First interview in a series of five with Nevada State Senator Joe Neal conducted by Claytee D. White on January 24, 2006. Born in Mounds, Louisiana, in 1935, Neal joined his family in Las Vegas as a young man shortly before serving in the United States Air Force from 1954 to 1958. Following his military service, he earned a bachelor's degree in political science at Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Neal continued his education at the Institute of Applied Science in Chicago, Illinois, with postgraduate work in law. From 1973 to 2001, he served in the Nevada Legislature as the Senator from Clark County Senatorial District No. 4. In the first interview, Neal recalls his childhood, moving to Las Vegas as a teenager, and joining the Air Force. He discusses his early experiences in politics and his involvement in various issues.
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Interview with Isadore Washington conducted by Claytee D. White on February 7, 2008. Born in Tallulah, Louisiana, Washington came to Las Vegas with his family in 1942 at the age of eight. He recalls playing with Wayne Newton when they were children and life on the Westside. Washington joined the sheriff's department after high school and became the first black deputy sheriff.
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Essay by Roosevelt Fitzgerald exploring the history of the black community in Las Vegas from its founding in 1905 through the 1930s.
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Essay by Roosevelt Fitzgerald focusing on demographic changes in southern Nevada from 1940-1945 and the war industry's effect on black employment, particularly the impact of Basic Magnesium, dated 1982.
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Part of an interview with Anna Bailey by Claytee White on March 3, 1997. Bailey describes her arrival in Las Vegas and opening night at the Moulin Rouge.
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From the Roosevelt Fitzgerald Professional Papers (MS-01082) -- Unpublished manuscripts file.
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Interview with Ida Bowser conducted by Claytee D. White on August 30, 2007. Born in Tallulah, Louisiana, Bowser came to Las Vegas as a child. Her first job after high school was as a teacher's aide. Later, she worked as a maid at the Sahara and Flamingo hotels. Disenchanted with maid's work, Bowser applied to the welfare office for on-the-job training and began working for the UNLV library, where she remained for thirty-seven years. Bowser recalls Ruby Duncan and the civil rights movement, notable individuals and places, and a discrimination lawsuit.
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Part of an interview with Essie Lee Jones, June 5, 1996. In this clip, Jones describes racism she encountered while she was working as a waitress.
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Oral history conversation with Rose Hamilton, Carolyn Haywood, Marilyn Armstrong, Hannah Johnson, Bobbie Gilmore and Delores (Dodi) Johnson. The group shares memories of how they and their families came to live in Las Vegas during the late 1940s and early 1950s.
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Edited narrative of an interview with Lubertha Johnson by Jamie Coughtry, dated 1988. Recalling her youth in Mississippi and move to Las Vegas, Johnson discusses civil rights, discrimination, and other topics between 1940 and 1970.
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