Ruth Britt, John Britt, and John Britt

00:10 Oh, my name is Ruth Britt. My age is 83 years old. I was born February 17th 1936 shooting in Shelby County of Memphis, Tennessee, and I was born at the John Gaston hospital.

00:35 Today's date is April 1st 2019 April fools day. We call it and I'm here in Chattanooga on the as I stated. I was born in Memphis.

00:51 My name is John Lee Pratt III. I am 46 years old today's date is April 1st 2019. We are in Chattanooga, Tennessee and have Mom in front of me and my son on the sodomy.

01:13 My name is John Lee Pratt. The fourth my age is 14 days day is April 1st 2019 on location. Is Chattanooga, Tennessee?

01:30 Hey Ma. One of the reasons I wanted to do this is because to record like the art history and try to pass down what you done and and what things we have to go through to John so he can carry a house appreciation for who he is and his family and

01:58 Glenn just have a pride but not over pride and it's a concern now with the times now. Like when I was his age, I thought some things wouldn't be going on like people using the n-word again and things like that. But I do know there's something is in I didn't find this out until Grandma. And my cousin can of talked about it that I never knew that anyone burn the cross and the front yard a Grandad's house at Grandma's and really I wanted to ask you why because I didn't know this till in college. Why did you do the sit-in at University of Memphis Memphis State? Well, the New York Supreme Court decision came out in 1954 the year I graduated from high school.

02:58 And down, so there were five of us went out there. I think the 1st of June cuz school was out the last amazing and they doing that time and attempted to register for college. So that was why the cross was burned and then it was just an attempt to go to that school at that time. But of course we didn't get it admitted. We weren't allowed to even though I think he's not even go to the office. We went to a classroom classroom and the you know, the dean talk to us and down coolest cameras and all of that kind of thing things with their butt and end in able to court decision waiting on a court decision came later admitting blacks African Americans, whatever you want to be called to it was meant

03:58 Faith in which is it is now the University of Memphis. So there were less easy that were five of us. It seemed artist knows Van Hooks now she is and out.

04:13 Reverend McGee was a menace to even then although he hadn't been out of high school that long but it wasn't unusual to have a ghetto students be become a minister now in too quiet in the school on standby to Eden NC the lines in the wall who's a member of your aunties charity at that time, but and Nelly peoples who is I don't know about Nellie people's but he lied and no oil and. Joseph McGee of a gone now. They're no longer be up to the organization. Did we work? Well in a way we can a new each other. Like I said, it is Joseph. He lied to know of it was in this why you was already married at that time.

05:04 And

05:06 We can of each one can of knew each other in a way, you know Marcus and I went to the same High School. The other people that had been in the teen town is on wdia was any but she was a teenage reporter. We weren't friends but you you know kind of knew each other that Joseph McGee as I said was a minister since daughter at a time people can a new even the young ministers at that time cuz black churches visited more you were some kind of way in their face cuz I was when I was baptized, I remember Fields Jr. Was one of the ministers he was up. He was a student at Manassas at that time. And so he was administered a preacher on the day that I was baptized and I was with bath with 8th grade and upward.

06:01 We're about the same age, but he was already a man of Steven at the time. So we can of wet circles are in in or the parents knew each other see parents and the new age of it that time and people knew he lied to no-one cuz he had been I think the first black to get hired in the position. He was in at that time at the post office cuz she had been in the military already, you know at that time that was in 54 when we went to the university to Memphis State. That's what it was called pain. It's my old school at that time. But now is you you know, there's no comparison to the sides now and then that it was it was it was cheap to go there to you have to go out of town the school. Mostly it was in the morning in Memphis at that time.

