Civil Rights Oral History Project
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Oral history interview with Joanne Bluethenthal by William Link
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In this transcript of a January 20, 1987, oral history interview conducted by William Link with Joanne Bluethenthal, Ms. Bluethenthal primarily discusses her involvement with integration of the Greensboro public school system in 1971, including the reaction of local parents to busing and her involvement with Greensboro's Human Relations Advisory Committee. She also notes her initial impressions of Greensboro in 1950 and her experience of working with various communities towards racial equality in the 1950s and 1960s.
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Oral history interview with Robert A. Clendenin by William Link
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In this transcript of a November 2, 1988, oral history interview conducted by William Link with Robert A. Clendenin, Clendenin recalls Greensboro school desegregation in the early 1970s, including tactics to maintain order, the advantages and disadvantages of desegregation, how equal representation among races in student organizations was effected at Page High School, and the role of exposure to other races for students.
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Oral history interview with Katie Dorsett by Kathleen Hoke
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In this transcript of a May 30, 1990, oral history interview conducted by Kathleen Hoke with Katie Dorsett, Ms. Dorsett primarily discusses her experiences while at North Carolina A&T State University, including the racial and socioeconomic demography of Greensboro, the 1960 sit-ins, the desegregation and integration of Greensboro schools, and the 1969 riot at Dudley High School and at North Carolina A&T State University. She also provides her observations on paternalism, race relations, and integration in the community and in the workforce.
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Oral history interview with David Helberg by William Link
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In this transcript of an April 12, 1989, oral history interview conducted by William Link with David Helberg, Helberg discusses the effects of Brown v. Board of Education on Greensboro school teachers and administrators. He describes the process of integration, the attitudes of white teachers toward black students, changes in the curricula and teaching styles to meet the new needs, and efforts he made at Sternberger Elementary to involve minority parents after busing began in 1971.
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Oral history interview with Betty and Jake Hill by William Link
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In this transcript of a November 7, 1988, oral history interview conducted by William Link with Betty and Jake Hill, the Hills describe discrepancies between all-white and all-black schools, including allocation of funds, materials, and equipment. They recall the transition to integrated school personnel, how the first black personnel were selected, the effects of integration on the socialization and education of the students, and how it affected parent participation. They also recall the changes in school administration once federal aid was received and after integration, teaching conditions after integration, and new programs started.
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Oral history interview with Otis L. Hairston Sr. and Nelson Johnson by William Link
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In this transcript of a May 5, 1989, oral history interview conducted by William Link with Otis L. Hairston Sr. and Nelson Johnson, Hairston and Johnson compare their respective childhoods in Greensboro and Halifax County, North Carolina, and discuss early experiences and influences on their lives. They also discuss educational issues, including the desegregation of Greensboro schools, in addition to race relations, the use of boycotts, and the relationship between faith and class in the black community.
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Oral history interview with Yolanda Leacraft by William Link
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In this transcript of a November 30, 1988, oral history interview conducted by William Link with Yolanda Leacraft, Yolanda Leacraft primarily discusses her experience as an African-American woman working for Western Electric and later the Center for Creative Leadership. She also mentions living in Winston-Salem during her youth, attending Immanuel Lutheran College in Greensboro, her son's experience at Smith High School during school desegregation, and some of the improvements in race relations over the years.
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Oral history interview with Owen Lewis by William Link
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In this transcript of a December 5, 1988, oral history interview conducted by William Link with Owen Lewis, Lewis provides insights into the pressures on Greensboro to desegregate the schools and the actions of superintendents and boards to design and implement a desegregation plan. He describes the attitudes of the principals and teachers, some specific problems with school integration, and explains why the plan was unfair to students in certain parts of the city. Lewis also discusses the May, 1969, riot at Dudley High School and NC A&T in detail.
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Oral History interview with Al Lineberry by Wayne Jordan
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In this transcript of a February 1, 1988, interview conducted by Wayne Jordan with Al Lineberry, Lineberry recalls his first experience with segregation and the Greensboro community's response to desegregation efforts. He recalls his work for the chamber of commerce, including facilitating discussion between races. He also talks about his involvement with the school board after the Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education decision. Topics include enlisting the aid of church leaders, discussing busing at open forums, and inequality in school resources. Other topics include state policies in the eighties, including redistricting.
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Oral history interview with Linda McDougle by William Link
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In this transcript of an October 5, 1988, oral history interview conducted by William Link with Linda McDougle, Linda McDougle discusses her influences, experiences, and observations of race relations as a light-skinned African-American growing up in Burlington, North Carolina, including her employment as the first black cashier in a white grocery store. She primarily discusses her career in the Greensboro Public School system, where she was the first black teacher at Jackson Middle School in the late 1960s, and her memories of integration in 1971. McDougle also mentions her involvement in local civil rights demonstrations as a student at N.C. Central student.
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Oral history interview with William Snider by William Link
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In this transcript of an October 1, 1987, oral history interview conducted by William Link with William Snider, Snider primarily discusses the history, traditions, and staff of the Greensboro newspapers and the history of race relations in Greensboro. He describes his experiences with and newspaper coverage of the Brown decision and Greensboro school desegregation, the February 1, 1960, and subsequent sit-ins, and the school integration of 1971.
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Oral history interview with Mel Swann by William Link
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In this transcript of a September 21, 1988, oral history interview conducted by William Link with Mel Swan, Swann discusses his early education abroad and at St. Emma Military Academy, and his career as a teacher, coach, and principal at J. C. Price Junior High School. The interview's primary topic is Swann's efforts in relation to the 1971 integration of Greensboro schools and his role as director of student affairs. Other topics include a comparison of race relations and education locally, as well as the progress of school integration since 1971.
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Oral history interview with Rosemary Roberts Yardley by Kathleen Hoke
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In this transcript of a May 25, 1990, oral history interview conducted by Kathleen Hoke with Rosemary Roberts Yardley, Ms. Yardley primarily discusses Greensboro school integration in 1971, including her son's experiences at a formerly black Hampton School, busing, and work with Joanne Bluethenthal's committee to support the process. She also briefly discusses her work as a journalist, including her interview with Howard Fuller about the Malcolm X Liberation University.
