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Title: Thelma D. Jones
Description: In this oral history interview, Thelma D. Jones, a long time DC resident, discusses her life and experiences moving from Snow Hill, North Carolina, to Washington, D.C. Ms. Jones talks about her family life and upbringing in Snow Hill; her move to Washington after graduating from Durham College; and her life and work in DC. Ms. Jones also discusses some of the changes she's witnessed in Washington and the impact she's made on the city., Thelma D. Jones' work has been fundamental to civic and youth activism and raising awareness of breast health. She is an award-winning community activist, breast cancer survivor, advocate, and founder of the Thelma D. Jones Breast Cancer Fund. Diagnosed in 2007 with a rare (unknown primary) and aggressive form of breast cancer (HER2+), her treatment regimen included chemotherapy, surgery (lumpectomy) and radiation. Jones is a seasoned volunteer with the American Cancer Society (ACS) and the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACSCAN). In the former capacity she has spoken both locally and nationally, delivering the message of early detection, prevention, treatment and hope to thousands of women, men and young girls. As the former DC State Lead Ambassador for ACSCAN, Jones has lobbied both national and local public officials for funding of tobacco control and cancer research. In April 2010, she established the Thelma D. Jones Breast Cancer Fund Support Group, the signature program of the Thelma D. Jones Breast Cancer Fund in Southwest DC. Focusing primarily on the historically less served communities, the support group has contributed significantly to providing a safe and secure place for emotional support for breast cancer survivors and caretakers to discuss and share their journeys, hear a range of highly skilled speakers, acquire information and resources, and give voices to those who are struggling in silence with their diagnosis. Prior to becoming a cancer advocate, Jones retired from the World Bank Group after more than 33 years. As one of the principal founders of the World Bank's institutional outreach program, Jones served as a community outreach coordinator, carrying out the Bank's global poverty mission on a local level in the areas of education, volunteer management, homelessness, training and summer employment for youth, and community development. Recognized for her long-time civic activism and advocacy, Jones has been featured extensively in the media where she speaks candidly about her cancer journey and her desire to turn her challenge into an opportunity to help others. She is the recipient of numerous awards and recognitions, including the Mayor's Award for Community Service in the Category of Lifetime Achievement and the prestigious White House Champion of Change Award. In June 2016, Jones was selected by ACSCAN to represent the organization at the White House's Moonshot Summit, and in September, she was recognized with the 2016 State Lead Ambassador of the Year Award by ACSCAN. Jones holds an AAS Degree from Durham College, Durham, NC and is a graduate of Georgetown University Nonprofit Management Executive Certificate program, George Washington University DC Neighborhood College and Leadership Greater Washington 00'. She is also a graduate of the National Breast Cancer Coalition Project LEAD and Wesley Theological Seminary Heal the Sick Program. In addition, Jones is a founding member of both Black Benefactors, a giving circle, and Black Philanthropic Alliance, a membership organization. Since 1982, she has served on the board of the Southwest Neighborhood Assembly (SWNA) where she holds several leadership positions, including president, vice president, chair of the Nominating Committee (at least ten times), contributing writer for The Southwester, chair of both the Youth Activities Task Force and the History Task Force Black History Subcommittee. Grounded in her faith, Jones is a long-time member of St. Augustine's Episcopal Church on the Southwest Waterfront. She serves as a lay reader, member of the Altar Guild, and member of the executive team to organize annual events on Justice Thurgood Marshall, a former member of the church. Jones has one son, Jamal, grandson, Seneca, and Ozzie, her Shih Tzu. She enjoys reading, traveling, attending Jazz events, working with youth, and being a coordinating nexus of positive events., Thelma D. Jones also completed an oral history interview with the DC Oral Hisotry Collaborative Buzzard Point Oral History Project.

Title: Bernard Hayes
Description: In this oral history interview, Mr. Bernard Hayes discusses his life and experiences moving from Atlanta, Georgia, to New York City, and ultimately to Washington, D.C. Mr. Hayes discusses his early life in the South, his family’s move to New York in 1960, and their transition into city life in the North. Mr. Hayes also discusses how the North provided him and his siblings more opportunities and the influence of his parents and other mentors on his life. Finally, Mr. Hayes discusses his move to Washington, D.C., in the 1980s to work at Voice of America., Born in 1953, Bernard Hayes grew up in Georgia with his parents, Hubert Eugene Hayes and Ida Mae (Davis) Hayes, and six siblings. Hayes and his family moved in with an aunt in 1959 when his father migrated north alone to New York City. A year later, in 1960, after his father had secured a job and housing, the whole family moved to New York. Hayes would attend public school in New York and graduate from City College of New York where he studied journalism. In 1981, Hayes married his wife, Carol Ann Hayes, and in 1986, they moved to Washington, D.C. Hayes has had a successful career in radio journalism and currently works at Voice of America.

