Charlie Cobb Oral History Interview: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

An oral history interview and conversation with journalist Charlie Cobb. It consists of three versions of a digital video recording, two camera card files (2025.12.6.1.1 and 2025.12.6.1.2, .mxf files) and one edited file (2025.12.6.1.3, .mov file).

Charles E. “Charlie” Cobb, Jr. was interviewed by Louisiana State University student Kiersten Simon on August 2, 2023, as part of the Social Justice Conversations Oral History Project. The interview took place at Mr. Cobb’s home in Jacksonville, Florida. At the time of the interview, Mr. Cobb was 80 years old.

This oral history interview with Mr. Charlie Cobb consists of two distinct sections: an “interview” section (part 1) and a “conversation” section (part 2, 01:11:07). In part 1, Mr. Cobb discusses his upbringing and family history, and he recalls learning of the murder of Emmett Till. He then talks about his initial student activism at Howard University and how he became involved with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). Mr. Cobb then discusses his time as a SNCC organizer in Mississippi, from meeting influential leaders and participants to voter registration efforts, and how night riders shot into neighborhoods in attempts to stop these efforts. In part 2, Mr. Cobb discusses the impact of Amzie Moore, Ella Baker, Fannie Lou Hamer, and Bob Moses, and Simon reflects on her familiarity with this period of history. Mr. Cobb discusses the issue of education in Mississippi, reflecting on the “Freedom Schools,” and the Friends of SNCC network. He then compares the political climate of 1960s with the political climate of the 2020s and describes the relationship between race, class, and policing. He also talks about his book project "Get in the Way." Simon reflects on her relationship with Black History and describes her involvement with her local Black Student Union and African American Cultural Center. Mr. Cobb reflects on making history applicable to younger generations and recounts a story about SNCC organizer Sam Block. Finally, Simon and Mr. Cobb reflect on how young people impacted the Civil Rights Movement.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: August 2, 2023
• Created by: National Museum of African American History and Culture, American, founded 2003
• Recorded by: Trudy Hutcherson, American
• Recorded by: Candace Dane Chambers, American
• Interviewed by: Kiersten Simon
• Interview of: Charles E. Cobb Jr., American, born 1943
• Subject of: Emmett Till, American, 1941 - 1955
• Subject of: Little Rock Central High School, American, founded 1927
• Subject of: Howard University, American, founded 1867
• Type: video recordings
• Type: oral histories
• Type: digital media - born digital
• Medium: digital
• Dimensions: Duration (2025.12.6.1.3, edited): 2 hr., 36 min., 36 sec.
• Dimensions: File size: 238 GB
• Place filmed: Jacksonville, Duval County, Florida, United States, North and Central America
• Place captured: Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America
• Place captured: Springfield, Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States, North and Central America
• Place captured: Mississippi Delta, Mississippi, United States, North and Central America
• Place captured: Baton Rouge, East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Activism
• Topic: Civil Rights
• Topic: Communities
• Topic: Education
• Topic: Families
• Topic: Journalism
• Topic: Literature
• Object number: 2025.12.6.1
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
• Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of African American History and Culture through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed. The underlying object's rights statement is: © Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.