00:00:01.070 - 00:00:09.600

Okay. Got it. What? This is Roberta Perkins.

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Today's date is Friday, October the 3rd, 2003. And I'm interviewing Reverend Alan Oliver seems to many junior.

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And we're here at the iron genome Natural History Museum. And I'm interviewing Reverend Smith as part of the iron hill restoration project.

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And from this project we seek to obtain experience as a former students at the iron Hill School. And at this time reference mic.

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I want to thank you so very much for your time. Thank you. First start off with a few questions

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about growing up in an iron Hill community. If you could state your full name and date and place of birth. My full name is the revenue of a smooth game.

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And I was born in on Hill though we're on May the 20th, 1930 wound. I lived in a little house. Now is call Smith,

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Wei wu Smit way slip away road now is call Smith. We have parsec is approximately 2.5, maybe three Mao.

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Okay. Coyne, who your parents? My parents my mother was excel will be hops Bill Smith,

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and my father's name was Albert Smith. See what do you spend your mother's name? Her purse. Es T allele. Okay.

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And Hopkins. Hopkins. It should be flipped now which is okay. Okay. Wow. Her middle name

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with Bertha AS me hop well, because he got up and you have brothers and sisters? Yes. I had four sisters and one brother.

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My oldest sister. They all theses now, my oldest sister who was named Dorothy. My album on Next next to

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her was my sister named Margie, Marjorie, and nella sister was Mildred. And I had a brother after her. His name was Ernest and

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my younger sister was named Daisy. Did you always made and are most of all my life and the step two years I was the service.

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Okay. I'm I ask you about that. You service experience. He later on it. Can you describe a little bit

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what your house with line? One of them was a small little house and there was no back there come from a poor family.

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We had to make the best way we could back there. My home, it was minus home. It wasn't all at modeling,

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but it was a nice old white guy. What do you remember if you remember any particular thing about your childhood growing up?

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Yeah. Well, it was great. It was it was beautiful. I had a beautiful childhood. You for me, I was surrounded by a relative.

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Most of relatives lived in that same area that I live day. And I had cousins to play with. And it was really fun.

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I really had one come up the hill. Can you tell me? Just in your neighborhood what see what game did you play it?

00:04:07.540 - 00:04:21.920

Well, we we play baseball, we played marbles and hopscotch. Girls use the jump golden. And we had probably know by now with this,

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we had we get old tours and we use the bottom up and down the route, takes Dickson Hello, and it would roll down the highway.

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And we call F1. And then we use legal, moral law to, we too will Carter. Two wheels on how to actually add a poll would come

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on and we had a little stairwell. We whose god-like we've gotten cause the home work. He's a bicycle tires card.

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Now, the the regular cargo mix that up with a car. Cars are much thinner though it has folks and I'm allowed

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to say How did you how did people in the community, when you were growing up, communicate? How did people keep up with what was

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going on in the community, outside of the community. While most of the time. Who would would go

00:05:22.580 - 00:05:31.190

tell Wes I'm going to happen in the community would be by word of mouth. We then get it back there. We had no telephone with the back-end.

00:05:31.190 - 00:05:41.930

Um, I miles, I didn't have no telephones. And we would like in school we communicate with and also at the church, we only get the latest news

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going on in our community. Your family? Oh, yes. Okay.

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Do you know where data person purchasers in the family of that? Yeah. I think there were yeah, they do not want to cause no,

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actually, I don't know. I can call me white young people for America. I'm going to copy it out. What the piano, I can't even

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remember what they would have social gatherings like at church is we add the Social Affairs. Sometimes things go,

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sometime we do visit each other. How is it has these have hives party that gets nobody knows way down. All these have house parties,

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come together, socialize with one another. Firstly, most of the time we have house party would be like on a Saturday night, Friday night when people didn't have to go to

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work and every byproduct? Well, yeah. Back there. I'm going to tell the truth with these our alcoholic beverage.

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Yeah. I never always had been a Christian minister in the world, the same as anybody else. When any beverages made?

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A homemade beer, made only a homely one. Pipe length. And what did you use to make the windbreak? They use there? Well, he is

00:07:24.170 - 00:07:42.810

then divided by the width then though even then. And, and re wine, fruit one. I remember headquartered on the wire.

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Okay. What were important celebrations in the community? Well, the greatest level

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would be like my expression, I like holiday, like Fourth of July, Memorial Day, Easter, and Christmas. Or any other more important than the others?

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Did you celebrate community celebrate on in the Atlantic? Chris mode was a really a day that we ease to celebrate because we would

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go from house to house visits. And the zinc friends and relatives about that. Then Christmas, one of

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the greatest holidays that we celebrate it back there. Weekends and school nights. As a young person, how like

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when you say yeah. Well, I will say about maybe nine or ten o'clock. We'll go back there.

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We append num this day if Washington had to tell him, and most of all at this radios, make any holiday or weekend time.

00:09:03.010 - 00:09:10.300

Well, we jolly well. We are pairs with very strict they they want us in the house that at a certain time.

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And if we were in, we would pay to contact me. Do you want to elaborate on the contour lines?

