"LIVING HISTORY"

How did you feel when Brown won the case against the Board? What impact did it have on your life?
1.) Let’s just say that the landmark case decision in 1954 came down to Brown vs. Board of education, I was quit young but, everything I know about it and read about it that was in its historic case and as it relates to the public integration of public education and prior to that landmark decision the public education was segregated and meaning blacks were at one school and whites were at another and so “um” that ended that segregation and I think it has greatly impacted the education process for blacks in particular. Ended legal segregation in public schools.

Describe what Martin Luther Kings letter "From Birmingham jail" and "I have a Dream" speech mean to you?
2.) Well the first part of the question about the letter to Birmingham jail, Dr. King was at the time was president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and was heavenly involved in the civil rights movement and so Dr. King had gone to Birmingham to “um” because of the injustice system there. Out of frustration he wrote the clergymen about his views on the injustice system afflicted on African Americans, as you know their have been a lot of unsolved bombing. This was of African Americans families, known as Negroes back then. In churches and African Americans would not be able to vote and just all those injustices that “um” were afflicted upon blacks and so he was trying do right without the wrong, he had been criticized by the clergymen. They referred to him as a “outsider”, but Dr. King stated in that letter to in parts that anyone born in the U.S. should never be considered a outsider and he was there because of those injustices and "um" he had been Dissatisfied with their leadership, the church in particular the white churches and their leadership and so Dr. King was their to "um" fight those injustices. The I have A Dream speech was on April 28,1963 in Washington D.C. at the Momorial , that was the largest turnout for any public speaking in the history of America. Dr. King and about 200 hundred 50 thousand people gathered their and they discussed the injustice system and blacks, and also that the Declaration of Independence gives all men the equal right and the “Freedom of the Pursuit of Liberty, and injustices to all men.




How did President John F. Kennedy's assassination impact you?
3.) it greatly impacted me because, I was a teen during that time but president Kennedy was one president that I could identify with in terms of during things that would lift black people up and help people in general. We were in need of social services and just making life better for the good of their lives. And so when Kennedy was assassinated it was just a very sad time, “it still saddens me today” to think of that time “um” I was on my way from work when I learned that news about his assassination, and it was just a very devastating moment.


Do you think that the sit-ins and freedom rides had a good impact on the civil rights movement?
4.) Yes I do, back in the 50s and 60s they were taking place all over the South. Freedom riders were traveling throughout the South to retail stores, restaurants, hotels and public accommodations were an issue. The voter’s registration integration of counters was a big issue. It greatly impacted the Civil Rights movement. In 1964 Greensboro North Carolina gained national attention to help launch the Civil Rights movement.

Why do you think on early television they portrayed women as housewives and nothing more?
5.) Largely because women were looked upon as caretakers their main role was to take care of their families, nurture them. Men were the breadwinners-working to financially support their families.

Do you think the baby boomer’s impacted society in a good or bad way?
6.) I think in a good way, they took on responsibility that was handed down to them from their parents, so I think they are responsitors to our society. They carry the torch of their generation.

Do you consider Malcolm X as a role model for youths today who want change?
7.)Yes I do, Malcolm Little also known as Malcolm X born in 1925, during a time of a lot of turmoil relating to race relations, so I believe he was a very frustrated man during his early years, because his family had suffered many attacks from the KKK; for example: his father was slavishly murdered by a white man, family home was burned and mother was institutionalized because of stress, so Malcolm lost hope and turned to the way of petty crimes. He was jailed as a teen, but it was during that time that he alienated himself from the jail population and educated himself and so this was the beginning of him becoming a better person. His life relates to many young people of today-black males in particular.

When Jackie Robinson integrated baseball did you feel the world was making a big change as far as blacks and whites coming together as one?
8.) Well, again this was during my early childhood years 1947, when he was allowed to play baseball with other white ball players, so what I know it caused a lot of tension, with him breaking the color barrier line-caused a lot of tension in the sports world. He wasn’t welcomed to the league. His wife and family endured a lot of harassment from whites, but overall it brought blacks and whites together… “a movement was coming”

How did you feel about the 2000 election of President George W. Bush?
9.) “Well, that’s one for the history books”, what I mean is that was a lot of controversy regarding the outcome for the alleged voting problems, lots of concerns about improper count of votes in the Florida electoral votes etc… eventually U.S. Supreme court declared Bush the winner due to wealthy people influence. “I think”, that was the closes presidential election since the mid 1800s.

What did you think about the world after 9/11?
10.) “Aaww jeese”, for me it was “um” another sad day in America for me because innocent people lost their lives. I believe all Americans were impacted by 9/11. The days following the attack were a time for reflection and a time to reach out to our fellow man. That’s enough-strings up my emotion again.

Explain changes in the world that took place when Ronald Reagan was President?
11.) I’ll just say this was the era of Reaganomic-meaning a recession. Social services cutbacks were negatively impacted, poor people lost a lot during that time. The Cold War ended and the Berlin Walls comes down.


When you were sitting at the inauguration and they were swearing President-elect Barack Obama into office what was going threw your head at that present time? Do you feel that he will deliver and bring the United States change?
12.) Well, I was in Washington DC, at the historical swearing in of the 1st African American for president, Barack Obama. Their were so many people I don’t exactly know where I was in the court, but I do know I was aver joyed and grateful to GOD that I lived to see the day. It was especially exciting to share this event with two of my granddaughters and my husband as well. Yes, I do feel (in time) president Obama will bring change to the U.S. as he worked to find solutions to the monumental economic problems currently facing the U.S.