Interview with Lilla Riffe, November 21, 1978

Partial Transcript: I'm working for the Urban League on the oral black history project. I'm speaking with Mrs. Lilla Riffe.

Segment Synopsis: Riffe tells some stories about living in Pralltown. She also mentions her church, Pleasant Green Baptist Church and talks about what her father did for a living.

Keywords: Community; Family history; Patterson Street School; Pleasant Green Baptist (Lexington, Ky.); Pralltown; Remembering Pralltown; Storytelling

Subjects: African American families

Partial Transcript: What, what can you tell me about the people ---------(??)

Segment Synopsis: Riffe talks about the people in her community and the social activities that the community did together. She also talks about the history of her church, including various ministers.

Keywords: Church history; Close knit neighborhood; Community; Pleasant Green Baptist Church (Lexington, Ky.); Reverend E.W. Hawthorne; Social activities; T.H. Peoples

Subjects: African Americans--Kentucky--Lexington--Social conditions

Partial Transcript: What, what can you tell me about the growth of Lexington?

Segment Synopsis: Riffe talks about how she took care of other people's children and how they would go to the Lexington Colored Fair. She also mentions that when she was in school white kids from a neighboring school would pick fights with the black students after school. She also talks about some of her family history.

Keywords: Changes in the community; Community relations; Lexington Colored Fair; Race relations; Racial tensions among kids; Russell School (Lexington, Ky.)

Subjects: African Americans--Kentucky--Lexington--Social conditions

Partial Transcript: So, I've had, had a good life can't say nothing ----------(??) but a good life...

Segment Synopsis: Riffe talks about the people in the community that she knows and that check in on her. She also talks about the children she has helped raise. She also mentions what life was like during the Depression.

Keywords: Community relations; Great Depression; Neighborhood stories; Storytelling

Subjects: African Americans--Kentucky--Lexington--Social conditions

Partial Transcript: What, what, what can you tell me about the University of Kentucky?

Segment Synopsis: Riffe tells a story about her interactions with the people she worked with in the University of Kentucky's bakery shop, including when she left the bakery shop and went to work at the YMCA.

Keywords: Miss Betsy; Storytelling; UK bakery shop

Subjects: University of Kentucky.

Partial Transcript: And I told him, I said listen here, ----------(??) you said you didn't have nothing....

Segment Synopsis: Riffe tells a story about when she was working at the YMCA. She tells another story about working at a local restaurant. She mentions the civil rights movement in Lexington. The segment ends with her talking about a incident between her and a neighbor.

Keywords: Employment; High Street YMCA; Neighbors; Pleasant Green Baptist Church

Subjects: African Americans--Kentucky--Lexington--Social conditions