Interview with G.A. Childs, June 16, 1987

Partial Transcript: May I have your name?

Segment Synopsis: Childs talks about his great great grandparents and grandparents. He mentions some of his ancestors who were slaves in Virginia and how the Childs name got started. [Parts of this segment are hard to hear]

Keywords: Ancestry; Cassandra Childs; Childs family; Family history; Genealogy; John Oliver; Richmond (Va.); Slavery

Subjects: African American families

Partial Transcript: Tell me about your parents. Could they read and write?

Segment Synopsis: Childs talks about his parents' background, including his father's ministerial career, mentioning that his father did make enough money as a preacher to support the family.

Keywords: Church support; Community relations; Harrisburg (Ky.); Housewife; Ministerial leadership; Preachers; Race relations; Somerset (Ky.)

Subjects: African American families; African Americans--Economic conditions; African Americans--Social conditions; Cooper, John Sherman, 1901-1991

Partial Transcript: What kind of things went on in your household when you were a little boy growing up?

Segment Synopsis: Childs talks about what his household was like and the values his parents instilled in him.

Keywords: All Black community; Black leadership; Black ministry; Family values; Ministerial leadership; Parenting styles; Respect; Social status

Subjects: African American churches--Kentucky; African American families; Somerset (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: Um, let me give you, uh, let me give you one of the experiences I had in Somerset...

Segment Synopsis: Childs shares a story about an incident that occurred when he was ten years old, where he was physically attacked with a hammer by a white woman for walking on the "wrong side of the street." He talks about Judge John Sherman Cooper's reaction to the incident.

Keywords: Fights; Hammers; John Sherman Cooper; Judges; Racial confrontations; Racial slurs; Racial violence; Segregation; Streets; White people

Subjects: African Americans--Segregation; African Americans--Social conditions.; Childhood; Cooper, John Sherman, 1901-1991; Race discrimination.; Race relations--Kentucky; Racism; Somerset (Ky.); Violence

Partial Transcript: Who ran your household, your mother or your father?

Segment Synopsis: Childs talks about how the role and status of the minister has changed as the Black community has evolved. Childs talks about an educational outreach building that his church, Shiloh Baptist Church, built for the community. He also mentions what types of programs and services his church provides at their outreach building. He goes on to talk about some of the churches political involvement. He goes on to talk about the efforts of the Southern Baptist Convention and General Association of Kentucky Baptists to bridge the gaps between white and Black Baptist churches.

Keywords: All Black community; Black community; Black leadership; Black ministry; Brereton Jones; Educational outreach; Exchanging pulpits; Family values; Fathers; General Association of Kentucky Baptist; Jesse Jackson; Ministerial leadership; Mothers; Outreach programs; Parenting styles; Political involvement; Race relations; Respect; Role of the minister; Shiloh Baptist Church (Lexington, Ky.); Social status; Southern Baptist Convention

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

Partial Transcript: But now lets go back to when you were a little and growing up. Where did you go to school?

Segment Synopsis: Childs talks about going to school at Dunbar in Somerset. He mentions a teacher he had while there and the school's principal, mentioning that the principal would publicly discipline students. He also talks about what his childhood community was like. He talks about the amount of violence and fighting that went on within Somerset's Black community. He also talks about the impact the violence had on young children.

[The interviewer is hard to hear throughout the interview.]

Keywords: All Black schools; Black community; Black teachers; Crime; Dunbar Elementary School (Somerset, Ky.); Harry McClasky (??); Student discipline; Teacher-student relations; Violence

Subjects: African Americans--Education; African Americans--Social conditions

Partial Transcript: Now, uh, after you finished elementary school where did you go to high school?

Segment Synopsis: Childs talks about getting sick with appendicitis, his mother's death, and his father's poor health due to asthma. He also talks about attending school in Harrisburg, Ky. at West Side High School.

Keywords: Appendicitis; Harrisburg (Ky.); Parents' illnesses; Somerset (Ky.); West Side High School (Harrisburg, Ky.)

Subjects: African American families; African Americans--Education

Partial Transcript: Tell me about your younger days when you were in high school, dating, athletics...

Segment Synopsis: Childs talks about getting preferential treatment in high school because he was dating the principal's niece. He also talks about his academic performance in school. He goes on to mention dancing and his father's dislike of dancing. He goes on to talk about some of the jobs he had in high school, including his families restaurant.

