Louise Baxter interview, 2016-01-07

Item

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

In this oral history interview, Louise Baxter, a long time D.C. resident, discusses her life and experiences moving from Newberry, South Carolina, to Washington, D.C. She reflects on her upbringing in Newberry, moving to Washington at the age of 17, experiences with discrimination in Washington, and her career working in the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) building as well as at Georgetown University.

Dates

Creation: 2016-01-07

Creator

Baxter, Louise (Person)
Aguilar, Kenya (Person)

Biographical / Historical

Louise Baxter was born in Jalapa, South Carolina, but she moved into nearby Newberry, South Carolina, when she was still young. Ms. Baxter was an only child and was raised by her grandparents after her mother moved to Washington in search of better economic opportunities. Her mother would send money back to the family, and starting in her early teens, Ms. Baxter would visit her mother in D.C. during the summers. After graduating from high school, Ms. Baxter’s grandmother died and she moved to Washington to live with her mother. Once in Washington, she began a 35-year career in custodial work (20 years at the CIA building and 15 years at Georgetown University). Ms. Baxter had two children, a boy and a girl.