Title: Thelma Morgan
Description: The audio file for this interview only captures the final 5 minutes and 41 seconds of the interview. The interview transcription captures the entirety of the interview. This interview does not include an index. In this oral history interview, Ms. Thelma Morgan discusses her life and experiences moving from Louisburg, North Carolina, to Washington, DC. Ms. Morgan discusses her upbringing in segregated Louisburg, her decision to move to DC, and her transition into life in the city. She also recounts her initial search for employment and discusses her career working for D.C. government. Through this discussion, Ms. Morgan recalls the colorism and social hierarchy of the Black community in DC. Ms. Morgan also reflects on cultural changes she’s seen over the course of her life and discusses her experiences during the Civil Rights Movement., Ms. Thelma Morgan was born in 1930 in Louisburg, North Carolina. After graduating from Franklin County Training School, Ms. Morgan moved to Durham, NC, attended Durham Business College, and became a stenographer. During this time, Ms. Morgan married and had her first child, but she soon divorced her husband and moved to Washington, DC, to live with an aunt. After initially securing work through a temp agency, Ms. Morgan landed a job in the federal government working for Immigration and Naturalization Services. She later began a career with D.C. government and worked various jobs for city until her retirement. Alongside her career, Ms. Morgan got a master’s in religious education from Washington Saturday College and taught Sunday School. Ms. Morgan is also a singer, even singing professionally during her youth in North Carolina. In 1999, she won the annual Ms. Senior D.C. pageant organized by the Washington, DC, Office On Aging.

Title: Alberta Bryant
Description: In this oral history interview, Ms. Alberta Bryant, a long time D.C. resident, discusses her experiences growing up in New York City, visiting Charleston, South Carolina, throughout her youth, and moving to Washington, D.C., in 1953, after marrying her husband. The interview later turns into a discussion of contemporary issues of race and class that shifts into a conversation about the political situation at the time of the interview. This section touches upon issues such as misinformation, partisanship, and the 2016 election., Ms. Alberta Bryant was born in New York City in 1929 but spent her summers visiting her mother’s family in Charleston, South Carolina throughout her upbringing. When Ms. Bryant was 13 years old, her mother passed away and she moved in with an aunt and uncle. After graduating from high school, Ms. Bryant worked as a registrar for the New York City Board of Education for a short time. She then attended the Harlem Hospital School of Nursing and became a registered nurse. Shortly after marrying her husband, a Washingtonian, Ms. Bryant moved to Washington, D.C., in 1953. In Washington, she worked at the District of Columbia General Hospital, ultimately retiring in the mid-eighties at age 55. Ms. Bryant is a member of Mount Jezreel Baptist Church in Silver Spring, Maryland, and is a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother.

Title: Claudia Lewis
Description: In this oral history interview, Claudia Lewis, discusses her life and experiences moving from Ridge Spring, South Carolina, to Washington, D.C. She reflects on her childhood in the South, her family’s move to Washington in 1946, and her educational experiences in Washington. She also discusses her experiences with work, church, and family in DC, as well as her move to Prince George’s County Maryland in 1992. This oral history interview was conducted by a DC high school student as part of a class assignment on the Great Migration in Real World History., Claudia Lewis (née Claudia Johnson) was born September 30, 1937 in Ridge Spring, South Carolina. Ms. Lewis grew up on a farm in Ridge Spring with her parents, Charlie May Johnson and Ulysses Johnson, and six siblings. Though she was too young to do any serious farming, all of her siblings had to help operate the farm. In 1946, Ms. Lewis’s father made the decision that the family would move up north to Washington, D.C. Upon arriving in D.C., the family lived on Howard Road SE, but they soon moved to Northeast Washington. Ms. Lewis attended the Birney School on Nichols Avenue SE (now Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE) for a few months upon arriving in Washington, but after moving to Northeast during her sixth-grade year, she attended Burrville Elementary and later Merritt Elementary School. She went on to attend Kelly Miller Junior High before graduating from McKinley High School in 1956. Ms. Lewis then went to New York for a time before returning to Washington to begin a job at the Department of the Navy. She married her husband Elton Lewis in December 1969. After beginning as a mail clerk with the Department of the Navy, Ms. Lewis later became a secretary and remained there for her whole career. In 1992 Ms. Lewis moved to Prince George’s County Maryland. Ms. Lewis’s husband passed away in 2014, and Ms. Lewis currently lives with her daughter in Maryland.

