Digital Commons Network^™

Capers, Valerie Interview 1, Bronx African American History Project

Oral Histories

Interviewee: Valerie Capers

Interviewer: Dr. Mark Naison, Maxine Gordon, Dawn Russell

Date of Interview: December 14, 2006

Summarized by Alice Stryker

Valerie’s parents grew up in Harlem. Her maternal great grandmother came to Harlem from Virginia. After the couple was married they moved to the Bronx. She thinks that many newlyweds at the time would move from Harlem to the Bronx. When she was born, the family was living on 168^th street between Union and Prospect Avenue. While she was living there, she lost her sight. When she was young she lost her vision. She had pink eye that …

Speller, Kathryn, Mark Naison

Bronx African American History Project (BAAHP)

Interviewer: Brian Purnell, Princess Okieme

Interviewee: Kathryn Speller

Date of Interview: September 23, 2006

Summarized by Leigh Waterbury, January 31, 2006

Kathryn Speller grew up in what was referred to as welfare island, and then moved to the Bronx in the 1950’s. While growing up in the city, she experienced the racial segregation that limited what areas she was allowed in. She described the racism she experienced in not being allowed in certain places or having to enter buildings through the servants entrances.

While looking to move into the Bronx, Kathryn experienced a lot of difficulty in finding apartments available …

Ford, Bernadette, Bronx African American History Project

Oral Histories

Inerviewee: Bernadette Jackson Ford

Interviewers: Dr. Mark Naison and Natasha Lightfoot

Date of interview July 28, 1006

Summarized by Alice Stryker

Bernadette begins the interview by talking about her parents coming to New York. Both grew up in Birmingham, Alabama and met when they were younger. Neither one of them said that they felt the sting of segregation, and were in New York when most of the civil rights activities were occurring in Birmingham. When they moved to New York, they moved to Harlem with her father’s cousins.

She is the oldest of three and was born in 1958. She …

Theresa, Loretta, Bronx African American History Project

Oral Histories

Her mother and father were from St. Croix, Virgin Islands and St. John’s, Antigua respectively and they met at St. Mark the Evangelist School. They both graduated from St. Mark’s Elementary School, and they married when they were about 18-19 years old. The family lived initially in Harlem but when her parents separated, she moved with her mother to the Bronx, which she felt was “less crowded … just so bright and so beautiful.” She joined the Franciscan Handmaids of Mary, after some sisters from the Oblate Sisters of Providence from Maryland visited the Blessed Sacrament Sisters, and a nun …

Paris, Cecil, And Paris, Mazie And Paris, Arthur, Bronx African American History Project

Oral Histories

Mr. Cecil Paris and Mrs. Mazie Paris is an older couple whose families both emigrated from the West Indies to New York City in the earlier part of the twentieth century. Cecil’s mother began her life in America as a resident of the west side of lower Manhattan. She later moved to Harlem, where Cecil spent most of his youth. While his mother struggled to support the family by taking up domestic work, Cecil went to public schools in the area. Shortly after graduating from Textile High School, a vocational school for the textile trade, Cecil enrolled into City College. …

Scott, John L., Bronx African American History Project

Oral Histories

Interviewee: Reverend John L. Scott

Interviewer: Dr. Mark Naison

Date of Interview: March 3, 2006

Summarized by Sheina Ledesma

Reverend John L. Scott was a civil rights movement leader in the South and New York City. He has been the pastor of St. John’s Baptist Church in Harlem since the early 1970’s and remains a leader and community activist in the North Bronx where he has lived for the past thirty years. Reverend Scott was born in 1937 in a rural area of North Carolina called Delmar. He is one of six boys, including his twin brother, who were born …

Petersen, Basil And Petersen, Eric And Petersen, Ishma, Bronx African American History Project

Oral Histories

Basil and Ishma Petersen were born in St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands. Ishma was born on February 24^th 1925, and Basil was born on March 7^th, 1924. Ishma’s father was a navigator, in charge of bringing the ships and the pilot boat into the harbor, while her mother sold fruits and vegetables. Basil’s father was a fisherman who wanted his son to continue in his footsteps. However, Basil decided from a young age he wanted to do something different. As a young boy as Basil was sweeping water off a captains car, the captain noticed him …

Coleman, Dennis And Mcfeaters, Harriet Interview 3, Bronx African American History Project

Oral Histories

Dennis Coleman moved into the Castle Hill Projects from Morrissania with his wife and children. He was very active in the community and was quickly elected as Vice President of the Tennant Association of Castle Hill. One of the first issues he dealt with was racial discrimination. He attended a few churches while living at Castle hill, like St. Andrew’s in Castle Hill. He goes in to detail about the racial tension that existed in the community prior to the construction of the Castle Hill Projects and after their completion. There were also issues facing where to send the children …