Muriel Tillinghast interview, 2021-12-13
Scope and Contents
Mapping Segregation in Washington DC: School and Neighborhood Desegregation in Ward 4 documents the transformation of Ward 4 neighborhoods and schools during the 1950s and early 1960s. Ward 4 was predominantly white in the early 1940s, but saw a shift in demographics as white families fled after the 1954 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Bolling v. Sharpe, in which public school segregation was deemed unconstitutional in the District of Columbia. This project primarily consists of interviews with longtime or former Ward 4 residents.
Dates
- Other: 2021-12-13
Creator
- Tillinghast, Muriel, 1943- (Person)
- Shoenfeld, Sarah Jane (Person)
Conditions Governing Access
The external hard drive DIG_BACKUP is for staff use only and contains preservation copies of this collection. This external hard drive is not publically accessible. Please see the digital collection in Dig DC for access to this collection.
Biographical / Historical
Muriel Tillinghast was born on January 21, 1943 in Washington, D.C. She lived with her family at 749 Girard Street NW. Muriel attended Bruce Elementary School, Banneker Junior High School and Roosevelt High School. After completing her K-12 education, Muriel attended Howard University and graduated in 1964 where she majored in Anthropology and Sociology with a minor in Political Science. Muriel was heavily involved in political activism with organizations such as NAG and SNCC. Muriel continued her social justice pursuits as she relocated, married, and had children in New York City.
Extent
From the Collection: 6.25 Gigabytes
From the Collection: 50 Files
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
In this interview, Muriel discusses her childhood and her years as a young woman. Muriel discusses her experiences navigating her K-12 schools. Most notably, Muriel discusses her experience of racism and racial integration at Roosevelt High School. Muriel draws from her experiences and the observations she made of her classmates. Muriel discusses her higher education experiences at Howard University. During this time and after graduating from Roosevelt, Muriel was able to travel for social justice pursuits. Muriel discusses her contributions to NAG and SNCC.
Repository Details
Part of the The People's Archive, Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library Repository