- Collection:
- Southern Journey Oral History Collection
- Title:
- Georgia - Albany: Elaine Baker Interviewee
- Contributor to Resource:
- Dent, Thomas C.
- Date of Original:
- 1991-07-15
- Subject:
- African Americans
Books
Civil rights
Civil rights demonstrations
Crime
Education
Race relations
Segregation
Universities and colleges - Location:
- United States, Georgia, Dougherty County, Albany, 31.57851, -84.15574
- Medium:
- sound recordings
- Type:
- Sound
- Format:
- audio/mpeg
- Description:
- Tom Dent interviews Dr. Elaine Baker at Albany State College in Albany, Georgia. They discuss problems black officials often seem to have with power. Dent talks about what he witnessed in a recent visit to Gambia. Baker talks about hearing the same names over and over about those who were involved in the Albany Movement. She talks about the book In Search of Sisterhood by Paula Giddings, which discusses the movement. They talk about the problems that can ensue from conflicts of interest. "Insiders" in Albany are those who were born and raised there. Dent talks about his experience running the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation, and how he felt the need to be very careful in his business dealings. Dent says, "Whites go into politics to protect their economic interests. Blacks go into politics in the hopes that they might develop economic interests"u2026 and they get trapped." Baker talks about the increased scrutiny faced by black people in positions of authority. People have a sense of obligation to those who helped them, but they sometimes forget this obligation. They also think that people cannot see what they are doing when they break the law. Dent talks about the recent arrests of black officials in stings in South Carolina. They talk about the motivation behind such incidents. Baker attributes some of it to political naivety. People can confuse being liked with power, and whites can play on that. They discuss Atlanta, and Albany's proximity to plantations. The population of Albany is not varied, white or black. Many people there believe in the occult and mysticism. Baker discusses students such as those at Alcorn State University being expelled for their activism. They discuss the problematic viewpoint presented in the book You Can't Build a Chimney from the Top by Joseph W. Holley.
- Metadata URL:
- https://digitallibrary.tulane.edu/islandora/object/tulane:54082
- Contributing Institution:
- Amistad Research Center
- Rights:
-
