Jabarii Pharms:I am Jabarii Pharms and I am interviewing Linda white a black woman that grew up in 1960s. She lived in California growing up she seen many things that still affect her till this day. I am honored to interview her because I know she has some great stories to tell.
Today I am interviewing Linda White about how life was in the 1960s do you give consent for me to show my class this interview.
Linda White :Hello Jabarii I am honored to be part of your interview and yes, I do give my full consent.
LW:I am from Stockton California
JP:Do you want to describe what race you are?
JP:How was it growing up as a Black woman in America in 1960s?
JP:How was this time fun what things did you do that made it fun?
LW:During this time, I was in my teenage years moving towards being an adult we had great music and I loved to party.
JP:What kind of music did you listen to?
LW:My favorite type of music was first gospel since I am a Christian woman, but I did also listen to James badass Brown. (She said with full of excitement).
JP:Why is gospel music so important to the black culture?
LW:This music was just showing our appreciation for God we sang these songs for his glory. Our God helped us through so many hard times.
JP:What is one hard time that you can remember that brought Black people together?
LW:There is just so many memories, but I would have to say the civil rights movement. I can remember every single thing I saw that still affects me till this day.
LW:The police brutality was something else police didn’t see man or women they saw either you were white or you black. My skin was lighter than other black people I hung around but wore a big afro same as them. I remember my best friend and I walking home from school she was pregnant because she had been raped by a white man. We were walking and the police stopped us asking us all sorts of question “where yawl going why yawl in this neighborhood”. We tried to answer but he didn’t believe us his partner beat me and my friend and you can clearly see she was pregnant. She lost her baby and lost herself, so she got hooked on drugs. I know not every cop is the same, but I just can’t find the way to forgive them for what they been doing to my people.
JP:Earlier you said you listened to James Brown why was he so popular?
LW:No, I said I listened to James Badass Brown. You have to make sure you add the Badass because that boy was bad. He was so groovy made us feel alive with his music despite all what was going on around us. His music was bringing awareness also about whats going on around us. Everyone was dropping out of school to work and help their families because we lived in a rough area. James’s brown got a few people to go back to school with his song “Don’t be a drop out”. I kept going with school until I needed money to help my mother. My father he was a drunk worked a factory job he was always so angry with his job he wished he could of gave us better. (Deep breath) He killed himself after my brother was killed in the war. We told him don’t go fight in that white man’s war.
JP:What war was he fighting in?
LW:He was fighting in the Vietnam war? And we were fighting the war for equal rights?
JP:Was music coming up in 1960s made for partying or more of how people felt about civil rights?
LW:It was made about how we felt. We tired of being mistreated we were angry. This felt like the only way we can be heard. Those artists that had the voice and fans from whites and black could have made a change.
JP:You said yawl wanted to be heard what kind of things did the artist talk about?
LW:They talked about everything from the police to beaten up black folks to the man doing us wrong?
JP:You said THE MAN who is the man?
LW:THE MAN is the government that allows all bad stuff to happened to us black folks. THE MAN is who ever in charge putting the poison in our communities.
JP:What changes have you seen as a women from 1960s till now and is it better or worse?
LW:Change Jesus, it so much better now have this thing caleed cameras that record everything.
JP:Women are still being mistreated I feel like whats your thoughts about this?
LW:I came to relize this is just the crazy world we live in. The man in this world that control this givernment will forever see houswives and that’s it.
JP:Have you had experince racism in the 60s and have you experince it now?
LW:I remmber saying my skin was lighter so I got teased for being light they would be mad at me. Blacks people treated me wrong times they were mad that some people would treat me different.
JP:How were treated different?
LW:When my brothers and sisters had to run home at times because white man would chase them with baseball bats.i could walk and say I didn’t know them just so I didn’t have to run. If I was cought lying they use to try to beat me bad but they could never break my spirit.
Jp:What is a crazy experince you had to experince as a black women in America?
LW:All I have to say is everyday is a crazy experince now days you see stuff on your phone and the news that is distrubbing. The kids nowdays I feel bad for what they future holds.
JP:Well thank you Linda White for doing this interview is there anything else you have to say?
LW:Thank you, Jabarii I am so greatful to be able to share my experince. I just want to say a change is coming the world.