Interview with Arvel Carroll, Jr., July 12, 2006

Partial Transcript: This is an oral history interview with Mr. Arvel Carroll for the University of Kentucky African American Alumni Experience.

Segment Synopsis: Arvel Carroll is introduced. He talks about his parents' and grandparents' occupations, and talks about his siblings. He talks about growing up in Jeffersontown, Kentucky before moving to Louisville, then back to Jeffersontown.

Keywords: Board of Education; Fathers; Grandparents; Jefferson County (Ky.); Jeffersontown (Ky.); Kentucky; Ministers; Mothers; Parents; Siblings

Subjects: African American families; African Americans--Employment.; Family histories.; Family--history; Louisville (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: What elementary school did you attend?

Segment Synopsis: Carroll talks about which schools he attended in Jeffersontown and Louisville, and talks about attending both segregated and integrated schools. He talks about his favorite teachers and subjects, and talks about the many extracurricular activities he participated in.

Keywords: Academics; Band; Busing; Choir; Coleridge-Taylor Elementary School; Eastern high School; Extracurricular activities; Favorite subjects; Favorite teachers; Football; GPA; Grades; Integrated schools; Madison Junior High School; Mandatory study halls; Middletown (Ky.); Music; Recruitment; Schools; Science; Segregated schools; Sports; University of Kentucky; White friends; William H. Perry Elementary School

Subjects: African Americans--Education.; African Americans--Recreation; African Americans--Segregation; African Americans--Social conditions.; Childhood; Race relations--Kentucky; School integration--Kentucky; Segregation in education--Kentucky; Teachers--Kentucky

Partial Transcript: What's your parents' educational background?

Segment Synopsis: Carroll says that he was the first member of his immediate family to finish a four-year college degree, though his father attended a two-year bible college and some of his siblings went to technical schools. He talks about his mother's attitude about him going to college.

Keywords: Attitudes; Bible colleges; Fathers; Jobs; Mothers; Occupations; Parents; Personality; Recruiting trips; Recruitment; Scholarships; Siblings; Technical schools; Values

Subjects: African American college students--Social conditions; African American families; African Americans--Education (Higher); African Americans--Education--Kentucky--Lexington; African Americans--Employment.; College athletes; College sports--Scouting; Minorities in higher education

Partial Transcript: How would you classify your family's economic status growing up?

Segment Synopsis: Carroll talks about his family's socioeconomic status, his parents' occupations, recreation during his childhood, and his relationships with his extended family.

Keywords: Black community; Black neighborhoods; Close-knit; Custodians; Entertainment; Extended family; Family relationships; Friends; Influences; Jobs; Middle class; Ministers; Pastors; Picnics; Seamstresses; Siblings; Socioeconomic status; Working

Subjects: African American churches--Kentucky; African American families; African American neighborhoods; African Americans--Conduct of life.; African Americans--Economic conditions.; African Americans--Employment.; African Americans--Recreation; African Americans--Social conditions.; African Americans--Social life and customs.; Childhood

Partial Transcript: I, I was kind of shielded from--I knew the racial, uh, uh, movement and, uh--was going on and, and, uh, uh--but I was kind of shielded from it.

Segment Synopsis: Carroll talks about his awareness of the civil rights movement growing up, and talks about the integration of an amusement park located in one of Louisville's affluent white neighborhoods. He talks about his relationships with his white classmates.

Keywords: Amusement parks; Awareness; Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; Eastern high School; Involvement; Monty Holmes; Paul Rogers; School reunions; West End Louisville; White friends

Subjects: African Americans--Segregation; African Americans--Social conditions.; Childhood; Civil rights movements--United States; Integration; Louisville (Ky.); Race discrimination.; Race relations--Kentucky

Partial Transcript: Who made the decision that you were going to college?

Segment Synopsis: Carroll talks about his desire to go to college after realizing it would be possible through a football scholarship. He talks about why he chose to attend UK, stating that one of the reasons was due to his father's stroke, which made proximity to his family important.

Keywords: Attitudes; College funds; Decisions; Fathers; Football scholarships; Health issues; Mothers; Offers; Personality; Proximity; Purdue University; Rehabilitation

Subjects: African American families; College athletes; College choice; College costs.; College football players; College sports--Scouting; College students--Economic conditions; University of Kentucky

Partial Transcript: I don't know--and, and that had to be almost the only reason for me choosing--well, I can't say that.

Segment Synopsis: Carroll says that another reason he wanted to attend UK was because of other Black athletes, including Wilbur Hackett and Houston Hogg. He talks about the other African American athletes recruited the same year he was. He talks about being unaware of the significance of integrating the SEC, and talks about UK's reputation within the Black community.

