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

(Movement in the background)

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

"EVERY MAN WILL BE EQUAL", "Is all I can remember"

Posted by Jada Thomas in African American History - Roy - C on

​Reasearch:

One topic that my grandmom kept on discussing was the fact that she was not able to go and eat with white people and resturaunts were segregated. I didnt find this that interesting but she did so we continued to talk about. She expressed to me how when someone would come in town they would hang the hotdogs outside of the window? Im not sure how accurate that is, but she felt strongly about it.

In comparision to the research I did based on it it sounds about right some sources I used were

Sources:

http://www.readingnaacp.org/book_justice_segregation.html

http://find.galegroup.com/gic/infomark.do?&idigest=fb720fd31d9036c1ed2d1f3a0500fcc2&type=retrieve&tabID=T001&prodId=GIC&docId=CX2831400031&sourc

http://www.crmvet.org/images/imgcoll.htm


Abstract:
Shirley will look back over some of the rough things she went through and be very hesitant to speak on them she was kinda indenial and really didnt want to go into to detail she believed that she was given a great education and that she did great in life, when she moved uo north. I know that there were a-lot of gruesome detail’s that she could have recognized but she explains after the interview that she really couldnt bring her mind to that place. She describes how the bathrooms were arranged and how life itself was.

Transcript:

JT: Good Afternoon Shirley how are you doing this afternoon

SB: Fine.

JT:Okay umm where did you live when the civil rights movement was going on?

SB;  During the civil rights movement I was living in North Philly

JT: Ok umm So how did it affect you as a child, didnt you live in Virgina as a child?

SB; Yes

JT; So how old where you when you moved up here?

SB: 19

JT; So how was racism in Virgina? if you can remember

SB: Well uhh you couldnt go the bathroom that the white people were going to You couldnt go to the regular resturaunts there was a special side for you to go into to. Like if you were in town they would hang your hot dogs out the window You couldnt go to the same water fountains they went to.

JT: And how did that make you feel?

SB: It really didnt bother me

JT: So you were okay with being treated not equal?

SB: Not really

JT; So when you moved to North Philadelphia did anything change?

SB: Somewhat

JT: Was it the same?

SB; No because you could go to the same restroom as the white people did

JT: When you were living in Virgina how was the education system down there?

SB: Well it was great

JT; So you were able to get a good education despite everything that was going on with racism and the civil rights movement.

SB; Well the white people had their school to go to and we had our own school.

JT:Well when you moved to North Philadelphia did you continue getting an education or did you just start working like what was your game plan when you left Virgina

SB; Well I attended Night School uhh I took up clerker work then I went to cashier trainer school and then I went to work

JT; Out of everything that was going on at that time what is the worst thing that you remeber happening to you or the people around you

SB: When we couldnt go sit down and eat in resturaunts

JT; Yeah and what did you to try an change things if anything?

SB; Well at that time I really didnt do anything.

JT; Right becuase it was hard, do you remeber anything specific about MLK Jr or the speeches that he made?

SB: I remember the speech he made called I have a dream

JT; What do you remember from that speech

SB; He said that every man would be equal

JT; Where you ever scared down in Virgina or in North Philly to do something not really knowing what would happen and not knowing where you’d end up?

SB: No

JT; Well thats all for today Thank you

SB; You are welcome.


History Interview

”My Time During the civil Rights Movement”

Posted by Aaliyah Cooper in African American History - Roy - C on

Research: My research was based off of my interviewee response that today the world is still some what segregated. Research shows that other people think the world is still segregated today to it just not a visible or as direct as it was back then. People feel like segregation should not determine our future but all this change that we worked for in the past segregation still became our future people just found a “legal way to get around it.


Sources: http://www.theatlantic.com/features/archive/2014/04/segregation-now/359813/

http://www.npr.org/2014/04/18/304194508/six-words-segregation-should-not-determine-our-future

http://dev.law.fsu.edu/journals/landuse/Vol141/seit.htm




Displaying CAM00876.jpg






Date: May 16th, 2014


Interviewee: Calvin William Cooper


Interviewee occupation: veteran


Interviewee DOB: August 30,1951


Interviewee ethnicity: African American


Interviewer: Aaliyah Cooper



Abstract:

Calvin  grew up in Philadelphia. As a child he didn't really experience any segregation or discrimination. In 2014, Calvin still believes that there is still some segregation and discrimination today. He believes that there is always going to be some segregation or discrimination but he will never give up on hope. He also believes that no matter how many years go by blacks will never be treated as an complete equal to a white  person.