Title: Brenda Richardson
Description: In this oral history interview, Brenda Richardson, a long time D.C. resident, discusses her life and experiences moving from El Paso, Texas, to Washington, DC. Beginning with her upbringing in El Paso, Ms. Richardson discusses her early life and her family’s move to the nation’s capital in 1969. She then talks about her educational experiences in the District and further education at the University of Michigan and the University of Maryland. Ms. Richardson concludes with a discussion of her career as a social worker and her volunteer work related to the Anacostia River and environmental justice. This oral history interview was conducted by a D.C. high school student as part of a class assignment on the Great Migration in Real World History., Ms. Brenda Richardson was born in 1957 in El Paso, Texas. Growing up near the border of Mexico, Ms. Richardson and her family frequently travelled across the border to get Mexican food and household items for cheaper prices. The Richardson family was one of three Black families in their neighborhood (the rest were Mexican), and Ms. Richardson learned fluent Spanish out of necessity. Ms. Richardson has three sisters and one brother, and she is the eldest of her four siblings. Ms. Richardson and her family moved to Washington, D.C. in 1969. Her dad, who was a negotiator for the AFL-CIO, had two job offers: one in DC, and one in Hawaii. Ms. Richardson’s mother decided that the family would move to Washington, DC. Ms. Richardson claims that part of the reason that her mom elected to move the family to Washington was that it was important for her kids to have “the Black experience.” The Richardson family drove to D.C. from El Paso in one car, a three-day journey. They arrived in D.C. at three o'clock in the morning. Ms. Richardson was immediately surprised by the lights of the city at 3AM. During the journey to DC, Ms. Richardson recalled that white people would call them the N word. Ms. Richardson will always remember that her parents said to her and her sibling: “No matter what anyone calls you, know that we are always proud of who you are.” Though she was one of few Black students in Texas, Ms. Richardson never felt negatively affected by her race in El Paso. However, Washington, DC, was much more diverse, and Ms. Richardson felt as though she was “slapped in the face” by racism when she arrived in the city. Ms. Richardson attended Ballou High School, and she and her siblings were terribly bullied because for being different than the other students. However, Ms. Richardson’s parents raised her to be very respectful and to honor other people's character. Her mother told her and her siblings to stand tall and never fight, even though students were violent toward them. Ms. Richardson's parents had never gone to college, and they wanted all of their children to get a college education. After graduating from Ballou, Ms. Richardson went to the University of Michigan. While studying at Michigan, she lived in a co-op with 30 other people. A college counselor helped Ms. Richardson think about career choices, and, knowing she was really good at public service, her counselor suggested she become a social worker. Ms. Richardson then got a full ride to University of Maryland for graduate school. Ms. Richardson feels that she became a social worker because she was called to do it. Most of her career has been here in DC. While her first job was mostly paperwork, she then got a new job helping ex-offenders coming out of prison. Ms. Richardson excelled at her job, and her boss asked her to run a department focused on people with a dual diagnosis of substance abuse and mental illness. She then went on to become the executive director of the Anacostia-Congress Heights Partnership for the Prevention of Homelessness. Later on in Ms. Richardson's career, she came to focus on environmental justice issues as well and joined the movement to clean up the Anacostia River.

Title: Valda Prout
Description: Audio of interview (1 of 2) with Valda Prout. Ms. Prout discusses her experiences in grade school and living in public housing in Boston, her introduction to the gay world, moving to New York City in the 1950s and gay and transgender culture then, the influence of trans women from D.C. on the New York scene, and her decision to move to D.C. based on those relationships and its status as Chocolate City. Note: Oral Histories with similar themes and narrators are also available through the Rainbow History Project., Born in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1935, Valda Prout moved to New York City in her early 20s (in the 1950s) and then to D.C. in 1980s. She never lived full time as a woman but had one identity during the day and another at night, with the exception of the years when she was raising her adopted son in D.C., when she lived only in her masculine self. She lives on U Street.