00:09:19.860 - 00:09:31.550

You want to elaborate on what the contract that we have. We'll then look at the Ohio, have a true and we would pass with them,

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break a limb off that business to give you a lost you notice with T reminder, everyone? Yeah. Do you know almost quarterly.

00:09:47.810 - 00:09:59.240

Religious ceremony? Yes. I came for me with that when I left the school and went to how hot left hand and I don't want to hang on.

00:09:59.240 - 00:10:10.000

I got well 20 width of this quarry and warm button at that time. But by making here hi, yeah, I can imagine.

00:10:10.000 - 00:10:17.400

I can recall, but I believe that we did go with the farm when I was here on Hill. Living on Hill.

00:10:18.850 - 00:10:29.330

How important Western church in your community? Very important and very importantly. It was the hub of the community,

00:10:29.330 - 00:10:44.820

the Church, both the hub of the moon. Other services, what went on? And the church or as an extension as well? We would most of the time,

00:10:44.820 - 00:10:56.690

they would help the families. There were no needed help and they would sort of what we call a ministry. Today, we did with gouache

00:10:56.690 - 00:11:06.800

along Tombow, help people, bringing them food or wherever they stand in need of Jim Crow, the clothes that they could where we let them

00:11:06.800 - 00:11:23.270

have a whole lot better then. And then they loved the day ended days. The linearity, I believe. Do you think this experience in a church?

00:11:23.270 - 00:11:30.170

Extra light? It did. It really did. I did because now I am ordained minister.

00:11:30.170 - 00:11:41.400

And he did. It helped me a lot. At what at what point in your life did you decide you wanted to go like, well, it was late in life.

00:11:41.400 - 00:11:59.100

I know how will they did a long time. But I came to the Lord. Was we see the baptism of the Holy Spirit, say in the year of 1980881980.

00:12:05.350 - 00:12:19.880

When you were young. What jobs are available? Well, right across from where I live, there was a polis, now polish, but a Finnish family

00:12:19.880 - 00:12:29.240

who was chicken farmers. And I worked on, at dawn someone with a helpline and a chicken farm as

00:12:29.240 - 00:12:43.860

we've gotten A's to chicken coops and all that, copy breath. And then we still pick tomatoes. And different homework.

00:12:44.200 - 00:12:56.570

Then coordinate, then can help. And obviously we mostly formed, mostly form related. We're not going do that.

00:12:56.570 - 00:13:09.170

Well, OK, and remember going add one out. Well, I got old enough to where I went to high school. I I still work on but

00:13:09.170 - 00:13:26.280

after I went to no fill out the occupation. What's that your first job? I would say that it was my first I want to pay my head.

00:13:26.410 - 00:13:34.850

It wasn't much. Will maybe a couple of hours a day, someone maybe more Nebula. Now, how long did you work with it?

00:13:34.850 - 00:13:43.860

Monday through Friday. I would say maybe Monday through Friday, no, because we never work he never work on Sundays.

00:13:43.860 - 00:13:55.760

Saturday. Saturday still working. I will say I've made maybe love him by eight and perform live intubate, say about 10 somebody as

00:13:55.760 - 00:14:03.470

a manager, It's founded a. Okay. And you did this and tell you we're about well,

00:14:03.470 - 00:14:15.690

I did it until I went to high school. And after I went to high school, I did work on a farm on Saturdays to tell I graduated to analyze.

00:14:22.390 - 00:14:32.450

What were your experiences with the various employers? You know, how well the lady, as I told you was he was finished and

00:14:32.450 - 00:14:42.050

she was very fine grained time. He was considered I like her. Her name was cross-sell. I think that was it that I

00:14:42.050 - 00:14:55.340

can spell it out is funded by TEA here with a nice lady to work. Here. Remember what race relations were like growing up?

00:14:55.340 - 00:15:07.150

Well, I will call it, say it fair. I have some good white plans. When I was growing up. The family that live up here

00:15:07.150 - 00:15:19.830

on which is now SAP row name hormones. And they were very good friends of mine. In fact, they had a white school right here on the corner.

00:15:19.830 - 00:15:32.170

On Chapel and bomb or pipe. The converted into a hat. It's never the that was cool. Yeah. I read and write anything.

00:15:32.170 - 00:15:40.090

I want to be fair. We tell you to. We didn't have running, but do we know? We've got Alone Together, ikea weekend.

00:15:40.090 - 00:15:55.180

Good together with the white white people, we did. And education or housing or in any situation that you can

00:15:55.180 - 00:16:03.940

remember to you on what were some of your experiences with discrimination or do you remember? Well, even having 96?

00:16:03.940 - 00:16:14.350

Well, first of all, I would I would say that afterthought planets, this school, I had to catch

00:16:14.350 - 00:16:23.160

a train to go into Walmart and when there was a school within the five mile radius of where I lived in New York hot.

00:16:23.160 - 00:16:31.560

Like when you go there, I had to cut hanging going to want that good at Howard high school. When I was little better way to ask the why,

00:16:31.560 - 00:16:39.970

why can I voters who are closer to my home that I had to go? I after I got off the train, I had to walk a base 7

00:16:39.970 - 00:16:49.720

they 14 blocks the high school. But I was blessed in the one-way caught my father. He worked for the Pennsylvania

00:16:49.720 - 00:17:01.330

Railroad at a time and that free transportation by training. What was your day like? I'm going to Howard Hi.

