Griffin African American Oral History Project

Descriptive Summary
Title: Griffin African American Oral History Project
Creator: National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Griffin Branch
Creator: University of Georgia Libraries
Inclusive Dates: 2015-2018
Language(s): English
Extent: 24 interview(s)
Collection Number: RBRL418GAA
Repository: Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies

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Collection Description

Historical note

The Griffin African American Oral History Project is a collaboration between the Griffin Branch NAACP, the Griffin Campus Library of the University of Georgia, and the Richard B. Russell Library. The seed was planted in the meetings of the Educational Prosperity Initiative which is also chaired by the president of the Griffin Branch NAACP, Jewel Walker-Harps. Collaborators on the project include: Griffin Housing Authority; Spalding County Collaborative; Fairmont Alumni Association; University of Georgia—Athens and Griffin campuses; and the Educational Prosperity Initiative, which is an affiliate of the Spalding County Collaborative and others. Interviewers on the project include: John Cruickshank, librarian at UGA-Griffin Campus Library; Jewel Walker-Harps, President of the Griffin, GA Branch of the NAACP; Art Cain, coordinator of Continuing Education for UGA-Griffin; Be-Atrice Cunningham, project manager for College of Agricultural and Environmental Science for Griffin; and Ellen Bauske, senior public service associate at the Georgia Center for Urban Agriculture in Griffin.

Scope and Content

The Griffin African American Oral History Project intends to document the experiences of people who lived in Fairmont Community in Griffin, Georgia during the civil rights era and through its transformation to the present day.

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Administrative Information

Preferred citation

Griffin African American Oral History Project, Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies, University of Georgia Libraries, Athens, Georgia, 30602-1641.

Processing Information

Original media for this collection include digital audio files.

Copyright Information

Resources may be used under the guidelines described by the U.S. Copyright Office in Section 107, Title 17, United States Code (Fair use). Parties interested in production or commercial use of the resources should contact the Russell Library for a fee schedule.

Finding Aid Publication

Finding aid prepared on: 2017.

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Related Materials and Subjects

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Series Descriptions and Folder Listing

 

GAA-001 Jimmy Jones interviewed by John Cruickshank

1 interview(s) 92 minutes

Jimmy Jones was born in 1936 in Henry County, Georgia. Upon moving to Spalding County, Georgia at an early age, Jones attended Broad Street Elementary School. Jones lived through the desegregation of Fairmont High School and later became involved in the Civil Rights Movement of Georgia. In this interview, Jones talks about his school experiences during desegregation, his work as an insurance salesman in the predominantly African American sector of Griffin, Georgia, and his involvement in the Civil Rights Movement. Jones also describes the transitions of Griffin, Georgia throughout the years.

GAA-001 Jimmy Jones audio, transcript, and interview index in OHMS, December 4, 2015 Access Online

 

GAA-002 Johnny Goodrum interviewed by John Cruickshank

1 interview(s) 74 minutes

Johnny Goodrum was born in Griffin-Spalding County in Georgia during the years of segregation. As a child, Goodrum attended multiple schools in the area including Broad Street School, Cabin Creek Elementary and Fairmount High School. Goodrum later worked in the Air Force, and attended Fort Valley State University. In this interview, Goodrum discusses his childhood in Griffin, Georgia, his experience in the Air Force, integration, and the effects of Jim Crow.

GAA-002 Johnny Goodrum audio, transcript, and interview index in OHMS, February 10, 2016 Access Online

 

GAA-003 Jean Reid interviewed by John Cruickshank

1 interview(s) 70 minutes

Jean W. Reid was born in 1935 in Griffin, Georgia and is the wife of the late Civil Rights activist Gary Reid. Jean Reid attended a segregated Fairmont High School, where she practiced cheerleading and was a majorette. In 1965, Reid participated in a boycott of Pomona Products after the unjust firing of a young African American man. In this interview, Reid describes her childhood, her and her husband's work as activists, and her thoughts on integration and its effects on the Griffin community.

GAA-003 Jean Reid audio, transcript, and interview index in OHMS, February 12, 2016 Access Online

 

GAA-004 Jewel Walker-Harps interviewed by John Cruickshank

1 interview(s) 53 minutes

Jean Walker-Harps was born in 1939 and grew up on a farm in Glenville, Georgia. She attended Morris-Brown College and in 1961, she moved to Griffin, Georgia where she worked as a teacher at Fairmont High School. During the Civil Rights Movement, Walker-Harps worked with the NAACP where she held many leadership roles. In this interview, Walker-Harps discusses her upbringing, teaching in segregated and integrated schools, her Civil Rights activism, and her perception of the changes to Griffin over the years.