Title: Louise Smith
Description: Part one of an oral history interview with Louise Smith about her life, work, and family history in Washington, D.C. Smith, a native Washingtonian, details her childhood and young adulthood in the Logan Circle neighborhood of NW. She discusses her family's history, pastimes, and religious observance; local high schools and their events; the neighborhood how it and the city have changed; the effects of the Depression and WWII; and her life as a retiree. In one anecdote, she discusses experiencing racial segregation in a visit to Fort Myers and as an employee at the State Department., Louise Smith is a first-generation Washington native and government employee. She was raised in Northwest D.C. near the Logan Circle neighborhood. Her family attended Shiloh Baptist Church, and she was a graduate of Cardozo High School. She worked in various administrative capacities for the city and federal governments, including the State Department and the Pentagon. She now lives at the St. Mary's Court senior residence in Foggy Bottom, NW., This interview is continued in dcpl_ohp12-06_02.

Title: Lillian Gordon
Description: Part one of an oral history interview with Lillian Gordon about her family history, D.C. neighborhoods, her career in entertainment, and her views on society. Gordon discusses her memories of and changes to the neighborhoods in Northwest where she has lived and worked, including LeDroit Park, Sursum Corda/NoMa, and U Street. She talks about her family, childhood, religious upbringing, and education. Gordon describes her experiences in childhood with segregation and the racial demographics of her neighborhood. She also speaks in detail about her career in entertainment, starting as an usher and beauty queen, and becoming a dancer who performed in popular venues like Crystal Caverns with famous black entertainers. Gordon discusses changes she has observed to society at large and the African American community. She also describes her volunteer work in the community., Lillian Gordon was born in Washington, D.C. She grew up in the Sursum Corda neighborhood of Northwest D.C. She found success as a professional dancer and worked in popular venues along U Street with many famous black entertainers, including Marvin Gaye and Redd Foxx. She also worked at the Census Bureau. Currently she volunteers her time helping underserved people in the community and works part-time as an activities coordinator for Iona Senior Services. She lives near 4th and Q Streets, NW., This interview is continued in dcpl_ohp12-03_02.

Title: Angel Johnson
Description: Part one of an oral history interview with Angel Johnson about her family history, life, and work in Washington, D.C. Johnson describes the circumstances under which she initially moved to D.C. in 1924, back to Charlotte, NC, after a year, then to D.C. again with her mother and brother. She describes her and her brother's places of employment, particularly her work as a laundress, domestic worker, operator of a guest house, and at the Bureau of Engraving. Johnson also describes in detail the businesses and institutions of the Shaw and U Street neighborhoods. Johnson frankly discusses poverty, illness, and discrimination and their lifetime impacts on her employment options and finances., Angel Johnson (1912- ) was born in Charlotte, N.C., and has lived in Washington, D.C., since roughly 1950. She lived in the Shaw neighborhood of Northwest D.C. and worked as a caretaker for her mother, domestic worker, laundress, operator of a guest house, and briefly for the Bureau of Engraving. She now lives at the St. Mary's Court senior residence in Foggy Bottom, NW., This interview is continued in dcpl_ohp12-04_02.

Title: Bertha Smoot
Description: In this oral history interview, Mrs. Bertha Smoot, a long time D.C. resident, discusses her life and experiences moving from Sampson County, North Carolina, to Washington, D.C. Mrs. Smoot begins with a discussion of her family life and upbringing in Sampson County, North Carolina. She then talks about her move to Washington, D.C., in 1953 to study at Howard University. Mrs. Smoot also discusses her career in Washington with a particular focus on her years working in the Women’s Bureau of the Metropolitan Police Department (1959-1967)., Born on May 17th, 1934, Bertha L. Smoot grew up with her mother, father, and two older brothers in Sampson County, North Carolina. Throughout her upbringing she spent time in several towns in Sampson and Wayne counties. Her father was a sharecropper farmer, and her mother worked in the home. In the fall of 1953, after graduating from high school, Mrs. Smoot moved in with her cousin in Washington, D.C., and began studying at Howard University. Soon after graduating from Howard, Mrs. Smoot got a job as a correctional officer at the Federal Reformatory for Women in Alderson, West Virginia. Mrs. Smoot met her husband, who was from West Virginia, while working in Alderson and soon moved back to the District to live with him. Upon returning to Washington in 1959, Mrs. Smoot got a job as a police officer and worked in the Women’s Bureau of the Metropolitan Police Department until 1967 when she transferred to the Department of Social Services. Mrs. Smoot later moved to the Office of the Inspector General and returned to investigations.

