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Phyllis Griffin interview transcript, December 21, 2004

11

PG: Oh, I'm sure there were other restaurants that were discriminatory, but I think that Katz was notorious because it had a history of people suing them. I'm sure that my mother was aware of this history. It probably came to her first as hearsay, and decided to test it. So on a hot July day (laughs) she took me down there, you know, with her to get some ice cream, and found out that the hearsay turned out to be accurate. 

NL: I've read that she decided to do this after attending a Progressive Party rally. Do you know about this at all?

PG: No. But that doesn't surprise me, because she was a strategist. 

NL: For the Progressives?

PG: Yeah for the Progressives, I mean she was a strategist period, period. I mean that strategy is with me to this day, I understand strategy. You know? You have the information, you have to line the information up in a particular way, then you have to go and test to see whether the information is accurate. 

NL: Mm... OK. Um, your mother was a teacher?

PG: Mm hmm

NL: Where did she teach, and what grades and subjects?

PG: Oh, I don't know. I knew she was a teacher in New York City. I know she taught with Zero Mostell who she describes him a great deal, since they were friends. 

NL: Who is he?

PG: He was a famous actor. He was in "The Producers" the move "The Producers," the first movie. He's kind of like a heavy set guy. Zero. He just, you know, he was always cracking jokes. He was always close to getting fired as a teacher because he was disruptive at the faculty meetings (laughs). 

NL: Did she teach at all in Des Moines?

PG: Tech High School. She was a substitute teacher in the area.

NL: At the high school level?

PG: Mm Hmm.

NL: And would she have had the opportunity to raise civil rights issues with her students as a substitute?

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11 PG: Oh, I'm sure there were other restaurants that were discriminatory, but I think that Katz was notorious because it had a history of people suing them. I'm sure that my mother was aware of this history. It probably came to her first as hearsay, and decided to test it. So on a hot July day (laughs) she took me down there, you know, with her to get some ice cream, and found out that the hearsay turned out to be accurate. NL: I've read that she decided to do this after attending a Progressive Party rally. Do you know about this at all? PG: No. But that doesn't surprise me, because she was a strategist. NL: For the Progressives? PG: Yeah for the Progressives, I mean she was a strategist period, period. I mean that strategy is with me to this day, I understand strategy. You know? You have the information, you have to line the information up in a particular way, then you have to go and test to see whether the information is accurate. NL: Mm... OK. Um, your mother was a teacher? PG: Mm hmm NL: Where did she teach, and what grades and subjects? PG: Oh, I don't know. I knew she was a teacher in New York City. I know she taught with Zero Mostell who she describes him a great deal, since they were friends. NL: Who is he? PG: He was a famous actor. He was in "The Producers" the move "The Producers," the first movie. He's kind of like a heavy set guy. Zero. He just, you know, he was always cracking jokes. He was always close to getting fired as a teacher because he was disruptive at the faculty meetings (laughs). NL: Did she teach at all in Des Moines? PG: Tech High School. She was a substitute teacher in the area. NL: At the high school level? PG: Mm Hmm. NL: And would she have had the opportunity to raise civil rights issues with her students as a substitute?