Interview with Jo Crockett Zingg, November 16, 1990

Interview Summary

Jo Crockett Zingg describes growing up on her grandfather's farm in Lee County, Kentucky which had been in the family since the Revolutionary War. Her father was an auto mechanic with his own shop, but he was eventually forced to travel a long distance to find work. Zingg attended Union College in Barbourville, Kentucky and discusses what it was like to be a poor student. In college Zingg became very involved in producing and acting in plays. She describes attending parties where the theatre members discussed radical politics, but states that she felt like an outsider in these male-dominated political discussions. Many of these young people later became Appalachian Volunteers (AVs) and community organizers.

Zingg married, had two children, and her husband began working for the AVs. Zingg states that her husband's activities put them in conflict with the community. He not only worked with the AVs, but he also started an underground newspaper, and initiated a chapter of the Urban League in Pikeville. Zingg remembers that she worried about her family's financial security along with their personal safety. To help support her family, she worked as a case worker for the social welfare department. She describes this as her first exposure to extreme poverty.

Interview Keyword

anti-poverty organizations Appalachian Volunteers childhood on the farm Hep Cawood Jack Rivel Judy and Richard Martin Lee County War On Poverty

Interview LC Subject

Appalachian Region Appalachian Region--Economic conditions Economic assistance Zingg, Jo Crockett Zingg, Jo Crockett--Interviews

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Interview Usage

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