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People of Indianapolis, 1983

Interviewee
Brooks, Clara Florence March 10, 1983 

Call Number
83-004

Physical Description

65 pages; 2 cassettes, 1 7/8 ips, 80 minutes; no index

Interviewer
Wolford, John

Access Status

Open

Clara Florence Brooks, born March 25, 1916 and died July 2, 1999, discusses her early life with her family in Giles County, Tennessee as tenant cotton farmers. After her father died, her family moved to Indianapolis to join two older brothers who had already moved there. Her son, who died of appendicitis at the age of 9, was born shortly after she moved to Indianapolis in 1936. Over the years, Mrs. Brooks worked a variety of jobs including general labor and sewing. In order to raise her daughter, she sometimes had to work two jobs and seven days a week. Mrs. Brooks also speaks of the Brightwood neighborhood where she lived for many years. Although it was mostly a white neighborhood when she first arrived, more African- Americans have moved in. She comments on the race relations in her neighborhood, in her working life, and in the schools. Finally she discusses her love of Indianapolis, Indiana's culture, people and overall atmosphere.

  • Keywords
    • Corporation Names
    • International Harvester Company
    • Mouver Foundry
    • Indiana State Fairgrounds
    • United States Army
    • Arsenal Technical High School
    • Place Names
    • Giles County, Tennessee
    • Occupation Names
    • laborer
    • seamstress
    • Subjects
    • tenant farming
    • African-Americans
    • Primitive Baptist church
    • baseball
    • basketball
    • World War II
    • divorce
    • spousal abuse
    • appendicitis
    • railroad workers
    • epilepsy
    • racial discrimination
    • race relations
    • school integration
    • welfare