00:17:01.330 - 00:17:09.500

To complete your education. And by that I mean, you know what time did you hacked it? Well, we'll have to heat up early.

00:17:09.500 - 00:17:21.950

We had around around six o'clock. I believe my train left them a little place. They call aren't a hill station. About 730 train with Tom

00:17:21.950 - 00:17:32.090

and at least took a train they maybe 15, 20, maybe 25 minutes to go from our hill to vomiting. So it was by eight o'clock when I

00:17:32.090 - 00:17:44.270

got to the station, Amtrak with anthrax days now, Hb pulse wave station. I used to walk home from there from France.

00:17:44.270 - 00:18:01.810

We do 14th, unpopular and Wilmington. Too good to pass along long as you got older,

00:18:01.810 - 00:18:18.980

do you remember like if you had to go to a restaurant or hometown right here, unexperienced. Well, I never had a real us bearings,

00:18:18.980 - 00:18:27.020

but it will be good. Angry when I sum my planes, the wife wrote they would go in the front door and I

00:18:27.020 - 00:18:39.350

would have to go in the bag. But I never really got gotten really out of paper. That you understand what

00:18:39.350 - 00:18:55.850

that was all about one-time? Oh, yeah. Did you participate in efforts to dispel that discrimination?

00:18:55.850 - 00:19:10.240

Did you ever call yourself? I know I really didn't. I should have but I did. And soggy experiences that you

00:19:10.240 - 00:19:22.200

had, discrimination and segregation. How did you handle them? I found them very well. When I when service.

00:19:22.200 - 00:19:35.590

We were with Zoom again, I want to do or with what? I over color, you know, because, you know, I thank God that I came I know

00:19:35.590 - 00:19:46.060

I could overcome it and fat. And when I when I when I finished the basic training, I went in Alaska when I was

00:19:46.060 - 00:19:56.400

the first black person in that while I was in Alaska, first one out, I integrated that that whole company.

00:19:56.400 - 00:20:14.230

What was the guy? I was yeah, it was to suddenly for airborne sound on film. And so what was that experience like for you?

00:20:14.230 - 00:20:25.370

It was, well, we have some nice guys. I most of the guys was from California and Chicago. They did a hay day with together with

00:20:25.370 - 00:20:38.540

the integrated data and we split. They took me in as a brother. Nano problem. How long did you serve in the military to use t?

00:20:38.540 - 00:20:52.310

Well, after I got a I went to work at all. I want to work with sodium. More. Work work was no output for 38 here and one capacity.

00:20:52.310 - 00:21:01.200

I was Wichita there. I will put a technical term. I was a sanitation engineer. Fact that with the garbage man,

00:21:01.200 - 00:21:11.940

what I drove withdraw. Okay. Did you have any family members before you were in the military?

00:21:11.940 - 00:21:21.070

My brother, my brother was, he wasn't, so he was in the Navy and Dawn World War Two. I go in the courts. Korean company.

00:21:21.070 - 00:21:38.060

How long we're seeing all my brother was a Navy base 3 or maybe more. When you were in the service, where did you sign?

00:21:38.060 - 00:21:44.060

Opposite? I was drafted. I was drafted and I left behind. Okay.

00:21:44.060 - 00:21:50.960

Well, what's a treatment like there are with the procedure. Oh, well, we know it was pretty roughly the players

00:21:50.960 - 00:22:03.700

that physical damnation because at that time, I was way and I thought I was going to call my side. I would decibels skinny person.

00:22:03.700 - 00:22:12.050

And they all say, Yeah, they're like OEM phase, you're not compared to local gone. So it didn't work

00:22:12.050 - 00:22:21.760

that way. Didn't work anyway. What was it that he Did you just make the weight require manner? Like I did.

00:22:21.760 - 00:22:32.280

I just made it. Just made it. What was it like you're not basically it was Ralph. I took I took

00:22:32.280 - 00:22:43.010

heavy infantry training which was 16 weeks. And I we did everything that the armpit required us to do and it was pretty rough.

00:22:43.010 - 00:22:52.940

16 16 weeks of infantry training. Did you find that smaller guy? I think it's page five. I came out why I got

00:22:52.940 - 00:22:59.720

this door that way William fought way I would weigh invade a £140. I never put that way. Later years when I went into

00:22:59.720 - 00:23:13.860

the ministry and I really picked up. What were your duties to your training? Well, I was fine. I was worked out

00:23:13.860 - 00:23:23.630

the communication department. I was a warm in fact, I was a switchboard operator, del whole switchboard operator L with

00:23:23.630 - 00:23:41.720

my main occupation while the service. So did you see commenting? Yeah. No. Bless you. No, I didn't say could

00:23:41.720 - 00:23:52.220

you say stateside or why not? Well, E's call it asked when I was there but now the elephant will ask. Okay, let me kind

00:23:52.220 - 00:24:02.570

of take us back to the community a little bit in politics. What Thank you. You remember back down, voting campaigns and all.

