Interview with Geneva Hawkins, October 20, 1990

Partial Transcript: Yes, it's still running.

Segment Synopsis: Hawkins talks a little about life growing up in Midway, Kentucky and about how her father's job as a stonemason provided for her family. She also talks about trades and other people who owned businesses in Midway.

Keywords: African American carpenters; African American stonemasons; Alexander Farm; Apprenticeships; Black carpenters; Black stonemasons; Blind people; Brothers; Businesses; Carpenters; Communities; Domestic work; Ellen Mosby; Enslaved people; Enslavement; Family history; Farm work; Fathers; Guy family; Harry Anderson; Income; Italian stonemasons; Jobs; John Lee; Maiden names; Pride; Relationships; Rock fences; Schools; Slavery; Stone fences; Stone work; Teachers; Trades; Wallace family; World War II

Subjects: African American business enterprises; African Americans--Education.; African Americans--Employment.; Family--History; Midway (Ky.); Slavery; Stonemasons; Woodford County (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: I think one of the things that's interesting though that you might want to spend some time on...

Segment Synopsis: Hawkins talks about the regular hustle and bustle that took place in Midway. She talks about what stores there were, when they went shopping, the movie theater, and segregation in the community.

Keywords: Activities; Businesses; Civil War veterans; Memories; Movie theaters; Shopping; Stores

Subjects: African American business enterprises; African American veterans.; African Americans--Social life and customs.; Race discrimination.; Race relations--Kentucky; Segregation.

Partial Transcript: Of course, my mother was born two years after slavery but her family lived--they belonged to the Alexanders and they lived there for many years after slavery.

Segment Synopsis: Hawkins talks about her family's experiences as enslaved people and tells stories from her family members that have been passed down to her. She tells several stories of family members who defied their enslavers and how they were treated.

Keywords: Alexander Farm; Alexander family; Children; Coffee; Dogs; Ellen Mosby; Enslaved people; Enslavement; Enslavers; Family history; Farming; Fathers; Food; Grandmothers; Grandparents; History; Integration; Italian stonemasons; Lucy Lee; Mattie Mosby; Meetings; Mistreatment; Mothers; Mules; Multiracial people; Pits; Pregnancy; Rape; Rose Powell; Segregation; Skin color; Slaves; Stories; Sugar; Tom Romp; Uncles; Unruly; Wallace family; Whippings

Subjects: African Americans--Genealogy.; Family histories.; Family--History; Slavery--United States.

Partial Transcript: Now, my Uncle Rubin, uh, told us when we were studying...

Segment Synopsis: Hawkins talks about her uncle witnessing General Ulysses S. Grant and General Robert E. Lee at Appomattox when they signed the treaty to end the Civil War. She tells stories about her grandfather, including his connection to President and Mrs. Lincoln, as well as how he and his sons ran away from their enslaver to join the Union Army.

[There is silence from 46:22 - 48:00]

Keywords: Abraham Lincoln; Benefits; Black history; Civil War veterans; Drivers; Driving; Enslaved people; Enslavement; Escape; Family history; Freedom seekers; General Robert E. Lee; General Ulysses S. Grant; Grandfathers; Heroes; Mary Todd Lincoln; Pensions; Presbyterian Church; Pride; Rubin Lee; Social classes; Tom Romp; Uncles; Union Army; Virginia; Wallace family

Subjects: African American families; African American veterans.; African Americans--Employment.; African Americans--Segregation; African Americans--Social conditions.; Family histories.; Slavery--United States.; United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865.

Partial Transcript: I remember when, uh, the first World War when they start to drafting them.

Segment Synopsis: Hawkins talks about the Black men from Midway drafted during World War I, including her brother Legrand.

Keywords: Brothers; Honorable discharge; Legrand Lee; Military drafts; Overseas; Pride; World War I; World War I veterans

Subjects: African American families; African American veterans.; African Americans--Segregation; African Americans--Social conditions.; Family histories.; Midway (Ky.); World War, 1914-1918

Partial Transcript: The only other thing I can think that you might want to...

Segment Synopsis: Hawkins talks about her family's experiences as enslaved people, including her mother's sister Tennie Mosby, who continued to work for her former enslavers after emancipation.

