Audio Recording Nomzamo A. Iyanu and Jacqueline L. Jones interview conducted by Laura Marcus Green, 2015-04-02

Title

• Nomzamo A. Iyanu and Jacqueline L. Jones interview conducted by Laura Marcus Green, 2015-04-02

Summary

• Two separate interviews were conducted with hat maker and boutique owner Nomzamo Iyanu. In Part 1, Mrs. Iyanu is joined by her sister-in-law, Mrs. Jacqueline Jones, Associate Dean of Library Science at Baton Rouge Community College, who has researched hats in African American and Louisiana culture. The interview took place at Mrs. Iyanu's house on a weeknight evening. The sisters-in-law shared their thoughts and memories about hats. Mrs. Iyanu discusses how she developed her boutique, trends in hat-wearing, customer service, and describes special events at which she has presented African clothing. Ms. Jones talks about how hats became emblematic of the resilience and beauty embodied in her mother's generation, and how she has developed a literacy program that focuses on hats in African American heritage and history. Jones brought along some materials relating to the program, including books, posters, and a PowerPoint. During the interview, Mrs. Iyanu looks through "Crowns," Michael Cunningham's book about Black women's hats, and comments on various styles. Both women talk about famous Black women known for wearing hats, and about recent events that have impacted hat wearing traditions, such as the 2011 royal wedding in Great Britain (Prince William and Catherine Middleton), and singer Aretha Franklin's hat at President Obama's 2009 inauguration. They discussed "hat rules," such as not wearing a hat with a brim wider than your shoulders, not wearing a big hat and sitting in the front of church, etc.
• Part 2 was recorded in Nomzamo Iyanu small office in her Baton Rouge boutique. It focuses more on the hat trade and the hat-selling business. She details her standards for offering the best customer service, and relates several stories about learning what not to do. Mrs. Iyanu takes customer service seriously and puts new employees through a nine-days training. She prioritizes maintaining long-term customer relationships, and contrasts the intimate experience in her boutique to the less personal dynamics at department stores. She also talks about maintaining a distinctive inventory. Catering to a higher-end clientele, she tracks her customers' purchases, steering them away from buying the same outfit as someone who attends the same church to avoid the embarrassment of showing up in the same outfit. She recalls her grandmother never going to church without a hat, and credits her with instilling in her a taste for distinctive styles--an aesthetic she still maintains. She describes a store in Opelousas, Louisiana, where her grandmother shopped for special outfits. Unlike other shops at that time, this business served Black customers; however, it did not allow them to try on the clothing. She talks about the recent economic downturn and the adjustments that she and her customers have had to make as a result. She describes hat wearing occasions, explains how often a person might wear the same outfit to church, and how customers select outfits. She also reflects on the language of hats--what the wearer is saying through her hats. In closing, she talks about the importance of humility and honesty in serving her customers and sharing her knowledge.

Names

• Iyanu, Nomzamo A., interviewee
• Jones, Jacqueline L., 1952- interviewee
• Green, Laura Marcus, interviewer
• Occupational Folklife Project, sponsor

Created / Published

• 2015-04-02

Headings

• -  Iyanu, Nomzamo A.--Interviews
• -  Jones, Jacqueline L.,--1952---Interviews
• -  Millinery workers--Louisiana--Interviews
• -  Women's hats--United States
• -  Storytelling
• -  Spiritual life
• -  Children of working parents
• -  Vocational education
• -  Work environment
• -  Work ethic
• -  African American women--Clothing
• -  Work-life balance
• -  Workmanship
• -  Shop stewards
• -  Courtesy in the workplace
• -  Employees--Training of
• -  Work and family
• -  Job satisfaction
• -  Job stress
• -  Material culture
• -  Mentoring
• -  Non-formal education
• -  Oral tradition
• -  Quality of products
• -  Quality of work life
• -  Racism in the workplace
• -  Blue collar workers
• -  Religious life
• -  Small business
• -  Merchants--Louisiana--Baton Rouge--Interviews
• -  Business enterprises--Louisiana--Baton Rouge
• -  Baton Rouge (La.)--Social life and customs
• -  Baton Rouge (La.)--Commerce

Genre

• Sound recordings
• Digital photographs--Color--2010-2020
• Interviews
• Oral histories
• Personal narratives

Notes

• -  Recorded at Nomzamo Iyanu's home and boutique, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, April 2, 2015.
• -  Baton Rouge Small Businesses and Trades: Archie Green Fellows Project, 2014-2015 (AFC 2014/023: 02300) American Folklife Center, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
• -  To honor the memory of Archie Green (1917-2009), a fellowship program was established at the American Folklife Center in 2010. Archie Green Fellowships support new research in the contemporary culture and traditions of American workers.
• -  In English.

Medium

• 3 sound recordings (03:58:45) : digital, sound, wav
• 18 photographs : digital, jpg, color
• 2 manuscripts : digital, pdf, text files

Source Collection

• Baton Rouge Small Businesses and Trades: Archie Green Fellows Project, 2014-2015 AFC 2014/023: 02300

Repository

• Library of Congress American Folklife Center, 101 Independence Ave. S.E., Washington, DC USA 20540-4610 https://hdl.loc.gov/loc.afc/folklife.home

Digital Id

• https://hdl.loc.gov/loc.afc/afc2014023.afc2014023_02300_sr01
• afc2014023.afc2014023_02300_sr02
• afc2014023.afc2014023_02300_sr03
• afc2014023.afc2014023_02300_ph
• afc2014023.afc2014023_02300_ms03
• afc2014023.afc2014023_02300_ms04

Library of Congress Control Number

• 2020655632

Rights Advisory

• Duplication of collection materials may be governed by copyright and other restrictions.

Access Advisory

• Collection is open for research. To request materials, please contact the Folklife Reading Room at https://hdl.loc.gov/loc.afc/folklife.contact

Online Format

• image
• audio
• pdf

LCCN Permalink

• https://lccn.loc.gov/2020655632

Additional Metadata Formats

• MARCXML Record
• MODS Record
• Dublin Core Record

IIIF Presentation Manifest

• Manifest (JSON/LD)