Mary Jenkins Oral History Interview: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

The oral history consists of five digital files: 2011.174.69.1a, 2011.174.69.1b, 2011.174.69.1c, 2011.174.69.1d, and 2011.174.69.1e.

Mary Jenkins describes Albany, Georgia, during her childhood and discusses moments when she encountered racial prejudice. She describes her education in all-black schools, her decision to attend Fisk University, and her longing to become a teacher. Around the time of Brown v. Board of Education, she began teaching in Georgia and witnessed negative reactions of white administrators to the decision. Jenkins describes her decision to join the Albany Movement, and she shares memories of working with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: March 9, 2013
• Created by: Civil Rights History Project, American, founded 2009
• Interview of: Mary F. Jenkins, American, 1928 - 2014
• Interviewed by: Willie James Griffin Ph. D., American, born 1974
• Subject of: Fisk University, American, founded 1866
• Subject of: Oliver L. Brown, American, 1918 - 1961
• Subject of: Board of Education of Topeka, American
• Subject of: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., American, 1929 - 1968
• Type: video recordings
• Type: oral histories
• Type: digital media - born digital
• Medium: digital
• Dimensions: Duration: 40 min., 47 sec.
• Dimensions: Total: 64.29 GB
• Place collected: Albany, Dougherty County, Georgia, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: American South
• Topic: Civil Rights
• Topic: Education
• Topic: HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities)
• Topic: Race relations
• Topic: Segregation
• Topic: U.S. History, 1953-1961
• Object number: 2011.174.69.1a-e
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in partnership with the American Folklife Center, Library of Congress
• 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 and The American Folklife Center, Library of Congress Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.