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Phyllis Griffin interview transcript, December 21, 2004
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Transcript of Interview with Phyllis Griffin Conducted by Noah Lawrence on December 21, 2004 Chicago, IL NL: Well, we can start with what we casually talked about in the beginning here, which was why did you get into theater? PG: In 1959 we just started to move to 1608 4th street, which was a very white, and um, segregated neighborhood. We were, I believe, the second family to move into that area. There was another family that moved just a little bit further west of us, that ran into, um, problems of um, hatred, which included, I believe, um, the church on the corner had a meeting to discuss whether or not they were going to burn a cross on our front lawn. Under all this stress, I was one of two African American students to integrate Franklin Junior High/High School, and my mother thought that...my mother asked me, Would you like to take acting lessons? And I said, "while I'm taking dancing lessons." And she said "yes, would you like to take acting lessons?" and I said "why?" and she said "I think it might help you in terms of what's going on at, um, Franklin Junior High." And I went "OK" and that's how I got started. NL: Hmm...and what ways did this help you cope with bigotry? PG: There was a better environment of tolerance in terms of being different racially, at the Des Moines Community Playhouse. It wasn't perfect, but it wasn't as bad as I was experiencing at Franklin. NL: That makes some kind of sense, as actors, since you are taking on different roles. Um, that's a good segue into my first questions which has to do with your childhood in Des Moines. You came of age in the years after the, your mothers efforts to end segregation at Katz Drug Store. I think you were one years old when that happened? PG: yes NL: Do you remember encountering any segregation or racism when growing up? You've already detailed some of that. And, did you sense that your opportunities were unlimited, or was there a sense that being black and a woman confined your possibilities? PG: That's a large question. Let's break this down. NL: OK, let's start with, um, do you remember encountering, or can you describe some of the segregation or racism you encountered while growing up? PG: There was definitely a street that divided black from white, and that street was 4th street. We lived on 3rd street. Now, it was never talked about in relation...I mean I never interacted with it in terms of people using bad language on 4th street or people calling me
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Transcript of Interview with Phyllis Griffin Conducted by Noah Lawrence on December 21, 2004 Chicago, IL NL: Well, we can start with what we casually talked about in the beginning here, which was why did you get into theater? PG: In 1959 we just started to move to 1608 4th street, which was a very white, and um, segregated neighborhood. We were, I believe, the second family to move into that area. There was another family that moved just a little bit further west of us, that ran into, um, problems of um, hatred, which included, I believe, um, the church on the corner had a meeting to discuss whether or not they were going to burn a cross on our front lawn. Under all this stress, I was one of two African American students to integrate Franklin Junior High/High School, and my mother thought that...my mother asked me, Would you like to take acting lessons? And I said, "while I'm taking dancing lessons." And she said "yes, would you like to take acting lessons?" and I said "why?" and she said "I think it might help you in terms of what's going on at, um, Franklin Junior High." And I went "OK" and that's how I got started. NL: Hmm...and what ways did this help you cope with bigotry? PG: There was a better environment of tolerance in terms of being different racially, at the Des Moines Community Playhouse. It wasn't perfect, but it wasn't as bad as I was experiencing at Franklin. NL: That makes some kind of sense, as actors, since you are taking on different roles. Um, that's a good segue into my first questions which has to do with your childhood in Des Moines. You came of age in the years after the, your mothers efforts to end segregation at Katz Drug Store. I think you were one years old when that happened? PG: yes NL: Do you remember encountering any segregation or racism when growing up? You've already detailed some of that. And, did you sense that your opportunities were unlimited, or was there a sense that being black and a woman confined your possibilities? PG: That's a large question. Let's break this down. NL: OK, let's start with, um, do you remember encountering, or can you describe some of the segregation or racism you encountered while growing up? PG: There was definitely a street that divided black from white, and that street was 4th street. We lived on 3rd street. Now, it was never talked about in relation...I mean I never interacted with it in terms of people using bad language on 4th street or people calling me
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