Interview with Minnie James,

Interview Summary

James discusses attending Western High School before integration. She talks about learning to write from Mrs. Hathaway utilizing the "Push and Pull" and "Round, Round Suzy" methods. She believes the black community was more involved in education back then. James' mother would see her teacher every day and would discuss James' school work.

James talks about having typhoid fever when she was 14 and missing school for a year. After marrying, she became a housewife while her children were growing up. She was a Girl Scout leader and school crossing guard for 37 years. Her daughter, Olive Burroughs, was able to attend a white grade school before integration because James was working at that school. Prior to integration there had been many black businesses in the 5th Street area, but after integration these businesses died out. James believes that the black community lost a sense of identity after the black businesses died out.

Interview Keyword

Black community African American community African Americans--Social conditions. Education

Interview LC Subject

Integration Owensboro (Ky.) Race relations Racism Segregation

Interview Rights

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Interview Usage

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