Interview with Mattie Jones, April 26, 2013

Partial Transcript: Um, my name is Nieta Wigginton. I am here with Miss Mattie Jones in Louisville.

Segment Synopsis: Wigginton, the interviewer, introduces the interviewee, Mattie Jones.

Subjects: African Americans--Civil rights; Civil rights movements--United States; Jones, Mattie--Interviews

Partial Transcript: ...Miss Mattie, you were sharing with us a little bit about the freedom songs you sang to your babies...

Segment Synopsis: Jones shares some of her favorite freedom songs and relates them to her experiences marching in the Deep South. She also talks about her work and friendships with Anne Braden and Angela Davis.

Keywords: Angela Davis; Bob Cunningham; Bull Connor; Charlene Mitchell; Freedom songs; Kentucky Alliance

Subjects: Alabama; Atlanta (Ga.); Braden, Anne, 1924-2006; Chicago (Ill.); Civil rights demonstrations--Alabama--Birmingham; Civil rights movements--United States; Georgia; Ku Klux Klan (1915- ); National Alliance against Racist and Political Repression (U.S.); Southern Organizing Committee for Economic and Social Justice

Partial Transcript: And you worked with that organization?

Segment Synopsis: Jones describes how Georgia Davis Powers helped recruit her to work for the civil rights movement. She also discusses her involvement in the March on Frankfort in 1964, and describes the power and importance of voting.

Keywords: Drugs; March on Frankfort; Meetings; Rain; Voting

Subjects: Frankfort (Ky.); Louisville (Ky.); National Alliance against Racist and Political Repression (U.S.); Obama, Barack; Powers, Georgia Davis, 1923-; Voting

Partial Transcript: You shared with us before we turned on our uh, our video here, the love of a black woman for you.

Segment Synopsis: Jones describes her mother's role in her life and the importance of her guidance. She also discusses several of her experiences with racism as a young woman, and shares the advice her mother gave her to deal with this sort of treatment.

Keywords: Beauty; Choir; Fathers; Mothers; Parents; Penmanship; Singers; Singing; Work study

Subjects: African American women in higher education; Indiana University; Parenting; Racism; University of Louisville

Partial Transcript: What year was that that you were a student in um, the University of Louisville?

Segment Synopsis: Jones describes her positive experiences at Central High School in Louisville, which was then an all black school. She stresses how much education was valued there.

Keywords: Brothers; Catholic Colored High (Louisville, Ky.); High school seniors; International Harvester; Maude Brown Porter; Parents; Principals

Subjects: African Americans--Education--Kentucky--Louisville; Central High School (Louisville, Ky.); Education; Louisville (Ky.); Teachers

Partial Transcript: And your wanting the best for yourself and for others... did that lead you to get more active in the community?

Segment Synopsis: Jones describes why she joined the civil rights movement, stressing the need for community support. She also describes the difficult jobs that both of her parents took to provide for themselves and their family.

Keywords: Baths; Chores; Christ; Christianity; Communities; Construction workers; Cooks; Fathers; Mothers; Parents

Subjects: African Americans--Employment--Kentucky; Braden, Anne, 1924-2006; Civil rights movements--United States; Segregation; Slavery

Partial Transcript: ...And where was the location where you went to see?

Segment Synopsis: Jones tells how she and her brother went to the theater without her mother's permission, and how they were ejected from it for dropping things on the heads of the white people sitting below them. She shares her mother's reaction to their misbehavior.

Keywords: Communities; God; Memorial Auditorium (Louisville, Ky.); Mothers; National Theater (Louisville, Ky.); Parents; Punishments; Religion; Whites

Subjects: Braden, Anne, 1924-2006; Segregation

Partial Transcript: You seem like you were really feisty, and that you had a temper...

Segment Synopsis: Jones discusses the training she received in how to react nonviolently to the harassment and abuse she was subjected to as a civil rights activist. She describes the violence against her and other civil rights activists, and her reaction to it.

Keywords: Anger; Beatings; Fred Taylor; Highlander (New Market, Tenn.); Nonviolence training; Praying; Racial slurs; Singing; Training; Violence

Subjects: African Americans--Civil rights; Civil rights demonstrations; Civil rights workers--Violence against; Lewis, John, 1940 February 21-; Nonviolence

Partial Transcript: So seeing that challenge um, recently it was the fiftieth anniversary of, of that march...

Segment Synopsis: Jones recounts an instance in which she confronted several young men whom she suspected planned to rob her. She persuaded them not to do so because it wasn't worth going to prison.

Keywords: Motivation; Murders; Prison; Prisoners; Talking; Theft; Young people

Subjects: African American men; Civil rights movements--United States; Slavery

Partial Transcript: And you can share with that young man, um, now what it's like to go to a federal prison for a felony.

