Moutry, Juanita, June 5, 1976, tape 1, side 1

Gladys E. Gosney: [unintelligible] Okay. Now, the first thing we're going to do, you give your name, age and the birth--where you were born.

Juanita Moutry: My name is Juanita Moutry, and I am over 60. And I was born in Pittsburgh. Mm hmm.

Gosney: And what is your ethnic origin or identity that--what race?

Moutry: I'm of the Negro race.

Gosney: What is your occupation? What was your occupation? You were--or are you retired now?

Moutry: I am retired and my former occupation before retiring was a beautician.

Gosney: How long did you work at this job?

Moutry: About--about 18 years.

Gosney: Well, what is your religious background? What church you belong to?

Moutry: I am a Baptist. I belong to Ebenezer Baptist Church.

Gosney: What about your politics?

Moutry: I'm a Democrat.

Gosney: Do you vote? Moutry: Yes. Gosney: Is voting very important to you? Is it important?

Moutry: Yes, indeed.

Gosney: How long have you lived in in the Pittsburgh area?

Moutry: Uh, practically all my life.

Gosney: Are you a member of any fraternal organization or any type of group?

Moutry: No, um no fraternal organization, but I am a member of a charity club.

Gosney: Okay. Well, what is the name of that club?

Moutry: The Victory Charity Club.

Gosney: And now what do you all do in this club? What are your goals?

Moutry: Well. Our goals. We help. Anyone who's who needs--for instance, we have contributed to the NAACP, the Lemington Avenue home, the African Heritage Room at Pitt and the NEED and the [?????], organizations like that. And then there was one lady we heard about a fire. She was burnt out. We contributed to that.

Gosney: Well, you--I would say then that you make a contribution to just different things. Many different.

Moutry: Anybody that's in need that we can help.

Gosney: Okay, how long have you been a member of this organization?

Moutry: The Victory Charity Club?

Moutry: Oh. Uh. About 19 years.

Gosney: Okay. Now, the next part of this interview will be about your family history. Do you remember your grandparents?

Moutry: I remember. I remember my grandmother and grandfather on my mother's side. And I remember my grandfather on my father's side.

Gosney: What do you remember about this? Do you remember anything specific about these, your grandparents or anything that you can think of at the moment?

Moutry: Well, my--my grandfather on my father's side. I remember him as being a very youthful person. He was only 17 years older than my father. And---

Gosney: This was your father?

Moutry: My father's-- Gosney: Father. Moutry: --father. Father. Yes. And he was very active up until the last. And my grandfather and my grandmother on my mother's side lived on a farm. And. There's not too much I remember, although I would go there in the summertime when school was out and my job was to churn milk, make butter. [laughs]

Gosney: Oh, boy. Moutry: And draw water out of the well.

Moutry: Go to the woods and pick up chips for them to boil the clothes because there was no, no, no heat or anything.

Gosney: But you said boil the clothes?

Moutry: You know, back back then they had a big iron kettle. And I would go, my brother and I would go to the woods and gather the chips and they'd build a fire. And then I remember something that I didn't know at the time, but they used to spread some of the clothes out on the grass. They said the sun would help to bleach them.

Gosney: Oh, I see. Uh huh. Well, where was this place? Where was it located? Was in the South or here or--

Moutry: Yes, it was in the South. In Virginia. The state of Virginia.

Gosney: Uh huh. Um. When? Where did you then? Then they moved to Pittsburgh from Virginia. Do you know the town that they lived in there? Or the city or. It was--

Moutry: No, um, I don't know.

Gosney: Do you remember how long, you know, did you remember when they moved or?

Moutry: No, it. They were living here when I was born, so I wouldn't know. [unintelligible]

Gosney: Then they were living in Virginia. Then your mother and father were living in Virginia before they moved to Pittsburgh. Moutry: That's right. Gosney: And that is the only place that they lived before they came to Pittsburgh was in Virginia. Moutry: That's the only place that I know of. Gosney: Well, alright then. Now, when your family moved to Pittsburgh, what neighborhood did they move into? What part of the city did they live?

Moutry: When they moved to Pittsburgh? They lived in the East Liberty section.

Gosney: Well. Were the neighbors that they had there in the East Liberty section, were they neighbors that from the South or from Virginia or were they--

Moutry: No, mostly at that time was of Italian descent in the section of East Liberty where they lived.

Gosney: Well, alright now, what was your father's occupation?

Moutry: He was a chauffeur.

Gosney: And what about your mother? Did she work outside the home to get extra income?

Moutry: Sometimes. And she worked as a maid at Carnegie Tech in the dormitories.