Keywords: Alexander family; Aunts; Buying a house; Chicago (Ill.); Domestic workers; Enslaved people; Enslavement; Enslavers; Family bibles; Family history; Family records; Generations; Houses; Pensions; Relationships; Tennie Mosby; Wallace family

Subjects: African Americans--Employment; African Americans--Genealogy.; Family histories.; Family--History; Slavery--United States.

Partial Transcript: Well, um, what shall we...

Segment Synopsis: Hawkins talks a little about her school experience growing up in Midway, Kentucky. She talks about segregated schools and going to an industrial school in Frankfort to get her high school diploma.

Keywords: Boarding schools; Industrial schools; Kentucky; Schools; Trains

Subjects: African Americans--Education.; African Americans--Employment.; Childhood; Clothing and dress.; Frankfort (Ky.); Kentucky State University; Midway (Ky.); Segregation in education--Kentucky; Segregation in higher education.; Segregation.; Teachers--Kentucky

Partial Transcript: Well, what kind of social activities did you have at Kentucky State?

Segment Synopsis: Hawkins talks about her experience as a student at Kentucky State College (now Kentucky State University). She recalls the activities the students did such as sports, socials, shopping, church services, and studying. She says that she got her high school diploma and a teaching certificate from Kentucky State.

Keywords: Activities; Church services; Schools; Sports; Student life; Track

Subjects: African American college students.; African Americans--Recreation; African Americans--Social life and customs.; Education; Kentucky State University

Partial Transcript: Can, can we go back to, to the Midway school again?

Segment Synopsis: Hawkins talks about growing up going to the small segregated school in Midway, Kentucky. She tells stories about her school experiences as a child and then talks about studying music at the University of Cincinnati.

Keywords: Choir; Lunches; Memories; Music studies; Punishments; Schools; Singing; Stories

Subjects: African Americans--Education.; African Americans--Segregation; Childhood; Education; Midway (Ky.); Segregation in education--Kentucky; University of Cincinnati

Partial Transcript: --choir or something that you had this voice--

Segment Synopsis: Hawkins talks about her talent for singing and about performances and recitals she's been in. Hawkins then explains that this background has benefitted her throughout her life.

Keywords: Choir; Pride; Recitals; Singing

Subjects: Church.; Cincinnati Music Hall; Performance art.

Partial Transcript: Did your parents want to protect your voice and so you got out of work at home or did you have to do, did you have to do chores with the other kids?

Segment Synopsis: In this section, Hawkins recalls what she and the other children did to keep entertained when they were growing up. She talks about listening to her father's storytelling, playing with the other children, watching the train come in, and parties that they would have.

Keywords: Churches; Halloween; Santa Claus; Schools; Trains

Subjects: African American families; African American neighborhoods; Childhood; Courtship.; Parties.; Recreation; Storytelling.

Partial Transcript: I'm trying to get a picture of your mother and father now.

Segment Synopsis: Hawkins talks about her mother and father being good parents. She explains that both of her parents were educated and were able to read and write, which was a skill that not many Black elders had. Hawkins explains that she had the opportunity to seek higher education as well.

Keywords: Bible; Colleges; Literacy; Parents; Reading; Schools; Writing

Subjects: African American college students.; African American families; African American--Genealogy.; African Americans--Education.; Childhood; Family--History; Letters.

Partial Transcript: What else about your, your family, childhood, did you celeb---did you make a big celebration out of birthdays, for example?

Segment Synopsis: In this section, Hawkins talks more about her family dynamic and her life growing up including what they celebrated in her home, her father's job as a stonemason, what her mother did for work, what they ate growing up, and what they talked about at the dinner table.

Keywords: Celebrations; Chores; Christmas; Conversations; Cooking; Desserts; Dinner table; Dinners; Easter; Fathers; House work; Mothers; Orchestra; Parties; Playing music; Thanksgiving

Subjects: African American families; African Americans--Employment.; Childhood; Food.; Holidays.; Stonemasons; Storytelling.

Partial Transcript: You know, in your family, uh, things like religion and politics also seem to be important.

Segment Synopsis: Hawkins talks about the role that religion and church-going played in her family dynamics. She also provides some family history about the churches that her extended family went to.

Keywords: Baptists; Church attendance; Church programs; Churches; Communion; Methodists; Presbyterians; Sunday schools

Subjects: African American churches; African American churches--Kentucky; African Americans--Employment.; African Americans--Religion.; Clothing and dress.; Family history.