Keywords: Academic performance; Basketball; Dancing; Family restaurant; Harrisburg (Ky.); Preferential treatment

Subjects: African Americans--Education

Partial Transcript: So after you graduated did you go right on to school then? What happened to the restaurant?

Segment Synopsis: Childs mentions going to college at Kentucky State University. He talks about his military service in the Navy, mentioning he was in the steward department of the Navy where he trained new recruits in Bainbridge, Maryland.

Keywords: Bainbridge (Md.); Military service; Race relations; Steward mate; Stewards

Subjects: African American veterans; United States. Navy.

Partial Transcript: So what did you do after you came out of the Navy?

Segment Synopsis: Childs talks about returning to Harrisburg, Ky. after serving in the Navy. He talks about working as a chauffeur and getting married. He also mentions dancing the jitterbug at Kentucky State University.

Keywords: Bob Carr; Chauffeurs; Dancing; Jitterbugs; Marriage

Subjects: African Americans--Employment--Kentucky; Kentucky State University

Partial Transcript: Uh, while we were there, it was then that I acknowledge my calling to the ministry.

Segment Synopsis: Childs talks about his decision to join the ministry. He mentions that a number of signs, including his house catching fire, pushed him to join the ministry. He also mentions that he was the commander of the American Legion and known for being the city's Black leader.

Keywords: American Legion; Black leaders; Harrisburg (Ky.); Leadership; Ministry

Subjects: African Americans--Religion

Partial Transcript: And we moved to Louisville. I had already been down there to talk to the president of Simmons...

Segment Synopsis: Childs talks about moving to Louisville to attend theological school. He mentions living with a friend of his wife while he attended school. He also talks about various jobs he had while in school, including working at International Harvest.

Keywords: Eastern Hills (Louisville, Ky.); International Harvest; Living conditions

Subjects: African Americans--Employment--Kentucky

Partial Transcript: And what did you do after that?

Segment Synopsis: Childs talks about being called to lead First Baptist Church in Harrisburg, Ky. He talks about the strange situation around getting the job.

Keywords: First Baptist Church (Harrisburg, Ky.); Ministry

Subjects: African American churches--Kentucky; African Americans--Religion

Partial Transcript: After about uh, after the sixth year I began having dreams of another church.

Segment Synopsis: Childs talks about the events surrounding his decision to leave the church in Harrisburg, Ky. and become a minister at a church in Ashland, Ky.

Keywords: Black church leaders; Harrisburg (Ky.); Zion Baptist Church (Louisville, Ky.)

Subjects: African American churches--Kentucky; African Americans--Religion; Ashland (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: What role does your wife have to fulfill being a minister's wife?

Segment Synopsis: Childs discusses what his wife goes through as a minister's wife. He mentions that she is also under a spotlight both in the community and in the church.

Keywords: Community pressure; Influence; Minister's wife

Subjects: African American churches--Kentucky; African Americans--Religion

Partial Transcript: What ----------?? what is the typical life of a minister? All eyes are upon you.

Segment Synopsis: Childs speaks at length about what life as a minister is like. He talks about what it takes to be a good minister, mentioning that it is a way of life. He also mentions being teased by other ministers for taking his wife to state meetings.

Keywords: Black ministry; Influence; Mentors; Minister relations; Ministerial leadership; Role models; Spiritual strength; Weaknesses

Subjects: African American churches--Kentucky; African Americans--Religion

Partial Transcript: Let me, here get you reaction to this...

Segment Synopsis: Childs talks about Black ministers. He also comments on the mentality of Black ministers and how the ministry has changed. He also mentions the importance of Black ministers in regard to the strength of the Black community.

Keywords: Black church leaders; Black community; Black ministry; Criticism of ministers; Ministerial leadership; Power of the Black church

Subjects: African American churches--Kentucky

Partial Transcript: Well how ----------(??)---------- Black churches take part in the revolution in the sixties?

Segment Synopsis: Childs talks about the power potential of the Black church. He also talks about the strength of Ashland's Black community. He talks at length about his involvement in helping Black people get employment at Ashland Oil and J.C. Penney.

[It is very hard to hear the interviewer throughout this segment. This segment also concludes the interview]

Keywords: Ashland (Ky.); Ashland Oil; Black church leaders; Black community; General Association of Kentucky Baptists; J.C. Penney; New Hope Baptist Church (Ashland, Ky.); Race relations; YMCA board

Subjects: African American churches--Kentucky