The oral history consists of four digital files: 2011.174.86.1a, 2011.174.86.1b, 2011.174.86.1c, and 2011.174.86.1d.
Charles Siler remembers his early life in Louisiana, including a penchant for drawing that began before the age of two, quitting the Boy Scouts when his troop made black Scouts walk behind the horses in a local parade, and picketing Louisiana's segregated State Library as a senior in high school. He was eventually expelled from Southern University because of his activism. He joined the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. In 1967, he was drafted and served in the military in the Vietnam War. He continued his civil rights advocacy as he took a variety of positions at cultural institutions and began a career as a cartoonist. The interview closes with Siler's reflections on identity and the process of learning from those who are ideologically different.
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in partnership with the American Folklife Center, Library of Congress
The oral history consists of fourteen digital files: 2011.174.98.1a, 2011.174.98.1b, 2011.174.98.1c, 2011.174.98.1d, 2011.174.98.1e, 2011.174.98.1f, 2011.174.98.1g, 2011.174.98.1h, 2011.174.98.1i, 2011.174.98.1j, 2011.174.98.1k, 2011.174.98.1l, 2011.174.98.1m, and 2011.174.98.1n.
The Hon. D'Army Bailey describes growing up in Memphis, Tennessee, the influence of the Crump political machine in city politics, and his involvement with the Memphis NAACP at an early age. He talks about his participation in the civil rights activism as a student at Southern University, for which he was ultimately expelled. Bailey describes his move to Clark University in Massachusetts, where he became involved in the Northern Student Movement. After discussing his time spent at Boston University Law School, Bailey talks about a series of jobs he had related to civil rights and legal services, including serving as the director of the Law Students Civil Rights Research Council (LSCRRC). Bailey also describes his career in California as a Berkeley City Councilman, his recall from that post, and his subsequent move back to his hometown of Memphis, where he has served as a lawyer, judge, and founder of the National Civil Rights Museum.
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in partnership with the American Folklife Center, Library of Congress