Oral History Report- David Baker

Me: Were you affected by the Civil Rights Movement? If so how?

Larry: I was probably affected by the Civil Rights movement by making me more aware of others opinions and other viewpoints, When I grew up I was real young about six or eight if I was walking on the street and there was a black person walking the other way I was told “stay on the sidewalk” they have to move.

Me: What school did you go to growing up?

Larry: I went to six schools in grade school, each one was fairly different they were city schools, one private school.

Me: Did the movement affect your schooling?

Larry: I'm not sure in my early schooling, i'm not aware of what affected that, other than the time when I was really young going through school, probably caught my attention, and made me think worse about blacks. In other cases it gave me more understanding of the growth process going through both.

Me: What did you learn about the civil rights movement in school?

Larry: Funny you asked that because i'm not sure at that time, I don't recall them ever talking about that, it was more after I was out of high school,and actually in the work place. During that period, so for me I didn't start being affected by it directly until 1967.

Me: Was your family affected by the movement?

Larry: I’m not sure affected, my mother was pretty racist and because I was of course under her, you know living with her, I was told a lot of things by her, I experienced a lot of things myself, I don't know as far as work, play, jobs, school, theres nothing I can think of, that I am aware of was directly affected by the civil rights movement, other than watching it  on the n news and hearing it, thing we're going on going on in the south and so forth.

Me: Where did you grow up?

Larry: Borden Ohio, raised in Alaska for a while, mostly Philadelphia.

Me: What memories do you have of the civil rights movement?

Larry: Most of the memories I have are things that you will see on TV, and history shows now, the fights, the fires, the riots, the marches, seeing them on TV, not really personally being near them, but seeing what was reported on TV and what people talked about.

Me: What was your outlook on the civil rights movement?

Larry: I kind of understood why they were angry and upset, and why it was happening,  when you're a kid you are told certain things you don't necessarily question them until later on, it was a little frightening, somewhat puzzling, until I was older I didn't really have a full appreciation of what was going on. Being in the north not in the south, I suppose I do recall that the blacks were supposed to sit in the back of the bus, and whites were supposed to get preference, I got a better understanding as I got older.

Me: Do you have a different outlook on today's world because of the movement?

Larry: I would imagine most people do, if it wasn't for civil rights movement and things changing as they were, I suppose I would have no reason to think that if I walked down the sidewalk I shouldn't be in the middle, and blacks should walk around me, and I probably wouldn't have a more open attitude that I have now,  I don't feel that I am racist or judgmental in particular, because I know a lot of people of different races, and had a lot of friends just as many colored as not, and probably the civil rights movement helped open it up.

Me: Did you ever fight for equality?

Larry: I definitely fought for equality not necessarily, as a matter of color, but there is a lot of unequal things that go on and a lot of equality issues that go on throughout life, or somethings unfair, if someone is being judge wrong that sort of thing, I was never in a match per say, I was never in a riot fortunately, so i'm not so sure what they are looking for in that answer, other than I didn't go on buses or marches.