Interview with Eugene Buford conducted by Claytee D. White on September 12, 2006. Buford came to Las Vegas as a child from Birmingham, Alabama. He held a variety of jobs, including washing dishes at the Last Frontier and delivering ice to casinos like the Flamingo and the Stardust, and ultimately retired after thirty-six years with the Post Office. Buford's great grandmother, Mary Nettles, was instrumental in the formation and growth of the NAACP chapter in Las Vegas, and he recalls meetings in her house and his own role as president of the Junior League NAACP. Buford shares memories of historical locations and events such as Helldorado, Block 16, and Carver Park, and several important figures in Las Vegas history, including James B. McMillan, Charles West, Jimmy Gay, Benny Binion, and the mafia.
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Part of an interview with Rev. Prentiss Walker conducted by Bernard Timberg on January 27, 1974. Walker describes discrimination during Hoover Dam construction and life in Las Vegas prior to segregation.
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Oral history interview with Woodrow Wilson conducted by Elizabeth Patrick on October 19, 1978 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Wilson discusses some roles he took on in the African American community, including president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Las Vegas, Nevada chapter. Wilson also talks about politics and the importance of the community to make changes in their living conditions.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Lovell Gaines conducted by Claytee D. White on July 01, 2009 for the African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project. In this interview Lovell Gaines discusses his involvement with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), becoming president for the Las Vegas, Nevada chapter in 1980, segregation, Freedom Fund banquets, national conventions, police brutality, and housing issues in Las Vegas.
Archival Collection
Marion Bennett has served twice as local NAACP President. He also talks about the integration of casinos, schools, and housing. Marion has been the pastor for Zion Methodist for over 40 years.
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Oral history interview with Jarmilla McMillan-Arnold conducted by Claytee White on October 7, 2010 for the African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project. McMillan-Arnold discusses living on the Westside of Las Vegas, Nevada. She describes her experiences with integration, discrimination, and racism on the Las Vegas Strip. She also discusses her father, Dr. James B. McMillan who served as president of the Las Vegas branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Sarann Knight Preddy conducted by Yvonne R. Hunter on July 16, 1975 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Knight discusses her bar (The Lincoln Bar) in Hawthorne, Nevada and how she built it for the African American community because of limited access to venues due to segregation. Knight then talks about working with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the influence that gambling had on the community.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Gwen Weekes Rahner conducted by Gail M. Lehtinen on September 28, 1973 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Rahner discusses her role in getting people from the African American community to go out and vote. She also talks about her experience with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). She also discusses atomic testing, infrastructure, and the local legislature.
Archival Collection
Part of an interview with Helen Anderson Toland by Claytee White on February 21, 2007. Toland discusses her husband, civil rights activist Jim Anderson, and the people who worked in the Las Vegas NAACP.
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Daughter of Dr. James McMillan, first black dentist in Las Vegas and a former NAACP president, recalls moving to Las Vegas from Detroit, learning about segregation here. She mentions list of outstanding female mentors and community leaders, and much more.
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