00:24:02.570 - 00:24:15.360

Yeah, they're Bayes to use the school has for, for for some of the campaign, you know, they would common hold rallies at the school.

00:24:16.480 - 00:24:27.650

And the printer every election year they would come around, they would present the candidates who was run for a particular office of the of

00:24:27.650 - 00:24:41.540

the of the State Warriors down here when you became a pretty spell on him? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

00:24:41.540 - 00:24:51.950

So anyone ever tried to pay you? Oh, yeah. They will try to buy low clouded by. What were some of

00:24:51.950 - 00:25:05.660

the things that tactic thinking? Well, maybe we'll find our sum like that. And they would try to buy your vote. Or some of

00:25:05.660 - 00:25:20.750

the prominent politicians think during their time on one hey, did was he worked out, it was courts and warmth and he

00:25:20.750 - 00:25:32.090

lay was have I am, Let's take an innately good borrowing. And he was, he was the motivator. And he knew everybody.

00:25:32.090 - 00:25:48.190

Can you, all, everybody live on a hill and Glasgow area. And it was a polarity to when biliary yeah, they didn't they would Wayne.

00:25:48.190 - 00:25:58.880

He was he help somehow office Pollock off with but I don't know what a worker politicians ever

00:25:58.880 - 00:26:12.580

affected or responsive to. Requests for me today aren't hell? Well. I would say yes. And some of the issues they

00:26:12.580 - 00:26:32.020

would they would promise never came to fulfillment. Someone did some that say how do you think life has changed?

00:26:32.020 - 00:26:43.690

You aren't help community? Oh, yeah. Train chain. Where all the houses are surrounded in an area with

00:26:43.690 - 00:26:51.260

loudly what feels good. But it has. The poppy that the population has really grown

00:26:51.260 - 00:27:04.870

a whole lot different. I would say they'll day a lot of field that we do. Hunt rabbits, eat whale.

00:27:04.870 - 00:27:17.210

We know they have build houses now. Do you think you could find some of the trails and pathways that

00:27:17.210 - 00:27:34.150

out the path that we're used to, those that build houses are gone. Because everyone nouns Hall, on and so on. The cost right down here,

00:27:34.150 - 00:27:43.990

it would occur the next row down that there had below it. That's the way we use a term I had to walk to school always come down.

00:27:43.990 - 00:27:54.080

Well, we call it now snuff way rude. And we will cut through the woods. And Akamai where churches that they demonstrated with,

00:27:54.080 - 00:28:03.640

which is on a woodcut road. Then we would go up up, pay off our dry where to where my grandmother used to live.

00:28:03.640 - 00:28:14.920

And then we will cut cost was right over here and come to school at how extensive your family and iron hell.

00:28:14.920 - 00:28:26.780

How many family members? All most all my family members do. No. No. Okay. Grandparents, cousins,

00:28:26.780 - 00:28:40.030

il a way away with a back all your family. Okay. What advice would you give young people today?

00:28:40.030 - 00:28:52.430

I will tell Mosley is down to stay in school, get all education. You can, and get to know the laws. To get to know the Lord.

00:28:52.430 - 00:29:14.060

Me purposes, get to know the Lord and accept him as their personal savior. Will add with this is I'll end side, take one side to take one.

00:29:14.060 - 00:29:26.150

April as professor of geography class is going to ask Reverend span. I would like to follow up on

00:29:26.150 - 00:29:35.720

questions and refer to ask you about some like here and in the heel area. One of the things that came up with when you first mentioned Smith Playground,

00:29:35.720 - 00:29:42.950

I need and I wondered is that the name anyway? Yeah, that's my fav and they did they how did they

00:29:42.950 - 00:29:53.480

manage to come up with that? Well, he was the first one. I've got black family that lived on the road. So they they voted.

00:29:53.480 - 00:30:01.480

There was only wrote after my family and he said there were a lot of your family within this area? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Thank you. Oh, man.

00:30:01.480 - 00:30:12.370

Well, if we're comfortable. Yeah, we did any feel for how many acres that came out? I believe that I wouldn't be fair to say that

00:30:12.370 - 00:30:21.120

at one time followed problem and they maybe 48. Thank you. Were farming that well, we ponder.

00:30:21.670 - 00:30:29.360

And what would I think I heard you say you're working in a park, pick tomatoes and car. Because on the family now and

00:30:29.360 - 00:30:39.420

how we read the graph, we're now, well, I went to work, I weighed different bombs. And thus farms are within walking distance.

00:30:39.420 - 00:30:49.280

Well, we somehow would be involved in this and some would they typically are, they typically farms that way? Owners. Islam were somewhat

00:30:49.280 - 00:30:57.910

more Samoa and some on, we're not because we had a prominent family in Antarctica, black family.

00:30:57.910 - 00:31:08.060

The whim swam where? Glasgow high, that now if they were one of the biggest farmers around this date of that way at that time.

00:31:08.060 - 00:31:18.180

And they were hired on, where were they when they were hard, harder, pause on for like harvesting wheat or corn like that.

00:31:18.180 - 00:31:33.950

In fact, assist with Mrs. Williams. He had had a stand and limited occasionally harvesting on your family while we did the family meal.