Transcript:

Aaliyah Cooper (AC): Mr.Cooper, What do you remember about the Civil Rights Movement?

Calvin Cooper (CC):Well what i remember about the Civil Rights movement at the time, It was a big step for the blacks at this time because the black was really being mistreated ,We didn't have no equal rights or anything and the movement started an, umm how would i say it started  a whole new error for the black people for them to be able to be equal to the whites.

AC: Okay, and being so young, How did you cope with all the discrimination and segregation?

CC: Well basically during my time which was the 50s,i really didnt face a lot of discrimination because i wasn't born in the south, i always been a Philadelphia young man but i have heard about discrimination that the blacks were going through because my mother's people came from down south, Richman and North Carolina  and stuff like that and she would tell me about the struggles and discrimination that they couldn't use the bathroom, they couldn't ride the bus ,it was a whole lot but i never really had to deal with any of it.

AC: Do you know of any other leaders that don't really get talked about, but made a difference?

CC: Only one that never really got talked about and i can't really say particle one person was a leader,but the Black Panthers, they had a lot to do with the black movement too,but they never really got notice because they were always thought of as a militant group,but they did a lot for the blacks

AC: How was it growing up back then?

CC: umm,like i said it was okay growing up back then because i never really faced,um racial problems like the people,the blacks down south. I'm a philadelphian man and i never really faced that discrimination like that.

AC: Between now and then what are some things you wished have changed and what are some things that you wish haven't changed?

CC:  Well the only thing i wish that have changed that people say that we are equal to the white folks now but were not really we still have a long way to go, umm but the thing that i  would say, that i wish would change, i wish that the black people of this generation get a better chance at making their self, Mix in with the corporate world so they can start, you know,their own umm their own generation

AC: Okay and do you feel like in some ways the community is still segregated today,and if so can you tell me why you feel that way?

CC:Yes i do,i feel as though its still segregated in some areas and even in,even in philadelphia its segregation here even though it's hidden well but yes its  segregation still here, umm you won't see it because its not as dormit its not where you can see it but its there.

AC: Do you ever lose hope that things will get better?

CC:  No i never lose hope on that, things always getting better we have a black president

AC: Did you wish for anything during the Civil Rights movement , like did you wish that certain things didn't happen or,certain people survived things like that?

CC: I wish that MLK did not get assassinated when he did because i believe if he was still here today,if he would have continued to live he  would've made a great,great leader for the black race.

Oral History

Posted by Justine Ogara in African American History - Roy - C on

Abstract

In this interview Mr.Herbert Steinberg is asked about his life and his experiances and knowledge of segregation. He goes into depth about his life and service in the Air Force, and how he boxed in there. He lived in both the South and the North during his life. This interview talks mainly about my fathers life in the air force, it provides a look at a subject that is not really touched upon in history lessons.


Research

My research was on the topic of discrimination/segregation in the Air Force and Armed Forces, since that's all he talked about. Segregation was not that big of a deal in the armed forces, it was an everyday thing even though in 1948 President Harry S. Truman's executive order directing the military services to enforce "equality of treatment and opportunity for all persons ... without regard to race, color, religion, or national origin.". They always went by the separate but equal rule which meant they were legally free, but not in any other way. After about 5 years of suffering through trying to get their own rights, they got what African-American deserved, 95% of African American in the services were in integrated troops.


http://www.airforcemag.com/MagazineArchive/Pages/1998/July%201998/0798color.aspx

http://www.century-of-flight.net/Aviation%20history/WW2/US%20apartheid.htm

http://www.trumanlibrary.org/whistlestop/study_collections/desegregation/large/index.php?action=chronology



Transcript


[Justine] My name is Justine O’Gara, the person I am interviewing today is Herbert Steinberg. It is Saturday, May 17, 4 pm.

[Justine] Starting with our first question. Did you ever witness discrimination, and if so what happened?

[Herbert] There was nothing I could remember of. Yea when I was down south I did, but not here.

[Justine] Could you tell us what happened?

[Herbert] Yeah, I was going to fight in a tournament in Montgomery Alabama, I was stationed at the St.Frederick Air Force base, and when they sent me to fight in Montgomery, Alabama I had no second. They wanted me to go fight, in the finals. So I went to the Maxwell Air Force Base and I got a friend of mine who was in basic with me *clears throat* and I asked if he would be a second for me, I had to have a second ‘cause they wanted me to fight. I was going to fight in the main tournament, and when I got to the- where we were supposed to fight they wouldn’t let me in cause uhh he’s- they wouldn’t let me in through the front door. That was 1952, 1953. Then they let us through, cause the guy would’ve lost his job, they wouldn't let him through. but they let him through. An then my second wouldnt, couldnt be in the corner with me, because you had to have white people in the corner. And uhh *clears throat*  I don’t think that was right, but they wouldn’t let me fight, so the only one I could get was a friend of mine but he was colored.

