Oral history interview with Marie Darr Scott, 2011

Partial Transcript: SM: Today is August 28, 2011. My name is Sarah McNulty. I am the oral history interviewer for the African American Institutional Memory Project. I am here today with--

MS: Marie Darr Scott. I was Marie Darr at UNCG in 1970.

Segment Synopsis: Interviewer and interviewee are introduced.

Partial Transcript: SM: So, Mrs. Scott, thank you for coming today. We like to start off with just asking you to tell us about where you were born, your birth date, and about your family.

Segment Synopsis: Scott briefly describes growing up in Thomasville North Carolina.

Partial Transcript: I believe that I and another student who graduated with me were the first students to attend a predominantly white university. That must be true. You know, it can be verified.

Segment Synopsis: Scott describes her reasons for applying to UNCG, including the Governor's School, geographic proximity, and financial aid.

Partial Transcript: SM: What was your family like? Did you have any siblings?

MS: I did. My family/situation background is a complicated one. I was basically adopted, not formally, but I was adopted into a family and all the other children were much older than me.

Segment Synopsis: Scott describes her family background. Includes discussion of her adoption and her siblings, in addition to lack of family finances.

Partial Transcript: SM: Before you came to UNCG, what did you think you wanted to study? What were your strong suits in high school?

MS:Yes, before I came to UNCG? Oh, I wanted to be a doctor. I wanted to be a nurse when still in high school.

Segment Synopsis: Scott describes what she wanted to pursue as a career while she was still in high school

Partial Transcript: SM: So your high school- You graduated in 1966. I mean, schools were supposed to have integrated by that point, but the South was slow.

MS: I didn't go to an integrated school.

Segment Synopsis: Scott briefly discusses the lack of integration in her high school. She discusses Thomasville Sr. High and the closure of Church Street High School.

Partial Transcript: SM: Well, we can move on to what you did at UNCG so if you want to look through some of those things, you can--

MS: Yes

Segment Synopsis: Scott briefly describes majoring in American History at UNCG.

Partial Transcript: SM: Well, what was your first day like on campus? The first- had you ever visited before?

MS: Let me think, I don't quite remember visiting. I don't think I did visit.

Segment Synopsis: Scott describes coming to campus for the first time when moving in, and meeting up with her roommates.

Partial Transcript: SM: Who was your roommate?

MS: Marion White. I had two roommates: Marion White and Edith [Knox].

Segment Synopsis: Scott discusses her two roommates, Marion White and Edith Knox.

Partial Transcript: MS: Marion did come to visit so I knew one of my roommates when I came and she knew a few other people who were coming.

Segment Synopsis: Scott describes meeting people on her first day on campus.

Partial Transcript: SM: And you were three in a room. Did you have a larger room or were you just in a regular sized room?

MS: Well, there was a bunk bed. I think it was regular sized room, pretty much.

Segment Synopsis: Scott describes living in the residence halls, including room layout, Junior Assistants (JAs) and Rat Sisters.

Partial Transcript: SM: And so you had a rat sister. Did you guys still celebrate Rat Day?

MS: I think so, I believe we did.

SM: Because some of these traditions died out when UNCG became co-
educational, a lot of these things kind of stopped.

Segment Synopsis: Scott briefly discusses Rat sisters and Rat Day at UNCG.

Partial Transcript: MS: So there was that, there was the JA, and there were
the black sophomores, who came around. Because Edith was from Winston-
Salem and two or three other girls in the sophomore class, the black girls in
the sophomore class were from Winston-Salem. And they came, you know,
they came to see us. And you know said, "We're Claudette, and Merle".

Segment Synopsis: Scott describes meeting and befriending several black sophomore girls, including Claudette Alexander, Yvonne Johnson, and Myrtle Gore.

Partial Transcript: SM: You talked about college biology and chemistry, specifically were a
challenge. What do you think was college like for you academically, just as a
whole, coming from, which you said your school was really low and-?

Segment Synopsis: Scott describes her early academic life at UNCG, including difficulties in learning study skills, as well as difficulty in the sciences. She also talks about having a certain aptitude for the humanities, such as English.

Partial Transcript: MS: I was a person who was kind of like an idealist and a dreamer and like that, but I wasn't in the arts and so as far as my education [goes], it was a matter of leaning some things.

Segment Synopsis: Scott describes her involvement with the Neo-Black Society, including being a founding member. She also talks about a Black Power Forum at the school in 1967.

Partial Transcript: MS: So, we had the Black Power Forum and then some other things happened: the cafeteria workers went on strike that year, and quite a few of the cafeteria workers were students from A&T.

Segment Synopsis: Scott describes the cafeteria workers strike, and its associations with the Neo-Black Society and students from A&T.

Partial Transcript: MS: And so anyway, there -- And I'm among the group of black students at that time who really saw the black movement as more my ambition, you know, than academics, okay.

Segment Synopsis: Scott briefly describes other black organizing in Greensboro, including A&T and Bennett College, as well as some non-student organizations.