GAA-004 Jewel Walker-Harps audio, transcript, and interview index in OHMS, July 30, 2015 Access Online

 

GAA-005 Tommy Lee Harps interviewed by John Cruickshank

1 interview(s) 78 minutes

Tommy Lee Harps grew up on a farm in Griffin, Georgia. As a child, Harps worked at the Georgia Experiment Station along with his father under Dr. H.P. Stuckley, during which he attended Mount Pleasant Church School and later Vocational High School. As a young man, Harps fought in the European Theater of World War II. In this interview, Harps talks about his childhood, returning from WWII, and his perception of Civil Rights and changes to Griffin, Georgia.

GAA-005 Tommy Lee Harps audio, transcript, and interview index in OHMS, December 21, 2015 Access Online

 

GAA-006 Robert Dull, Part 1 - Interviewed by Jewel Walker-Harps, Be-Atrice Cunningham, and John Cruickshank

1 interview(s) 65 minutes

Robert Dull was born in Dearborn, Michigan, though his family moved around many times along the west coast throughout his childhood. Dull worked in public housing administration for many big cities before he eventually became the CEO of the Griffin Housing Authority. In this interview, Dull talks about his childhood, his work in substandard housing, and the future of the Griffin Housing sector.

GAA-006 Robert Dull, Part 1, audio, transcript, and interview index in OHMS Access Online

 

GAA-007 JoAnne Phinazee interviewed by John Cruickshank, Art Cain, and Jewel Walker-Harps

1 interview(s) 59 minutes

JoAnne Phinazee was born in Griffin, Georgia in 1943. Phinazee grew up during segregation where she attended Annie Shockley Grade School and later Negro Vocational High School. As an adult, Phinazee worked at Pomona Products. In this interview, Phinazee discusses segregation in education and work, and interactions with the Ku Klux Klan.

GAA-007 JoAnne Phinazee audio, transcript, and interview index in OHMS, January 18, 2017 Access Online

 

GAA-008 Pastor Freddie Phillips interviewed by John Cruickshank, Art Cain, Be-Atrice Cunningham, and Jewel Walker-Harps

1 interview(s) 93 minutes

Freddie Phillips was born in Spalding County in 1938. As a child, Phillips attended Anne Shockley grade school and later Fairmont High School where he was a member of the marching band and basketball team. Phillips was active in the Civil Rights movement of Griffin, Georgia, during which he participated in sit-ins and picketing. In this interview, Phillips talks about his childhood, segregation, his work as a pastor, and his involvement in the Civil Rights movement.

GAA-008 Pastor Freddie Phillips audio, transcript, and interview index in OHMS Access Online

 

GAA-009 Robert Dull, Part 2 - Interviewed by Art Cain and Jewel Walker-Harps

1 interview(s) 71 minutes

Robert Dull works at the Griffin Housing Authority as the Chief Executive Officer. In this interview, Robert Dull discusses his work in the Fairmount community through the Griffin Housing Authority, as well as the effect of segregation and poverty on public housing. Dull talks about challenges to the Fairmount housing authority, the purpose of a housing authority, vouchers provided through the Griffin Housing Authority, the continuation of segregation through housing, and the effect of poverty on the Fairmont Community.

GAA-009 Robert Dull, Part 2, audio, transcript, and interview index in OHMS, February 15, 2017 Access Online

 

GAA-010 Haskell Ward interviewed by Jewel Walker-Harps, Be-Atrice Cunningham, John Cruickshank, and Ellen Bauske

1 interview(s) 133 minutes

Born in 1940, Haskell Ward grew up in the segregated Griffin, Georgia. Throughout his childhood, Ward was encouraged by peers and friends to attain an education. Ward has held a multitude of positions throughout his life including working as Peace Corps volunteer, Africa Advisor to the Secretary of State, and judge in Griffin. In this interview, Ward talks about his work in Africa and the United States, his experience during the Civil Rights Movement, and his reflections on the state of Griffin.