Segment Synopsis: Jones describes some of the times she was arrested for her work as a civil rights activist. She shares a particular instance in which both she and her young son were arrested.

Keywords: Arrests; Bail; Children; Jails; Marches; Memorial Auditorium (Louisville, Ky.); Permits; Prison; Prisoners; Protests; Ruth Bryant

Subjects: Civil rights demonstrations; Jackson (Miss.); King, Martin Luther, Jr. 1929-1968; Louisville (Ky.); University of Louisville

Partial Transcript: ...Well you mentioned that you all met at a church, and Dr. King was there. What was the role...

Segment Synopsis: Jones discusses the role that churches and clergy played in the civil rights movement. She tells how the police, especially in the Deep South, would sometimes storm church meetings without having probable cause.

Keywords: Charles B. Tycall (??); Danger; Episcopal priests; Meetings; Police; Priests; Reverend Kirby; St. George Episcopal Church (Louisville, Ky.); Todds Elliot (??); Violence

Subjects: African American churches--Kentucky; Catholic Church; Episcopal Church; Episcopal Church--Clergy; Police brutality

Partial Transcript: But one afternoon, we were protesting at Seventh and Jefferson, oh gosh, what was that protest...

Segment Synopsis: Jones recalls several instances of being harassed by the police in various ways. In particular, she recalls harassment during a protest that was held after the shooting death of Michael Newby in Louisville. She briefly mentions some of the Louisville churches that were involved in the civil rights movement.

Keywords: Bonds; Carla Wallace; Churches; Claude Binbo; Coats; Drugs; Insults; King Solomon; Louis Coleman; Michael Newby; Money; New Jerusalem; Police officers; Protests; Shootings; Violence; West Chestnut; Zion Baptist

Subjects: Civil rights demonstrations; Louisville (Ky.); Police

Partial Transcript: ...Did you have an opportunity to meet Dr. King?

Segment Synopsis: Jones recalls the assassination of Dr. King, and how people reacted to this event. She states that she was in Memphis at the time.

Keywords: Andrewnetta Hawkins (??); Meetings

Subjects: Braden, Anne, 1924-2006; Civil rights leaders--United States; Civil rights movements--United States; Civil rights--Tennessee--Memphis; King, Martin Luther, Jr., 1929-1968; Memphis (Tenn.)

Partial Transcript: Were you involved or any place in the area Whitney Young...um, Junior...

Segment Synopsis: Jones discusses the civil rights movement since the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. She describes some of the issues that she feels it still needs to address.

Keywords: African American students; Churches; Institutionalized racism; Kevin Cosby; Legislation; Literacy; Louis Coleman; Racism; Schools; Sermons

Subjects: African American men; Civil rights movements--United States; Education; Louisville (Ky.); Segregation; Slavery; Young, Whitney M.

Partial Transcript: Cause anybody heard him when he did the eulogy... for Judy Green, Dr. Judy Green...

Segment Synopsis: Jones talks about Dr. Judy Green, a councilwoman in Louisville who was impeached for allegedly mishandling funds.

Keywords: Adoption; Children; Councilwomen; Death; Eulogies; Foster children; Funds; Impeachment; Judy Green; Kevin Cosby; Money

Subjects: Louisville (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: You were mentioning with us previously about um, the things that you have gone through with segregation and Jim Crow.

Segment Synopsis: Jones shares several particular instances of segregation in Louisville, and tells how she and her mother reacted to it. These include being discriminated against in shops and in restaurants.

Keywords: Chesterfield coats; Chickasaw Park (Louisville, Ky.); Coats; Food; Hats; Hollywood Hat Shop (Louisville, Ky.); Mothers; Restaurants; Sellman; Sewing; Shopping; White Castle

Subjects: Louisville (Ky.); Segregation

Partial Transcript: Well, you grew to become um, very involved in one of the nation's... um, celebrated foods, Kentucky Fried Chicken.

Segment Synopsis: Jones tells how she found work at Kentucky Fried Chicken. She also describes her interactions with Colonel Sanders while she worked there.

Keywords: Christmas parties; Cooks; Foster children; Head cooks; Holiday Inn; Howard Johnson; Husbands; Juanita Burkes; KFC; Restaurants; Stouffers; Turner Harris Jones

Subjects: Cooking; Employment; Kentucky Fried Chicken (Firm); Sanders, Harlan, 1890-1980

Partial Transcript: ...So you had seven children of your own and then you decided to foster as well.

Segment Synopsis: Jones talks about her experiences as a foster parent. She describes her husband, Turner Harris Jones' impact on the many children they fostered, and the large number of people who came to his funeral.

Keywords: Death; Drunkenness; Foster children; Husbands; Turner Harris Jones; Wine

Subjects: Children; Foster home care; Parenting; Teachers

Partial Transcript: Yes. Tell me a little bit more about your husband [??]. You mentioned, uh, the boarding school. Tell us...

