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Austin Family with Chazz Young oral history interview roundtable

Abstract

Oral history interview roundtable with the Austin Family and Chazz Young conducted by Claytee D. White on August 06, 2014 for the African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project. In this interview, the Austin family discusses their dance school, Austin Dancers, which they brought with them when they moved to Las Vegas, Nevada from New York City, New York in 1993.

Culinary Workers Union Local 226 roundtable discussion

Abstract

Oral history roundtable discussion with members of Culinary Workers Union Local 226 conducted by Barbara Tabach on March 26, 2015 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. The members present for the discussion included Michael A. Tirabassi, John D. Walter, Margarita Piñon, and Robert Gladstone. The members discuss their backgrounds, experiences working in various casinos, hotels, and restaurants in Las Vegas, Nevada, and being members of the Culinary Workers Union Local 226.

Essie Lee Jones oral history interview

Abstract

Oral history interview with Essie Lee Jones conducted by Claytee D. White on June 05, 1996 for the African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project. Jones begins by discussing her upbringing in Tallulah, Louisiana, working in the cotton fields with both white and African American workers, and explaining how she came to move to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1970. She describes becoming a maid at the Stardust Resort and Casino and later working as a waitress at the Frontier Hotel and Casino until her retirement.

Helen Mortenson oral history interview

Abstract

Oral history interview with Helen Mortenson conducted by Claytee D. White on May 06, 2014 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, Mortenson discusses Cygnus Scientific, a consultation firm specializing in nuclear, radiological, and environmental issues. She goes on to describe the Ice Age Park Foundation, managing her husband’s political campaign, and her archaeological pursuits. Later, Mortenson discusses her discovery of a Shasta ground sloth at Devils Peak, Nevada in 1990.

Ellis Rice oral history interview

Abstract

Oral history interview with Ellis Rice conducted by Claytee D. White on April 09, 2014 for the African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project. In this interview, Rice discusses his personal history and growing up in St. Louis, Missouri during the 1960s. He describes his experiences attending Webster College in 1975 and talks about the increase of African American students at the time. Rice recalls starting his first company, African People Art Continuum (APAC) to help connect the arts and with the community.

Glynda White oral history interviews

Abstract

Oral history interviews with Glynda White conducted by Claytee D. White on March 12, 2013 and August 23, 2014 for the African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project. Glynda White begins by discussing her upbringing in Jackson, Tennessee, where her father was a member of the local National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and was involved in the litigation to desegregate schools in the city. She explains how her father's activism inspired her to pursue a legal career and go to law school after graduating from Lambuth University.

Thelma Turner oral history interview

Abstract

Oral history interview with Thelma Turner conducted by Claytee D. White on October 21, 2004 for the African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project. In this interview, Turner discusses her family background and moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1947. She describes the city at the time and recalls her educational experiences while attending the Fifth Street School and Las Vegas High School. Turner then talks about her involvement as a teacher for Sunday church school and her employment at the Moulin Rouge Hotel-Casino as a change girl and waitress.

James Tate oral history interviews

Abstract

Oral history interviews with James Tate conducted by Claytee D. White on April 23, 2013 and May 10, 2013 for the African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project. Tate begins by discussing his upbringing in Illinois and later Connecticut, his family, and how his father being a member of the Communist Party affected how he views the world politically. He describes his education, what lead him to pursue a career in medicine and eventually become a surgeon, and the hospitals he worked at before arriving in Nevada during the 1980s.

William Eugene Plaid oral history interview

Abstract

Oral history interview with William Eugene Plaid conducted by Claytee D. White on June 03, 2015 for the African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project. Plaid begins by describing his family history and his upbringing in Illinois, telling stories from his childhood and young adulthood concerning his jobs, education, and discrimination he faced as an African American.

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