Interview with Charlie Mae Brooks, June 10, 1987

Partial Transcript: Good morning, could you give me your name please?

Segment Synopsis: Brooks talks about her family's background, mentioning a little about her grandparents and parents. She talks about her parents occupations and education. She goes on to talk about the financial struggles her mother endured, mentioning that she started working at 13 to help her mother.

Keywords: Child support; Croppers Laundry; Educational background; Entertainment; Family history; Financial situation; First jobs; Household; Housework; Literacy; Parents; Race tracks

Subjects: African American families; African Americans--Kentucky--Lexington--Economic conditions

Partial Transcript: Now how bout, uh, tell me about your church. What kind of church did you go to?

Segment Synopsis: Brooks discusses her involvement in the church as a child. She talks about how the church congregation was separated along socioeconomic lines.

Keywords: Children's Day; Church involvement; Church relations; First Baptist Church (Lexington, Ky.); Ministerial leadership; Socioeconomic status

Subjects: African American churches--Kentucky; African Americans--Kentucky--Lexington--Economic conditions

Partial Transcript: What about your community, how--explain to me the community you grew up in.

Segment Synopsis: Brooks discusses what her childhood community was like, mentioning that most people were in the same socioeconomic situation. She also mentions working odd jobs and for a white couple. She also talks about the educational system.

Keywords: Black community; Community relations; Community support; Financial situation; Illinois Street (Lexington, Ky.); Odd jobs; Single parent households

Subjects: African Americans--Education--Kentucky--Lexington

Partial Transcript: So what did you do after you completed the eleventh grade?

Segment Synopsis: Brooks talks about running away from home when she was still in high school. She talks about moving to and living in New York. She also mentions how she met her former husband and her employment while she was in New York.

Keywords: Glass factory; Jamaica Race Track; Marriage; New York; Running away

Subjects: African Americans--Employment--Kentucky

Partial Transcript: I came back in, uh, '51. And I rested and I put in a few applications...

Segment Synopsis: Brooks discusses her working experiences at Meyers, a clothing store in Lexington. She talks about working in a segregated environment and how the store eventually integrated. She also mentions other Lexington businesses. She mentions the stores decline and eventual bankruptcy.

Keywords: Bankruptcy; Ben Snyders; Budget Shop; Clothing stores; Embrys; Integrated businesses; Maids; Marking room; Meyers; Mrs. Bush Hunter; Mrs. Meyers; Profit sharing; Race relations; Racial identity; Retirement; Salary; Segregation; Work dyanmics; Working conditions

Subjects: African Americans--Employment--Kentucky--Lexington

Partial Transcript: So you stayed single all that time you were working there?

Segment Synopsis: Brooks mentions the death of her daughter and talks about her two grandsons. She talks about the situation surrounding the closing of the Meyers department store where she worked for over thirty years. She also mentions money that she has tied up in Meyers.

Keywords: Clothing stores; Finances; Meyers; Mismanagement

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

Partial Transcript: So what did you do after that?

Segment Synopsis: Brooks talks about her employment after Meyers went out of business. She talks about her daughter's situation. She goes on to talk about the entertainment businesses on Deweese Street.

Keywords: Alternatives for Women; Bluegrass Community Services; Chemical company; Daughter; Deweese Street; Social life

Subjects: African Americans--Employment--Kentucky--Lexington

Partial Transcript: So where did you live after you came back from New York?

Segment Synopsis: Brooks talks about her mother's thrifty mentality and ability to make a better life for herself. She also talks about her mother's sister who lived in New York. She mentions that her aunt helped her mother and the family. She goes on to talk about her siblings.

Keywords: Aunt; Creole heritage; Financial situation; Ohio Street; Perseverance; Siblings; Thrifty

Subjects: African American families; African Americans--Kentucky--Lexington--Economic conditions

Partial Transcript: Did you take part in the revolution and the marches...

Segment Synopsis: Brooks talks about the racial discrimination she has experienced, mentioning that often it was subtle. She tells a story about an incident she had with a family member of the old white couple she worked for.

Keywords: Glass factory; New York; Race relations; Racial discrimination

Partial Transcript: Do you think, uh, black people are better off in Lexington now than...

Segment Synopsis: Brooks talks about how times have changed for blacks in Lexington. She also mentions the situation that blacks are in currently.

Keywords: Black community; Progress; Social classes; Unity

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

Partial Transcript: See I had--I belonged to this club...

Segment Synopsis: Brooks talks about her mother buying her a cheap pair of shoes that hurt were painful to wear, she mentions that the incident really upset her. She also talks about her family's financial situation when she was younger, mentioning that she took on a lot of responsibility.

Keywords: Finances; Parenting; Shoes; Social club

Subjects: African American families; African Americans--Kentucky--Lexington--Economic conditions

Partial Transcript: ----------(??) for the fact that you didn't want a husband. Is it because...

Segment Synopsis: Brooks talks about why her marriage did not work out, mentioning that she learned to be independent. She also talks about how the family structure has changed and effected black youth.

Keywords: Dating; Gender roles; Glass factory; Independence; Marriage; Mother; Parenting; Welfare

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

Partial Transcript: ----------(??) carry that boy honey, but I had to carry him because that was her baby and she refused to let him walk.

Segment Synopsis: Brooks tells a story about going to a Valentines Day party with her boyfriend.

Keywords: Boyfriends; Siblings; Valentines Day party

Partial Transcript: You didn't catch pneumonia?

Segment Synopsis: Brooks tells a story about people getting sick in her family, mentioning that two of her sisters got scarlet fever.

Keywords: Getting sick; Medicines; Scarlet fever

Subjects: African American families