Title: Gwendolyn Kelly
Description: In this oral history interview, Gwendolyn Kelly, a long time D.C. resident, discusses her life and experiences moving from Warrenton, Virginia, to Washington, D.C. Ms. Kelly talks about her early life and educational experiences in Tall Timbers, a community near Warrenton, as well as her family history in the area. She also discusses the segregation in and around Warrenton during her upbringing. Ms. Kelly then turns to a discussion of her move to Washington in 1956 when she was ten years old and her transition into life in the city. Ms. Kelly concludes the interview by reflecting on the impact of that move on her life., Gwendolyn Kelly was born on May 22nd, 1946, in Warrenton, Virginia, at Warrenton Hospital. Named Gwendolyn Marie Rowe at birth, she is the eldest of three children. Ms. Kelly and her siblings stayed with their grandparents in Warrenton, as her mother, Ella, came to Washington, D.C., for work during the week. After her grandfather passed away, her grandmother could not support the family financially and Ms. Kelly and her siblings came to Washington to live with their mother. Ms. Kelly attended George Washington Carver Elementary School in Deanwood (now IDEA Public Charter School) and graduated from McKinley High School in 1964. After high school, she enrolled at Howard University. Ms. Kelly married her husband, George Kelly, in April of 1969, when she was 24 years old. After their marriage, Ms. Kelly left college for a time and gave birth to her only child in December of 1970. After establishing her family, Ms. Kelly decided to continue her education and graduated from Howard University. Later she would take a position at the University of Southern California’s Public Affairs program in D.C. While working there, she would obtain a Master’s in Public Administration from USC. Ms. Kelly has taught at the University of the District of Columbia (UD.C.), Southeastern University, and is currently an Adjunct Professor at Prince George's County Community College and the University of Maryland Global Campus. Ms. Kelly enjoys collecting silver spoons and Depression glass, spending time with her loved ones, and reading. Her favorite movie is The Godfather, and her favorite author is Toni Morrison. She loves all types of music and grew up listening to a lot of Gospel, Country, Jazz, and Rock and Roll music.

Title: Charles Tracey
Description: In this interview, Mr. Charles Tracey, a long-time D.C. resident, discusses his life and experiences moving from Wilmington, North Carolina, to Washington, D.C. Mr. Tracey discusses his family history and early life in Wilmington, including experiences with racism and segregation during his upbringing. He also talks about his family’s decision to move to Washington, how they secured housing in the city, and their transition to life in D.C. He concludes the interview with a discussion of generational differences and his concerns for younger generations., Mr. Charles David Tracey, Jr. was born on October 10th, 1957, in Wilmington, North Carolina. His mother, Betty Lucinda Tracy, was from Winston Salem, North Carolina, and his father, Charles Tracey Sr., who was originally from Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, was stationed for active-duty military in North Carolina. Mr. Tracey lived in Wilmington until the 3rd grade, at which point his family moved to Washington, D.C., where his mother’s siblings and father already resided. In Washington, Mr. Tracey’s father worked in law enforcement and security, and his mother was a registered nurse at St. Elizabeths and Children’s Hospital for thirty years. Mr. Tracey attended Bancroft Elementary, Alice Deal Junior High School, and Woodrow Wilson High School (now Jackson-Reed High School). He also took extra classes at Roosevelt High School. He went on to graduate from the University of District of Columbia and began working as a Respiratory Technician. He now primarily works as a technician and has been in the medical field for 42 years. Prior to his medical career, he also worked at the U.S. Treasury Department for 2 years. Mr. Tracey serves as a deacon at First Church of Christ Holiness in Washington, D.C. As chairman of the deacon board, he has 21 deacons under his leadership. He has participated in the choir and countless church events, and he is a vital part in keeping the church running every Sunday.

Title: Frances Robinson
Description: In this interview, Mrs. Frances Robinson, a long-time D.C. resident, discusses her life and experiences moving from Huntingdon, Tennessee, to Washington, D.C., in 1968. Mrs. Robinson discusses her upbringing and family life in Huntingdon, her family’s work as sharecroppers, and race relations in Huntingdon during her early life. She also talks about her move to D.C. in 1968 to provide childcare for her sister, the transition to city life, pursuing an education in Washington, and her 43-year career in the federal government., Mrs. Frances Robinson was born April 5, 1951, in Huntingdon, Tennessee. One of nine children, Mrs. Robinson grew up with five brothers and four sisters. Throughout her upbringing, her parents worked as sharecroppers. In 1968, Mrs. Robinson moved to Washington, D.C., to help provide childcare for her eldest sister’s first child. Once in D.C., Mrs. Robinson began studying accounting at Benjamin Franklin University School of Accounting (later absorbed by George Washington University) and earned a bachelor’s degree. Mrs. Robinson met her husband while attending Benjamin Franklin University. Mrs. Robinson worked as an accountant for the Department of Education for 43 years before retiring in 2015. Mrs. Robinson has two children, born in 1981 and 1986, and three grandchildren, and she now lives in Prince George’s County. Now some of Frances Robinson’s hobbies include jigsaw puzzles, diamond painting, cooking, and exercise to stay busy during COVID.

