Interview with Barbara Jackson Givens, April 25, 1990

Partial Transcript: This oral history project is titled "Blacks in Kentucky."

Segment Synopsis: Barbara Givens is introduced. She talks about growing up in Mount Sterling, Kentucky. She talks about her family's house and the neighborhood they lived in, which she says was a close-knit community. She talks about childhood games, birthdays, and other social activities.

Keywords: Birthdays; Black hospitals; Board games; Children; Close-knit community; Dreams; Future; Games; Gardens; Gas stoves; Home births; Home ownership; Hopes; Houses; Middle child; Parents; Parties; Presents; Siblings; Yards

Subjects: African American families; African American neighborhoods; African Americans--Housing.; African Americans--Recreation; African Americans--Segregation; African Americans--Social conditions.; African Americans--Social life and customs.; Childhood; Mount Sterling (Ky.); Neighborliness; Neighbors

Partial Transcript: Where did you go to school at?

Segment Synopsis: Givens talks about where she attended school in Mount Sterling, Kentucky. She talks about conditions in the all-Black schools. She says the schools in the area were forced to integrate due to a fire in the Black school, and talks about race relations in the school after integration. She talks about attending Morehead College.

Keywords: All-Black schools; Black professors; Buses; City schools; Class size; County schools; Fires; Forced integration; Grades; Learning; Married; Montgomery County Training School; Morehead College; Problems; Quality of education; Schools; Smithville; Social science; Teachers; Transportation; Used textbooks; Walking

Subjects: African American college students--Social conditions; African Americans--Education--Kentucky; African Americans--Education.; African Americans--Segregation; African Americans--Social conditions.; Childhood; College environment; College students--Attitudes.; Minorities in higher education; Morehead State University; Race discrimination.; Race relations--Kentucky; School integration--Kentucky; Segregation in education--Kentucky

Partial Transcript: Earlier I was asking you about your family and stuff.

Segment Synopsis: Givens talks about her childhood chores, entertainment, and her family's church attendance on Sundays. She talks about social activities in the church.

Keywords: Brothers; Choirs; Chores; Christian Youth Fellowship (CYF); Clubs; Free time; High Street Christian Church; Holidays; Movies; Relationships; Routines; Schedules; Shopping; Summer jobs; Sunday school; Working

Subjects: African American churches--Kentucky; African American families; African Americans--Employment.; African Americans--Recreation; African Americans--Religion.; African Americans--Social conditions.; African Americans--Social life and customs.; Childhood

Partial Transcript: Yeah I r--yeah did you--ba--I'm backing up, going back to your childhood.

Segment Synopsis: Givens talks more about her childhood chores and whether she and her siblings received an allowance. She talks about her father's work as a farmer and at the Bluegrass Army Depot.

Keywords: Allowance; Bluegrass Army Depot; Chores; Farming; Fathers; Jobs; Occupations; Raising animals

Subjects: African American farmers.; African Americans--Economic conditions.; African Americans--Employment.; Childhood

Partial Transcript: Yeah was sun--your--you mentioned church and Sunday how it was a ritual where everyone ate together during breakfast and, and they got home.

Segment Synopsis: Givens describes her family's Sunday dinners. She talks more about what they did for entertainment.

Keywords: Family activities; Meals; Picnics; Sunday dinners; Talking; Visiting

Subjects: African American families; African Americans--Recreation; African Americans--Social life and customs.; Childhood; Food habits

Partial Transcript: Did you--y'all ever visit relatives?

Segment Synopsis: Givens talks about both her paternal and maternal grandparents and their occupations. She tells stories about her grandfather teasing the children.

Keywords: Camargo (Ky.); Children; Cooking; Farmers; Grandparents; Great grandparents; Personality; Porters; Pranks; Railroad stations; Relatives; Sewing; Town; Trains; Transportation; Tricks

Subjects: African American families; African Americans--Employment.; African Americans--Genealogy.; African Americans--Recreation; African Americans--Social life and customs.; Childhood; Family histories.; Family--history; Montgomery County (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: Can you describe, uh, uh, Christmas, uh, with the family?

Segment Synopsis: Givens talks about how her family celebrated Christmas, and talks about her relationship with her sister.

Keywords: Food; Holidays; Presents; Relatives; Rivalry; Sisters; Watches

Subjects: African American families; African Americans--Economic conditions.; African Americans--Recreation; African Americans--Social life and customs.; Childhood; Holidays--Kentucky

Partial Transcript: Yes. Through your experience in life, uh, looking back is there any one thing or events that have disturbed you during your life?

Segment Synopsis: Givens discusses race relations and whether conditions have improved for the Black community over time. The interview is concluded.

Keywords: Affirmative Action; Brothers; Changes; Death; Economy; Fathers; Progress; Reverse discrimination; Unemployment; Worse off

Subjects: African American families; African Americans--Social conditions.; Race discrimination.; Racism; United States--Race relations.