Dorothy Davis and Benjamin Davis
Recorded
June 6, 2023
Archived
June 6, 2023
01:10:24
0:00 / 0:00
Id:
ddv002510
Description
Siblings Dorothy Davis (69) and Benjamin Davis (67) reflect on their time growing up as children of foreign service workers. They discuss the differences between going to school abroad versus in the United States as Black students during the early years of school integration.Subject Log / Time Code
Dorothy (D) and Ben (B) growing up in the foreign service moving from country to country, both were born in Liberia and then spent time in Tunisia.
D recalls applying to a New Jersey private school in the US, and having her application rescinded because she was Black.
D explains how her parents went to court to allow her to go to private school, which integrated private schools in New Jersey
D and B discuss how It wasn’t a huge deal to go to school with white children, but how their peers probably felt differently
B and D recall not being invited to social events outside of class
D remembers a moment where she felt called out by her teacher who was from Georgia.
B recalls riding the public bus alone to school in New Jersey and DC.
B and D speak about moving to DC and integrating Sidwell Friends.
B and D reflect on their experiences at boarding school in Switzerland.
B speaks about going to Philips Exeter, going from “Joe Popular” in Switzerland to being turned down by all the white girls at the local church dance.
D talks about feeling connected to Angela Davis.
D remembers writing a survey on premarital sex at her Catholic school.
B expresses that he wishes all children could receive the education they got.
Participants
- Dorothy Davis
- Benjamin Davis