Maj. Gen. Charles F. Bolden Oral History Interview: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

The oral history consists of 2016.129.1.1a and 2016.129.1.2a: two versions (unedited, and edited) of a single digital video recording.

Major General Charles F. Bolden was interviewed as part of the NMAAHC Donor Oral History Collection. General Bolden donated some of his personal belongings, including uniforms, supplies, and photographs, to the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

In this oral history interview, General Charles Bolden describes his childhood in Columbia, SC, where he grew up in an environment that was educationally and culturally stimulating, despite the strict legal segregation that existed. He discusses his early interest in science and how he became determined to attend the Naval Academy while still a teen. He describes how he overcame many obstacles that were the result of racial discrimination to achieve his dreams and eventually become a Major General, astronaut, and the Administrator of NASA (appointed by President Barack Obama).

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: July 20, 2016
• Created by: National Museum of African American History and Culture, American, founded 2003
• Recorded by: Patrick Telepictures, Inc., American
• Interview of: Maj. Gen. Charles F. Bolden Jr., American, born 1946
• Interviewed by: Elaine Nichols, American
• Subject of: United States Naval Academy, American, founded 1845
• Subject of: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, American, founded 1958
• Subject of: President Barack Obama, American, born 1961
• Type: video recordings
• Type: oral histories
• Type: digital media - born digital
• Medium: digital
• Dimensions: Duration (2016.129.1.1a): 67.12 min.
• Dimensions: Duration (2016.129.1.2a): 65.83 min.
• Dimensions: 101.27 GB
• Place collected: Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America
• Place depicted: Columbia, Richland County, South Carolina, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Aeronautics
• Topic: Military
• Topic: Museums
• Topic: Race discrimination
• Topic: Science
• Topic: Segregation
• Object number: 2016.129.1.1a-.2a
• 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 & Culture Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.