- Collection:
- Southern Journey Oral History Collection
- Title:
- Georgia - Albany: Peggy Nielson Interviewee
- Contributor to Resource:
- Dent, Thomas C.
- Date of Original:
- 1991-08-20
- Subject:
- African Americans
Civil rights demonstrations
Civil rights
Race relations
Economics
Business - Location:
- United States, Georgia, Dougherty County, Albany, 31.57851, -84.15574
United States, Georgia, Fulton County, Atlanta, 33.749, -84.38798 - Medium:
- sound recordings
- Type:
- Sound
- Format:
- audio/mpeg
- Description:
- Tom Dent interviews Peggy Nielson in Albany, Georgia. She talks about a recent address Andrew Young gave when visiting Albany in which he spoke about his experience with Albany and why the Movement there was not as effective as in other places throughout the South. They discuss the aftermath of the Albany campaign. Dent comments that mistakes made in Albany were applied to the Birmingham Movement. Nielson is originally from Virginia. She moved to Atlanta in 1964 to attend Emory University. She moved to Albany in 1980. She discusses her experience running Wyche Fowler's political campaigns and how she came to know Young. She talks about her impressions of Albany when she first arrived. She was distressed by the lack of Black loan officers in the city. She learned that they had been hired on, but everyone had moved on to other positions elsewhere, usually Atlanta. She learned later that there is nowhere in the city that the Black and White populations can interact with each other. She talks about work being done to build a new geographic center of the city that is comfortable for everyone. Dent talks about the perception that nothing has changed since the Albany Movement. They discuss Charles Sherrod, who recently lost an election after serving twelve years on Albany City Council. Nielson is critical of Sherrod's representation and contrasts his tenure with that of Arthur Williams, who promoted the incubator in Albany. She acknowledges Sherrod's historic role in the civil rights movement, but says that history can be paralyzing. She talks about Young as an example of someone who keeps moving forward. Dent discusses the issue of transitioning from leadership in the civil rights movement to political leadership, which has been difficult and painful for the Black community. Nielson created Leadership Albany and discusses the program. She discusses Juanita Cribb's and Carol King's involvement and some of the work they have done. She talks about what she thinks still needs to be done to create equal financial sharing between the Black and White communities. Dent talks about how they worked to build Black employment at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Nielson talks about her reputation for being the one who "says" something. She talks about Black people asking her, as a White woman, to say something in meeting situations. She started encouraging others to say it, telling them that she would agree. Dent attributes this issue to fear, based on past experience.
- Metadata URL:
- https://digitallibrary.tulane.edu/islandora/object/tulane:53892
- Contributing Institution:
- Amistad Research Center
- Rights:
-
