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Back in the Day: 1940s Black Student Experience
Do you remember back in the day when the average service job was 25 cents an hour? Donuts were 25 cents a dozen? Movies were 10 cents? And, listening to the radio was home entertainment? If you have personal stories and interesting facts about the 1940s Black student experience in Washington State, we invite you to share those facts with us by emailing theboard@blackheritagewa.org.
In 2006, the Black Heritage Society of Washington State was awarded a grant by 4Culture to conduct and preserve interviews with African Americans who attended high schools during the 1940s. Our oral history committee is conducting the oral histories. Our collections and exhibits committees are collecting photographs and memorabilla for presenting at the conclusion of the interview program. We are scheduled to complete interviews and transcriptions in October 2007.
We are excited to share some excerpts from our oral history interviews. The oral histories you are about to read are of individuals who are now elders of the community who are taking you back in the day of the following events, places and activities:
- Integrated Schools
- Segregated Neighborhoods
- Phyllis Wheatley YWCA
- Garfield High School FunFest
- Family Role Models
INTEGRATED SCHOOLS
Aerial View of Central Area from Garfield H.S., 1943
Vera Radcliff McCloud: Going to school, I'm not going to say that we were segregated, but it was not predominantly all Black like it is in the South. In school it was mostly integration with Chinese, Japanese and Jewish during the 1940s. All my friends were Jewish, Chinese, Japanese or Black. We all seemed to be in the same condition.
Marian Valley Lightner: As far as the teachers in school, we had no minority teachers at all--that includes Black, Chinese and Mexicans. After the war, we had more Black teachers being hired in Seattle. Thelma Dewitty, then Mrs. Anna Marie Knighton's mother was a teacher.
There were about 2,000 students total in our high school--Garfield High School. The Blacks were very seldom on the honor roll. I will tell you one thing about after high school. Now, this was in Seattle. James Johnson majored in Forestry at the University of Washington. He couldn't get a job here. He had to go to the Virgin Islands to get a job, because They would not hire him here
SEGREGATED NEIGHBORHOODS
Young People, 1940s
Marian Valley Lightner: There was an area they use to call Coon's Hallow. Blacks use to move around that area. That was in the East Madison district, between 21st and 26th. Not too far from where we use to live. First, we lived on 25th and then Blacks were kind of in between that area and Garfield High School. Blacks were segregated, but it was not overly obvious. They had sort of a gentlemen's agreement.
We'd go downtown to Newbury's and Frederick's. They didn't want to serve Negroes there. You couldn't buy food there.
PHYLLIS WHEATLEY YWCA
Phyllis Wheatley YWCA Girls Reserve, 1940s
Marian Valley Lightner: Most girls belonged to the YWCA(Young Women's Christian Association). We use to meet once a week. We learned parlimentary procedure, character building and social graces--how to set the table; how to entertain and how to be a good citizen. We use to go to the YWCA Camp on Bainbridge Island every summery for one week. We would just camp out, go swimming, do sports or paint. They had a regular program.
Vera Radcliff McCloud: I belonged to the Girls Club at the YWCA. We played mostly volleyball,tennis and some of us ran track. I did not do too much running track, because from my house on 23rd and Pine to walk every day to Garfield was all the exercise I needed. The girls, they were mixed. We weren't all Black, but we still got along.
GARFIELD HIGH SCHOOL FUNFEST
Garfield H.S.
FunFest Program, 1945
The students of Garfield High School had an annual FunFest. All acts were the products of the students. The faculty had little to do with the planning and staging of the show. The students designed and made many of their costumes, and painted their own sets. FunFest was an all student show.
Marian Valley Lightner: I remember that Majorie Pitter wrote a a script for FunFest on year.
FAMILY ROLE MODELS
Samson Valley and daughter Marian Valley, 1946
Marian Valley Lightner: As far as having any ambitions, in terms of life employment, we didn't talk about that much, because we never saw too many Black role models. A. Phillip Randolph, Marion Anderson and a Seattle boxer called Wildcat Carter-- those were some role models. We use to get a lot of insight as to what was going on from the Black newspapers like the Chicago Defender. There is another Black newspaper we use to subscribe to, the Northwest Enterprise. That's how we found out about a lot of Black History.
Our parents were our role models.One thing they pushed was getting an education, being prepared and being a good citizen. And, never forget the church. The church was the focal point of our activities. My father, Samson Valley, attended Mt. Zion Church. He was a Deacon, Sunday School Superintendent and Choir Director. He was also involved with the Progessive Baptist Church. He was involved in organizing the housing of the Central Area Senior Center. He was instrumental in housing the SOIC program on Yesler--a career training program for young people. He was also involved in the Seattle Public School Tutoring Program;the YMCA and the NAACP. He and my mother, Rhoda Edwards Valley, were married for sixty one years and had four children.
My father taught me how to cook--he and my mother, both. We'd both get in the kitchen on big holidays and he'd teach. He taught me a lot of stuff. Right after school, he'd cook, then I would do the dishes and then do my school work--that's one way I got interested in dietetics. I majored in Home Economics at Hampton Institute and became a certified dietetian.
