Julia Matilda Burns 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 two digital files: 2011.174.73.1a and 2011.174.73.1b. Julia Matilda Burns describes her experience in segregated schools in Humphreys County, Mississippi, where she grew up. After becoming a teacher at Marshall High School in Belzoni, Mississippi, she began to take notice of the Civil Rights Movement, but her involvement was limited because she did not want to lose her job. Burns describes protests by whites against school desegregation in Tchula, Mississippi, and her experiences as a teacher in Tchula. She also discusses her successful election for a position on the school board and the work she accomplished during her tenure.

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