[Justine] Mhmm.

[Herbert] So he came with me and uhh they let him through, but they wouldn't let him at the, the be my second at the corner, you had to have white people at the corner.

[Justine] And how did you feel about segregation during that time?

[Herbert] It was wrong. Not much you could do about that, it was wrong. Its uhh, especially the air force.The white people in a one bunk, the color people in the other bunk. I think it was wrong.

[Justine] Mhmm.

[Herbert] We never mixed with each other too much.

[Justine] And when did you first learn about segregation.

[Herbert] Well I guess I heard about it, along long all my life really. All my life I heard about it, different things. Like… Theyre this, they're that, they're trouble makers, this and that, what people would always said this and that, which they aint. Both races are troublemakers of and on, no matter what you say to one or the other you are always wrong anyhow. Y’know what i mean?

[Justine] Mhmm.

[Herbert] Said that about the black people, about the white people, you're a- no matter what you say- I think they both are equal, both are right, and uhh I think they y’know do suffer a lot

people- ignorant people out there. Y’know what I mean?

[Justine] Yeah.

[Herbert] Some ignorant people y’know. I don’t think nothing wrong with nobody. I used to go up to the school and play football with them. They hung with me more than they did with there own kind.

[Justine] And did you participate in any events or marches for the end of racial inequality?

[Herbert] No, never did no, I was brought up in a [foster] home. *inaudible mumbling*

[Justine] Where did you live during segregation?

[Herbert] Philadelphia all my life

[Justine] I thought you said something about being down south?

[Herbert] Oh! Down south. I was down there in the air force, Selma, Alabama. Bad down there. They had their own section, and we had our own section down there, in the air force. I think the Air Force was really racist. They said I went to fight, but uh they wouldn't let me in, they wouldn’t wiht my second I had to get a white person to be second. In the tournament.

[Justine] And how did you react to the end of segregation laws? How did friends and family act?

[Herbert] What do you meant act? Well I felt bad, bought what just told you about. I felt bad about that, I don’t think it was right.

[Justine] Yeah, so how did you react when laws like that were ending?

[Herbert] I don’t think it never ended down there, nothing I know. 1952-1953 thats all I know about down there, so I don’t know what happened after that.

[justine] And what do you remember about the jim crow laws? Like only black people could use this water fountain, and then white people had their own water fountain.

[Herbert] No I never knew nothing about that, black people couldn't go to certain hotels, motels, they had their own sections. Down south they had their own sections, they- mostly blacks in one section and whites in the other section. And a hotels and all, they weren't allowed in certain hotels or nothing like that. Down there, was bad down there, for them. I think it was real bad, down there.

[Justine] And do you think it better living in the south or the north?

[Herbert] For who? Black people.

[Justine] Mhmm.

[Herbert] It was bad all over, it was racist, a lotta people were racist, which I think was wrong.Treat people the way you want to be treated, thats what I always thought, and I was brought up in a catholic (???) St,Joseph's boys home. I get along with everybody, no matter what they were white or black, and I y’know it was the way I was. Somebody did to me it didn't matter what they were, I just didn't bother with them.

[Justine] And that’ll be all the questions


(my recording is not uploading)


Oral History

Posted by Kiyannah McGee in African American History - Roy - C on

Abstract


In this interview I decided to interview my nana. Her name is Adel Armstrong . She was born in Virginia. I was told that the segregation and the racism was much worse in the South than it was in where she and I live now ( Philadelphia ) . During the interview we mostly talked about one thing. I think our main focus during this interview was segregation and desegregation. She explained to me how it was terrible because they were treated unfairly. They had different fountains… one was for blacks and the other was for whites. But the water fountain for the whites was a better one. Overall I feel like I learned a lot about the past thanks to my nana.


Research


Something I decided to do research on was desegregation of schools. From my research I learned that schools were first segregated in 1849. This was decided by the Massachusetts Supreme Court. All schools were segregated separating the blacks from the whites. White people were treated better at their schools whereas the blacks were not treated as well. These segregations lasted for a long time. But then schools were finally beginning to be desegregated. This all started at ‘Little Rock School”. This desegregation took place in 1957. Although blacks felt some kind of in equality then, they still felt unwanted because of the way the white people treated them.


