Frank Miller Interview

Partial Transcript: EARL BELK: What you want to talk about?

JUDITH HELFAND: I just want to set a level.

Segment Synopsis: Earl Belk discusses his father, having his picture taken during the textile workers' strike of 1934, and living in the mill village.

Keywords: mill villages; weavers

Subjects: Great Depression; Photography of children; Textile Workers' Strike (Southern States : 1934); Textile workers

Partial Transcript: EARL BELK: My poor Momma when those twins were born she weighed over 350 pounds.

Segment Synopsis: Earl Belk discusses his memories of the textile workers's strike of 1934, his uncle and grandfather's roles in union organizing.

Keywords: union organizing

Subjects: Textile Workers' Strike (Southern States : 1934)

Partial Transcript: JUDITH HELFAND: Now I wonder, Mr. Belk how many of your brothers and sisters went to working in the mills?

Segment Synopsis: Earl Belk discusses class divisions in Charlotte, N.C.

Keywords: lintheads; mill villages

Subjects: Textile workers; Working class--Recreation

Partial Transcript: JUDITH HELFAND: Now was the first time-- when was the first time you heard the idea of a union?

Segment Synopsis: Earl Belk discusses the strikers outside the mill and Christmas in the mill village.

Keywords: paternalism; picket lines

Subjects: Textile Workers' Strike (Southern States : 1934)

Partial Transcript: JUDITH HELFAND: Let's try now.

FRANK MILLER: I am Frank Miller (inaudible). I'm 79 years old.

Segment Synopsis: Frank Miller discusses organizing his textile mill.

Keywords: eight hour workday; loom fixing; union organizing

Subjects: Textile Workers' Strike (Southern States : 1934); Textile workers--Labor unions

Partial Transcript: JUDITH HEFLAND: Did Red start--

FRANK MILLER: Yeah he started out with the union.

Segment Synopsis: Frank Miller discusses Red a textile worker who became a union organizer and then went to work for UTWA after the strike.

Keywords: union organizing

Subjects: United Textile Workers of America

Partial Transcript: JUDITH HELFAND: Now this early union attempt in Concord was your daddy invovled with that?

Segment Synopsis: Frank Miller discusses his father's involvement with unionization, Miller's local and local politics .

Keywords: Cannon Mills; paternalism; union organizing

Subjects: Democratic Party (U.S.); Labor union locals

Partial Transcript: FRANK MILLER: Now you see this is the way it went, back in those days, if they found out you was a Republican and you was working in the mill, if you didn't watch out, you didn't last long.

Segment Synopsis: Frank Miller discusses how the owner of Cannon Mills relationship with local politics and how it impacted the textile workers' strike of 1934.

Keywords: Cannon Mills; paternalism

Subjects: Democratic Party (U.S.); Republican Party

Partial Transcript: FRANK MILLER: Yeah I've been out there with them.

JUDITH HELFAND: Could you talk about--

Segment Synopsis: Frank Miller discusses the textile workers' strike of 1934.

Keywords: picket lines

Subjects: Textile Workers' Strike (Southern States : 1934)

Partial Transcript: JUDITH HELFAND: Now what about-- tell me about Red Lisk.

Segment Synopsis: Frank Miller discusses Red Lisk, blacklisting, his hopes for a union in Concord, N.C., and how preference was shown at the textile mills.

Keywords: Cannon Mills; union organizing

Subjects: Blacklisting, Labor; Labor leaders

Partial Transcript: JUDITH HELFAND: This one was written by Lester Cook.

Segment Synopsis: Frank Miller discusses a mill worker getting his job back after the strike and working during World War II.

Keywords: Cannon Mills; paternalism; union organizing

Subjects: Textile workers--Labor unions; Wages; World War (1939-1945)

Partial Transcript: FRANK MILLER: See the Lord called me to preach, there was another boy in there, the Lord called him to preach.

Segment Synopsis: Frank Miller discusses leaving the textile mill, the differences between the Brown and Cannon Mills, and Red Lisk

Keywords: Cannon Mills

Subjects: Textile workers

Partial Transcript: JUDITH HELFAND: Could you describe the atmosphere inside the mill during that-- during the organizing. What was it like?

Segment Synopsis: Frank Miller discusses union organizing, whether or not it influenced his later career as a preacher, the aftermath of the strike and Red Lisk.

Keywords: aftermath of the strike; union organizing

Subjects: Textile Workers' Strike (Southern States : 1934)