Guide to the Civil Rights Oral History Interviews 2001
Cage 683

Summary Information

Repository
Washington State University Libraries, Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections
Creator
Nappi, Rebecca
Title
Civil Rights Oral History Interviews
ID
Cage 683
Date [inclusive]
2001
Extent
1 containers., .25 linear feet of shelf space., 15 items.
Language
Collection materials are in English.
Abstract
Collection contains eight interviews on 5 cassette tapes, transcripts, and related newsclippings from the Spokane Spokesman-Review.

Preferred Citation

[Item Description]. Cage 683, Civil Rights Oral History Interviews. Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections, Washington State University Libraries, Pullman, WA.

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Biography/History

In February of 2001, the Spokane Spokesman-Review produced a month long series of articles on black history, focusing in particular on the civil rights movement of the 1960s. As part of that series, Rebecca Nappi conducted a series of interviews with individuals with ties to both the civil rights movement and to Spokane. Some of these interviews were made available at the time in audio format on the  Spokesman-Review website, and excerpts from these interviews were used in writing newspaper articles.

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Scope and Content

The collection consists of five cassette tapes, five newspaper clippings, and a folder of printed transcripts of the tapes. Topics include civil rights activities and race relations in Spokane Washington, the influence of Dr. Martin Luther King, racism and protests in the deep south, and civil rights spirituals.

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Arrangement

The tapes are arranged alphabetically by interviewee. An exception occurs where two or three interviewees were recorded on the same cassette (Numbers 2 & 5), making eight interviews on five tapes.

At the end of the collection are two folders, one containing newspaper clippings from 1965 and 2001, and one containing printed transcripts of all of the interviews.

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Administrative Information

Publication Information

Washington State University Libraries Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections  © 2012

http://www.libraries.wsu.edu/masc/

Terrell Library

P.O. Box 645610

Pullman, WA, 99164-5610 USA

509-335-6691

mascref@wsu.edu

Restrictions on Access

This collection is open for research use.

Acquisition Information

The civil rights oral history interviews were donated to MASC by Rebecca Nappi in March, 2002.

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Names and Subjects

Corporate Name(s)

Subject(s) :
  • Spokesman-review (Spokane, Wash.), sponsor

Geographic Name(s)

  • Spokane (Wash.)--Race relations--History

Personal Name(s)

Subject(s) :
  • Brown, Emelda, Mrs., interviewee
  • Brown, Manuel, interviewee
  • Freeman, Clarence, interviewee
  • Minnix, Sam, interviewee
  • Schulke, Flip, interviewee
  • Lofton, Verda, interviewee
  • Williams, Jerrelene, interviewee
  • Pitmon, Alvin, interviewee
  • Nelson, Nancy
  • Nappi, Rebecca, interviewer

Subject(s)

  • African Americans--Civil rights--Washington (State)--Spokane--History
  • African Americans--Civil rights--Washington (State)--Spokane--History
  • Washington (State)
  • Civil Rights
  • Oral Histories

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Other Descriptive Data

You can listen to these interviews online through Washington State University Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections website at http://content.libraries.wsu.edu/cdm/landingpage/collection/cvoralhist

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Detailed Description of Collection

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.

Series 1: Cassette Interviews 

tape

Emelda and Manuel Brown talk about their experiences with racial prejudice while raising a family in Spokane, Washington in the 1960s.  Length: 32:18

1
tape side

Clarence Freeman discusses his reaction to the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King and the reaction of the community of Spokane. He also talks briefly about a childhood experience with prejudice in Spokane.  Length: 7:50

2 1

Sam Minnix describes the scene during a civil rights demonstration at the Spokane County Courthouse on Friday March 26, 1965.  Length: 13:50

2 2
tape

Verda Lofton relates her impression of the March 26, 1965 Spokane civil rights protest.  Length: 9:44

3

Flip Schulke describes about his experiences photographing race related stories in the south. He mentions photographing the admission of the first black student, James Meredith, into the University of Mississippi and the results of the assassination of Martin Luther King on the protests and marches. He finishes by discussing the differences between the youth of the 60s and the youth of today, and the legacy of the protest movements.  Length: 45:01

4
tape side

Jerrelene Williamson relates her sense of the civil rights movement in Spokane to events in Alabama.  Length: 10:53

5 1

Alvin Pitmon talks about his experiences with prejudice in Arkansas during the forced integration of schools in the 1960s. He discusses his feelings towards Dr. Martin Luther King and the effect Dr. King had on him.  Length: 7:45

5 2

Nancy Nelson sings two civil rights spirituals: My Lord, What a Morning and Let Us Break Bread Together  Length: 2:17

5 2

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folder

Newspaper Clippings. 1965  2001 

1

Transcripts. Brown, Freeman, Lofton, Minnix, Nelson, Pitmon, Sculke, Williamson  

2