Interview with Virginia Anderson, August 22, 1986

Partial Transcript: Give me your name and where you were born and when you were born.

Segment Synopsis: Virginia Anderson is introduced. She talks about her family background, including occupations and levels of education. She talks about household dynamics.

Keywords: Agreement; Ancestors; Domestic work; Farms; Fathers; Fayette County (Ky.); Grandmothers; Head of household; Literacy; Mothers; Schools; Siblings; Slavery; Working together

Subjects: African American families; African Americans--Conduct of life.; African Americans--Education.; African Americans--Employment.; African Americans--Social conditions.; Childhood; Family histories.; Family--history

Partial Transcript: What kinds of things did your mother and father do for recreation when you were growing up?

Segment Synopsis: Anderson talks about her parents' involvement in their churches, and her mother's involvement in a social club that assisted the church. She talks about the role of church in the community.

Keywords: Bazaars; Black community; Confederation; Deacons; Fathers; Fayette County (Ky.); First Baptist Church; Fundraising; Grandparents; Helping; Involvement; Members; Midway Church; Mothers; Needy; Parents; Rally days; Role in community; Scott County (Ky.); Sewing; Social clubs; Violet Club; Visiting

Subjects: African American churches--Kentucky; African American families; African American leadership; 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.; Childhood

Partial Transcript: What difference do you see in--what changes has taken place in the community and in the church, if any?

Segment Synopsis: Anderson talks about how the church has changed. She says there is no longer a need to do fundraising because people make more donations to the church today. She talks about the lack of closeness in the community today.

Keywords: Caring; Changes; Closeness; Community; Donations; Giving; Helping; Money; Moving; Nursing homes; Support

Subjects: African American churches--Kentucky; African Americans--Recreation; African Americans--Religion.; Neighborliness; Neighbors

Partial Transcript: Did your family own their own home?

Segment Synopsis: Anderson talks about her parents' employment working for a family, and how they built their own home. She discusses her family's genealogy.



[An interruption in taping occurs during this segment.]

Keywords: Building; Construction; Cooking; Domestic work; Driving; Fathers; Houses; Land; Light-skinned; Mothers; Property ownership; Retirement; Skin color; White ancestors; Working

Subjects: African American families; African Americans--Economic conditions.; African Americans--Employment.; African Americans--Genealogy.; African Americans--Housing.; Family histories.; Family--history

Partial Transcript: Now tell me about your schooling. Your education and your sisters'.

Segment Synopsis: Anderson says her sisters went to college and that she finished high school. She talks about her experiences in elementary school, and describes some of her teachers. She talks about moving to Louisville to attend high school. She talks about her husband's career and education.

Keywords: Black teachers; Central High School; Fireman; Husbands; Kentucky State University; Lexington (Ky.); Louisville (Ky.); Married; National Carbide Company; Parents; Schools; Sisters; Tuition; Values

Subjects: African Americans--Education (Higher); African Americans--Education.; Segregation in education--Kentucky; Teachers--Kentucky

Partial Transcript: From what you see around you do you think the quality of education was better then or now?

Segment Synopsis: Anderson discusses the ways schools have both improved and deteriorated since integration. She talks about teachers in the all-Black schools taking interest in the children's well-being.

Keywords: Better off; Black teachers; Caring; Changes; Fairness; Interest; Quality of education; Salary; Sisters; White teachers

Subjects: African Americans--Education.; African Americans--Social conditions.; Discrimination in education.; Discrimination in employment.; Race discrimination.; Race relations--Kentucky; Racism; School integration--Kentucky; Segregation in education--Kentucky; Teachers--Kentucky; Teaching; Wages.

Partial Transcript: Did you work after you were married?

Segment Synopsis: Anderson talks about working as a domestic worker and discusses how she was treated. She talks about the white people she employs to clean her house and do her yard work.



[An interruption in taping occurs during this segment.]

Keywords: Cleaning; Domestic work; Gardeners; Married; Treatment; Workers; Working

Subjects: African Americans--Employment.; African Americans--Social conditions.; Race relations--Kentucky

Partial Transcript: Have you ever lived in a mixed community?

Segment Synopsis: Anderson talks about how her community changed when it became integrated after the highway was built. She talks about a time when African Americans could not buy property in the neighborhood.

Keywords: Board of Commerce; Fathers; Highways; Integrated communities; Leestown Heights; Mixed communities; Poor; Property; Selling

Subjects: African American families; African Americans--Housing.; African Americans--Social conditions.; Integration; Neighborhoods.; Neighbors; Race discrimination.; Race relations--Kentucky

Partial Transcript: Do you think they helped? Did you approve of them?

Segment Synopsis: Anderson talks about a time in Lexington when African Americans were not allowed to shop in certain stores or eat in restaurants. She talks about a store that was boycotted for not hiring Black salespeople. She talks about the few Black businesses in town. She talks about the civil rights movement, her opinions of Martin Luther King, and describes her experiences with racism in Lexington.

Keywords: Approval; Better off; Black businesses; Boycotts; Buses; Changes; Closing; Deweese Street; Downtown Lexington; Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; Emory's (??); Hiring; J. D. Purcell's; Malls; Nonviolence; Parents; Participation; Polls; Revolution; South; Stores; Voter registration; West End

Subjects: African American business enterprises; African American churches--Kentucky; African Americans--Politics and government.; African Americans--Southern States.; Civil rights demonstrations; Civil rights movements--United States; Discrimination in employment.; Lexington (Ky.)--Buildings, structures, etc.; Lexington (Ky.)--Race relations.; Race discrimination.; Racism--Kentucky--Lexington; Voting.

Partial Transcript: --alright by the, by the white people. They always, you know, they always had good jobs, pretty much.

Segment Synopsis: Anderson talks about her parents' values and how they influenced her life. She discusses whether skin tone affected how people were treated.



[An interruption in taping occurs during this segment.]

Keywords: Cards; Chaperones; Children; Dances; Dancing; Drinking; Friends; Habits; Interest; Live music; Parents; Skin color; Smoking; Values

Subjects: African American families; African Americans--Conduct of life.; African Americans--Education.; African Americans--Social conditions.; African Americans--Social life and customs.; Childhood; Race relations--Kentucky

Partial Transcript: Do you have white friends?

Segment Synopsis: Anderson talks about her relationships with her white friends, focusing mainly on a woman named Mrs. Clay.



[An interruption in taping occurs during this segment.]

Keywords: Children; Cousins; Helping; Invitations; Josephine Beatty; Letters; Mrs. Clay; Parents; Singing; Sons; Toys; White friends

Subjects: African Americans--Conduct of life.; African Americans--Social conditions.; African Americans--Social life and customs.; Childhood; Churches--Kentucky; Race relations--Kentucky