Interview with Lyman T. Johnson, March 23, 1979

Interview Summary

Johnson describes his niece and her husband and the social conditions of life in the South for African Americans and women. He discusses how not protesting is seen as agreeing with the adversaries and gives several examples of segregation. He mentions that race relations have improved in his hometown, partly because of the civil rights laws passed by Lyndon B. Johnson, and describes the racial makeup of his hometown when he lived there. He and the interviewer discuss the Uncle Remus stories and how the progress made towards equal rights should be a source of pride for African Americans. Johnson discusses race relations with the police and how his nephew, who became a police officer, was not supposed to arrest white people. He describes some examples of white people objecting to black people having authority over them, including a child who objected to his black teacher. They discuss white privilege and how it prevented poor whites from cooperating with freed black people in order to advance both of their conditions. They discuss the concept of "putting on a coon act" and end with Johnson describing his education from childhood to undergraduate university.

Interview Keyword

Uncle Remus stories Columbia (Tenn.)

Interview LC Subject

African Americans--Education. African Americans--Education (Higher) Families. Family histories. African Americans--Social conditions. Discrimination. Teaching Racism Segregation. Slavery--United States. African Americans--Civil rights--Southern States African Americans--Southern States. Race discrimination. United States--Race relations.

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Interview Usage

Interviews may only be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries.