Interview with Robert T. Brown, July 12, 1978

Partial Transcript: My name is Edward Owens. I'm working with the Urban League on the Oral Black History Project.

Segment Synopsis: Brown discusses how his time in the military and his experience of poverty, prejudice, and disadvantages during his youth helped develop his personality.

Keywords: Disadvantaged youth; Experience; Family; Housing projects; Injustices; Military; Navy; Opportunity; Prejudice; Race; Racism; Socioeconomic status; Struggle

Subjects: Broken homes; Childhood; Disadvantaged child; Divorce; Housing authorities; Poverty; Public housing; Social classes

Partial Transcript: Could you give us some of your educational background?

Segment Synopsis: Brown walks Owens through his experience of school, both failures and successes, as well as his perception of his surroundings while in school.

Keywords: Academic Learning Assistance Program; Business management; Dunbar High School; Dunbar alumni; Xavier University; Xavier alumni

Subjects: African Americans--Education (Higher); African Americans--Education.

Partial Transcript: How long have you been employed at IBM?

Segment Synopsis: Brown details his opinion on how open the workforce is to blacks, particularly at IBM. He also discusses his own career experience with IBM.

Keywords: Careers; IBM; Military service; Workforce

Subjects: African Americans--Employment.; African Americans--Social conditions.; Discrimination in employment.; International Business Machines Corporation.

Partial Transcript: Were any blacks hired in positions other than production line?

Segment Synopsis: Brown comments on the apparent disparity in the hiring of blacks in higher up professions.

Keywords: Engineering; Engineers; Entry level; Factory; Higher education; Hiring; Professionals

Subjects: African Americans--Employment.; African Americans--Social conditions.; Discrimination in employment.; Employee selection

Partial Transcript: When did things start to change for blacks at IBM?

Segment Synopsis: Brown takes note of the initiation of change for blacks in the hiring process, highlighting what IBM has done to adjust its workforce policies. He explores his own opinion on the current and future state of racism.

Keywords: Activism; Affirmative Action; Change; Civil rights; Civil rights act; Discrimination; Double standards; Opportunity; Progress; Psychological racism; Rights; Second class; Second class citizenship; Secondary school; Social consciousness; Title 7; Title VII; Title seven; Workforce policies; Workforce policy

Subjects: African Americans--Employment.; African Americans--Social conditions.; Civil rights movement; Discrimination in employment.; International Business Machines Incorporated

Partial Transcript: How were you received by the whites in management?

Segment Synopsis: Brown discusses his own life, financially and socially, as he rose to management at IBM. He mentions how absurd it almost was to see an African American in a promoted position; how he set out to achieve a goal and ultimately did.

Keywords: Authority; Experience; Personal goals; Personal success

Subjects: African Americans--Employment.; African Americans--Social conditions.; Discrimination in employment.; International Business Machines Incorporated; Management

Partial Transcript: What does your job as the manager of Equal Employment Opportunity encompass?

Segment Synopsis: Brown walks through his key responsibilities and what his daily life looks like as manager at IBM.

Keywords: Affirmative Action; Managing; Training

Subjects: International Business Machines Incorporated; Management

Partial Transcript: Does IBM have an affirmative action program for hiring college grads, black college grads?

Segment Synopsis: Brown details IBM's involvement with the community pursuing higher education, specifically black youth.

Keywords: Affirmative Action; College students; Historically black colleges and universities (HBCU); Recruiting

Subjects: African Americans--Education (Higher); College placement services; Youth

Partial Transcript: Would you discuss your activity with the housing board?

Segment Synopsis: Brown talks about how he was recruited into working with the housing authority board.

Keywords: Community involvement; Housing board; Politics

Subjects: Duty; Responsibility