Howard Jordan and Andrew Jordan
Recorded
May 18, 2023
Archived
May 18, 2023
42:30 minutes
0:00 / 0:00
Id:
ddc002610
Description
Howard "Louis" Jordan (69) speaks to his son Andrew Jordan (42) about his experience as a teenager in Americus, Georgia during the early years of school desegregation. Louis remembers moments he defied those resistant to integration and reflects on times he wished he had done more.Subject Log / Time Code
Louis (L) speaks about growing up in Americus, Georgia.
L remembers the first Black student at his school who was heavily ostracized.
L speaks about the Civil Rights protests and KKK counterprotests that took place in Americus.
L recalls his Senior year when his high school was fully integrated.
L mentions his older brother, who was more resistant to integration.
L speaks about his mother who was a teacher and “light in the community.”
L describes the “sense of loss” he witnessed when the Black students had to leave their former schools.
L talks about the dance that he helped put on with the Key Club when the school canceled all dances after integration.
L explains his younger brother Johnny’s school experience when many white families had transferred their children to “segregation academies”.
L remembers going to a nearby county for a basketball game and a fight breaking out between Black and white students.
L remembers Black players of a visiting basketball team not being allowed into his church and feeling shame about not intervening.
L remembers speaking to his mom about the church incident.
Participants
- Howard Jordan
- Andrew Jordan