Items

Interview with A. W. Robinson

In this interview with A. W. Robinson, a Tallahassee native and former school principal in Leon County, Althemese Barnes asks him about his educational experiences as a notable African American educator during the Jim Crow era. He talks about his early education in the Chaires community, becoming a teacher and a principal, and moving to town. He also talks about being the first principal at Pineview school, which was first named Southwest, as well as becoming principal of Station One school some time after WWII. Another interview with A. W. Robinson from 1997 can be found in "Interview with Mayola and A. W. Robinson."

Interview with Lawrence Robinson

In this brief interview with Lawrence Robinson, a Tallahassee native and former principal at Lincoln High School, Althemese Barnes asks him about his educational experiences as a notable educator during the Jim Crow era. He talks about his early education, moving to town to attend Lincoln High School, and memories of his former principals. He also talks about his wife and her professional experiences, as well as where the schools for predominantly African American communities were located.

Interview with Robert Fisher

Note: Original video file has been edited for clarity. Althemese Barnes interviews Robert Fisher about growing up during segregation and living in Smokey Hollow, a historic Black neighborhood in Tallahassee, in which he still resides at the time of the interview. He talks about the history of the community and the reason behind its name. He also talks about his parents, who were also residents of the neighborhood, community interactions, and other details of the area's landscape. He also talks about the nightlife in Smokey Hollow and renowned individuals from the neighborhood, such as Wally Amos of Famous Amos.

Interview with Nick Nims

Note: Original video file has been edited for clarity. Althemese Barnes interviews Nick Nims, a Tallahassee resident, about his memories growing up during segregation in Frenchtown, a Historically Black Neighborhood. He talks about his family, his memories of the city landscape, community interactions, and about the Riley house and family. He also recalls his memories of working at his family's grocery store. At the end, he touches upon his family leaving the grocery business and African American displacement through urban renewal and eminent domain.

Interview with Bessie Harden

Note: Original video file has been edited for clarity. Bessie Harden talks about her memories of attending school in Leon County, Florida. Harden was born in West Palm Beach, but moved to Tallahassee when she was 4 years old during Jim Crow. She recalls her teachers, her family, living on Parker Maze [?] Plantation, and other daily experiences of her life in Tallahassee.

Interview with Ritchie Anderson

Note: Original video file with audio has been edited for clarity. In this interview, Mrs. Anderson, a Florida school teacher, recalls her experiences growing up in Gadsden County. She talks about her family, specifically how her maternal grandmother came to live in Florida after escaping slavery in Alabama, and how her mother bought land and built their family home. She also talks about her schooling, her work as a teacher, her experiences during Jim Crow, and other memories she has of the schools.

Interview with Willie Mae Carter and Matthew Carter

In this interview, Willie Mae and Matthew Carter recall their respective childhoods, growing up on a plantation in Tallahassee during Jim Crow. They recall their memories of going to school. In particular, Willie Mae talks about going to a one-room schoolhouse and attending Lincoln High School. They recall memories of teachers, families, and other instances of daily life.