Segment Synopsis: Jones talks about Piney Woods School, which was founded by Laurence C. Jones, a member of her husband's family. She also discusses Cathy Hughes.

Keywords: Boarding schools; Cathy Hughes; Laurence C. Jones; Literacy; Newspapers; Radio stations; Schools; Sweethearts of Rhythm (band); University of Iowa

Subjects: African Americans--Education; Piney Woods School

Partial Transcript: You mentioned when you were beginning uh, your conversation about marching is that your husband was middle class...

Segment Synopsis: Jones shares some of the ways that her husband, Turner Harris Jones, assisted in her civil rights work, even though he himself never marched.

Keywords: Age; Babysitting; Division of labor; Drivers; Driving; Fear; George Edwards; Marches; Middle class; Nelson Mandela; Sleep; South Africa; Station wagons; The Fellowship of Reconciliation; Turner Harris Jones; Vans

Subjects: African Americans--Civil rights; Braden, Anne, 1924-2006; Civil rights demonstrations; Civil rights movements; Civil rights workers; Civil rights workers--Violence against; Greensboro (N.C.); Middle class African Americans; New York (N.Y.); South Africa

Partial Transcript: ...People helped in different ways?

Segment Synopsis: Jones describes the importance of there being many different roles within civil rights organizations. She also talks briefly about her work to lobby for the United States' disinvestment from South Africa.

Keywords: Child raising; Children; Civil disobedience; Civil rights work; Coordinator of racial and economic justice; Fellowship of Reconciliation; George Edwards; Protests; TransAfrica; Turner Harris Jones; Unity

Subjects: New York (N.Y.); South Africa

Partial Transcript: Now that doesn't mean that you have to beat a child... and I explained that one day to a judge in court...

Segment Synopsis: Jones discusses some of the ways that African Americans stayed safe during both segregation and the civil rights movement. She also describes the importance of respect for others, and states that she feels quite safe in her home in West Louisville.

Keywords: Break-ins; Burglaries; Caution; Cautiousness; Communities; Corporal punishment; Discipline; Emmett Till; Knee pads; Money; Relationships; Respect; Safety; West Louisville (Ky.)

Subjects: Civil rights demonstrations; Civil rights workers--Violence against; Louisville (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: ...In terms of moving uh, you mentioned at one point that you did work in Atlanta?

Segment Synopsis: Jones describes the work that she did in Atlanta with the Southern Organizing Committee for Social and Economic Justice. She also talks about her work as a part of the Justice Resource Center in Louisville.

Keywords: Attorneys; Businesses; Contractors; Driving; EEOC; Firings; Justice Resource Center; Louis Coleman; Organizers; Public speaking; SCLC; Unemployment; Unemployment hearings

Subjects: Atlanta (Ga.); Braden, Anne, 1924-2006; Louisville (Ky.); National Association for the Advancement of Colored People; Southern Christian Leadership Conference; Southern Organizing Committee for Economic and Social Justice

Partial Transcript: How did you balance that with your own, with your own job? With your own work?

Segment Synopsis: Jones talks about her salary when she worked in New York, and that she was amazed to suddenly be making so much money. She also discusses a robbery that occurred at KFC during her employment there, and the FBI's investigation of it.

Keywords: Activism; Checks; Cooking; Demonstrations; FBI; KFC; Louis Coleman; Medical leave; Money; NIAC New York (??); Networking; Pensions; Prime rib; Robberies; Salaries

Subjects: African Americans; Kentucky Fried Chicken (Firm)

Partial Transcript: You did know some of the leaders um, who are in our history books when it comes to the civil rights movement...

Segment Synopsis: Jones talks about her interactions with comedian and civil rights leader Dick Gregory, as well as several other leaders within the movement.

Keywords: Arguing; Christians; Communities; Leaders; Ministers; Organizing; Personalities; Soldiers; Students

Subjects: African Americans--Civil rights; Civil rights movements; Civil rights movements--United States; Gregory, Dick; Jackson, Jesse, 1941-; King, Martin Luther, Jr. 1929-1968

Partial Transcript: Do you think you succeeded in that?

Segment Synopsis: Jones describes some of the civil rights issues in the United States today, including continuing racism against African Americans, the need for equal rights for the GLBT community, and problems with immigration. She also talks briefly about Jeremiah Wright. The interview is concluded.

Keywords: Beliefs; Bible; Churches; Community organizers; Criticism; Discrimination; Elections; Equality; Immigration; Jeremiah Wright; LGBT; Leaders; Legacy; Marches; Opportunities; Protests; Racists; Rights; Soldiers; Statue of Liberty; Students; Voters; Voting

Subjects: Civil rights; Obama, Barack; Racism; Same-sex marriage; United States