Gosney: How many brothers and sisters did you have? Moutry: One brother. Gosney: Anyone else lived in your home that shared-- shared your home out in, like, relatives or boarders? Anyone?

Moutry: Well, when I was a girl, my aunt, my mother's sister, she lived with us for a while until she married.

Gosney: How many children do you have?

Moutry: One daughter.

Gosney: How old is she?

Moutry: She's [??]

Gosney: All right now. All right.

Gosney: Now, did your family belong to any organization for Black people in the South?

Moutry: I don't think so.

Gosney: After getting to Pittsburgh, did your family do they belong to any--did they join any type of organization that you may know of?

Moutry: My father was a Mason at one time.

Gosney: Okay. And do you know of any other organization that they--that any member of your family belong to? Moutry: No. Gosney: All right. How did your parents, your family, teach you about color consciousness? Did they teach you anything concerning this about being a Black person?

Moutry: No, because at that time. When I was going to school, just like, for instance, when I graduated from elementary school, there was many White, it was Black. We had White friends. And the same way when I went to high school, the main thing that I was taught to treat everybody right.

Gosney: And they teach you to always be proud of the fact that you were a Black person.

Moutry: Oh, yes. Yes, they did.

Gosney: Do you remember the 1919 steel strike or what kind of--do your family--do you know whether your family mentioned any of this to you or not?

Moutry: No, I don't know anything about it. I was [laughs]--I was living then, but I was quite young, so I don't remember anything about.

Gosney: Do you remember any of the racial disturbances in the 40s? Do you remember any kind of disturbance that you all had in the 40s?

Moutry: Uh, in the 40s? I don't know of any that we've had up here in Pittsburgh, but reading the papers, I think they had disturbance in the South. For instance, the Ku Klux Klan. All this is what I've read. And there wasn't any--none of my family lived in that part of the South where they were so active.

Gosney: I see. How do you feel about the younger Black movement since Martin Luther King?

Moutry: Well, I--I don't approve of the violence. I more or less go along with Martin Luther King as a peaceful movement to get equal justice. But I don't approve of the violence.

Gosney: What do you remember of the section of the Hill District one once called Arthursville, Minersville, or Haiti? Do you remember anything concerning these names about the Hill District that they once had these names.

Moutry: Arthrsville? And Minersville?

Gosney: And Haiti. Moutry: Haiti. Gosney: Does this ring any kind of bell?

Moutry: Well, there was a school on Centre Avenue named Minersville School and Hayden--H-A-Y--

Gosney: No. Haiti. Haiti. Like the name Haiti. Moutry: Oh, no.

Moutry: In the--no. Wait a minute. I think. I used to hear my mother speak about Marcus Garvey, and I don't know whether he was from Haiti, but anyway, he was trying to get a movement started for the Blacks to go back to Africa.

Gosney: Um, has your life been affected by the changes in the Hill District?

Moutry: Uh, no. My life hasn't been affected by the change in the Hill District because I--I don't live there now. And when I lived there, it was altogether different to what it is now. Gosney: I see.

Gosney: What do you see as the most significant event or occasion in the history of the Black community in Pittsburgh?

Moutry: Read that--say--repeat that again.

Gosney: What do you see as the most significant event or occasion in the history of the Black community in Pittsburgh? And what do you think--

Moutry: Well, I noticed there's more opportunities for the Blacks now than they had, and they have much better jobs than they had that are open up to them than they did when I was coming up.

Gosney: Uh huh. Who were the most outstanding individuals in the Black community of Pittsburgh. Who were the most outstanding individuals? And why? Do you know of anyone during your time when you were coming along? That Black person that was considered an outstanding personality.

Moutry: Well, I remember as a child the pastor of our church. He was one of the founders of the Steel City Bank. And at that time we had one of the officers of church. He had a shoe store. And I also remember another officer of our church who used to work at the post office, then he studied to be a mortician, and now he has one of the largest Colored--Black undertaker establishments that's in the city of Pittsburgh. I mean, his family, because now he's deceased. But his sons.

Gosney: They run his business now? Moutry: That's right. Gosney: Uh huh. Do you care to name the person?

Moutry: The West Funeral Home.

Gosney: And who was the most outstanding individuals now in the Black--in the Black community. Moutry: In Pittsburgh? Gosney: Uh huh.

Moutry: I don't know--the one--the most outstanding one from the Hill District of Pittsburgh is K. Leroy Irvis in Harrisburg.

Gosney: Yes. How did you feel about the Amos and Andy--that the radio and TV show that they had on?

Moutry: Well. How did I feel about it?

Moutry: Well back in the time when I was very young. Of course, they didn't have televisions then. That was and that was a very amusing. Well, as far as I'm concerned, I was young and there was other things that I was around with my age group and we really didn't pay too much attention to it.

