Oral history interview with Linda Scales Dark, 2012

Partial Transcript: HT: Today is February 15, 2012 and my name is Hermann Trojanowski and I'm at the home of Mrs. Linda Scales Dark-

Segment Synopsis: Interview introduction

Partial Transcript: HT: Tell me something about your family life, where you were born and when you were born and that sort of thing.

Segment Synopsis: Dark describes growing up the youngest child in Winston-Salem. Dark also describes her father as a prominent local businessman in the African-American community, and her mother as a homemaker.

Partial Transcript: HT: And where did you go to high school?

LD: High school- I went to Atkins High School.

Segment Synopsis: Dark describes attending Atkins high school, and enjoying studying French and chemistry.

Partial Transcript: HT: And what made you decide to go to UNCG?

LD: Well, actually I transferred into UNCG.

Segment Synopsis: Dark describes attending Central State University in Xenia, Ohio for her first year of college, before transferring to UNCG.

Partial Transcript: HT: So when did you transfer to UNCG and how did it come about?

LD: I- Well, what happened was Brenda decided to leave.

Segment Synopsis: Dark describes her motivations for transferring out of Central State University and to UNCG, including homesickness and financial reasons.

Partial Transcript: HT: Well, tell me about your first days on UNCG's campus.

LD: Well, as I said and I hate to say this; I don't remember a lot but there were a couple of things that I do remember very clearly.

Segment Synopsis: Dark describes in depth racial discussions with her white roommate while she attended summer school at UNCG in 1965.

Partial Transcript: HT: Well, what did your parents think about you transferring back home basically?

Segment Synopsis: Dark continues to describe her reasons for transferring and moving back to North Carolina from Ohio.

Partial Transcript: LD: Neither parent had a college degree. I think my dad went to Howard University for two years; I think my mother went for one year.

Segment Synopsis: Dark describes her mother's background and her personality as a shy person.

Partial Transcript: HT: What about your siblings?

LD: They were gone. My sister, by the time I went to UNCG, my sister- Well, both my sister and brother were married.

Segment Synopsis: Dark briefly describes her bother and sister.

Partial Transcript: HT:Well, back to UNCG: What was your favorite subject there?

LD: I would have to say- Well, you know what? I did like microbiology.

Segment Synopsis: Dark describes studying Biology at UNCG, eventually achieving a BA in Biology. Dark also mentions having had an intention to become a medical technician, but that falling through.

Partial Transcript: HT: Well now, that was the thing because at Central State- It was an HBCU, a historically black college or university, and I had pledged Delta there.

Segment Synopsis: Dark describes what she did for fun while at UNCG, including going over to A&T for their events, such as homecoming or seeing The Impressions.

Partial Transcript: HT: I think you said you lived in Mendenhall. Did you live there for all three years or-

LD: Yes, I was in the same room the whole time I was there, with Martha Jo.

Segment Synopsis: Dark briefly describes living in Mendenhall dorm for three years.

Partial Transcript: HT: What about the dining hall food; do you have any recollections of that?

Segment Synopsis: Dark briefly describes receiving brown bag lunches from the dining hall on Sundays or the weekends.

Partial Transcript: HT: Did you have a car by then?

LD: No, I never had a car, but my husband had a car- my boyfriend had a car.

Segment Synopsis: Dark briefly describes taking the Greyhound bus to get home to Winston-Salem.

Partial Transcript: HT: Were you involved in any extracurricular activities on campus, like the theater?

LD: Not that I can remember. And I think for me I just felt kind of isolated.

Segment Synopsis: Dark describes growing up in a segregated area. She describes several black owned businesses and services. She also describes her mother not being allowed to try on clothes in the store.

Partial Transcript: LD: And so that was the background that I came from and, like I said, I was so surprised that Kristen and I got along so well because we were coming from two different cultures.

Segment Synopsis: Dark describes a lack of socialization with many of the other students at UNCG, due to a different and segregated background.

Partial Transcript: LD: And there were only two guys that I remember, two African American men. I can see them; I cannot remember their names.

HT: Larry McAdoo was one who graduated in '68.

Segment Synopsis: Dark describes Larry McAdoo and Charles Cole, the only two African American men at UNCG.

Partial Transcript: HT: Since we're talking about men on campus and what about men in general because UNCG became coeducational in '63 but the men didn't come until '64 so there weren't that many of them.

Segment Synopsis: Dark describes an incident she remembers of one of the first men on campus taking a biology class with her, and fainting when they have to kill a rabbit to dissect.

