Interview with Alalia Mack, July 27, 2006
Project: University of Kentucky: The African American Experience Oral History Project
Interview Summary
Alalia Mack was one of the first African American students to earn a master's degree in nursing from the University of Kentucky. In this interview she discusses her family background and childhood in Tampa, Florida. She talks about her undergraduate education at Tuskegee Institute.She talks about choosing to attend UK over the University of Cincinnati because UC had a worse reputation for discrimination, though she says she was still apprehensive about attending UK because of its negative reputation within the Black community. Mack talks about facing prejudice and discrimination during her time at UK. She talks about professors who ignored her, working harder for the same (or worse) grades as her white peers, and being excluded by her white classmates. She talks about how UK could make African American students feel more welcome. Mack talks about why she did not teach after receiving her master's degree and instead became a nurse at the VA hospital.
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Interview Keyword
African American Alumni African American families African Americans--Employment. College environment College students, Black Discrimination in higher education Minorities in higher education Tampa (Fla.) Tuskegee Institute Universities and colleges--Faculty. University of Kentucky Alumni University of Kentucky. College of NursingInterview LC Subject
African American college graduates--Kentucky African American college students--Social conditions African Americans--Education (Higher) African Americans--Education--Kentucky--Lexington College integration Lexington (Ky.)--Race relations. Mack, Alalia Mack, Alalia--Interviews Race discrimination Racism--Kentucky--Lexington University of Kentucky University of Kentucky--HistoryInterview Rights
All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, have been transferred to the University of Kentucky Libraries.Interview Usage
Interviews may be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, Special Collections, University of Kentucky Libraries.Restriction
Interviews may be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, Special Collections, University of Kentucky Libraries.
All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, have been transferred to the University of Kentucky Libraries.
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Mack, Alalia Interview by Erica N. Johnson. 27 Jul. 2006. Lexington, KY: Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries.
Mack, A. (2006, July 27). Interview by E. N. Johnson. University of Kentucky: The African American Experience Oral History Project. Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries, Lexington.
Mack, Alalia, interview by Erica N. Johnson. July 27, 2006, University of Kentucky: The African American Experience Oral History Project, Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries.
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Persistent Link for this Record: https://kentuckyoralhistory.org/ark:/16417/xt7h707wpx31