Title: Jerome Bettis
Description: In this oral history interview, Mr. Jerome Bettis, a longtime D.C. resident, discusses his life and experiences moving from Graniteville, South Carolina, to Washington, D.C. Mr. Bettis discusses his upbringing and family life in Graniteville as well as his experiences with racism and segregation during his early life. He then talks about his move to D.C. for junior high and most of high school and his return to South Carolina to complete the twelfth grade. He also talks about his passion for tennis, some of the various places he’s lived, and his career in D.C. Government. Mr. Bettis concludes the interview by reflecting on his migration north and his fears about the contemporary political situation., Mr. Jerome Bettis was born in Graniteville, South Carolina, a textile manufacturing town, on January 7th, 1944. He grew up in a family of ten with eight children (five girls and three boys), of which he was the 4th oldest. Throughout his upbringing Mr. Bettis attended large Fourth of July celebrations at Bettis Academy (a school founded by one of his ancestors) in nearby Trenton, South Carolina. He and his family decided the house was too crowded and there was more opportunity and freedom up North, so he moved to Washington, D.C., in 1955 to live with his aunt and her husband in Northwest. He soon returned to South Carolina due to personal issues with his aunt's husband, but he later returned to the District to live with his first cousin (who he considers to be an aunt). He attended Hine Junior High School and Eastern High School in Capitol Hill, but, due to a technicality about guardianship, he returned to South Carolina once again and finished high school at Martha Schofield High School in Aiken, South Carolina. After graduation in June 1963, Mr. Bettis moved to the Bronx to live with his father’s sister, Edna Bettis Williams, who lived at 153rd and Melrose Avenue. He worked the summer in Manhattan before he was given an opportunity to study at Southern University A and M College in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Mr. Bettis matriculated at Southern University that fall and lived with James and Ida Bettis Slaughter, his father’s sister and her husband, as well as their four sons in Baton Rouge. On top of living in South Carolina, Washington, D.C., and New York City, Mr. Bettis has also lived in Atlanta, Georgia, Maryland, and Vietnam (While serving in the US Army during the Vietnam War). Mr. Bettis worked in the Department of Social Services for about 33 years. In 2000, Mr. Bettis left the Department of Social Services and went to work for Turner Construction Company in Arlington, Virginia, for about three years before retiring. Throughout his upbringing, Mr. Bettis played football and basketball, but as he got older he developed a passion for tennis. When he felt like basketball on the public courts of the District was getting too rough, he became involved with the Deanwood Tennis Association. He paid his friend, David Best, to teach him how to play tennis. In September of 2017, Mr. Bettis started the Tennis At Fort Lincoln Park organization (TAFLP, located in Ward 5 at Fort Lincoln Park Tennis Courts), a 501c3 non-profit tennis corporation. TAFLP received IRS status and was incorporated as a business in the District of Columbia in April 2018. To this day, Mr. Bettis continues to coach tennis and advocate for justice and equal treatment in the judicial courts, business world, tennis courts, and other areas where he, himself, is adversely impacted.

Title: Pastor Angeloyd Fenrick
Description: In this oral history interview, Pastor Angeloyd Fenrick, a long time D.C. resident, discusses her life and experiences moving from Mobile County, Alabama, to Washington, D.C. Pastor Fenrick begins the interview with a discussion of her upbringing and family life in Prichard, Alabama, before going on to talk about participating in the Montgomery Bus Boycott as a thirteen-year-old. She then discusses the founding of Columbia Learning International Ministries and her work providing affordable housing for unhoused people in Washington, D.C. Pastor Fenrick also recalls her experience of coming to D.C. to study at Howard University and talks about her participation in civil rights activism on and off campus. To conclude the interview, she recounts how she was able to fulfill her dream of building her mother a new house., Pastor Angeloyd Fenrick (b. 01/22/1943) was born and raised in Prichard, Alabama, near the city of Mobile. She is the oldest of 12 siblings (5 sisters and 6 brothers). Pastor Angeloyd graduated high school in 1960 and moved to Washington, D.C., at age 17, to attend Howard University. After receiving her train fare from an aunt in Chicago, she took a train to D.C. with only 33 dollars in her pocket. Pastor Angeloyd studied psychology at Howard and went on to have a career as a school psychologist in D.C. Public Schools. Pastor Fenrick has been a lifelong social justice activist and was involved in the Civil Rights Movement at an early age. She believed that the Civil Rights Era was an assignment from God. At 13, she participated in the Montgomery Bus Boycott as a delegate for the Alabama State Sunlight Sunday School Convention. While studying at Howard, she joined the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and participated in student activism. She also participated in the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963. Later in life, Pastor Angeloyd felt called to help the homeless. Going into work, she would see men gathering near a shelter which opened at 6:00 PM. In 1990, she began preaching to the men about finding employment. But after seeing men secure jobs only to remain unable to afford housing, she felt called by God to work to provide housing to the working homeless. Columbia Learning International Ministry was founded out of this. After soliciting donations and cashing in her retirement, Pastor Angeloyd was able to purchase an apartment building to provide housing. During this time, she eventually went back to college and got a master’s in divinity from Howard University. After twenty-one years, Pastor Angeloyd retired from Columbia Learning International Ministry, and the organization recently sold their building to another non-profit.