Partial Transcript: MS: On campus we struggled for a black history class and it was our efforts, I won't say the Neo-Black Society per se, that was like going after this black history class.

Segment Synopsis: Scott describes the movement to get a black history class. She also describes their attempt to get a black professor to teach black history. Dr. Bardolph of the history department was mentioned.

Partial Transcript: That's really interesting. Did the Neo-Black Society do any other kinds of like, I mean they were political, and they were involved in change but were there other things that they did, even socially or--

Segment Synopsis: Scott discusses the Neo-Black Society Lounge in Elliott Hall.

Partial Transcript: MS: In '68, '68 we formed the Neo-Black Society and met in one of the big lounges at Elliott Hall. That's where we had our meetings.

Segment Synopsis: Scott discusses how the Neo-Black Society got its name, including mentions of "black bourgeoisie".

Partial Transcript: SM: You were--you were obviously very involved with the Neo-Black Society. Were you ever, like, an officer or did you guys have that kind of structure or---?

Segment Synopsis: Scott describes some of the internal structure of the Neo-Black Society. She also discusses being offered the presidency of the organization.

Partial Transcript: SM: Were you ever involved in any other kind of clubs on campus?

MS: Well, let me think. Let me think back.

Segment Synopsis: Scott and McNulty discuss the yearbook format as Scott looks for the listing of the clubs she was a member of. Brief discussion of the Junior Ring committee, and the Neo-Black Society Community Liaison Committee.

Partial Transcript: MS: "GUTS", that stands for Greensboro United Tutorial Service.

SM: Okay.

MS: Yes. Greensboro United Tutorial Service. I was in that my sophomore, junior, and senior years and I was assistant coordinator.

Segment Synopsis: Scott gives a description of her involvement with "GUTS" (Greensboro United Tutorial Service) as the assistant coordinator.

Partial Transcript: MS: And I was a section leader my junior year. I lived in the International House.

SM: What does "section leader" mean exactly?

Segment Synopsis: Scott describes living on the German floor of the International House during her junior year.

Partial Transcript: SM: What did you do senior year?

MS: Senior year I lived in one of the high rise dorms.

Segment Synopsis: Scott describes her different dorm living arrangements during her time at UNCG.

Partial Transcript: SM: Yes. I was going to ask if you could tell me about how whites and blacks interacted.

MS: Yes, I'll talk about that. Yes. I'll talk about that.

Segment Synopsis: Discussion between interviewer and interviewee about interaction between black and white students on campus during the 1960s.

Partial Transcript: SM: Were the high-rise dorms suite style, or were they still halls? Were you in like a long hall with a bathroom, or were you like four rooms sharing a suite style bathroom?

Segment Synopsis: Brief discussion of suite style dorms.

Partial Transcript: SM: Well, can you tell me about experiences, like, in the dining halls? Were there ever any issues? I know you said the cafeteria workers' strike-- had a strike.

Segment Synopsis: Scott describes the community that had developed between the black students. She discusses how the black students often sat together, and how the older black students acted as mentors to the younger students.

Partial Transcript: SM: Do you remember any kind of, like, social or academic events? You talked about the blacks forum, the Black Student Forum, was there anything else like that, or concerts or kind of extra things that the university hosted, that you can remember?

Segment Synopsis: Scott describes singer Dionne Warwick coming to UNCG, and being able to meet with her.

Partial Transcript: MS: I mean, I looked upon UNCG as a really good school [when it came to change] that we asked for. We, of course, wanted it to be more of a thing of us fighting for it [because] we had that militancy, some of us. But UNCG seemed to be good about change.

Segment Synopsis: Scott discusses some of her interactions with UNCG faculty, including Philosophy professor Dr. Warren Ashby

Partial Transcript: MS: And what had happened was I got a job at UNCG in the admissions office right out of school. Yes. They needed someone to work in recruitment, black student recruitment. And so they hired me to be that person. Yes.

Segment Synopsis: Scott describes briefly working on college student recruitment before moving on to teach at the Residential College.

Partial Transcript: SM: What would you say was your -- I mean, you had a relationship with students at Bennett and A&T through the Neo-Black Society. Did a lot of people from your high school go to those two colleges? I mean, did you know anybody else?

Segment Synopsis: Scott describes some interactions between students from UNCG, Bennett College, and A&T. She describes some of the interaction in relation to her role as a community liaison for the Neo-Black Society.

Partial Transcript: SM: There weren't many men at UNCG in general, I'm sure, during your time. It was still you know---

MS: Exactly.

SM: predominantly women.

Segment Synopsis: Scott describes different aspects of dating men from A&T, including getting a date for a ball.

Partial Transcript: MS: Yes, we wanted to branch out. And she didn't finish, she didn't finish UNCG. I'm trying to think if she came back the second year, you know.

SM: Did you find that a lot of your classmates didn't make it or didn't stay with it?

Segment Synopsis: Scott describes the difficulty many black students had adjusting academically to UNCG. She also mentions considering transferring to another school.

