Interview with Loretta Nickens, August 11, 1986

Partial Transcript: Mrs. Nickens can you tell me when and where you were born?

Segment Synopsis: Loretta Nickens is introduced. She talks about her childhood in Detroit, Michigan. She talks about her father’s career, which led to his job with Henry Ford. She talks about his personality and the ways he would try to save money.

Keywords: Fathers; Hamtramck, Detroit (Mich.); Henry Ford; Jobs; Mays Lick (Ky.); Printing company; Saving money; Siblings; Streetcars; Supervisors; Thrifty

Subjects: African American families; African Americans--Conduct of life.; African Americans--Economic conditions.; African Americans--Employment.; African Americans--Social conditions.; Detroit (Mich.); Wages.

Partial Transcript: Can you tell me something about your mother?

Segment Synopsis: Nickens talks about her mother’s family background. She talks about her mother attending night school to finish her high school education. She talks about her mother living in New York City for a year to attend a dress making school to help the family earn money.

Keywords: Chatham (Va.); Dress making school; High school; Mothers; New York City (N.Y.); Night school; Paralyzed; Parents; Sewing; Sisters; Uncles; Whitehead family; Working

Subjects: African American families; African Americans--Conduct of life.; African Americans--Economic conditions.; African Americans--Education.; African Americans--Employment.; African Americans--Social conditions.; Detroit (Mich.); New York (N.Y.)

Partial Transcript: Can you tell me about your early education?

Segment Synopsis: Nickens talks about her own educational background. She talks about attending elementary school at an integrated school in Detroit. She talks about her high school education. She says she had no Black teachers in school.

Keywords: Black teachers; Elementary schools; Graduation; Integrated schools; Involvement; Northwestern High School; Orphanages; Parents; White teachers

Subjects: African American families; African Americans--Conduct of life.; African Americans--Education.; African Americans--Social conditions.; Detroit (Mich.); Integration; Neighborhoods.; United States--Race relations.

Partial Transcript: Then I stayed out of school for two years. I had to work because I wanted to go to college.

Segment Synopsis: Nickens talks about her desire to become a teacher, and about working to put herself through school. She talks about her wages working in a department store. She talks about where she wanted to go to school and where she actually went. She talks about her salary as a teacher.

Keywords: College; Fathers; Jobs; Masters degrees; Practice teaching; Salary; Saving money; Social security; Stores; Student teaching; Tuskegee; Wayne State University; Working

Subjects: African Americans--Economic conditions.; African Americans--Education (Higher); African Americans--Employment.; Education--Study and teaching; Teachers; Teaching; Wages

Partial Transcript: So you have taught, you taught in the public schools of Detroit.

Segment Synopsis: Nickens talks about her interest in music which led to her becoming a music teacher. She talks about meeting her second husband and her family’s opinions of him.

Keywords: Age differences; Approval; Choirs; Churches; Detroit (Mich.); Husbands; Insurance; Mothers; Personality; Piano; Retirement; Teaching

Subjects: African American families; African Americans--Conduct of life.; African Americans--Marriage.; African Americans--Recreation; Music

Partial Transcript: Let me ask you just a general question about Detroit.

Segment Synopsis: Nickens talks about the cultural activities available in Detroit as compared to Lexington, Kentucky. She talks about some of the distinguished speakers and choirs she has heard over the years.

Keywords: Adam Clayton Powell; Art museums; Ballet; Choirs; Concerts; Culture; Lecturers; Paul Robeson; Ralph Bunch; Sponsors; W.E.B. Dubois; Wayne State University; YMCA

Subjects: African American churches; African Americans--Conduct of life.; African Americans--Recreation; African Americans--Religion.; African Americans--Social conditions.; African Americans--Social life and customs.; African Americans--Societies, etc.; African Americans--Southern States.; Detroit (Mich.)

Partial Transcript: Now Mrs. Nickens, you came to Lexington in what year?

Segment Synopsis: Nickens talks about why she and her husband moved to Kentucky after their retirement. She talks about the neighborhoods she has lived in and discusses her opinions of the Black community in Lexington.

Keywords: Apartments; Black neighborhoods; Black neighbors; Climate; Condos; Cousins; Crowded; Ewing Company; Family reunions; Fox and Hounds; Francis Jackson; Georgetown Street; Houses; Impressions; Improvements; Merrick Place; Moving; Relationships; Retirement; Roberta Adams

Subjects: African American families; African American neighborhoods; African Americans--Conduct of life.; African Americans--Housing.; African Americans--Social conditions.; African Americans--Social life and customs.; Lexington (Ky.); Neighborliness; Neighbors

Partial Transcript: What did you think of the quality of churches?

Segment Synopsis: Nickens discusses the quality of the churches in Lexington. She talks about why people spend their entire Sunday in church. She talks about the quality of the music in the local churches.

Keywords: Children; Congregational churches; Mrs. Childers; Pleasant Green Missionary Baptist Church; Quality; Saint Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church (Saint Paul A.M.E.); Shiloh Baptist Church; Traditions; Variety

Subjects: African American churches--Kentucky; African Americans--Conduct of life.; African Americans--Recreation; African Americans--Religion.; African Americans--Social conditions.; African Americans--Southern States.; Lexington (Ky.); Music

Partial Transcript: Um, Mrs. Nickens you are a retired school teacher.

Segment Synopsis: Nickens discusses how integration of schools affected the quality of education and the availability of jobs for Black teachers and principals.

Keywords: All-Black schools; Closing schools; Demotions; Job loss; Mr. Seals; Mrs. Jenkins; Reverend Stevens; School principals; Wiggington

Subjects: African Americans--Education--Kentucky--Lexington; African Americans--Employment.; African Americans--Social conditions.; Busing for school integration; Discrimination in employment.; Lexington (Ky.)--Race relations.; Race discrimination.; School integration--Kentucky--Fayette County; Segregation in education--Kentucky; Teachers--Kentucky; Teaching

Partial Transcript: Now Mrs. Nickens you know I have talked with several people who are more or less your social friends.

Segment Synopsis: Nickens talks about some of the issues affecting the Black community. She talks about her volunteer work and involvement in the community, and laments the lack of participation from other members of the community. She talks about her work in hospitals and senior citizens centers.

Keywords: Busy; Committees; Friends; Humana; Joining; Mental exercises; Newspapers; Organizations; Participation; Patients; Professionals; Senior citizens centers; Social groups; University of Kentucky; Volunteer work; Volunteering

Subjects: African Americans--Conduct of life.; African Americans--Recreation; African Americans--Social conditions.; African Americans--Societies, etc.; Lexington (Ky.); Volunteers

Partial Transcript: Mrs. Nickens if you could do one or two things with or for our people in this community, what kinds of things, what do you think maybe you would do to maybe improve the quality of life for Black people in Lexington, if you were a magical person?

Segment Synopsis: Nickens talks about how she would change the Black community if she could. She talks about the lack of Black-owned businesses in Lexington as well as the lack of a Black newspaper. She talks about driving in Lexington. The interview is concluded.

Keywords: Black businesses; Black newspapers; Busy; Driving; Improvements; Mr. Strider; Restaurants; Stores; Traffic

Subjects: African American business enterprises; African American neighborhoods; African Americans--Conduct of life.; African Americans--Housing.; African Americans--Social conditions.