Title: Marian Davis
Description: In this oral history interview, Marian Davis, a long time D.C. resident, discusses her life and experiences moving from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Washington, D.C., in 1965. Ms. Davis talks about her upbringing and education in Charlotte as well as her experience with the college process. She also discusses her experiences with segregation in North Carolina. Ms. Davis then talks about her career in the federal government, first at the Department of Agriculture and later with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. She closes the interview by discussing her family back in Charlotte, her current living situation in Washington, and differences between D.C. and North Carolina. This oral history interview was conducted by a D.C. high school student as part of a class assignment on the Great Migration in Real World History., Ms. Marian Davis was born in Charlotte, North Carolina, on September 18, 1943 to John Clarence Davis and Iretha Davis. She grew up in the Fairview Homes and attended Fairview Elementary School along with her four younger siblings. Ms. Davis went on to attend Northwest Junior High and graduated from West Charlotte Senior High School. Following her aspirations of being an executive secretary, after high school Ms. Davis attended Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte for two years. She then proceeded to Durham Business College, where she took the civil service entrance exam at age 23. After passing the test, she was presented with the opportunity to work in the Department of Agriculture and moved to Washington, D.C., in 1965. At age 24, she began her career as a GS-3 “colored” typist. While working at the Department of Agriculture, Ms. Davis continued her education by studying criminology and law enforcement at the University of Maryland. She received her degree in 1986, and this allowed her to progress in her career and become a congressional specialist within the Department of Agriculture. Ms. Davis later went on to join the Equal Employment Commission and completed her career as a GS-13 Executive Secretary. She retired in 1999, at age 56, completing 34 years of government service. Today Ms. Davis is enjoying her retirement, aiding others, and keeping in touch with loved ones.

Title: Laura Danley
Description: In this interview, Mrs. Laura Danley discusses her life and experiences moving from Florida to Washington, D.C. Mrs. Danley begins by discussing her early life in Florida, which she spent moving between St. Petersburg and the town of Monticello. Through this discussion, she talks about her family life, educational experiences, and segregation during her upbringing. She then discusses her move to Washington, D.C., in 1955 and her life and career in the city. She concludes by discussing some of the changes she’s seen in Washington, her identity as a Washingtonian, and by giving some advice to younger generations., Mrs. Laura Thera Danley (née Laura Gilley) was born on April 15th, 1934, in Monticello, Florida. As a toddler, Mrs. Danley briefly moved with her parents to New York City. Soon after her parents divorced, and she and her mother (Laura Gilley) moved to St. Petersburg, Florida. Mrs. Danley spent many summers of her childhood staying on her grandparents’ (Elizabeth and Isreal Gilley) farm in Monticello. Later, Mrs. Danley would spend more time on the family farm and with her great aunt, a teacher, while her mother, who previously did domestic work for local whites, went to beauty school. Mrs. Danley then moved back to her mother’s home in St. Petersburg for high school. She attended Gibbs High School in St. Petersburg, a popular town for white tourists, where she met her future husband, William Terrell Danley, at fifteen years old through the school’s choir. She would go on to attend Florida A and M University, and, upon graduating in May 1955, marry Mr. Danley in August, when she was 21 years old. Immediately after their marriage, Mrs. Danley moved to Washington, D.C., where her husband was attending Howard University. This would be the first time Mrs. Danley would leave her home state of Florida, since her short time in New York as a baby. The couple made their first home on Euclid Street NW in the Columbia Heights neighborhood, just a short walk from Howard’s campus. Soon after, Mrs. Danley would get her first “real” job in the Women’s Bureau of the Federal Department of Labor. She would continue to work at the Women’s Bureau for 35 years, until her retirement. Mr. and Mrs. Danley never went back to Florida permanently, but they visit often. Mrs. Danley has three children, Cassandra, Silvia, and William, and four granddaughters. Today, Mrs. Danley enjoys playing board games and backgammon with her husband, as well as watching documentaries, like those made by Anthony Bourdain. Mrs. Danley is a lover of books, specifically biographies and memoirs about famous and non-famous people, in addition to her frequent study of the Bible.