Partial Transcript: HT: Well, while you were at UNCG, did you ever feel discriminated against by students or faculty or staff?

Segment Synopsis: Dark describes being a research assistant for Dr. Lutz, which included feeding worms.

Partial Transcript: LD: But I did feel isolated because, again I'm coming from a segregated background.

Segment Synopsis: Dark describes feeling isolated in an AP chemistry class she took in high school with all white men.

Partial Transcript: LD: Now I can tell you another story, which wasn't about UNCG per se but it was about Greensboro and, as teenagers do, when you're dating, you get in the car you go to a movie.

Segment Synopsis: Dark describes an incident where a police officer came and questioned her and her boyfriend due to her light colored skin.

Partial Transcript: HT: Well, what was the political atmosphere like at that time for you? Were you involved politically at all?

Segment Synopsis: Dark describes being part of a protest against the segregated K&W Cafeteria while she was in high school.

Partial Transcript: HT: Well I think the yearbook said that you were in an organization called GUTS, G-U-T-S [Greensboro United Tutorial Service]. Do you remember that? I think I was some kind of tutorial?

Segment Synopsis: Dark describes being involved in the Greensboro United Tutorial Service, going into housing projects and helping students with their homework.

Partial Transcript: HT: Well, the Neo-Black Society was formed in 1968.

Segment Synopsis: Dark describes a lack of involvement with the Neo-Black Society due to her graduation and upcoming wedding.

Partial Transcript: HT: Do you remember anything about the chancellor? It was Chancellor Ferguson at the time.

Segment Synopsis: Dark describes not knowing much about any of the administrators and a lack of interaction.

Partial Transcript: HT: I think you had mentioned earlier in the conversation that you had planned to become a medical technologist.

Segment Synopsis: Dark describes her early work in banking after graduating from UNCG, before going into her career as a nurse.

Partial Transcript: HT: If we could backtrack just a second; what do you recall about the Civil Rights Movement back in the 1960s?

Segment Synopsis: Dark describes her relationship with the Civil Rights movement, including hearing about Emmett Till and other lynchings and assassinations.

Partial Transcript: HT: What about your recollections of Vietnam. Do you have any?

LD: Yes. Yes I do.

Segment Synopsis: Dark describes her memories of the Vietnam War, including her husband receiving a medical deferment from the draft.

Partial Transcript: LD: So what happened was he did not get drafted, thank God. He went back to Canada but I think I stayed here for a while, just to kind of get myself together.

Segment Synopsis: Dark describes living and working in Canada with her husband.

Partial Transcript: HT: Tell me something about the various work you've done since you left UNCG.

LD: Okay. I do want to say one more thing about the sixties and that was when Dr. King was assassinated.

Segment Synopsis: Dark describes her memories of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. being assassinated, in addition to Medgar Evers, and President Kennedy.

Partial Transcript: HT: And what about after you graduated? You said you got married right after that.

Segment Synopsis: Dark describes working as a bank teller at Wachovia bank in Winston Salem right after her graduation from UNCG.

Partial Transcript: HT: Have you been involved with UNCG at all since you graduated, other than attending reunions?

Segment Synopsis: Dark describes her involvement with UNCG, including buying a brick for a fundraiser, but also not really feeling very connected with the school.

Partial Transcript: HT: Speaking of experiences, how has the experience at UNCG changed your life? Attending a predominantly white university.

Segment Synopsis: Dark describes major experiences during her time at UNCG, including having a white roommate, and realizing the lack of support minority students receive.

Partial Transcript: HT: I would imagine when you were at UNCG in the sixties, there was no support for black students from administration or anything like that.

Segment Synopsis: Dark describes her relationship with many white students at UNCG.

Partial Transcript: HT: I don't have any more formal questions. Do you have anything you'd like to add to the conversation? We've covered such a variety of things this morning.

Segment Synopsis: Dark describes Mrs. Gross, the dorm mother in Mendenhall dormitory at UNCG.

Partial Transcript: HT: There is one thing I wanted to ask you about: some of the traditions on campus.

Segment Synopsis: Dark describes traditions on campus, including the cattle drive (women being driven down to Chapel Hill to meet men). Dark also doesn't remember several traditions, including class jackets, the Daisy Chain and Rat Day.

Partial Transcript: HT: Thank you so much. It's been great listening to your stories about UNCG in the sixties.

LD: It was quite an interesting time.

Segment Synopsis: Interview conclusion.