Partial Transcript: SM: Well, one of my other questions is what was - I mean, we kind of touched on this - but if you could say one aspect or one part of college was your favorite, what would you say that was?

Segment Synopsis: Scott briefly mentions enjoying singing and finding her purpose with the Neo-Black Society.

Partial Transcript: SM: Did the black - Neo-Black Society and the black movement - did that come kind of as on the death of Martin Luther King Jr.? Was that kind of on the tails of that?

Segment Synopsis: Scott discusses the fallout after the assassination of Rev Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Partial Transcript: SM: Do you remember anything about - kind of to frame your time at college with the time period in a larger sense. Do you have nay memories or feelings about what you felt with the escalation of the Vietnam War?

Segment Synopsis: Scott briefly describes the lack of much organized opposition to the Vietnam War on campus.

Partial Transcript: SM: You kind of - you touched on the Soda Shop made me think of: What other kinds of places did you guys go to hang out or to have fun?

Segment Synopsis: Scott describes the house parties that would happen off campus. She also mentions living with her boyfriend much of her senior year.

Partial Transcript: SM: And did people hang out at Yum-Yums or The Corner and places like that?

MS: Not so much hanging out. {86:00} You would go there for a hot dog. Or just go
there to get something. I mean we went there to get stuff a lot, but no, we didn't hang out.

Segment Synopsis: Scott briefly discusses Yum-Yum's, The Corner, local restaraunts, and Ratskeller, a local bar/club.

Partial Transcript: SM: And did people venture downtown ever for social stuff or shopping?

MS: Well shopping, for sure. Oh, yes, yes, yes, yes. Shopping for sure.

Segment Synopsis: Scott briefly describes shopping in downtown Greensboro and on Tate Street.

Partial Transcript: SM: Did you have a car ever on campus?

MS: I never did.

SM: So you always had to-

Segment Synopsis: Brief discussion of not having a car on campus

Partial Transcript: SM: Interesting. Well we've touched on what you did after graduation for the few years you worked in admissions and you worked in the Residential College. What did you do, kind of from that point on?

Segment Synopsis: Scott describes some of the revolutionary activities she participated in after college, as well as becoming a labor organizer at Cone Mills

Partial Transcript: SM: What made you leave Cone Mills in '92?

MS: Just life. I just had a lot of family tragedy and what-not. I was married
and I have two children. Their father passed away. There was a lot of tragedy in
the family and I just needed to-I just couldn't take working there anymore
because I wasn't organizing anymore.

Segment Synopsis: Scott describes leaving Cone Mills in 1992 to care for her family.

Partial Transcript: SM Well, have you stayed in Greensboro ever since you went to college?

MS: Yes, I did. I stayed in Greensboro. This is where the movement was and the
man that I married was involved in the movement, too. Yes. And we had our
children here and I liked the schools here. There was no reason to leave.

Segment Synopsis: Scott describes why she decided to make her home in Greensboro.

Partial Transcript: SM: And do you stay in touch with any of your classmates, your
former classmates?

MS: Well, not really. For a while I saw people who were in Greensboro also. But
no, I don't-I don't stay in touch with them. I may get on Facebook later and
then get in touch with people but I'm not on Facebook right now. Are you?

Segment Synopsis: Discussion between McNulty and Scott about the merits of Facebook.

Partial Transcript: MS: Yes, yes. What I was actually-there was a Black Alumni Council for a while
here and I participated with that for a while, not when it first started, and
probably not until it was kind of dissolved, but
for a few years I participated with the Black Alumni Council.

Segment Synopsis: Scott describes being on the board of directors of the Black Alumni Council at UNCG.

Partial Transcript: SM: And neither of your children went to
UNCG then?

MS: No. No.

SM: One, you said, went to Howard?

MS: My daughter. She did her undergraduate at Howard University in Washington.
Yes. You know it?

Segment Synopsis: Scott describes the educational and career tracks of her children.

Partial Transcript: SM: And where did they go to high school in Greensboro?

MS: Grimsley [High School].

SM: Grimsley, okay. Because I was trying to think about it. I was, like, "Well,
you worked at White Oak." So I was like, "That's kind of Page [High School]
area" and then-

Segment Synopsis: Brief discussion between McNulty and Scott about Greensboro high schools, mainly Grimsley High School.

Partial Transcript: MS: Yes, yes. So-Well, this had been fun with you, Sarah.

SM: Well, I have one more thing. What do you want-and this is a question we ask
everyone-What do you want future students and scholars to know about your
experience at UNCG? I know it's a hard question.

MS: Yes, it's a weighty question.

Segment Synopsis: Scott gives a message to future students and scholars at UNCG, including some advice.

Partial Transcript:
SM: Well, I don't have any more formal questions. Is
there anything else you'd like to add?

MS: Well, no. Not really. I just want to end on that note and I'm glad that I
did finally get together with you to do this.

Segment Synopsis: Conclusion of the interview.