GAA-010 Haskell Ward audio, transcript, and interview index in OHMS, March 22, 2017 Access Online

 

GAA-011 Gail Reid Hackbart interviewed by Be-Atrice Cunningham, Jewel Walker-Harps, Art Cain, and Ellen Bauske

1 interview(s) 98 minutes

Gail Reid Hackbart grew up in Griffin, Georgia as the daughter of Gary Reid, a prominent Civil Rights activist in Georgia. Gail attended Georgia Tech, where she started the Alpha Kappa Alpha chapter and participated in marches over the unfair treatment of minority students. In this interview, Reid Hackbart discusses her childhood, education, and her work in the Civil Rights movement.

GAA-011 Gail Reid Hackbart audio, transcript, and interview index in OHMS, May 22, 2017 Access Online

 

GAA-012 Jeff Jordan interviewed by John Cruickshank, Art Cain, and Jewel Walker-Harps

1 interview(s) 82 minutes

GAA-012 Jeff Jordan audio and interview index in OHMS, March 24, 2016 Access Online

 

GAA-013 Love Maddox interviewed by Jewel Walker-Harps, Be-Atrice Cunningham, Art Cain, and John Cruickshank

1 sound_recording(s) 71 minutes

Love Maddox was born in Griffin, Georgia and served as one of the first African American policemen during the integration of the Griffin community police force. Throughout his career, Maddox also served in the city of Atlanta. In this interview, Maddox talks about the opposition he faced in his work as a Black officer in Griffin, his interactions with the Ku Klux Klan, and some of his interactions with the African American community.

GAA-013 Love Maddox audio, transcript, and interview index in OHMS Access Online

 

GAA-014 Juanitress Morris Cofield interviewed by John Cruickshank, Be-Atrice Cunningham, Jewel Walker-Harps

1 sound_recording(s) 64 minutes

Juanitress Morris Cofield was born in 1966 in Griffin, Georgia. As the daughter of a farmer and teacher, Morris Cofield lived in the predominantly African American area of Griffin near the peak of the civil rights movement. In this interview, Morris Cofield talks about growing up in Griffin. Jaunitress discusses integration, public and private education experiences, and the community center of Griffin. Morris Cofield additionally relates stories about her mother's experiences growing up in the south, and talks about her mother's job as a storyteller after retiring from the Griffin school system.

GAA-014 Juanitress Morris Cofield audio, transcript, and interview index in OHMS Access Online

 

GAA-015 Cheryl Head Rashied and Raymond Head III interviewed by Be-Atrice Cunningham, Jewel Walker-Harps, Ellen Bauske, George Braman

1 sound_recording(s) 95 minutes

Cheryl Head Rashied and Raymond Head III were born in Griffin, Georgia in 1948 and 1950, respectively. Cheryl and Raymond are the children of civil rights activist Raymond Head Jr., and experienced first-hand the effects of discrimination on the Griffin community. In this interview, Cheryl and Raymond discuss their experiences with mandatory integration, retaliation by Ku Klux Klan, and remember Griffin during the 1950s and 60s.

GAA-015 Cheryl Head Rashied and Raymond Head III audio, transcript, and interview index in OHMS Access Online

 

GAA-016 Curtis Jones interviewed by Art Cain, Jewel Walker-Harps, Ellen Bauske, George Braman

1 sound_recording(s) 66 minutes

Curtis Jones grew up in Griffin, Georgia during segregation. As a child, he was one of the first students to integrate into Sacred Heart Elementary and later was one of the first to integrate into Griffin High School. Jones attended West Point Military Academy before he served in the army as an infantry officer, a position he held for 20 years. After retiring from the army, Jones became the first African American superintendent of the Griffin School system. In this interview, Jones talks about his school experience, military and educational career, and he discusses integration and discrimination.

GAA-016 Curtis Jones audio, transcript, and interview index in OHMS Access Online

 

GAA-017 Kenda Suzette Fuller-Woodard interviewed by Art Cain, Jewel Walker-Harper, George Braman

1 sound_recording(s) 48 minutes

Kenda Suzette Fuller-Woodard was born in 1959, and grew up in the community of Fairmont, Georgia. In this interview, Fuller-Woodard discusses living in Griffin, Georgia during the 1960s and 70s. Fuller-Woodard touches on a variety of subjects including her childhood community, Fairmont High School, the impact of religion on her upbringing, segregation in her community, local businesses, and the Griffin community.