Sources


Transcript


Interviewer : Kiyannah McGee (Km) Interviewee: Adele Armstrong ( Aa) The Interview takes place Saturday night at around 7:00pm. It takes place at my house 525 widener. I interviewed my nana.

Km: Okay. I am Kiyannah and I am going to be interviewing my nana for this benchmark.

Km: In your definition what is social movement?

Aa: Social movement is when there is a group organized to desegregate any type of entity such as a school, restaurant or movie theater.

Km: I understand there were a lot of different social movements involved during 1957, why do you think that is?

Aa: Actually I was born in 58 so I can remember when I was a child and going to one of the first desegregated schools, which was an eschool and I was in the 5th grade at the time, so I was one of the african american students, who was chosen to desegregate that school.

Km: What are some examples of racial segregation?

Aa: One example , like I said before is the ability to go to a white school, that time I was the one of the african american students to go, as far as going to schools , going to restaurants , they had water fountains that were for uncolored only, ummmmmm etc.

Km: How were you treated?

Aa: We were treated as though we were not wanted, we were treated differently from the other caucasian people. We were treated as though we were interfering with their lifestyle and it was an adjustment that I had to make mentally in order to get through it and it happened , thank god.

Km: What was the outcome of desegregation?

Aa: Well, the outcome was ,we were able to go to an all white school Chared Elementry and after a couple of years, kids began to play with each other, you know the races, black and white children began to play with each other and the kids thinking about the fact that they are a different race, but I think the parents didn’t really allow the caucasian to play with african american kids.

Km: Why do you think these times got better over time?

Aa: I think over time people realized they are human beings whether its black, white … colors are only skin deep and start to look at people’s character more though than the color of their skin which helps them to really get along with each other and its the way you treat people with love and respect so let people know, wow you are just like I am and thats how I believe things got better.

Km: Did you live here during that time?

Aa: No , I lived in  North county , Virginia

Km: Down south?

Aa: Yes, down south

Km: So do you think it was worst down south than it is here?

Aa: Yes, because I think the southerners is where it originally began it was more amp to follow generational, follow what their family did, it was like their grandparents told their parents and their parents told their children and I think it was a continuing communication of how blacks should be treated whereas in the North they didn’t have slavery and people were more amp to receive african americans or negro as they were.

Km: So, I understand it was very segregated back then, so today there are still racial things going on, so do you believe they will ever stop

Aa: Well , I think once the generation really begins to die off, I think its only certain people that are trying to keep the racism going, you know... ummm right now , now we have a United states that has inneracial marriages thats happening, I believe that later on  as the years go by, there really is not going to be a race because there are many people who are mixed that you can’t tell who’s who. But I think the original rights are the ones who are trying to keep things going and for some reason the society is amp to change, I believe and I think its on the way.

Km: Ok, so we are almost done. Do you think it was harder for you than it was for a caucasian female , was it harder since you’re african american?

Aa: Ummm… yes it was harder because we were treated differently every time we went into a store, we was looked at as we were stealing stuff or a you know, we were looked at as we were different though, yeah it was different, you know, I guess since time went on you allow yourself to you know , get numb to it, it just becomes something thats norm. Basically us white (oops) I mean black children were treated differently than the caucasian.

Km: Okay, what is your opinion on the civil rights movement and segregation, about everything?

Aa: Well my opinion overall is that I thank god that it happened and I thank god that known, you know Martin Luther King he rose up , god allowed him to raise up to help desegregate and preach to the people that all men should be treated equal, he had to die for it but he died for a good cause.  I think it was well worth it in the end because now we do have an african american president and thats the start, thats a huge start for racism ending , racism truly ending.

Km: And lastly, do you have any regrets?

Aa: No , I do not, and if I had to do it again I would, because it toughened me up , and confidence and boldness and I think god for that

Km : Okay, Thankyou

Aa: My name was Adele Armstrong ( Oops forgot to mention her actual  name)

Km: Yay

History Benchmark: Greg A.

Posted by Gregory Alston in African American History - Roy - C on

Abstract:

This is a interview with my Uncle William. His nationally is African American My uncle talks about how he had to be outside when going to diners and even the entertainment during this time including things like football games and radio talk shows. He then starts to talk about equality throughout the world and how everyone should be treated all the same, no matter what race. Overall, this was a very thorough interview and was very nice.


