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Phyllis Griffin interview transcript, December 21, 2004

13

wouldn't be like that at all. It would be her just spontaneously expecting. "come to my home, sit down, let me feed you."

NL: Who were your Mothers favorite authors and books?

PG: Longfellow, Emerson, Thoreau...

NL: Thoreau makes sense. 

PG; Um, James Baldwin. Um, she liked magazines a lot. A lot of magazines all over, like newspapers. Most of them progressive or radical. 

NL: I was surprised at how conservative The Iowa Bystander was when I was reading it. 

PG: Yeah 

NL: It had a rather accommadationist tone by in large. And, um, but I expect that there weren't really any other options for African American newspapers in Des Moines. 

PG: I don't think so. I think there was a real fear of being, um, labeled, and uh, from that labeling having to close down. 

NL: Do you, would you say that your mom subscribed to a particular life philosophy? And if so, would you be able to describe it?

PG: I think her life long philosophy was, m, life long learning. Never stop learning. And those were her last words to me. 

NL: "Never stop learning" ?

PG: Mm hmm. 

NL: That's neat (pause) It seems uncharacteristic for a black woman to have had such a prominent role in leading civil rights movement at the time of Katz, in the late forties, early fifties. What do you think made your mother so unique in this regard?

PG: She was a genius. Her IQ was off the map. She skipped two grades when she was in middle school, and she was ready for college at the age of 16. 

NL: Wow, You know, somehow, I don't remember reading that in any of the articles on her. 

PG: I don't think people know about it. (Pause)

NL: Um, how about, uh, how her parents influenced her... your grandparents?

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13 wouldn't be like that at all. It would be her just spontaneously expecting. "come to my home, sit down, let me feed you." NL: Who were your Mothers favorite authors and books? PG: Longfellow, Emerson, Thoreau... NL: Thoreau makes sense. PG; Um, James Baldwin. Um, she liked magazines a lot. A lot of magazines all over, like newspapers. Most of them progressive or radical. NL: I was surprised at how conservative The Iowa Bystander was when I was reading it. PG: Yeah NL: It had a rather accommadationist tone by in large. And, um, but I expect that there weren't really any other options for African American newspapers in Des Moines. PG: I don't think so. I think there was a real fear of being, um, labeled, and uh, from that labeling having to close down. NL: Do you, would you say that your mom subscribed to a particular life philosophy? And if so, would you be able to describe it? PG: I think her life long philosophy was, m, life long learning. Never stop learning. And those were her last words to me. NL: "Never stop learning" ? PG: Mm hmm. NL: That's neat (pause) It seems uncharacteristic for a black woman to have had such a prominent role in leading civil rights movement at the time of Katz, in the late forties, early fifties. What do you think made your mother so unique in this regard? PG: She was a genius. Her IQ was off the map. She skipped two grades when she was in middle school, and she was ready for college at the age of 16. NL: Wow, You know, somehow, I don't remember reading that in any of the articles on her. PG: I don't think people know about it. (Pause) NL: Um, how about, uh, how her parents influenced her... your grandparents?