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About this collection
The oral history interviews presented here are part of the ongoing Carver-VCU Partnership that began in 1996. The Partnership's stated goal is to "create a shared urban community with a commitment to improving the neighborhood's quality of life." Carver is situated in Richmond, Virginia, just north of VCU's Monroe Park campus, and is primarily a working class African American neighborhood, home to some 1,500 residents. The Carver name is derived from the neighborhood school named for George Washington Carver (1864-1943). The area was once called Sheep Hill because of its proximity to early stockyards.
These fifteen oral histories were conducted in 1999 and 2000 as part of a project funded by a grant from the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities and Public Policy. The project, described as a "Living Newspaper," produced a play entitled "Sheep Hill Memories — Carver Dreams." Those interviewed include longtime residents, including Barbara Abernathy, former president of the Carver Area Civic Improvement League, and Dr. Roy A. West, former mayor of Richmond, as well as newcomers to the community and those who have moved away from the neighborhood. The documentary play, which used information collected from the oral histories and other sources, focused on the history and survival of the Carver neighborhood.
These interviews are part of a collection documenting the Carver neighborhood housed in VCU Libraries Special Collections and Archives at the James Branch Cabell Library. They are presented as MP3 files with complete PDF transcriptions.
Learn more about the Carver-VCU Partnership and the Carver neighborhood. [Both websites linked here are archived versions; the websites are no longer active.]
Copyright
This material is protected by copyright, and copyright is held by VCU. You are permitted to use this material in any way that is permitted by copyright. In addition, this material is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International license (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0). Acknowledgment of Virginia Commonwealth University Libraries as a source is required.
Credits
VCU Libraries digitized this collection in 2007-2008. Library Specialist Cindy Jackson originally digitized the audiocassettes, which were subsequently re-digitized by Library Specialist Jennifer Cason, who also supervised student employees, digitization, and quality control. Student employee Kaitlin Foray assisted with digitization of the print materials. Metadata Librarian Mary Anne Dyer created the metadata for this digital collection.
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Allen Knight interview (2000-01-15)
Part of a series of interviews conducted as part of a Carver-VCU Partnership project documenting the history of the Carver neighborhood in Richmond, Virginia. In this interview, Allen Knight discusses his life growing up in the Carver neighborhood of Richmond, Va.; memories of his childhood; and the effects of desegregation on the community and his career. He also describes moments of change in the Carver community; the roles of men; problems facing the neighborhood; and his career in radio including his job as the first black disc jockey in Richmond.
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Barbara Abernathy interview (2000-05-15)
Part of a series of interviews conducted as part of a Carver-VCU Partnership project documenting the history of the Carver neighborhood in Richmond, Virginia. Barbara Abernathy, the president of the Carver Area Civic Improvement League (CACIL), discusses her early background in the Carver neighborhood of Richmond, Va.; her move to Washington, D.C.; her education at Northeastern University; her return to Richmond, Va.; and her career at Reynolds Metals Co. She also describes what it was like growing up in the Carver area; what neighborhood life was like in the 1950s; changes in the community; how she became an activist in the neighborhood; and visions for future of the Carver community.
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Barksdale W. Haggins and Irving Haggins interview (1999-12-12)
Part of a series of interviews conducted as part of a Carver-VCU Partnership project documenting the history of the Carver neighborhood in Richmond, Virginia. In this interview, brothers Barksdale W. Haggins and Irving Haggins reminisce about their early years growing up in the Carver neighborhood of Richmond, Va. The Haggins brothers discuss their childhoods in Carver; including recollections of friends, neighbors, schools and events. They also reflect on changes to the neighborhood and the city of Richmond and the effects of segregation and integration.
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Brenda Hudson interview (2000-01-03)
Part of a series of interviews conducted as part of a Carver-VCU Partnership project documenting the history of the Carver neighborhood in Richmond, Virginia. In this interview, Brenda Hudson talks about her experiences as a resident of Clay House in the Carver neighborhood of Richmond, Va., She also discusses her early life in the Bainbridge area; previous and current jobs; and some of the changes affecting the Carver neighborhood.
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Carolyn Hawley and James McBride interview (2000-02-21)
Part of a series of interviews conducted as part of a Carver-VCU Partnership project documenting the history of the Carver neighborhood in Richmond, Virginia. Carolyn Hawley and James McBride, residents of the Carver neighborhood in Richmond, Va., talk about their respective experiences. Carolyn Hawley, who was born in Carver, discusses her home, childhood, and school life in Carver. James McBride, who moved into the neighborhood in 1987, describes the changes he's seen in Carver; comparisons with the Church Hill area; and challenges facing the community. Carolyn Hawley and James McBride also discuss efforts by community leaders who have worked on behalf of the neighborhood; changes in the neighborhood; efforts to address the problem of abandoned properties; the expansion of VCU; community planning issues; and expectations regarding the Living Newspaper Project.
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Duane Finger interview (2000-05-19)
Part of a series of interviews conducted as part of a Carver-VCU Partnership project documenting the history of the Carver neighborhood in Richmond, Virginia. Duane Finger of the Richmond Redevelopment Housing Authority in Richmond, Va., describes his work with the housing authority and how the agency and its approach has changed during the 28 years he has worked there. He also discusses topics such as the influence of the civil rights movement on his career; housing authorities; and the city of Richmond. Mr. Finger also describes civic leaders in the Carver neighborhood in Richmond who have helped the neighborhood gain recognition; efforts to empower the neighborhood; the role of the Task Force for the Preservation of the Minority Community; and further development of the Carver neighborhood, including the issue of student housing.