Title: Ardie Myers
Description: In this interview, Ms. Ardie Myers, a long-time D.C. resident, discusses her life and experiences moving from Memphis, Tennessee, to New York City, and later, to Washington, D.C. Ms. Myers discusses her family life and educational experiences in Memphis as well as segregation and civil rights activism during her upbringing. She also talks about moving to New York City in the late 1960s and her move to Washington, D.C., in 1971., Ardie Myers was born on August 29, 1943, in Pinola, Mississippi, 50 miles southeast of Jackson. Ms. Myers is the youngest of four children; she has two older brothers and a twin sister who passed away in 2007. Her parents, Gayther Myers and Edna Myers, both taught at a church school in Pinola. When Ms. Myers was two months old, her father got a job with the railroad postal service, leading the family to move to Memphis, Tennessee. In Memphis, her mother taught kindergarten at First Baptist Church. In her early days, Ms. Myers took piano lessons and continued this off and on later in life. She attended Lester Elementary School, Lester Junior High, and Lester High School in Memphis. She graduated from high school in 1961 and continued her education at Memphis State University (now University of Memphis). After graduating in 1965, she moved to New York City with her twin sister and older brother, who had graduated from Yale in 1965. The two sisters had teaching jobs in the city. She taught for two months before getting a job with the Social Security Administration as a benefit examiner. Later, she took a one-year course at Columbia University's School of Library Service to acquire a Master of Science degree in library service. In 1971, she got a job at Howard University as Acquisitions Librarian and moved to the Mt. Pleasant neighborhood of Washington, D.C. She worked at Howard for a year before getting a job at the Library of Congress, where she worked for the next 30 years. Ms. Myers began in the Congressional Reference Division of Congressional Research Services (CRS) and became a team leader after four years. She was then asked to transfer to the General Reading Rooms Division as an African American specialist librarian since the division had no Black librarians at the time. She also became a reporter for the Library of Congress Gazette. She was interested in journalism and was thinking about starting a newsletter covering African American conferences. While working at the Library, she went to school at George Washington University and got a master's in American Civilization (basically African American Studies). At the end of her career, she worked in the Main Reading Room and the social science reading room before retiring in 2002. Ms. Myers enjoys doing crossword puzzles, reading, taking walks, and listening to music.

Title: Wilhelmina Banks
Description: In this oral history Wilhelmina Banks reflects on raising her family and her work as a speech therapist in the Prince George's County, Maryland schools, where she worked for 52 years. She sees the literary and hunting club as being important as a place for the men to engage in intellectual exchanges just as much it is a place for them to play poker. A poker player herself, Wilhelmina sees the game as valuable for its social aspects. She speaks about her decision to go to Howard University, where dorm life is a key place for her to make friends. She then talks getting married a year after meeting her husband then spending the rest of her life with him. The oral history also contains her reflections on the benefits of speech therapy and laments budget cuts that have resulted in schools replacing human speech therapists with computers. She spoke about her family’s beach house at Highland Beach, a historically Black beach town near Annapolis, MD which was frequented by Frederick Douglass., Wilhelmina Banks was born in Richmond, Virginia on June 9, 1928. She recalls growing up in a loving home with close relationships with her parents and aunt. She recalled no personal negative consequences of segregated life. Her parents protected her from strife and conflict, and she had a consistent group of friends around her.She went on to college at Howard University, where she met her future husband, Quentin Banks (now deceased, former member of BLAHC). They had 4 children including Jock Banks (current member of BLAHC). She pursued graduate education in speech and language pathology and was sent to Columbia University because there were no segregated colleges in the south for her to do so. She had a long career for Prince George's County School System as a Speech Language Pathologist. She recalled her experiences playing poker with her husband and other couples and spoke about his love for BLAHC. He loved the poker, but mostly loved the conversations about current events.

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