In Their Own Words: An Oral History Project (1995-1996) was conducted by the African American Archives Auxiliary Youth Advisory Council and supported by the African American Archives Auxiliary of the Western Reserve Historical Society. The project was designed as a summer enrichment program and funded with grants from the Cleveland Indians and Zapis Communications. Three high school students received training in archival research, oral history interviewing and photography. Nineteen individuals of widely diverse backgrounds were selected from the northeast Ohio area and interviewed by the students on topics related to their lives and professions. These sessions were taped and transcribed. Most interviews were conducted during the summer of 1995 and transcribed in 1996. At the end of the project fifteen interviews were deposited in the Library of the Historical Society. The Project Coordinator was Patricia A. Miles Ashford and the student researchers were Jamar Doyle, Tiffany Haddon and Amy Worthy. The Western Reserve Historical Society support staff were Samuel W. Black, Michael McCormick, Kermit J. Pike, and Ann K. Sindelar.
The In Their Own Words: An Oral History Project Records, 1995-1996, consist of a overall report on the project by coordinator Patricia Ashford, individual reports by the student interviewers, and transcripts of the interviews. Interviews deposited include: Leon Bibb, William F. Boyd, Ernestine Brown, William Grace, Anthony Gray, Kenny Gray, Lomax Gray, Floyd Hoiston, Angeline Jeter, Samuel "Sam" Jethroe, John D. McClindon, Jr., Louis Naylor, Harry Robinson, Charles Sallee, Jr., Glen Shumate, Harold Thomas, Owen Lynn Tolliver, Jr., and Ernest Williams.
The collection is of value to researchers studying African American culture and employment in metropolitan Cleveland and northeast Ohio. Included is extensive biographical information on a diverse group of people involved in art: Charles Sallee, Jr., painter; dance, in traditional, classical and modern styles: Harold "Tito Cavalaro" Thomas and Louis B. Naylor; broadcast media: Leon Bibb, television; and Lynn Tolliver, Jr., radio; business: William Boyd, Boyd & Son Funeral Home; Ernestine Brown, Malcom Brown Art Gallery; Lomax Gray and Tony Kenny, Gray Barrel and Drum Co.; Angeline Jeter, Round Table Restaurant; Glen Shumate, manager of community relations, Cleveland Indians, and vice president, Convention and Visitors Bureau of Greater Cleveland; music: Ernest "Pinky" Williams, jazz musician; and sports: Floyd Hoiston of the Cleveland White Sox and Sam Jethroe, Willie Grace and Harry Robinson of the Cleveland Buckeyes of baseball's Negro Leagues; and John McLindon, Jr., professional basketball coach.
The collection is arranged alphabetically by document type and then alphabetically by name of interview subject or subjects.
All photographs and photographic negatives have been removed to the photograph and print collection.
Processed by Samuel W. Black in 1997
Open with permission of the WRHS Curator of Manuscripts
[Container ___, Folder ___ ] MS 4746 In Their Own Words: An Oral History Project Records, Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio
Western Reserve Historical Society, African American Archives Auxiliary, 1996
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.