Oral history interview with Louise Randall Lawler conducted by Claytee D. White on September 25, 2021 for African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project.
Louise Randall Lawler discusses her early years in Las Vegas, her family history, and her experience as Rancho High School's first Black cheerleader. She talks about her cheer experience at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, her teaching career for the Clark County School District at Rancho High School and Valley High School, her time dancing with Redd Foxx, and her bartending career at the Imperial Palace Hotel and Casino.
Archival Collection
Interview with Viola Johnson conducted by Claytee D. White on March 12, 1996. Johnson lived in a tent when she moved from Fordyce to Las Vegas in 1942. She describes working conditions for maids and the Culinary Workers Union Local 226 strikes between 1969 and 1984.
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Interview with Theron and Naomi Goynes conducted by Claytee D. White on June 28 and July 12, 2012. A retired school principal, Theron Goynes also served as a North Las Vegas councilman and mayor pro-temp and was the first black in Nevada history to chair a government body. Naomi had thirty-six-year career in local education.
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Transcript of interviews with J. David Hoggard, Sr. by Claytee D. White, and unnamed interviewers in 1997, 1998 and 1999. Hoggard moved to Las Vegas in 1945 and became involved in civil rights through the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the Economic Opportunity Board.
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Transcript from interview with George Simmons by Claytee White on December 13, 2013. Simmons talks about how he came to Las Vegas in 1963, and his wife, Eva. Simmons was a designer for Sproul Homes and later worked for Holmes and Narver, an engineering firm. He discusses his education at Texas Southern and the University of Texas.
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Transcript from interview with Jocelyn Oats by John Grygo. Oats came to Las Vegas with her family and grew up on the Westside. Her father was a leader in the community and a founder of Victory Baptist Church. Her mother provided child care for people in the community. Oats works with Nevada Partners and the Youth Employment for Summer (YES), and reflects on the community in Las Vegas.
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Transcript from interview with Waldemar Jackson by Claytee White on May 5, 2013. Jackson's family was one of the first black families in the West Las Vegas neighborhood Vegas Heights. Jackson joined the Air Force and traveled overseas, encountering racism. He returned to Las Vegas and his employment history includes construction, slot floor man at the Marina, aircraft fueler and baggage screener. He discusses his troubles with substance abuse since his mother's death in 1999.
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Transcript of interview with Beverly Mason by Claytee White, December 21, 2012. Mason grew up in West Las Vegas and was part of the school integration movement in the 1970s. Her involvement in the Las Vegas School System has continued throughout her life. In the interview, she discusses her family and faith, and working at the Nevada Test Site. Beverly attended Whittier College in California, where she majored in Biology. She later received her Masters in Organizational Management from the University of Phoenix. She brought her experience back to Nevada and went to work for the Nevada Test Site as an industrial hygienist. She chose to leave that job to focus on her family, and found a new career in the School Community Partnership Office as a program manager. She focuses on connecting students with professionals in the science, math, and technology fields to bolster interest in those careers. Beverly has always been involved in her community and her church. Beverly attended the Church of God in Christ when she was growing up, and continues to participate in services today. Her family and her faith are extremely important parts of her life. She is married to Marcus Mason and has a daughter named Cassidy.
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Ruby Amie-Pilot moved to Las Vegas in 1952. She worked at the Desert Inn in the kitchen, was the first African American full time sales person at Sears; she also worked as a window dresser with Hazel Gay, and later owned travel agency with Esther Langston. In the interview, Ruby discusses moving to the Westside, Jackson street and housing developments, education, and her experiences with local leaders.
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Interview with Faye Todd conducted by Claytee D. White on October 15, 1996. Featured in Ebony Magazine in 1979, Todd achieved executive status in the Las Vegas gaming industry, serving as Special Events Coordinator for Desert Inn Hotel and Casino and Entertainment Director/Corporate Executive Assistant for Landmark Hotel and Casino.
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