September 14th, 2009
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Interview with Ms. Geraldine Burton
General Topic of Interview: Education during and after Jim Crow
Date: 28 October, 2008
Location: Clarkesdale, Mississippi, USA
Narrator: Ms. Geraldine Burton
Interviewers: James Chapnick, Kyle Coston, Max Paschall
Transcriber: Unknown
Biographical Information:
Geraldine Burton was born in McGee, Mississippi, and grew up in Simpson County. She is now a retired teacher. Throughout her career she taught Social Studies and African-American history in Coahoma County and Quitman County.
Interview Information:
Ms. Burton discusses education from the perspective of a student and a teacher. She recalls the deaths of a cousin and uncle, both killed by the KKK, as well as a KKK bombing of a local Clarkesdale church. Before becoming a teacher, Ms. Burton worked as a domestic for a woman who strictly enforced segregation. This experience formed her opinion of the importance of education in creating change.