Research:


Emmett Till was a 14 year old boy who was murdered for flirting with a white woman. One August 24, 1955 he was visiting some family in Money, Mississippi. When people heard he “flirted” with a white worker two white men kidnapped him and beat him then shot him in the head. An all white jury pleaded the men not guilty which struck an out-break in black history. At the open casket funeral people saw just how bad he was killed. In doing this the Civil Rights Movement ultimately began.


Sources:


http://www.biography.com/people/emmett-till-507515#awesome=~oF8 pLXL 7UAP x2E

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/till/

http://www.emmetttillmurder.com/


Transcript:

This is a interview done on May 22,2014 with my uncle William Flamer. We talked about the Civil Rights Movement and his daily life during that time. The interview followed like this:


G: The interview is about… the civil rights movement.

W: Civil Rights?

G:Yes…

W: Okay..

G: The start of questions is…. did you ever encounter racist people during this time?

W: (Repeats Question)

G: Yeah, during the Civil Rights.

W: What was the year of civil rights?
G: I’ll check….. like the 1960’s/

W: 1960s? Okay I was born in 1951. Wow! Thats  way back. I might have encountered, but I do not remember much from it. If you think about it, I was only 11.

G: So you--

W: Yeah, because 51 to around 60 is only about 11

G:-- So you remember people being racist, but you don’t know about it that much?

W: Yeah I was 11 years old, because people were still racist, but I don’t really remember it.

G: Do you remember people during this time? People who had like an impact on the civil rights like MLK or anyone else?

W: Yeah I remember MLK when he used to march and all…. and james brown! He had a radio station where he had talked about black.. black power and blacks being encouraged.

G: Ugh-- What was your most vivid experience in Civil rights?
W: Vivid? Like what was the best thing I remember during this time?

G: Yeah.. Yeah.

W: Ugh…………. I remember when we used to, in my town, the whites use to come through the front door while blacks came through the back in a beer garden or something like that. I remember when we worked as kids and whites at the table and we had to eat on the outside.

G: Oh … the nexts que--

W: Yeah.. stuff like that

G: Do you remember Emmett Till?
W: That the guy the hung?

G: The threw him in the water and they let him drown after they beat him. Umm.. did you ever witness people get injured?

W: Nah… I never witnessed that.

G: Oh, alright. Do you remember any particular entertainment? Any entertainment for black people back then?

W: Yeah… well……………………………………………………….????............. when the get together with their families. I didn't do a whole lot of going out.

G: Was there football games and stuff?
W: Yeah football games.. Oh! Yeah football games, we had both football and basketball teams and sometimes we played against some of the white teams.

G; Did Jackie Robinson play during this time?
W: I honestly dont know, Hes a baseball player right?

G: Yeah!

W: What year was Jackie born in?.. Oh yeah.. I remember hearing stories where when white teams stayed in hotels for games,,, he could not stay in them.

G: The last question is…. did this time affect you much? Like how did this affect you?

W: How did this affect me? Yeah it affected me because I think all people should be equal and should not be treated different because of his skin. Were all the same person and you should not judge a person  by the skin of their color. God created all people equal and its not like one nationality is better than another or anybody else. That not right. Yeah that still affects me today because certain people are down and others excel. Thats not right.

G: Okay.. Thank you uncle

W: Okay.. was it alright?
G: Yes.. thank you--

W: No.. No.. thank you

(Hand shake)
G: Thanks again and no problem uncle.


Media Upload:

New_Recording_2_1_

Oral History: J. Murray(Interviewer), C. Simmons(Interviewee)

Posted by Jaidah Murray in African American History - Roy - C on

​Abstract

The interview of Carolyn Simmons is from the standpoint of a young 15 year of African American female at the height of the movement, segregated times, and viewpoints on the non violence, speeches, NAACP,and  leaders.Simmons grew up in North Carolina Simmons parents did not let any of their children participate in any acts, in fears that they would get hurt. Simmons tells how her  father was a dedicated share cropper with the locale white folk, how the people they share cropped with were not racist towards their black family, but were like a part of the family, even though Simmons knew they never split the profit 50/50. The interview  expressed the struggles of the movement, memorable events, and more.