Gosney: What change have you noticed about Blacks on TV shows now and in the commercials on the TV program?

Moutry: Well there's a lot of difference because there's very seldom do you see a commercial now that you don't see a Black face.

Gosney: And what about the the shows, the TV shows now that they have on on the programs? What about the Blacks and the TV shows?

Moutry: Well. Well, the Blacks in the TV shows. Uh, well years ago they used to, they used to play the part of the maid or the or it was more or less a a servant. But now it's--it's different now.

Gosney: Uh, in the 1920s, membership in the Ku Klux Klan was over 6,000,000 in the United States. Do you remember any of their activities?

Moutry: No more than I remember reading about the--them lynching Negroes in the South. And burning crosses. That's about all I.

Moutry: What I remember is what I've read in the paper.

Gosney: What do you think of the Black participation in the Bicentennial?

Moutry: Well. I think the American Negro. Has a lot--should participate because they have contributed a whole lot, in my estimation to the the the growth of America.

Gosney: Okay. What about your educational background? How much education or special training did you have?

Moutry: I went to public school. High school. And the only special training I had was when I was studying to be a beautician.

Gosney: And what about your first job? How old were you when you had your first job?

Moutry: I had a job typing.

Gosney: And it was here in Pittsburgh? Moutry: Yes. Gosney: Okay. Did your income--was your income used to help support others or just to support yourself? Moutry: Just to support myself.

Gosney: Can you name some of the jobs that you had that you remembered best, that you--that were considered good jobs or bad jobs or high the highest paying jobs?

Moutry: Uh, well, I haven't had too many jobs. I had this job typing some shorthand. I married. I didn't have any job then. And that's when after I married, well, I went to beauty school. So I haven't had too many jobs.

Gosney: You had these jobs before you were married?

Moutry: The job typing-- Gosney: Typing. Business, uh huh.

Gosney: Okay. Do you know the reason your parents had for coming to Pittsburgh? You know, coming from Virginia into Pittsburgh?

Moutry: Well, I don't know. But I imagine both of them were born on the farm. And and I imagine the reason they moved to Pittsburgh was to--to improve their. They could get a better job because after all, on the farm, there wasn't much to do, I don't guess. Just raise the food. Now, I had a cousin who lived there and in in the Virginia he was--he raised tobacco. And he was perfectly satisfied because I heard him tell me--he told me one time that he sold a load of tobacco and he got $3,000 for--

Gosney: Was that considered good money at that time?

Moutry: Yes, that was considered good money at that time.

Moutry: I imagine my parents moved because come to the city, they get better living, better jobs.

Gosney: What are some of the hardest problems that you had--that you faced while growing up in the Pittsburgh area? Do you have any specific things that you consider-- Moutry: The hardest job? Gosney: Some of the hardest problems faced in life in the Pittsburgh area while growing up here.

Moutry: I don't--I don't know that I had any special hard jobs because my father was always employed. For hard times.

Gosney: Did they have any type of problem finding--when your parents came, did they have any problem finding a place to live or work or anything? Or do you--did you hear them mention that at any time? Moutry: No. Gosney: Did your parents face any problems of because that they were Black people when they came to Pittsburgh? I mean, like the house and the job? Or do you remember them saying that for that reason, just for being a Black person, that they had any type of a problem in finding a house to live in or any type of work? Or do you do you remember--

Moutry: No, I don't remember hearing them saying, but I know at the time when I was a child, it was hard to find, although we were lucky, the houses we found. But the majority, a lot of the people was hard to find decent housing and usually when they moved in a neighborhood. They--well, that's just like it is now, when they moved in and they were some of the Whites moved out and moved in a better, better neighborhoods.

Gosney: Did you--did your family mention any type of maybe Black group that they belong to or anything or do you know.

Moutry: No, the only thing I know they are--were faithful church members.

Gosney: They--they were a member of this--of this. Just the churches all you remember?

Moutry: Yes. They were members of the church. And and then my mother belonged to this same club, the Victory Charity Club that I before she died.

Moutry: She took part in different societies in the church. Gosney: I see. Moutry: Missionary circle.

Gosney: Were any member of your family a member of a labor union? Moutry: No. Gosney: In the Depression in 1930, what effect did that have on them? Did that have any any specific effect on your family or your life? And how was it affected or do you remember?

Moutry: Well, it didn't have any effect on my father. He was always employed. As a chauffeur. And--and during the Depression at that time, I was married and he did help me because my husband was unemployed.

