Oral history interview with Inez and Edward Harper conducted by Claytee D. White on July 18, 1996 for the African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project. In this interview, the Harpers talk first about their upbringing and education in Fordyce, Arkansas. Inez Harper explains how she came to Las Vegas, Nevada at the age of sixteen with her first husband in 1953; Edward Harper explains that he came two years later, working in construction until his marriage to his first wife and moving to Los Angeles, California in 1957. The couple met after his return to Las Vegas in 1960 and married in 1962. Together they discuss employment opportunities, income, the living conditions on the Westside and the entertainment venues on Jackson Street. They also remark on their perspective of race relations and discrimination in Las Vegas in the 1960s and 1970s.
Oral history interview with Doris Merolle, Alan Rosenberg, and David Rosenberg conducted by Claytee D. White on December 19, 2018 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, Merolle discusses her early life in Holland and moving to the Bronx, New York in 1945. Brothers Alan and David Rosenberg met their sister Doris Merolle for the first time in 2018. Alan and David talk about their education in New York, their employment as cab drivers, and Alan’s decision to become a nurse. David remembers researching the genealogy of his family and realizing that Merolle was related through their father. Merolle describes moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1986, her employment at the Circus Circus Hotel and Casino, and being unable to make Las Vegas her home. Lastly, Merolle and the Rosenberg brothers discuss the difference between the neighborhoods in the Bronx and in Las Vegas.
Oral history interview with Shirley and Mackie Edmond, Althia Taylor, and Larry McCollum conducted by Claytee D. White on May 30, 2021 for African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project.
Shirley, Althia, Mackie, and Larry discuss their experiences growing up and living in Las Vegas, Nevada including their respective employment histories; Shirley and Althia worked in the postal service for over 30 years, Mackie worked at the Stardust Hotel and Casino, and Larry mentored children as a sports coach for the Clark County School District (CCSD). The narrators talked about businesses that thrived on the Westside and ended their discussion with how COVID-19 has impacted their families and daily lives.
Subjects discussed include: Stardust Hotel and Casino; Parks & Recreation; and Westside businesses