00:31:33.950 - 00:31:41.090

So you basically when I'm trying to think of a child yet, he said that he started around eight or nine. Then when you finish school

00:31:41.090 - 00:31:47.190

than would be expected, the family Oh, yeah. We have we have aquatic caused a deal when we came,

00:31:47.190 - 00:32:01.310

we had we had to cut wood. We had to feed the pigs. Like that. We had a course around the house to do. Table is busy telling you went off

00:32:01.310 - 00:32:10.550

to work on somebody else's property? Well, sometimes we win. We win. No, father and my father would do it. They go into groups.

00:32:10.550 - 00:32:16.430

I'm kind of curious. I know that it's changed today. A lot of times today when young children earn some money

00:32:16.430 - 00:32:23.350

in their pocket money, where does your money go? Well, I had good parent of the day. The money I may do

00:32:23.350 - 00:32:35.570

that Mu key hybrid plan that he wouldn't take them from. Which has spent her wow. Carefully candy and stuff like the muffins.

00:32:35.570 - 00:32:48.080

But because there was no place to go. Maybe those little movie, once in a while. Edward Curtis mimic the market that was, that was that Elton.

00:32:48.080 - 00:32:58.520

Because it was segregated economies that this law area up in the bathroom. But we couldn't go to nor should they had

00:32:58.520 - 00:33:05.440

a theater and you're like, Oh, yeah. I have one tall stay theater or minus three payments. Yeah. No. No.

00:33:05.440 - 00:33:10.850

Thank you. Thing with Deci product Newark them. Yeah. Another question. You're working you are I think you said

00:33:10.850 - 00:33:19.550

38. Could you move to you? I know. I know. I I stay around and I say around

00:33:19.550 - 00:33:27.080

the glass going on hilly area. And I after my second wife, I met my wife. First wife. I'm married again.

00:33:27.080 - 00:33:37.400

That's why I moved into won't become your family stayed in the ion tail here. Yeah, I gotta do this. Had built a new home on

00:33:37.400 - 00:33:44.270

the old home place ultimately road. Okay. And she's holding a lot of land there were wealthy well sheet

00:33:44.270 - 00:33:51.900

I'm going to have it because we, we then so some of the wisdom and that was very good. Question went into a lot of the parts of

00:33:51.900 - 00:34:02.060

the plan by the black families, african American hammock and sell, not mostly back there though. Actually to be truthful with you,

00:34:02.060 - 00:34:10.950

a black family lost a lot of ground by not paying the taxes. That was the main to play that happened, that,

00:34:10.950 - 00:34:19.240

that the black family lost ground because they didn't pay the taxes. And then the, the whites would come in and check it out.

00:34:19.240 - 00:34:28.040

Whose land wasn't pay tax you pay. And then they would pay the tax and eventually they would take the UK.

00:34:28.040 - 00:34:39.800

Yeah, we lose that. What's the timeframe are happening? I want slightly better than the late 50s or 60s on why this

00:34:39.800 - 00:34:49.490

may be the Seventh Amendment actually has not heard of depression and what we do, yeah, Grant and I need to act in terms of if the families couldn't

00:34:49.490 - 00:34:56.060

pay the tax on the land. Why do you think what, what's happening? Why couldn't these bad? I think you can talk about

00:34:56.060 - 00:35:06.290

different work on agriculture. You real quick. What most after they got us or they would leave and go

00:35:06.290 - 00:35:14.930

someplace else and they will they will concern about the fathers by the ANC was grounds. The whoops, that the younger

00:35:14.930 - 00:35:22.940

generation, yeah, When I left the parents adventure the day dot out, you know, what happened

00:35:22.940 - 00:35:32.450

here is that aging parents, his take on these farms, could no longer come up with. The children moved to different places.

00:35:32.450 - 00:35:40.610

They weren't concerned. So now this is interesting because it suggests there wasn't a really strong attachment to

00:35:40.610 - 00:35:56.210

the plan and wanting to preserve Broadway. Why that would have been okay. So in the late 1950s, 1960s, a lot of these larger land holdings

00:35:56.210 - 00:36:06.380

from these old her family leaping off that they do taxes it and then whoever the white family wavelength. Well, I mean, it's interesting

00:36:06.380 - 00:36:12.710

when you talked about the jobs you've had, your eye was here for another interview where he worked for the railroad.

00:36:12.710 - 00:36:21.170

His father worked for the railroad upon you to your father? Yeah. Right now her tongue was an important place

00:36:21.170 - 00:36:31.120

for community here in that chat bot obviously the railroad, they only would you call that only job, Go Aero and Pfam.

00:36:31.120 - 00:36:40.910

Pfam railroad venture will pay more than the farmers would pay. So they would go to the railroad. And the railroad company

00:36:40.910 - 00:36:50.390

had no problem hierarchy. They were well know, most of them will use as crackling. They would they would hold no big reason why

00:36:50.390 - 00:37:01.690

a woman's OR operators they would DO DO common labor. One of the job that your father's channel? Oh, yeah. Yeah.

