The Civil Rights History Project: Survey of Collections and Repositories

Alabama Center for Higher Education statewide oral history project [Tuskegee University]

Repository: Tuskegee University. Archives

Collection Description (CRHP): Interviewees discuss the Civil Rights Movement in Macon, Chambers, Wilcox, Sumter, Jefferson, and Russell counties; the Montgomery Bus Boycott; the history of Tuskegee Institute; the South East Alabama Self Help Association; the Gomillion vs. Lightfoot case; the Black Panther Party in Alabama; the Tuskegee Army Airbase; and the Tuskegee Veterans Hospital.

Collection Description (Extant): The Alabama Center for Higher Education (ACHE) is composed of the eight predominately black senior colleges in Alabama and is incorporated under the laws of the State of Alabama as an agency to promote cooperation among the institutions. During the past five years, ACHE and the participating institutions have made significant progress in developing and implementing programs for interinstitutional cooperation. One of the many ACHE cooperating programs is the "Collection and Evaluation of Materials on Black Americans" (CEMBA). Under this program, each institution has further developed its library and archives with emphasis on the collection and evaluation of documents relating to black Americans.

The Statewide Oral History Project was conceived and implemented to supplement the CEMBA work by conducting and collecting tape-recorded interviews. It is the first oral history program in Alabama primarily concerned with gathering information in the black community. The first purpose was the record the experiences of black Alabamians in their attempts to cope with racial discrimination and in their struggle to achieve equality of opportunity. The data collected is needed so that the perspectives, experiences, and contributions of Afro-Americans may be incorporated into the writing and teaching of history. The second purpose of the project was thus to make the data available for instructional and research use and to demonstrate methods for its utilization. The third purpose was to train faculty
associates, archivists, staff employees, and students in the methodology and procedures associated with oral history.

Date(s): 1972-1974

Finding Aid: Finding Aid available at the repository.

Language: English

Interviewees: C. Alfred "Chief" Anderson, Lucius Black, John Brown, Kenneth L. Buford, Albert C. Bulls Sr., Warren Burke, George Busby, Herbert E. Carter Sr., William J. Childs, Robert Cook, L. W. Davis, Lawrence Delaine, Clifford Durr, Virginia Durr, F. S. Ervin, Andy Ettinger, Flossie P. Franklin, Annie M. Galloway, C. G. Gomillion, Fred Gray, Jessie P. Guzman, Essie Handy, Taylor Harmon, Consuella Harper, Edwin B. Henderson, T. A. Henderson, Alvin Holmes, Jimmie Howard, Grady N. Ivy, C. J. Jones, Edwin D. Jones, Hattie W. Kelly, Detroit Lee, Rufus Lewis, Eugene Ligon, Roger McDonald, Clara Mahone, E. M. Miller, W. P. Mitchell, E. D. Nixon, June H. Nunn, Geralwine W. Oldham, Wendell Paris, John Patterson, James Pierce, Albert Quinn, Thelma Rice, Wilbur Robinson, Shelly G. Reynolds, W. S. Scott, O. D. Threadgill, Margaret G. Tildon, Frank J. Toland, Jim Underwood, O. B. Underwood, Mr. and Mrs. Harold Webb, John A. Welch, Barbara Winbush, Annie York

Rights (CRHP): Contact the repository which holds the collection for information on rights

Subjects:

Black Panther Party
Civil rights movements--Alabama
Civil rights--Cases
Montgomery Bus Boycott, Montgomery, Ala., 1955
Tuskegee Civic Association
Tuskegee Institute
Veterans Administration Hospital (Tuskegee, Ala.)
Voting

Genres:

Interviews
Sound recordings