Jake Green, 1971

File — Box: 1, Folder: 8

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

Green begins the interview by relating his family history. His grandfather was the first African American to graduate from high school, play football, and earn a scholarship in Utah. Green also talks about how his grandfather held the belief that African Americans were never discriminated against, which was apparently a relatively common feeling from African Americans who traveled with the Latter Day Saint pioneers (his grandfather was a member of the LDS church). He also discusses how his grandfather effected his life philosophy, which is to act with love even in times of anger.

Green experienced an entirely different childhood, unfortunately, and recalls segregation and discrimination from a young age. He says that being Black is one of the most difficult aspects of his life. He blames the increase in the racist culture in Utah due to industrialization from 1918-1968, and has a great background knowledge of the history of Salt Lake City starting in the late 1800s and different African American families who have resided in the city.

Green grew up in a turbulent family life; his father gambled and drank too much, and subsequently his parents eventually separated. Like his father, Green was a member of the LDS Church until he experienced discrimination on a class trip. Since then, he has professed no religious affiliations. Although Green attended a primarily White elementary school, he made many friends. Before high school, he was pressured by a guidance counselor to go to a school with African American girls instead of White girls, and from there he developed a distaste for school and dropped out of high school. He went to work on the railroad around 1953, where he said he worked from the age of fifteen until he was thirty-four in order to support his now-single mother and family.

Green states that he experienced discrimination within the railroad. He was not allowed to join the worker’s union until the Civil Rights Act of 1964, but he served as the President of a local auxiliary for African Americans. He fought against the discriminatory seniority roster policy the railroad employed, and won the case in 1971. Green also discusses his other jobs. He applied for a job at Utah Power and Light as a mechanic, and was offered a job as a janitor. He later took a job at the prison, which proved to be a better experience, during which he had a close “father-son” relationship with his boss. He later joined the police force and he describes his experiences as an officer of the law, going into details about a few of his cases. He also touches on how he has been ostracized by his own race because of his choice of career. Audio CD A0038_B-4_01.

Dates

1971

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.