00:37:01.690 - 00:37:11.240

Yeah. Facebook, Libra. So they work on the farm, but it brought cash into the family life. It's interesting that they gave you

00:37:11.240 - 00:37:17.090

the free transportation underwhelming. Yeah. The father's generation have to fight for that

00:37:17.090 - 00:37:26.370

correctly because it obviously wasn't employed. A boy by the causeway where the children That was born in school is

00:37:26.370 - 00:37:33.650

eligible for a fleet transportation. That worked out really well. You didn't give up. The other job that you

00:37:33.650 - 00:37:42.920

talked about, these nice agriculture, the railroad which are very tied here that you talked about the military, sir. Lot of the men from this area join up

00:37:42.920 - 00:37:55.440

and most of the young man was drafted and proud with some that would unlisted, but most almost drafted

00:37:55.440 - 00:38:04.790

myself. I was drafted. And that's interesting. And you were drafting separate Korea. Did it, did you find

00:38:04.790 - 00:38:13.550

there have been a lot written about military and how it affected the progress of African American population that you find the career.

00:38:13.550 - 00:38:25.270

It opened up doorway when you came back back and he served in the military. Well, then I'll blow up some doorways and suddenly well,

00:38:25.270 - 00:38:37.160

I know there was still some some jobs that we will qualify to have a yet we were denied. What kind of yeah.

00:38:37.160 - 00:38:48.490

I was I was that classify as a long and a switchboard operator. And I come to know God with a telephone company

00:38:48.490 - 00:39:02.610

back in the 19 sixties. Well, the services 51, I came into T3. And when he returned, he had this training in the military.

00:39:03.910 - 00:39:10.870

And it was that about the time then that you look for the job and new work? Well, yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

00:39:10.870 - 00:39:17.770

And in terms of the types of jobs you could get now, they obviously I have another have their own electrical division.

00:39:17.770 - 00:39:26.770

They wouldn't have hired you for a higher job and that we have we have 1 1 of employees. He he will be end of the electrical company,

00:39:26.770 - 00:39:38.220

electrical diploma of York, and they treat him so bad. He was scared of what may happen. He came back to occupy.

00:39:38.350 - 00:39:54.440

And with your department primarily hey, your drink in the Polish trash collector, all of you to measure the electroweak. You know that the fact that

00:39:54.440 - 00:40:05.420

they wouldn't hire you incur to job to Cloud, but again, that you always stuck with me. Yes or no light. Did that tend to I'm assuming it was kind of

00:40:05.420 - 00:40:12.060

discouraging the world the way it was humanitarian. Were you married at that time? Yes.

00:40:12.060 - 00:40:23.660

And children I had though. I have four children here, described for them what their opportunity. Well, I couldn't because

00:40:23.660 - 00:40:34.340

now we're told that this won't be a chain is how the change was on top of adventure they came. But you can't let that discourage.

00:40:34.340 - 00:40:44.990

You. Got I spot. You might say I'm talking too much of a religion, but I'm strictly a god man.

00:40:44.990 - 00:40:52.750

And I love God. I love, I love the work that I'm doin and the ministry. And you gotta have,

00:40:52.750 - 00:41:01.130

you gotta have a lovely coin to overcome problems. I know allow problem. If I didn't have the Lord on my side,

00:41:01.130 - 00:41:15.720

I have where I will be. Thank God, accepting my personal savior. And they've had then a whole lot better. You we're working.

00:41:15.720 - 00:41:30.440

Well. I when I was called into the ministry, he had to be called in order to really be successful in the ministry. I was called and my phone will

00:41:30.440 - 00:41:38.740

pass or who is good then gone out of them was John Brown. And he told me that the god had a calling on my light.

00:41:38.740 - 00:41:53.410

And I pray about it and guide open up the doors. And that's how I'm in the ministry today. And I went to a theological school,

00:41:53.410 - 00:42:14.910

graduated with a Bachelor of the Bolden seminar and vomiting point. I believe I graduated and ask when NAD 8089. I have my diploma or GED read for.

00:42:14.910 - 00:42:25.460

This was really tiny. We're still working. Oh yeah. Yeah. I never never we talk on the sea a New York until 1993.

00:42:25.460 - 00:42:35.630

I am sure. I am retired minister now. On top after I had my last I belong to

00:42:35.630 - 00:42:45.170

the un American methods Episcopal Church. And I was signed. The law had a pastor, three churches. I pastor a church and in my first job

00:42:45.170 - 00:42:52.680

was in a church of Philadelphia call friendship. You AME Church. Now I came back, I pass my little Thursday

00:42:52.680 - 00:43:01.100

on what a career which is saying Daniel, I love saying dan is willing to church and avidly alcohols Galilee, you Amy chosen out.

00:43:01.100 - 00:43:12.050

We taught from that. And the oboe. Two thousand, two thousand two hotels. Okay. My last question. Where new arc you worked in New York.

00:43:12.050 - 00:43:19.860

How well we did tie between hire African community and the African-American community and preparing your wireframe?

00:43:19.860 - 00:43:29.480

Well, I believe that they were worth point was 0 together to both. I love phones, but I live in

00:43:29.480 - 00:43:38.340

New York and I believe they, while most of the people house and he finds a normal walk and we got along, yeah, the bot communities and

00:43:38.340 - 00:43:51.820

log on with a relative. In fact, in fact, the last teacher was Hannah, what my cousin, many rod or she was Malcolm.