06:56 Innuendo most been seeing a lot of people went to Tennessee state that he went to school. A lot of folks may have gone and got our little scholarships to go but they came back, you know because of his I said was just, you know, the times and the money and being able to ghost, you know somewhere who was that your legs is now

07:25 This is a time when I went to graduate it. Dad wanted me to go to the university was hoping I wake up to go to University of Memphis. But at the time I graduated and the school I went to cuz y'all sent me to a private school. It just University of Memphis or Memphis State could still call Memphis State they change like right after I graduated. I think it just didn't have either it didn't have that Prestige of the time or it just I wanted to go out and go to school the house to my hubby in the doors and and just get exposure of stump somewhat being independent. I did take a class or two there at University of Memphis and the compared to the college. I went to it seemed a lot bigger and it was bigger than I do take Martin and

08:25 NC State left ut-martin just felt my second year. I just felt some what it felt. Like it was some bracelet racial tension. So I was following after can up. I realize while I'm just follow him go his path But after those first two years I decided to go to a historically black school because of the attention I felt in the cuz I I joined a jazz band. I might have not have been as good as some of the other members but I was still able to participate in the in some concerts and that's where I felt like I had the most tension on but I don't think John understand sometimes is why you get while we are on him a lot about his school work one. I think you're on them because you used to substitute teach

09:25 And I try to encourage him because I from my experiences in education you gave me and Friends experience that the people I'm doing like company town after that camp. I kept those connection for a little bit. I noticed a difference between where they were at and what schools they were aiming for like Harvard Yale Princeton and two schools. I was just looking for which were just goes out. How old is the city so that really kind of change me to to look at like maybe a I started to apply for Stanford. I didn't finish the application process because I wanted to go to University of Evansville and I was accepted but we didn't have the money you're with the scholarship to go. But I know even back then in the 90s when I graduated what we needed to know.

10:25 And I just feel like right now leasing are in Chattanooga with the public schools that John attended other than his Elementary School with the first principle that it's not

10:40 Meeting is not getting him to the point where I was when I graduated. It's a Mite which I still lack some things when I graduate way to put it seem like he's lacking in certain places. It's a different generation and in different requirements, but I think you need I think the school system the public school system here the schools. He's been to this not helping him and other students not just John other students are even then from what I've seen visiting worst situation then

11:24 Peezing feel that way too when I see him cuz the thing is he's had at this point do not include what I had in here. I am 83 graduated from high school in 54 and he hasn't had some of the things that I had in elementary school up to this point. When I look at the they at least the things that I have looked at that he's been over they haven't done percentages and they haven't done all this kind of thing in math and science. I know it's bad for us cuz we didn't really have a lab not equipped is this some of the schools I have many and you know it later years and we didn't, you know, really have a science lab because we would be outside maybe doing something, you know Nursery trees and that type of thing but still so far as the book working knowledge. We didn't have you know, those things compare not even 2.

12:24 It's 55. I went to Atlanta, you know, he's not even to them and it was a small school at that time of small College course after mister mister Clinton win the presidency. He did do a lot with that school. So, you know him but in with the way things are changing so fast, there's look at cell phones in all of this type of thing in the last 10 years 15 years and I think about him not being able to even buy one in later years if he doesn't do better in school, and that's that's why I'm big worry, even for the city and not only hear Memphis and Mississippi to cuz you know, we have a strong connection down there and that is a big part of the puzzle of crime in these neighborhoods. It's a lot of it is about education. So that's why I

13:24 You know, I worry about him in education and other young people and I always ask him. How you doing in school or are you reading that type of thing? Are you watching the news? Always ask them something related to school? What what books have you read lately? What are y'all reading at school? But it is not happening cuz she'll door now can't and here. It is grade level. He can't even read cursive writing that he goes to look at these documents of the United States old document. He cannot read them because he cannot read cursive writing know I do it and they don't mean when the when one is asked to stand their name not manuscript with cursive cuz they want a signature to it. They can't do it. So that's why it said I was going to volunteer to do that.

14:17 Put on aging and health is taking a sheet or something if it makes a difference, but that's why I worry about education is that it's not meeting the mark and you know, people don't see my parents don't seem to be worried about it the parents that should be the age of people that should be worried about. It don't seem to be worried about it and some of them don't even want their children to learn I do certain things. So it is cuz I actually I'm still in touch and I would focus in Memphis and I'm like I said, Mississippi to and and talkin about and Arkansas cuz I have a friend in Arkansas and so we can print it Arkansas on a map the same age.

