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Earl McDonald oral history interview
Oral history interview with Earl McDonald conducted by Claytee D. White on October 4, 2000 for the UNLV University Libraries Oral History Collection. In this interview, McDonald, a sixty-year resident of Las Vegas, Nevada, relates his background in Mississippi and Louisiana, leaving home at fourteen and traveling to California, and being drafted into the Army during World War II. He then discusses moving to Las Vegas and working as a musician and valet while training to be an electrician. He talks at length about the Westside, detailing the clubs and restaurants that opened along Jackson Street, including the El Rio, the Cotton Club, the El Morocco, and the Ebony Club. He also explains the discrimination that prevented Black individuals from joining unions even when they worked union jobs, and the response by the United States Justice department. He also discusses gambling and the potential for revitalizing the Westside community.
Archival Collection
Verlia Davis Hoggard oral history interview
Oral history interview with Verlia Davis Hoggard conducted by Claytee D. White on March 15, 2012 for the African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History. In this interview, Hoggard discusses her personal history growing up in Little Rock, Arkansas. She talks about her employment which included writing for the Arkansas State Press, working as a social worker, and working with the Economic Opportunity Board (EOB). Hoggard then describes being recruited by the EOB to work at the Clark County Social Service in Las Vegas, Nevada in 1967. She discusses becoming involved in the welfare rights movement in Las Vegas and other social organizations. Later, Hoggard recalls how African American sororities and fraternities were involved in the Las Vegas community, organizing scholarships for students, and making the process to join these organizations easier. Lastly, Hoggard discusses going to see shows on the Strip, Jackson Street, and in West Las Vegas.
Archival Collection
Larry Cooper oral history interview
Oral history interview with Larry Cooper conducted by Claytee D. White on March 05, 2018 for the African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project. In this interview, Cooper discusses his early life in Las Vegas, Nevada and growing up in the Westside. He talks about his educational experiences in Las Vegas, attending the Arkansas Agricultural, Mechanical and Normal College (now University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff), and teaching mathematics. Cooper recalls his employment at Southwestern Bell Telephone Company, becoming Vice President of Emerging Markets, and relocating around the United States for work. He remembers moving back to Las Vegas in the mid-2000s, his friendship with civil rights leader Jimmy Gay, and the contributions Gay made for the African American community. Cooper describes Westside businesses, and casinos on Jackson Street. Lastly, Cooper discusses the future of the Westside.
Archival Collection
Transcript from interview with Helen Anderson and Karen Walker by Claytee White and Barbara Tabach, February 21, 2014
Helen Anderson came to Las Vegas in 1962 from Arkansas, and had her daughter, Karen, in 1967. The pair discusses the family business, Hamburger Heaven, and other businesses on Jackson Street and the Westside. They also talk about hte changes in the neighborhood and their work with the West Las Vegas Citizens for Hope group, and Karen's family services business.
Text
Charles Seals oral history interview
Oral history interview with Charles Seals conducted by Claytee D. White on July 14, 2017 for the African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project. In this interview, Seals discusses his upbringing in Las Vegas, Nevada and growing up on the Westside. He recalls attending Madison Elementary School, being involved in church activities, and his initial interests in religious ministry. Seals talks about working in the funeral industry, and starting a church in the mid-1980s. Seals recalls the African American church leaders in the Westside and other community leaders at the time. He describes businesses on Jackson Street and recreational activities he participated in. Later, Seals discusses his mother, Rosie Seals, and her involvement in the Welfare Rights movement, being a founding member of the Clark County Welfare Rights Organization (CCWRO), and starting Operation Life. Lastly, Seals talks about the issue of substance abuse, organized crime, and the lack of financial investment into the Westside.
Archival Collection
Cadge, Earl
Earl Cadge was the owner of Earl’s Coiffeurs, a barber shop and beauty salon operating on Jackson Street in West Las Vegas, Nevada.
Person