00:43:51.820 - 00:43:57.590

Okay. And she went here. He or she taught school. Case. You will the last teacher

00:43:57.590 - 00:44:10.010

that taught school actually right here and now she doesn't know. Her. Look for there were some very interesting time and

00:44:10.010 - 00:44:20.480

I knew our students also have to catch the train. Know they well, they had above they went live one Bhabha who provide,

00:44:20.480 - 00:44:29.290

I think this they dealt with the dot here. You'd be happy with it. You aren't direct way. Either way. They saw in the way he

00:44:29.290 - 00:44:37.520

could He had you don't drown to the fact that you had not had to kind of work you have to free transportation. Yeah.

00:44:37.520 - 00:44:45.650

What would have I don't know him by the grace of God that weren't take that away. I don't know what would happen if I would probably have

00:44:45.650 - 00:44:54.710

to I probably would have went to school until I came. I think they went to the eighth grade and

00:44:54.710 - 00:45:01.160

I would have probably would've had to when they're transferring to how high the only thing that ever happened,

00:45:01.160 - 00:45:09.490

that groundwork happening. Oh, I made all over the world. It was a blessing. Did get your sisters usage as well.

00:45:09.490 - 00:45:17.840

We all the family all the family members. I went to school. They used it up to our in-class thing when you got

00:45:17.840 - 00:45:27.120

on a train and you know, we will start together. We will start there. Wouldn't be no, definitely.

00:45:27.120 - 00:45:37.720

I was so long why people are wildly? No, it wasn't. Those bugs will cause that we had drawn was we knew and he called me walking.

00:45:37.720 - 00:45:46.180

Quite a quite a number of students. They came from families for connected railway. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

00:45:46.180 - 00:45:55.680

I think that with kind of where I was going for here. Okay. This is Robert Perkins Ahmed. I'm going to continue

00:45:55.680 - 00:46:10.520

interviewing reverence men about his experiences in school. Referenced Smith. These questions. I'm going to probably jump around

00:46:10.520 - 00:46:24.440

a little bit newer. And now our school years, did you though? I started a thought in the 1930s. Okay.

00:46:24.440 - 00:46:33.420

And you went to 943, which was the sixth grade. I six years. Worked out.

00:46:33.420 - 00:46:43.180

What was that experience like for you? There was a wonderful Spinoza. I really, I love this schools and I love this so much.

00:46:43.180 - 00:46:54.830

When I left the school and went to how high? The days that we would have off some days in school and then we would have days off in the school

00:46:54.830 - 00:47:03.800

that they still have MSBU. I would I would come back I will come back to the school. And the teacher there would even ask me this

00:47:03.800 - 00:47:14.010

then and tell my husband At, at Howard. And I love that. I love this. Well, what did I did? I did in fact,

00:47:14.010 - 00:47:29.770

when I I got I became an adult. I I serve on the on the trustee board here. And I know I was elected president of the PTA.

00:47:29.770 - 00:47:44.300

When you talk about coming back when Howard anybody begin with it's our memo with the children. Know the type of the time they'll

00:47:44.300 - 00:47:57.680

be I guess, This bodies. But let me tell my spares. At APU that was bringing the end. Somebody looked at they looked up to

00:47:57.680 - 00:48:10.040

me that as a role model, you know, and I feel real good about the other the next sharing their experiences at our high school students.

00:48:10.040 - 00:48:20.090

Whenever her thank you. Came back. Well, I guess it I just had a good time. This would be setting back and those cool with that,

00:48:20.090 - 00:48:36.810

I I graduated back in and the 41 down. What point what, How old were you when you were on the board here? Alice Guy bait and by 19, maybe 20.

00:48:37.210 - 00:48:48.920

I got to live. Where you aren't a younger probably where I put one though. Somewhat when you're doing something and what

00:48:48.920 - 00:49:00.110

can you do as a board member? Well, we would see definitely that web was on the agenda for the school. We know different projects that we

00:49:00.110 - 00:49:10.760

could to put it into practice was nice. It was nice. And things that that that the school would stand.

00:49:10.760 - 00:49:21.020

I would start with Zan and Leda. We could have we could help a Map Helper out in that area we were doing. And we and we would have

00:49:21.020 - 00:49:33.440

in fact that we would have dances like maybe twice a month for the children. I know. And I will mostly be the chaperone.

00:49:33.440 - 00:49:42.920

I would be in charge and they will have we will have a nice time. We may be charged by 25, maybe 30 cents for them to come in.

00:49:42.920 - 00:49:53.180

They had at the time was and that was very good for the community too heavily on parents participate.

00:49:53.180 - 00:49:59.990

You don't want new dances. They wouldn't know there was life. This is 5 FU like high goes up a lot of the data cubes

00:49:59.990 - 00:50:12.770

and you said you were 19 or 20 when you became a board member. So at what point how long were you in that position before you

00:50:12.770 - 00:50:24.490

went into the author? Maybe a couple of years. When you've finished with the military, if you come back and become involved?

