Ethel Fagen, 1972
File — Box: 1, Folder: 5
Scope and Contents
Mrs. Fagen was born in Texas December 7, 1897, and completed school up until the fourth grade. She moved to Ogden in 1942 because of an opportunity to work at a hotel. She recalls thinking it was “the worst place in the world” when she first moved. In Ogden, she met her husband who was doing labor at the time but eventually became employed by Southern Pacific Railroad. She says that most of the married African American women she knew in Ogden also had husbands working for the railroad. She herself worked at Brown’s Repair Shop. When talking about the process to acquire property, she was very adamant that this was a huge problem but that it had improved at least a little due to the passage of anti-discrimination laws.
When questioned about discrimination at eating and recreation places, Mrs. Fagen credits the NAACP for making restaurants more available. When she first moved to Ogden, there was only one restaurant that would serve African Americans so she usually ate at home. She recalls a specific incident where an African American performer refused to play a show at Lagoon because other African Americans were not allowed in the venue, and Lagoon ended up letting them in. Many African American performers boycotted Ogden venues for this reason. Swimming places are mentioned here as they are in many other interviews, and were something that African Americans were very frequently barred from.
Mrs. Fagen discusses several things relating to cultural tradition, such as her family history and whether or not she believes in witchcraft and voodoo, which she doesn’t. Her grandmother was enslaved, and passed down the stories to Mrs. Fagen. She particularly remembers a lot about spirituals, and how they were not only songs but a call to rise up against enslavement, and that enslaved persons were not free to worship God as they chose and had to do it in secret.
She mentions KKK presence in the South, and the trauma and anxiety she felt in relation to that organization. She mentions that the KKK was much more undercover in Utah than it had been in the South, where she recalls seeing several parades. She discusses her strong preference against interracial marriage. She justifies these views primarily because she does not believe that “first class” White girls are interested in African American males, and will be a bad influence on them and potentially get them in trouble.
Mrs. Fagen talks about the great opportunity that younger African Americans have as opposed to what she had, and mentions that many of them do not take advantage of their opportunities, particularly in education. Like many others interviewed, she talks about the phoniness of interactions between African Americans and White people, and that she feels that Utah is “one-hundred times” more racist than any state in the South. She says that she would much rather live in Texas but is now stuck here in Utah. She also discusses her frustration with the derogatory words she has been called here and how she reacted. When talking about welfare she highlights the overt racism shown in interactions with African Americans. Audio CD A0038_B-13_01.
When questioned about discrimination at eating and recreation places, Mrs. Fagen credits the NAACP for making restaurants more available. When she first moved to Ogden, there was only one restaurant that would serve African Americans so she usually ate at home. She recalls a specific incident where an African American performer refused to play a show at Lagoon because other African Americans were not allowed in the venue, and Lagoon ended up letting them in. Many African American performers boycotted Ogden venues for this reason. Swimming places are mentioned here as they are in many other interviews, and were something that African Americans were very frequently barred from.
Mrs. Fagen discusses several things relating to cultural tradition, such as her family history and whether or not she believes in witchcraft and voodoo, which she doesn’t. Her grandmother was enslaved, and passed down the stories to Mrs. Fagen. She particularly remembers a lot about spirituals, and how they were not only songs but a call to rise up against enslavement, and that enslaved persons were not free to worship God as they chose and had to do it in secret.
She mentions KKK presence in the South, and the trauma and anxiety she felt in relation to that organization. She mentions that the KKK was much more undercover in Utah than it had been in the South, where she recalls seeing several parades. She discusses her strong preference against interracial marriage. She justifies these views primarily because she does not believe that “first class” White girls are interested in African American males, and will be a bad influence on them and potentially get them in trouble.
Mrs. Fagen talks about the great opportunity that younger African Americans have as opposed to what she had, and mentions that many of them do not take advantage of their opportunities, particularly in education. Like many others interviewed, she talks about the phoniness of interactions between African Americans and White people, and that she feels that Utah is “one-hundred times” more racist than any state in the South. She says that she would much rather live in Texas but is now stuck here in Utah. She also discusses her frustration with the derogatory words she has been called here and how she reacted. When talking about welfare she highlights the overt racism shown in interactions with African Americans. Audio CD A0038_B-13_01.
Dates
- 1972
Conditions Governing Access
Twenty-four hour advanced notice encouraged. Materials must be used on-site. Access to parts of this collection may be restricted under provisions of state or federal law.
Extent
From the Collection: 1 Linear Feet (2 Boxes)
Language of Materials
From the Collection: English
Creator
- From the Collection: University of Utah. American West Center (Organization)
Repository Details
Part of the J. Willard Marriott Library Special Collections Repository
Contact:
295 South 1500 East
Salt Lake City Utah 84112 United States
801-581-8863
special@library.utah.edu
295 South 1500 East
Salt Lake City Utah 84112 United States
801-581-8863
special@library.utah.edu