Gosney: Do you remember whether or not they kept in contact with any of the people that they left when they moved from Virginia to Pittsburgh? Did they-- Moutry: Oh, they kept in touch with their family. Gosney: I mean, did they they wrote--did they write and visited before. Moutry: Oh, yes. Gosney: And did they have visitors? Did they come here to visit or not?

Moutry: Well. Well, they visited us and we visited them.

Gosney: Uh huh. Did you or did they send gifts or money or anything like that to help out? Or was just the visits?

Moutry: You mean the relatives of the South? No, they didn't send any--anything to help out.

Gosney: You all have family reunion? What about family reunions?

Moutry: Well, I remember. Well, it wasn't all the family, but a large part of the family was down in Virginia. And at one time, there was about 18 of us there. At one time. They lived on a farm. My grandmother was on a farm.

Moutry: It was quite a large farm.

Gosney: What were the reunions like?

Gosney: What were the reunions like? These family reunions? What were they?

Moutry: Oh, just they all we all got together and they had a beautiful lawn, a lot of beside the farmland where they raised vegetables. Uh, it was just. It was so many of us that they would. Everything was raised. That's what they. We we were. That's what we had to feed all of the the relatives. And there were so many of us we had to set the table twice to feed them all. And as I say, there was no electricity. But it was a lot of fun. And we would, after dinner, we'd get out on the lawn. They had a beautiful lawn. We'd play games. Until dark. They had lamplight.

Gosney: Did your family belong to a church? What church did they belong to?

Moutry: The same one I attended the Ebenezer Baptist Church.

Gosney: They always belong to that church? Moutry: Yeah. Gosney: And is that the church you belong to?

Moutry: The church I belong to now? Yes.

Gosney: Mhm. How often do you attend this church?

Moutry: Every Sunday. Sometime during the week, if they have special meetings.

Gosney: Do you belong to any of the church groups? Any groups within the church? Do you participate in anything there? In the--

Moutry: One of the missionary circles and the usher board.

Gosney: Are you all. Do you participate in any activities in the White churches? There are. Or maybe, like you would say, you'd go to something, your church would be invited to a White church and would have service, you know, that type of thing.

Moutry: Well, yes, our church has been invited to worship with the White church, but that was some years back.

Gosney: What about your minister or what is his role? Outside of being a minister of the church, did he have another type of role that he played within the church and within the community?

Moutry: Well, he's very active in the community. He's on the board of directors of Hillhouse, I think. And I think he has a class he teaches at the. Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. On Highland Avenue, I think he teaches.

Moutry: And he's also one of the ministers who was elected by the National Baptist Convention to to participate in a crusade in Africa. And he usually goes there once a year. And I think this is his sixth or seventh year to go to Africa. To try to convert the--tribes there.

Gosney: Now. How? How long have you--this Minister, been head of your church? Over your church ministers? Moutry: Three years/ Gosney: Uh huh. Well, before that, then you had another minister. All right. What was his reaction to the war in-- I'll say the World War. The World Wars. You would remember the Second World War.

Moutry: Well, not really. I don't know what. I don't remember any specific thing as far as the war was concerned.

Gosney: Well, did this minister at the time of integration, did he encourage that or did he do anything to encourage integration?

Moutry: Which minister? You mean the one we have now or the one before?

Gosney: Well, you had this one only-- Moutry: Three years. Gosney: I mean, both.

Moutry: Yes. Yes, yes. They both encouraged.

Gosney: And did you notice any changes that occurred in your church during the World War One? Do you remember any type of changes that had taken place there.

Moutry: Do you remember-- Moutry: In the church? No, I don't remember any special changes that took place.

Gosney: What about during the 1950s?

Moutry: The 1950s?

Moutry: I can't remember right now anything special that happened in the 50s?

Gosney: Well, how did the World War affect you as a person?

Moutry: World War II?

Gosney: I mean, as a Black person, how did it affect you and what did it have any effect on you whatsoever?

Moutry: I don't. In what way?

Gosney: In any way. I mean, it be could be--

Moutry: My brother served in World War II and there's quite a few young men that I knew. Gosney: In--

Gosney: Did your husband--was your husband a member, your member of a fraternal organization or fraternal?

Moutry: No. No, he wasn't.

Gosney: Okay. What are the most crucial aspects for you being Black when growing up? In this in the community here?

Moutry: Well when I was growing up. Oh, there were a lot of places Blacks couldn't go.

Moutry: For instance, the swimming pools at the park.

Moutry: And aside from that, I really.

Moutry: Because when I was growing up, I lived in a mixed neighborhood.

Gosney: Okay. What about now? Moutry: Now? Gosney: You have any any crucial aspects of--

Moutry: No. My life is very peaceful. I'm living.