Keywords: Black athletes; Degrees; Derrick Bryant; Graduation; Greg Page; Houston Hogg; Jefferson County (Ky.); Jim Green; Nat Northington; Opportunities; Reactions; Recruiting; Recruitment; Reputations; Significance; Southeastern Conference (SEC); Sports radio; Teammates; Tom Payne; Wilbur Hackett

Subjects: African American college students--Social conditions; African Americans--Education--Kentucky--Lexington; College athletes; College choice; College environment; College football players; College integration; College sports--Scouting; College students--Attitudes.; Discrimination in higher education; Minorities in higher education; Race discrimination.; Race relations--Kentucky; University of Kentucky

Partial Transcript: Did you feel welcome once you arrived on campus?

Segment Synopsis: Carroll talks about his unique experience on campus as both an African American and an athlete. He talks about being in a closed environment due to his close relationships with his teammates. He talks about "The Blacktop," an area on campus where Black students would congregate and socialize. He talks about joining a fraternity, his participation in the Black Voices choir, and talks about the programs he attended that were sponsored by the Black Student Union.

Keywords: "The Blacktop"; Atmosphere; Black Student Union (B.S.U.); Black Voices choir; Buzz Burnam; Closed environment; Community; Dormitories; Football teams; Greek letter organizations; Off-campus; Omega Psi Phi fraternity; Pledging; Programs; Relationships; Social events; Teammates; Welcome

Subjects: African American college students--Social conditions; African Americans--Education--Kentucky--Lexington; African Americans--Recreation; African Americans--Social life and customs.; African Americans--Societies, etc.; College athletes; College environment; College football players; College integration; College sports.; College students--Attitudes.; College students--Conduct of life.; College students--Social conditions; College students--Social networks; Greek letter societies.; Lexington (Ky.)--Race relations.; Minorities in higher education; University of Kentucky

Partial Transcript: Did you attend an orientation before you came to UK?

Segment Synopsis: Carroll talks about his freshman orientation. He discusses his attitudes about the classes he was required to take, particularly the mandatory ROTC classes. He talks about his desire to graduate and receive a degree, and talks about his interest in special education. He talks more about his first day on campus, which he says was unusual due to his being an athlete.

Keywords: Academic eligibility; Attitudes; College classes; Degrees; First day; Football practice; Graduation; Jobs; Medical school; Required courses; Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC); Special Education

Subjects: Campus size; College athletes; College environment; College football players; College majors; College sports.; College student orientation.; College students--Attitudes.; College students--Conduct of life.; College students--Social conditions; Universities and colleges--Curricula.

Partial Transcript: Did you experience any forms of discrimination from faculty, students, or administrators?

Segment Synopsis: Carroll tells stories about the harassment and discrimination he faced during football games. He talks about the isolation he felt as a Black student on campus, and the importance of having a place for African American students to socialize.

Keywords: "The Blacktop"; Attitudes; Card games; Congregating; Fans; Football games; Incidents; Isolation; Racial slurs; Self-segregation; Socializing; Student Center

Subjects: African American college students--Social conditions; African Americans--Education--Kentucky--Lexington; African Americans--Recreation; African Americans--Segregation; African Americans--Social life and customs.; College athletes; College environment; College football players; College integration; College sports.; College students--Attitudes.; College students--Conduct of life.; College students--Social conditions; College students--Social networks; Discrimination in higher education; Minorities in higher education; Race discrimination.; Racism; United States--Race relations.

Partial Transcript: I know you mentioned that you would go off campus, um, with Black Voices to some of the area churches.

Segment Synopsis: Carroll talks about going off campus to African American neighborhoods in Lexington, and talks about the attitudes of the people there towards Black UK students, both positive and negative. He talks about the differences between Lexington and Louisville in terms of the social environment for African Americans. The interview is concluded.

Keywords: Acceptance; Atmosphere; Attitudes; Black community; Bluegrass Aspendale; Class system; Deweese Street; Housing projects; Influences; Motives; Refuge; Segregated; Socioeconomic status; Welcome

Subjects: African American college students--Social conditions; African American neighborhoods; African Americans--Economic conditions.; African Americans--Education--Kentucky--Lexington; African Americans--Segregation; African Americans--Social conditions.; College athletes; College football players; College sports.; College students--Attitudes.; College students--Conduct of life.; College students--Social conditions; Lexington (Ky.)--Race relations.; Louisville (Ky.); Minorities in higher education; Race discrimination.; Race relations--Kentucky; Racism--Kentucky--Lexington; University towns