Interview with Woodrow Wilson conducted by Jamie Coughtry in 1989. Born in a Mississippi sawmill town in 1915 to a family that ran a boarding house, Wilson completed high school at a private boarding school and attended two years of junior college before the declining economy forced him into the Civilian Conservation Corps to work as a cook and baker. Migrating west in 1940, Wilson soon settled in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he worked for Basic Magnesium, Inc. He became a prominent Westside community activist, founding a federal credit union and serving as president of the Las Vegas NAACP. Wilson worked for over thirty years as a warehouseman for companies that occupied the Basic Magnesium site. In 1966, he was elected to the state assembly, becoming the first black legislator in the history of Nevada, advocating open housing legislation, anti-discrimination regulations, welfare reform, and civil rights.
Second interview in a series of five with Nevada State Senator Joe Neal conducted by Claytee D. White on February 7, 2006. Born in Mounds, Louisiana, in 1935, Neal joined his family in Las Vegas as a young man shortly before serving in the United States Air Force from 1954 to 1958. Following his military service, he earned a bachelor's degree in political science at Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Neal continued his education at the Institute of Applied Science in Chicago, Illinois, with postgraduate work in law. From 1973 to 2001, he served in the Nevada Legislature as the Senator from Clark County Senatorial District No. 4. In the second interview, Neal focuses on his work during the 1960s and 1970s.
Third interview in a series of five with Nevada State Senator Joe Neal conducted by Claytee D. White on March 3, 2006. Born in Mounds, Louisiana, in 1935, Neal joined his family in Las Vegas as a young man shortly before serving in the United States Air Force from 1954 to 1958. Following his military service, he earned a bachelor's degree in political science at Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Neal continued his education at the Institute of Applied Science in Chicago, Illinois, with postgraduate work in law. From 1973 to 2001, he served in the Nevada Legislature as the Senator from Clark County Senatorial District No. 4. In the third interview, Neal shares details of his service to Nevada. He recalls legislation enacted to achieve integration of the hotels and unions, his efforts to increase state taxes on the gaming industry, and his successful campaign strategies. Neal also relates the history of the Economic Opportunity Board in Nevada and predicts the outcome of the 2006 gubernatorial race.
Fourth interview in a series of five with Nevada State Senator Joe Neal conducted by Claytee D. White on March 24, 2006. Born in Mounds, Louisiana, in 1935, Neal joined his family in Las Vegas as a young man shortly before serving in the United States Air Force from 1954 to 1958. Following his military service, he earned a bachelor's degree in political science at Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Neal continued his education at the Institute of Applied Science in Chicago, Illinois, with postgraduate work in law. From 1973 to 2001, he served in the Nevada Legislature as the Senator from Clark County Senatorial District No. 4. In the fourth interview, Neal shares opinions on capital punishment, southern Nevada utility ownership, the ethics and political influence of the gaming industry, high hospital costs, and the bailout of the Economic Opportunity Board, among other issues. He comments on his induction into the Nevada State Senate Hall of Fame and reviews changes in Las Vegas over the years, particularly in education. Neal closes with thoughts on the future of downtown Las Vegas and the potential impact of planned renovations and high-rise buildings on the Westside.
Fifth interview in a series of five with Nevada State Senator Joe Neal conducted by Claytee D. White on June 1, 2006. Born in Mounds, Louisiana, in 1935, Neal joined his family in Las Vegas as a young man shortly before serving in the United States Air Force from 1954 to 1958. Following his military service, he earned a bachelor's degree in political science at Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Neal continued his education at the Institute of Applied Science in Chicago, Illinois, with postgraduate work in law. From 1973 to 2001, he served in the Nevada Legislature as the Senator from Clark County Senatorial District No. 4. In the fifth interview, Neal recalls the rise of the Black Panther Party and the atmosphere of fear when Patty Hearst was kidnapped by the Symbionese Liberation Army. In closing, Neal relates that voting machines were impounded to protect votes for Aaron Williams, the first black elected to the city council of North Las Vegas, and shares memories of Judge Mendoza.
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.
Aaron Williams moved to Las Vegas in 1960 and worked at the Nevada Test Site before serving as North Las Vegas councilman, County Commissioner and community activist. Williams sponsored youth baseball teams in North Las Vegas.
Transcript of interview with Lawrence Weekly by Claytee D. White on April 23, 2013. Weekly is a native Las Vegan, and grew up on the Westside. He has held positions on the City Council and the Clark County Commission, representing District D.
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.
Interview with Rev. Marion D. Bennett, Sr. conducted by Claytee D. White on January 12, 2004. Bennett grew up in Greenville, South Carolina and graduated from Morris Brown College before earning his Master of Divinity from the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta. He moved to Las Vegas in 1960 to pastor Zion United Methodist Church, ultimately growing his congregation to over six hundred members. Bennett speaks candidly about the racial tension that the Las Vegas community endured during integration and his fight to establish the Equal Rights Commission in Nevada. In 1973, he ran for the Nevada State Assembly and served for ten years, focusing on quality education and employment along with healthcare and equal rights.