00:50:24.490 - 00:50:40.900

Yeah, I don't know it then after I came, I also lead they didn't lungs. During the six years, you exclude any teachers that you had?

00:50:40.900 - 00:51:00.260

One-to-one teacher, one with a mild teach her name was Linda S body. What would be our knee went to school. As far as I know, I blew a first-class was

00:51:00.260 - 00:51:16.320

nine o'clock and we would get a B3 three. As a student as a first-year student in first grade. What was that experience like for you?

00:51:16.320 - 00:51:28.790

Let's get to know him. He hadn't as his body mercury. So what was your experience? Well, I was at

00:51:28.790 - 00:51:40.460

fact the fact that when I first started in the first grade, I was being the youngest in the family. They always call me a mama's boy.

00:51:40.460 - 00:51:52.700

And I I didn't feel right would that have on my mother. But after I've gotten in school, I was weaned off of

00:51:52.700 - 00:52:02.000

being a mother, a mama's boy. I love my school. Well, I'm I right. Always like school-wide school.

00:52:02.000 - 00:52:09.030

While you were pretty great, How old were you? I would secure Chan is a little bit a little time.

00:52:10.930 - 00:52:17.150

As you progress and why to understand and a lot of content students progress, rehearse fifth or sixth grade,

00:52:17.150 - 00:52:25.700

they became more involved in helping us do is we give the owner, the owner stood alone, will help the youngest though.

00:52:25.700 - 00:52:32.960

We did. One wants a school day lying. I mean, you can pick any of the years. What would the school day?

00:52:32.960 - 00:52:51.600

Well, as at best I can recall, school day was dark and nine o'clock. We would have devotion which will consist of saying song,

00:52:51.600 - 00:53:11.050

doin, scripture, and a prayer. Okay. And pledge to the flag for things that we would do before classes start. Normally, the somebody

00:53:11.050 - 00:53:20.030

who was our teacher was start at the first grave with the first wave of a wrong, way wrong here. First grade when they actually

00:53:20.030 - 00:53:30.000

would give them assignments, what what lessons they was going to use. Mostly. The first gray all you would give was reading and writing and arithmetic,

00:53:30.000 - 00:53:39.960

math to call it now. And then she would move over into the second ray, which will be on the on the left,

00:53:39.960 - 00:53:48.860

would be the secondary. Maybe she would give them their assignment. And then over there, she moves to the third grade

00:53:48.860 - 00:54:02.660

and they would do their assignments too. And and so we continue to tear up and to the sixth grade at but in as best I can recall,

00:54:02.660 - 00:54:11.140

from the third from the fourth until the sixth grade, we would have morse, a steady with more subjects

00:54:11.140 - 00:54:28.850

than what they with the lower grades with. And we would have like history, English, EEOC, whoops, we lose it. And R. And then on Fridays, Fridays,

00:54:28.850 - 00:54:39.350

that would be one of the best days in the school because we were used to have a club and we will meet their needs.

00:54:39.350 - 00:54:53.090

Be our president, vice president, secretary. And we would come and trade common bank or low money every Friday after the business.

00:54:53.090 - 00:55:04.550

Lastly, we would have entertainment, such thing session which was consist the children that were, had town, some Hadestown,

00:55:04.550 - 00:55:17.540

some then some quiz saying some good, recite poems with some dads or whatever your town worth you would exercises on Friday.

00:55:17.540 - 00:55:29.230

And in fact, we just had studied join the morning hours and the rest of the fraud, it would be taken up with our club and

00:55:29.230 - 00:55:41.870

entertaining, period, live alone. I was apparent that I could recite a long pole anytime the teacher had

00:55:41.870 - 00:55:53.180

a long poem for me to do it, you always pick me. But my memory was good. I got to memorize a poem and a low home.

00:55:53.180 - 00:56:03.980

I could I could recite. I still can do it some time. Remembering. Yeah. Listen, my children unusual here at

00:56:03.980 - 00:56:14.360

Midnight Ride of Paul Revere on the 16th label and suddenly 5, or your man now alive remembers that famous day a year,

00:56:14.360 - 00:56:23.490

as he said to his country, folks, at the Predator strikes by land or season, I hang a lie along in the church.

00:56:23.490 - 00:56:33.110

And Neanderthals, I remembered off and activates them mammal. Vowel long poems. I am America and

00:56:33.110 - 00:56:40.150

my father would belong to the sponsor, the revenue. There's my mother to the colonial days. What are my ancestors?

00:56:40.150 - 00:56:51.770

Tea overboard in the Boston Harbor. Another stood his ground with war and I could go on and on. What a palm advice that I really get into,

00:56:51.770 - 00:57:00.320

I could do the same thing. My wife tell me that you can remember things that palms daddy when he was a school and

00:57:00.320 - 00:57:12.860

I still can do it. Did you why did you always resigning or most of the time? Most of the time. I like

00:57:12.860 - 00:57:27.660

the little acting to act with all that in one of the activities that I understand was pretty popular and I was fielding all, Yes.

00:57:27.660 - 00:57:40.350

Yes, One 33 schools would come together. It would be Christiana, Glasgow and on well, who would be the first Friday in that?

00:57:40.350 - 00:57:49.050

That would be the day defense side to take one.