Mrs. Little, 1973

File — Box: 2, Folder: 5

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

Mrs. Little was born in 1906, where she attended school in Brown and Caldwell, Texas. She went to school through junior high and came to Utah in 1933. She decided to move to Utah because her husband’s parents were living there. She did not like Utah at first because of its lack of minorities as well as a lack of recreational activities.

Mrs. Little recalls that the first time she went to church in Salt Lake, pistols were drawn during the service by two people including the preacher, and it took her a long time to attend a church service again. She also recalls that there were not many available jobs, and recreational activities such as swimming were off limits for African Americans. She worked at the Greyhound bus station by Temple Square as a maid, and at the time lived on 900 South. She recalls this as being a very lonely time, because work was the only activity she was able to participate in. Her husband worked as a janitor, even though he was certified as a mechanic. Over time, he was able to show his expertise in mechanic work and opportunities opened up for him to do that instead. When World War II started, he went to work at Fort Douglas as a mechanic.

Mrs. Little believes that there are not very many African American homeowners and even fewer African American business owners in Utah. She had no difficulty finding her own house, but was harassed for a time after she started living there. She briefly discusses her family history, particularly how her grandmother was enslaved and her experiences. Mrs. Little also mentions that she is afraid of voodoo and that she knows of some people who moved from the South that are practicing in Salt Lake City. She also talks about her fear of the KKK, and an incident of the organization harming a Black man in Salt Lake City.

Mrs. Little relates that she is a member of the Church of God and Christ, and she had no problems with the LDS Church or any church in particular. She has two sons, and discusses how she had jobs taking care of other people’s children that she enjoyed. She believes that children growing up now have a better opportunity to move up socially and economically than she did because they do not have to drop out of school to help their families. She believes that the only problem is that young people need to take advantage of available education while they are young and their minds are still sharp. She briefly discusses what she sees as problems in the education system as well. Audio CD A0038_B-23_01.

Dates

1973

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.