Miller, Helen, undated, tape 1, side 1

Speaker1: By reinforcement of your own self esteem. And why are these important to you?

Speaker2: I found reinforcement of my own self esteem through the way my mother reared her children and disciplined them without force or brutality. This helped me to rear my children in the same manner.

Speaker1: How much education have you received and has it been enough for you?

Speaker2: I'm a registered nurse with three years of training. This has not been enough. I would like to have gotten my BS degree in nursing.

Speaker1: How much education should a black woman have in order to be successful?

Speaker2: I think a black woman should have at least a college education in order to be successful. This enables the black woman to be more independent.

Speaker1: Has religion been an important factor in raising your family?

Speaker2: Yes, I do feel that religion has played an important factor in raising our family, raising my family. I feel that it has kept our family closer together. It's taught the children some moral values. And hoping that this will stay with them. And they'll be able to pass it on to their children.

Speaker1: What kinds of sacrifices have you made for your children?

Speaker2: I suppose I have made sacrifices for the children, but it depends on what it, sacrifices. But it depends on what, what do you mean by sacrifice. We've given up some vacations. There are many things we would like to do that we have to sacrifice until the children are out of school. But I feel that all of these things are worth it.

Speaker1: How much do you feel a woman should sacrifice for her children?

Speaker2: A mother should sacrifice only the need, the real needs of, uh, for her children. And this should teach them some responsibilities. Only real necessities should be sacrificed by a mother.

Speaker1: Name and discuss a few ways in which religion, self-esteem and family upbringing determine your career.

Speaker2: I have. Religion and self esteem. Uh, help me toward, uh. Made me strong. Enough to, uh, seek my career. My family upbringing had a had quite a a quite an important role in my career, but the real determining thing was my desire to become a nurse. And I worked hard toward that end.

Speaker1: Why did you or didn't you as an adult, join clubs, churches, auxiliaries, sororities, or national organizations?

Speaker2: The work that I do in most organizations is to help others. Uh, the church, auxiliaries. Work goes toward helping. To give money to the church. Some organizations are for social reasons and others are for recreation.

Speaker1: What active moves have you made as an organization member that affects a large number of blacks?

Speaker2: I worked with a national organization that gave large sums, They give large sums of money to the national, to the Negro College Fund.

Speaker1: Have any organizations for blacks ever made help available to you or anyone in your family?

Speaker2: No help has been made by any black organizations to me or anyone in my family, but neither have we seeked any help from any black organization.

Speaker1: What changes, if any, occurred in black organizations since World War Two and since the 1950s?

Speaker2: Well, I think black organizations have become more aware of the problems since World War Two and have been able to cope with them better. Since 19 and 50 the protest has brought to the forefront of people the need of, uh, the blacks. And this has helped a great deal. The organization. This has helped a great deal through, uh, organizations, uh, help supporting these protests.

Speaker1: What do you feel is the most powerful attribute of a black woman has, and how should she use it?

Speaker2: The most, I think the most powerful attribute a black woman has is her education. And she should use it. With its full, with full force, with all the ability she has to get the most out of it.

Speaker1: At what point in your life did you feel a sense of responsibility for other blacks?

Speaker2: I don't feel any sense of responsibility for other blacks any more than I feel a responsibility for whites. I feel that if a person needs help, black or white, I'll give the help. I would give the help. But being responsible for any one race or any one person or any group of people, I don't feel responsible.

Speaker1: Have you ever attended a church sponsored school and was it lacking in its program or quality of education?

Speaker2: I've never attended a church sponsored school.

Speaker1: What do you recall of your grandparents or your great grandparents or both?

Speaker2: I never knew any of my great grandparents. I recall of my grandparents that they were very strong willed people. Uh, they didn't have a lot of education, but they were very bright and used all that they had. Uh. They were they had a lot of influence on the grandchildren and taught them to do well. Uh, encourage them to go to school, to go to college and wanted and taught them to be better than they were and encouraged them to get a good education.

Speaker1: As a proud black woman, what pieces of your culture or heritage are you leaving with the younger black women?

Speaker2: I would like to leave a sense of responsibility, uh, with mostly responsibility with the young blacks, uh, uh, youngsters that I know at this time. Also a little moral, uh, morality.

Speaker1: Do you think that it is better for a woman to work and have a career or to take welfare so that she can be with her children?

Speaker2: It depends on the age of the children and the situation at the number of children, the situation in the home, whether the mother should work. Maybe she shouldn't work when the children are very young. But as the children enter school, I think that everyone should have some have a sense of responsibility. And when the children are of age where she can leave them, she should work and feel responsible. I feel that she is a responsible person making her own way in life.

Speaker1: Do you object to the image of blacks on television, radio and in the news? And what kind of exaggerations do you see?

Speaker2: I don't see any exaggerations of blacks on television or in the news. I think that the ones that are mostly on television are in the news or in the news field are doing an excellent job. I sometimes disagree with some of the comedians or some of the shows that they have where they project the black person in a bad image.

Speaker1: How do you choose to determine your own destiny and do you feel that society in America dominates your actions most of your adult life?

Speaker2: I think I choose my destiny through my mind and doing what I think is the right thing. Society has a way of dominating your life through the media. Since we watch television so much and every these things are put before you daily.

Speaker1: Do you involve yourself in decisions of the local school board when your children are directly affected? And how do you influence what they are taught?

Speaker2: I was never involved in any decision making. The local school board's decisions. And I feel it's very difficult to influence the board as to what my children would be taught.

Speaker1: In what ways do you curb your spending in the white Anglo-Saxon Protestant business world?

Speaker2: I curb my spending by keeping a budget and trying to stay within that budget. Yes, I cater to black businesses and do all I can to make them thrive.

Speaker1: Do you remember any joint business ventures by any black organizations, clubs or sororities? Do you think they were successful and who supported them?

Speaker2: No, I don't know any business ventures Of black organizations.

Speaker1: How much education do most of your friends have, and how does it seem to help or hinder the development of their children?

Speaker2: Most of my friends have a college education. But it doesn't necessarily, well, it does I guess it does influence the education of the children. Although if a child is very bright, his parent does not necessarily have to have a college education.