Research


The Simmons family were involved in share cropping. Sharecropping “Was common throughout the South well into the twentieth century, and required the work of entire families.” The economy forced blacks and whites to work together for profit by famer. The simmons family paid a landlord rent from their makings on the farm. Simmons parents were not former slaves but their parents or her grandparents were. Sharecroppers usually have a contract, but that was unclear if Simmons family was under the radar croppers, or official sharecroppers. Sharecroppers had no control over the way there plants and crops were sold, but Simmons family made a unequal but manageable profit. After the reconstruction, due to the economy black, and poor whites used sharecropping, over gang labor or slavery, and they both benefited.



http://www.learnnc.org/lp/editions/nchist-newsouth/4765

http://www.learnnc.org/lp/editions/nchist-newsouth/4698

http://ncpedia.org/sharecropping


Transcript:


J. Murray: Hi. My names Jaidah Murray I’ll be the interviewer today is Tuesday May 20, and I’m interviewing my grandmother Carolyn Simmons. The first question is what is your race/ethnicity or Nationality?


C. Simmons: African-American


J. Murray: What is your Fathers name?


C. Simmons: James Fisher Senior


J. Murray: What was his occupation?


C.Simmons: He was a sharecropper.


J. Murray: Could you explain what this consisted of doing?


C. Simmons: At the beginning of the year they planted stuff together, and once everything was ripe to be sold as far as the cotton and the ….and all that when they sold it to the other person,they would get a certain percentage, whoever they were in partners with always got half of what ever that percentage was, but i know it should have been 50/50


J. Murray: What was your mothers name?


C.Simmons: Edna earl moore


J Murray: What did she do?


C. Simmons: She was basically a housewife, and then she sort of kind was a nanny, she was a housekeeper and she babysitted


J Murray: Where were you born to clarify?


C Simmons: North Carolina


J Murray: Being born in North Carolina plus your ethnicity did this affect your comfort and treatment


C Simmons: Yes and No, because it was a lot of things they held back from us that we could have been doing like the things that are happening now, i could not do all that stuff, we was limited


J. Murray: Did you ever relocate to south carolina or anywhere deeper in the south?


C Simmons: No, i was just North Carolina born and raised


J murray: What was experiences with segregation when it was at its height?


C Simmons: Well, when I was growing up I saw it but i didn't really see it,because certain things i just didnt see, I don't know if it was because my mom and dad shield us from that part, but i do remember certain part of it , the prejudice parts. We weren't allowed to go in the restaurant straight from the door , we had to go to the kitchen side. The water fountain an stuff i really don't remember like that, but the restaurant we could not go in the front.


J Murray: What age were u at the height of the movement?


C Simmons: I think 16


J. Murray: Did you ever participate in any movement , any riot, the freedom rides, the sit ins?


C Simmons: No


J Murray: what were the majority of their races ?


C Simmons: it was not all white people, the people that my dad share cropped with acted like they were apart of our family. They did not treat us prejudice……


J Murray: what do you remember about the civil rights movement?


C Simmons: I just remember the marches and stuff the MLK did cause they always did the southern states, i remember that part but I was not apart of it, and i remember the school i went to always told us who we were.


J Murray: Was your education effected by any of this?


C Simmons: No , i wanted to get further


J Murray: did you see any equality after the movement


C Simmons:  Yes, it eased up some because its never going to totally go away, i dont think, thats my opinion, but it did ease up because they desegregate the schools, we were allowed to vote,its alot came from it


J Murray: being born at that age did your conception of a race change, were u ever biased to one race ever.


C Simmons: It did change, segregation and all that we became a little more equal to one another to make it short, that was the part that made me say i got to get out of school, because i can make a difference along the way somewhere


J Murray: Did you ever interact with the NAACP organization


C Simmons: No because the era I came from they were not out there like that, where we could get with the NAACP, we just had to have a representative, someone to represent us


J Murray: did you ever hear about Malcolm x or go to his speeches or anything?


C Simmons: i did not go to his speeches, but i heard him on the air ways, like everywhere i went mostly they were talking about Malcolm X


J Murray: So what was your whole outcome, positions, on his positions, and his thoughts, and their actions, and their non-violence, and their sit-ins and things like that


C Simmons: well i was with this non violence , i never thought he was trying to be racist or anything but it was at that time thats what it made him feel, so i love the non-violence cause that don't solve nothing. It dont solve nothing, and we all had to come together on that . And the ones that wanted to be, show that violence that anger and aggression , we just kind of overlooked them and tried to commit ourselves to the non- violence


J Murray: okay thanks i don't think i have any further questions


C Simmons: okay thank you , and thanks for choosing your memom


J Murray: lol okay you're welcome


C Simmons: alright i love you


J Murray: love you




Part 2 memom oral history
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