Edward Barnhart Interview 1

Partial Transcript: EDWARD BARNHART: All the people know me.

JUDITH HELFAND: All the people in the city?

Segment Synopsis: Edward Barnhart discusses the experience of African Americans in the textile mills during segregation.

Keywords: African-American mill workers

Subjects: African Americans--Segregation; Textile workers; Working class African Americans

Partial Transcript: EDWARD BARNHART: But the salary was the main thing. Boy they's pay the white man more than they'd pay the colored.

Segment Synopsis: Edward Barnhart discusses wage discrimination and the complaint African American workers lodged to the Federal Government.

Keywords: African-American mill workers; eight hour workday

Subjects: African Americans--Segregation; Race discrimination--Economic aspects; United States. National Recovery Administration; Wages

Partial Transcript: JUDITH HELFAND: Do you think would they-- how do you think they thought the company would feel if they wrote a letter like this?

Segment Synopsis: Edward Barnhart discusses the relationship between the mill owners, mill management, and African American workers, and how management might have reacted if they knew about the compliant made to the Federal Government by African American mill workers.

Keywords: African-American mill workers; mill managers; mill owners

Subjects: Race discrimination; Textile factories

Partial Transcript: JUDITH HELFAND: Now were you fired?

EDWARD BARNHART: No.

Segment Synopsis: Edward Barnhart discusses why he was not fired as a result of the formal compliant lodged and the work done by African American women.

Keywords: African-American mill workers; aftermath of the strike; domestic workers

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

Partial Transcript: JUDITH HELFAND: The mill workers, in town, how did people think about the mill workers?

Segment Synopsis: Edward Barnhart discusses the work that he did around the mill village to supplement his income.

Keywords: African-American mill workers; lintheads

Subjects: Working class African Americans

Partial Transcript: JUDITH HELFAND: Now the white mill workers they weren't making much money were they?

EDWARD BARNHART: Well nobody was making too much money at they time.

Segment Synopsis: Edward Barnhart discusses wages and the labor union.

Keywords: union organizing

Subjects: Minimum wage; Race discrimination--Economic aspects; Textile workers--Labor unions; Wages

Partial Transcript: JUDITH HELFAND: So you would buy liquor for other people?

EDWARD BARNHART: Yeah, I'd go get it for the mayor.

Segment Synopsis: Edward Barnhart reminiscences about the 1930s and discusses hiring practices and the men who wrote the compliant.

Keywords: African-American mill workers

Subjects: Textile workers; Working class African Americans