GAA-017 Kenda Suzette Fuller Woodard audio on Kaltura Access Online

 

GAA-018 Charlotte Eady interviewed by John Cruickshank, Art Cain, Jewell Walker-Harps, Be-Atrice Cunningham

1 sound_recording(s) 66 minutes

Charlotte Eady was born in Blackshear, Georgia, and grew up during mandatory integration, being one of first three African American students at her high school. Eady works as an associate professor of education leadership at Jacksonville State University where she conducts qualitative research on education. In this interview, Eady discusses her educational experience both as a student and in her career, along with the impact of segregation on the Blackshear community. Eady talks about attending Blackshire High School, her impressions of community leader C.W. Daniels, inequalities in education due to segregation, and the effect of integration on community identity.

GAA-018 Charlotte Eady audio, transcript, and interview index in OHMS Access Online

 

GAA-019 William Walker interviewed by John Cruickshank, Art Cain, Be-Atrice Cunningham, Jewel Walker-Harps

1 sound_recording(s) 74 minutes

William Walker was born in Wetumpka, Alabama and came to Griffin, Georgia in 1959 to teach at Moore Elementary School. Walker later became the first black president of the newly integrated Griffin Middle School before he took a position in the Griffin-Spalding County School System Central Office. In this interview, William Walker talks about his experience as a teacher and principal in the school system and his work at the Central Office. Walker touches on a variety of topics including the integration of Griffin County's school system, his work as a principal, and the effects of integration on the African American community of Griffin, Georgia.

GAA-019 William Walker audio, transcript, and interview index in OHMS Access Online

 

GAA-020 Walter Pyron interviewed by Jewel Walker-Harps, Be-Atrice Cunningham, John Cruickshank, Ellen Bauske

1 sound_recording(s) 114 minutes

Walter Pyron was born in Griffin, Georgia and attended Anna Shockley Elementary during the years of segregation. Pyron additionally worked as the band director for Griffin High School before becoming the assistant principal of Futral Road Elementary School. In this interview, Pryon talks about growing up in Griffin, his administrative experiences in Griffin, Georgia's school systems, and his experiences during the Vietnam War, as well as the impact of religion on the African American community.

GAA-020 Walter Pyron audio, transcript, and interview index in OHMS Access Online

 

GAA-021 Larry Caldwell interviewed by Art Cain, John Cruickshank, Be-Atrice Cunningham, Rich Braman, and Jewel Walker-Harps

1 sound_recording(s) 102 minutes

Larry Caldwell grew up in Springhill, Georgia during the era of segregation. He served in the Marine Corps during the Vietnam War and when he returned, attended Griffin Technical Institute before he attained employment at General Motors. In this interview, Caldwell talks about growing up in Springhill, his experiences after the Vietnam War, discrimination, and the Civil Rights Movement of Griffin, Georgia.

GAA-021 Larry Caldwell audio, transcript, and interview index in OHMS Access Online

 

GAA-022 Howard Wallace interviewed by Jewel Walker-Harps, Art Cain, John Cruickshank, and Rich Braman

1 sound_recording(s) 67 minutes

Howard Wallace grew up in the 1930s in Griffin, Georgia. As a young adult, Wallace joined the Biracial Committee where he worked on the integration process of Griffin. In this interview, Wallace talks about his upbringing, the racial aspects of religion and politics, his work as a lawyer, and interactions with the Ku Klux Klan.

GAA-022 Howard Wallace audio, transcript, and interview index in OHMS Access Online

 

GAA-023 Harvey Pilkenton interviewed by Be-Atrice Cunningham, Jewel Walker-Harps, and John Cruickshank

1 sound_recording(s) 58 minutes

Harvey Pilkenton grew up in rural Griffin, Georgia in the 1950's during desegregation. Pilkenton currently works with the Griffin Housing Authority. In this interview, Pilkenton talks about his experiences during desegregation, his family, and his work with the Griffin Housing Authority.

GAA-023 Harvey Pilkenton audio, transcript, and interview index in OHMS Access Online

 

GAA-024 Wyomia Tyus interviewed by Jewel Walker-Harps, Art Cain, Ellen Bauske, and Rich Braman

1 sound_recording(s) 104 minutes

Wyomia Tyus grew up in Griffin, Georgia where she attended Anne-Shockley Elementary School and Fairmount High School. She later attended Tennessee State University where she ran, and competed in the 1964 and 1968 Olympics. In this interview Tyus talks about discrimination, attending University, her time in the Olympics, and the Civil Rights Movement of the 1970s.

GAA-024 Wyomia Tyus audio, transcript, and interview index in OHMS Access Online