Robert J. Brown Oral History Interview

Source catalog description

This description refers to material held by Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Visual details below describe the original material.

The oral history consists of eleven digital files: 2011.174.106.1a, 2011.174.106.1b, 2011.174.106.1c, 2011.174.106.1d, 2011.174.106.1e, 2011.174.106.1f, 2011.174.106.1g, 2011.174.106.1h, 2011.174.106.1i, 2011.174.106.1j, and 2011.174.106.1k. Robert Brown describes his childhood in High Point, North Carolina, the poverty and segregation that defined his childhood, and how his grandmother influenced him by telling stories about his family's history during slavery. Brown became one of the first black policemen in High Point and later transitioned to a position as a federal agent in New York. He returned to North Carolina in 1960 to start a public relations firm, B&C Associates, Inc., which advised companies about how to change policies on race and segregation. Brown also shares stories about serving as a special assistant to President Richard Nixon and his role in bringing attention to apartheid in South Africa through his relationship with Nelson Mandela and his family.

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