Interview with Mary Jones, January 19, 1979

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

Segment Synopsis: Mary Jones briefly mentions her birth and education. She talks about her husband's career as a pastor and how he became the pastor at Pleasant Green Baptist Church in Lexington, Kentucky.

Keywords: Fathers; Husbands; Kentucky State University; Lexington (Ky.); Pastors; Personality; Pleasant Green Baptist Church

Subjects: African American churches--Kentucky; African American clergy.; African American families; African Americans--Conduct of life.; African Americans--Employment.; African Americans--Religion.; Lawrenceburg (Ky.); Nicholasville (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: When did you first become involved with CORE?

Segment Synopsis: Jones talks about the first sit-ins in Lexington, which were held by local ministers including her husband. She talks about other protests she and her family participated in, and says that she was one of the first Blacks served at the Phoenix Hotel.

Keywords: Anonymous phone calls; Bill Russell; Bombings; CORE (Congress of Racial Equality); Clergy; Dime stores; Drugstores; Eliza Johnson; Hunt Club; James Farmer; Lamont Jones; Ministers; Peaceful protests; Personality; Phoenix Hotel; Pleasant Green Baptist Church; Publicity; Reverend Jones; Service; Sit-ins; Theaters; University of Kentucky professors; Young people

Subjects: African American churches--Kentucky; African American clergy.; African American leadership; African Americans--Civil rights--Kentucky; African Americans--Conduct of life.; African Americans--Legal status, laws, etc.; African Americans--Social conditions.; Civil rights demonstrations; Civil rights movements--United States; Lexington (Ky.)--Race relations.

Partial Transcript: But Mrs. Johnson had been with, uh, uh, a few of them.

Segment Synopsis: Jones talks about a protest of a local theater when a group of foreign writers were in town. She talks about Mr. Watts, the editor of the paper, and his attitudes about the civil rights movement and his relationship with Reverend Jones. She talks about the involvement of young people in the civil rights movement.

Keywords: Attitudes; Church pages; Husbands; Influence; Lexington Herald Leader; Mr. Watts; Picketing; Pleasant Green Baptist Church; Pressure; Reporters; Reverend Jones; Taxes; Theaters; University of Kentucky; Writers; Young people

Subjects: African American clergy.; African American leadership; African Americans--Newspapers.; African Americans--Social conditions.; Civil rights demonstrations; Civil rights movements--United States; Lexington (Ky.)--Race relations.; Race discrimination.; Racism

Partial Transcript: That w--uh, that, uh, followed a very very rough night in this town.

Segment Synopsis: Jones talks about her daughter's participation in a march which led to her arrest. She talks about her youngest son wanting to go to a park which was off-limits for Blacks. She talks about his feelings toward White people after this incident.

Keywords: Arrests; Children; Daughters; Dogs; Eliza Johnson; Fred Wachs; Jails; Meetings; Parks; Phoenix Hotel; Protest marches; Sons; Tim Jones

Subjects: African American families; African American leadership; African Americans--Civil rights--Kentucky; African Americans--Conduct of life.; African Americans--Employment.; African Americans--Legal status, laws, etc.; African Americans--Recreation; African Americans--Segregation; African Americans--Social conditions.; Civil rights demonstrations; Civil rights movements--United States; Civil rights--Law and legislation; Lexington (Ky.)--Race relations.; Race discrimination.; Racism

Partial Transcript: What kind of support did Pleasant Green Church give your husband?

Segment Synopsis: Jones discusses the support her husband gave and received during the civil rights movement. She talks about why some people did not want to become involved. She talks more about the young people involved in the movement.

Keywords: CORE (Congress of Racial Equality); Fear; Husbands; Involvement; Jobs; Ministers; Parents; Pressure; Protest marches; Reverend Jones; Reverend Jones, Sr.; Support; Young people

Subjects: African American churches--Kentucky; African American clergy.; African American leadership; African Americans--Conduct of life.; African Americans--Legal status, laws, etc.; African Americans--Religion.; African Americans--Social conditions.; Civil rights demonstrations; Civil rights movements--United States

Partial Transcript: And then he was in and out the offices of---------(??) men in this city.

Segment Synopsis: Jones discusses some of the people who were opposed to the civil rights movement, and talks about some of the threats her family received due to their participation.

Keywords: Alvin Jones; Anti-Black; Attitudes; Bricks; Car accidents; Court cases; NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People); Opposition; Police reports; Threats

Subjects: African American leadership; African Americans--Civil rights--Kentucky; African Americans--Conduct of life.; African Americans--Crimes against.; African Americans--Social conditions.; Civil rights demonstrations; Civil rights movements--United States; Civil rights--Law and legislation; Lexington (Ky.)--Race relations.; National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.; Race discrimination.; Racism

Partial Transcript: If I--I do hope I can find, uh--you know, you take the Bla--Black bus drivers, that was settled right in our house.

Segment Synopsis: Jones talks about her family's participation in the effort to get Black bus drivers hired in Lexington.

Keywords: Bus boycotts; Buses; CORE (Congress of Racial Equality); Perceptions

Subjects: African American families; African American leadership; African Americans--Civil rights--Kentucky; African Americans--Conduct of life.; African Americans--Employment.; African Americans--Social conditions.; Civil rights demonstrations; Civil rights movements--United States; Discrimination in employment.; Lexington (Ky.)--Race relations.; Race discrimination.; Racism

Partial Transcript: -------(??) Lexington Cemetery.

Segment Synopsis: Jones talks about why she did not want to bury her husband in the Black cemetery in Lexington and tells the story about how she purchased a plot in the Lexington Cemetery. She briefly mentions the involvement of young people and churches in the civil rights movement. The interview is concluded.

Keywords: Black cemeteries; CORE (Congress of Racial Equality); Children; Costs; Grave sites; Husbands; Involvement; Lexington Cemetery; Reverend Jones; Young people

Subjects: African American churches--Kentucky; African Americans--Civil rights--Kentucky; African Americans--Conduct of life.; African Americans--Segregation; African Americans--Social conditions.; Civil rights demonstrations; Civil rights movements--United States; Lexington (Ky.)--Race relations.; Race discrimination.; Racism