On March 2, 1975, Marilyn Swanson interviewed her neighbor Perle Garrett (born April 27, 1905 in Overbrook, Kansas) in her home in Boulder City, Nevada. This interview covers Boulder City during the 1930s, with special focus on the building of Boulder Dam. Mrs. Garrett relocated to Boulder City because her husband Theodore Garrett was one of the workers at the dam. She also discusses Six Companies houses, family life, the weather, churches in Las Vegas and recreational activities for local children. Her husband is also present during the interview.
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On June 30, 1975, Larry DuRussel interviewed carpenter Gordon Christie, (born March 9th, 1916 in Grand Rapids, Michigan) at his home in Las Vegas, Nevada. During this interview Gordon discusses having worked on the building of the MGM, Fremont Downtown, the Sahara Hotel, Desert Inn, and the Frontier Hotel, amongst others. Before becoming a carpenter, Gordon recalls working with his father at a furniture factory. He also discusses religion, politics, family life and the growth of Las Vegas.
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The Las Vegas African American Community Conversations is a four-part conversation with local Las Vegans. The first part of the round table is moderated by Trisha Geran with a central theme of "Migration, Work and Community Emergence." The panelists discuss the early history of the African American community in Las Vegas, Nevada. They also discuss how and why their families moved to Las Vegas, most citing the economic opportunities as a major factor. The participants share their personal histories and family histories building up the African American community in downtown Las Vegas and the Westside. The second part of the round table is moderated by Sonya Horsford with a central theme of "Education, Economy, and Integration." The panelists discuss the Clark County School District pre- and post-integration. They discuss the hardships of the Sixth Grade Center Integration Plan on the African American community as well as discussing the differences in the school facilities. The round table participants also discuss the social services and social programs and the history of those programs from the African American perspective. They also discuss civic involvement and the various civic groups started by the panelists, and share discrimination they faced.
The third part of the round table is moderated by Claytee D. White with a central theme of "Civil Rights and Entertainment." The panelists discuss the racism and segregation present in Las Vegas and discuss how African American community leaders worked to integrate African Americans into the Las Vegas community. They discuss the 1969 riots in detail, and discuss African American entertainers and the entertainment industry. They share personal experiences working in the entertainment industry and discuss the importance of the local unions, such as the Culinary Workers Union Local 226, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Local 720, and their contributions to the unions. The fourth and final part of the round table is moderated by Rachel Anderson with a central theme of the "Early African American Legal Community." The panelists discuss the foundations of the professional legal community in Las Vegas, noting the contributions of Charles Keller, Dr. William Bailey, and the Reverend Marion Bennett as driving forces for civil rights activism in Las Vegas. They share their experiences growing up in Las Vegas facing discrimination and segregation. Lastly, they share the changes they have seen and how both the legal and African African communities have grown.
Archival Collection
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