- Collection:
- Southern Journey Oral History Collection
- Title:
- Georgia - Albany: Rutha Harris Interviewee
- Contributor to Resource:
- Dent, Thomas C.
- Date of Original:
- 1991-07-11
- Subject:
- African Americans
Assassins
Church buildings
Civil rights
Civil rights demonstrations
Education
Segregation
Museums
Music
Singing - Location:
- United States, Georgia, Dougherty County, Albany, 31.57851, -84.15574
- Medium:
- sound recordings
- Type:
- Sound
- Format:
- audio/mpeg
- Description:
- Tom Dent interviews Rutha Harris in Albany, Georgia. She talks about the work being done on the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Hotel in Memphis, Tennessee. She performed with the Original Freedom Singers at the site of the museum. She gives the lineup of performers at the event. They discuss Bernice Johnson Reagon, who is also a native of Albany. Harris's family moved to Albany in 1928, and she was born there. She was on summer break from Florida A&M University when the movement in Albany started in 1961 and she became involved. She went back to Albany State in 1967. She talks about how she became involved in the civil rights movement and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee [SNCC]. Her family members: Katie B. Harris, Rosetta H. Armstrong, Mr. Elijah Harris, Mr. Alfonso Harris, Ms. McCree Harris, and Mr. Emory Harris were also involved. Emory and Alfonso were also Freedom Singers. Rutha talks about what they sang, and sings a portion of "Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah." She grew up in the Baptist Church, and her father was a Baptist minister, Rev. Isaiah Andrew Harris. She talks about how she started singing, and music in relation to the church. She is a mezzo-soprano. She was a voice major and a member of the Vevelettes R&B group. She also sang with a R&B band. She talks about the importance of music to the movement and sings an example of a song they changed the lyrics to. They discuss the similarities between African and African American music. Dent talks about his interest in jazz history and music in New Orleans. They talk about the need for a Gospel Festival to preserve the music of Albany, similar to the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Quartets are popular in Albany. She talks about the formation of the Original Freedom Singers which was created as a group to raise funds for SNCC. Cordell Reagon and Bernice Johnson Reagon were original members, with Charles Neblett joining later. Bertha Gober went with them to California and traveled with them for a while. Harris sings some songs that were associated closely with the Albany Movement. They were not interested in recording at the time, but focused on spreading their message. Other gospel groups at the time were recording. She never pursued a career singing professionally; she is a public school teacher and the Minister of Music at Mount Calvary Missionary Baptist Church. She wonders if things have changed for the better, saying that Black folks have still not come together in the city. She thinks the suffering they went through during the movement was in vain. She no longer gets completely involved in what happens in Albany. She talks about the bad history of Albany State. Gober and Johnson Reagon were expelled and restitution was never made. She discusses using music to work with her special needs students. She says the regular students are not interested in their education; they are only interested in getting a job so that they can buy a car. Most students go on to vocational school or the junior college. Although there are bands in the high school, there is no emphasis put on the music program. There is only a part-time vocal instructor. She thinks this is a consequence of integration.
- Metadata URL:
- https://digitallibrary.tulane.edu/islandora/object/tulane:53895
- Contributing Institution:
- Amistad Research Center
- Rights:
-