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Jim Hill and Doug Kleffner interview (2000-05-30)
Part of a series of interviews conducted as part of a Carver-VCU Partnership project documenting the history of the Carver neighborhood in Richmond, Virginia. In this interview, Jim Hill and Doug Kleffner, residents of the Carver neighborhood of Richmond, Va., discuss how they came to live in the Carver community; the renovation of their house; and their role in the community association. They also review the direction the neighborhood is moving in; attitudes in the community toward VCU; their experience moving to a predominantly black neighborhood; and their feelings about and perspectives of living in Carver.
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Lucy Anne Lucas interview (2000-02-18)
Part of a series of interviews conducted as part of a Carver-VCU Partnership project documenting the history of the Carver neighborhood in Richmond, Virginia. Lucy Anne Davis, who was born and raised in the Carver neighborhood of Richmond, Va., discusses her early childhood in the neighborhood. She describes what it was like to grow up in the Carver area; her early family life; and how living in the neighborhood affected her family relationships. Ms. Davis also recalls some of the neighborhood events and activities; reasons why they stopped and how they could have a positive effect on the community. She also describes changes to the neighborhood over time that she has witnessed; and her hopes for the future of the Carver area.
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Marguerita Austin and Frances Gordon interview (2000-01-21)
Part of a series of interviews conducted as part of a Carver-VCU Partnership project documenting the history of the Carver neighborhood in Richmond, Virginia. Marguerita Austin and Frances Gordon talk about their experiences growing up in the Carver neighborhood of Richmond, Va. They discuss their early family lives; family activities; memorable individuals from the neighborhood; and changes to the Carver area brought about by desegregation.
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Mr. Charles Wood and Mrs. Mary Jane Carter Wood interview (2000-01-08)
Part of a series of interviews conducted as part of a Carver-VCU Partnership project documenting the history of the Carver neighborhood in Richmond, Virginia. In this interview, Charles Wood, who grew up in the Carver neighborhood of Richmond, Va., discusses his early life in the community; his involvement with the Moore Street Baptist Church; and his career as a letter carrier in the post office. He also recalls things he liked about the Carver community when he lived there; the effect of desegregation on the community; changes within the church; anecdotes and memories of family and friends in the Carver area; and changes in race relations in the Richmond area.
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Nellie Weatherless interview (2000-04-16)
Part of a series of interviews conducted as part of a Carver-VCU Partnership project documenting the history of the Carver neighborhood in Richmond, Virginia. Nellie Weatherless, a resident of the Carver neighborhood in Richmond, Va., talks her early life in the neighborhood, including recollections of friends and neighbors, Carver landmarks, and changes to the community. She also discusses what life was like in the neighborhood; living conditions; childhood activities; and shops and restaurants in the Carver area.
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Roy A. West interview (2000-04-05)
Part of a series of interviews conducted as part of a Carver-VCU Partnership project documenting the history of the Carver neighborhood in Richmond, Virginia. In this interview, Dr. Roy West, former city councilman (1982-1994) and former mayor of Richmond (1982-1988), discusses his involvement with the Carver community in Richmond, Va. Dr. West addresses issues such as deterioration in the community; the effect of the conservation district designation on Carver; community-government relations regarding redevelopment; racial disparity in higher education; his involvement in public education; and the massive resistance movement. Dr. West also recalls the reorganization of high schools in Richmond, including leadership involved in the decision and the effect on public education and the Carver neighborhood; the work of Madeline Peters, a Carver resident who was one of the civic leaders in the community; and challenges facing the community with its relationship with VCU.
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Selma Taylor interview (2000-05-17)
Part of a series of interviews conducted as part of a Carver-VCU Partnership project documenting the history of the Carver neighborhood in Richmond, Virginia. Selma Taylor, of the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority, discusses her work with the housing authority and involvement with the Carver community and the Carver Civic Association in Richmond, Va. Mrs. Taylor also describes some of the neighborhood leaders that she has worked with over the years, including Helen Smith and Madeline Peters; the role of the housing authority and development in the Carver community; the issue of student housing in the community; resident involvement in the community association; and the issue of historic review in community development; Barbara Abernathy, one of the interviewers and president of the Carver Area Civic Improvement League (CACIL), also comments on efforts to increase community involvement and the relationship between VCU and the Carver community.
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Viola Robinson interview (2000-02-11)
Part of a series of interviews conducted as part of a Carver-VCU Partnership project documenting the history of the Carver neighborhood in Richmond, Virginia. In this interview, Viola Robinson, a resident of the Carver area of Richmond, Va., talks about her memories of the neighborhood, including her early jobs and the big band names that came to the area. She also discusses changes to Carver that she noticed since her departure and return to the area, her participation in the Martin Luther King march to Washington, D.C.; and her hopes for the area in the future.
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Waverly B. Crawley interview (2000-04-27)
Part of a series of interviews conducted as part of a Carver-VCU Partnership project documenting the history of the Carver neighborhood in Richmond, Virginia. Waverly Robert Crawley, Jr., who was raised in the Carver neighborhood of Richmond, Va., recounts his memories of growing up there in the 1930s. Mr. Crawley describes the origins of his name; places he remembers from the neighborhood; individuals he admired and Carver's early origins as Sheep Hill. He also reminisces about Carver social life and conditions; effects of desegregation; and his thoughts on the future of the Carver neighborhood.