15:17 Play it's gone. Now. The Hilton has not improved at all. So it's some it's it's not really a desert deep concern but one has to have faith and believe that some people will achieve no matter what but the numbers could be greater with better education and especially in those on now, but not this kindergarten the pre-kindergarten then don't begin on up cuz by third or fourth grade, they should be able to write in in a cursive incursion do cursive writing as well as read it. So but now here he is in 8th grade and can't so if he goes to these places, by being too he can't even read those historic documents, you know, so

16:07 It's a it's a great concern that I that's why I you know, I try to do, you know hope that you will get him to the store scene with kids in a different caliber. Maybe that will encourage him to me or not this the folk, you know that he knows and the people at church but other other groups of people that staying in his in his group is not going to help he's going to have to reach out and associate with other children and adults as well and they know that he's behind, you know still

16:42 But don't I still praying and I have to believe you know, and try to encourage have to do we all have to do those those things. We all have to do those things that education is still and it's not only in the Styles like that is in the north as well. Cuz you know, I have people in California friends that I grew up with in California just about all of the major States cuz I'm doing the time that grew up families knew each other and you came and kept in touch and when even when parents guide you were still in touch with the with the people in your group are generation, you're nowhere near your generation. That's that's another thing we are not as in nam.

17:31 Such as we should be and reaching out and talkin about things that we need to talk about rather than having celebrations of eating all the time. That's why I'm getting up now that the face with a jobs now and more than 40% of not going to be around when he becomes an adult is think about having it going to be having driverless cars and trucks and and then using drones even in agriculture now, so a lot of thing cuz I went to the field as a young person made enough money to buy shoes and a lot of things, you know, that's how we can make money but now with the with technology in the way things are going if that's not going to happen. I know all this going on about the Border but that's not going to that that's not they're not going to need that all of this that you know that in later years when he grows up.

18:32 Understand that. There's another story to tell John Deere used to tell me a lot about when you were younger, I guess around jonte. She used to go to down the Mississippi to pick caught caught at one time. We had my daddy had a little head of field had that was throwing Titan himself cuz see where you grandparents live that neighborhood was and was country at the time. I was growing up. So where they build a rubber plant people farmed and so we did to you know, my my daddy did too cuz he was teaching us out of work through the side for men cotton and all kinds of hair. How come you know at the house there. So it was a time that people more or less grew up ahead. You know, what

19:32 They needed for a to live at that time. But yeah, and then as we can but now you didn't get paid for helping your folks are doing the work in your folks feel other neighbors feel we had to when we get in. Okay, maybe thirteen or fourteen we went on people's trucks. Of course our parents knew the people of the drivers of the fort Cooper Drive in the trucks and where they went because you didn't you were not going to be the boy just with somebody they didn't know so we went to Mississippi and we went places in Arkansas and also places up in Tennessee. Now that was chopping Titan season that's going to be starring would be starting soon. So on Saturday as if someone was doing when we would catch the train going on, you know on Saturdays and go

20:26 And have a little money as you know, so you have no money for your pocket depending on course Mississippi paid more but they had no snakes in the head down there and so a lot we didn't, you know, a lot of us didn't go there too often. We went to up in Tennessee. We went to Arkansas which way home but you know, Mississippi pay you a little bit at that time. And as I said you had to go with people that your parents knew at that time, and now I'm dead my fault, you know, Daddy did not go Mama went sometimes in the summer time with us with but we didn't have anything my dad didn't want mama to work. So that's what's that was the going on then cuz they now you wasn't the only one that you know, they defeated the wife supposed to be at home and the children and keeping up with the children.

21:26 Now that kind of thing and which I do kind of still believe in that type of our life because it is difficult to for everybody to be working and I have you know, no matter what the modern belief is. It is hard to everybody to be working in the house children the parents hear about the houses running itself, but with so much technology, I guess it would be 8 they would be able to in a few years to do it that way.

22:04 What's your best memory of in Child of your childhood memories? What would you call your best memory? Like, what would you call your best memory is the times that we would spend visiting may be cousin sometimes on the weekend in Memphis and that wasn't too often but we would all get an old card old truck and we would get on the visit some of the cousins they lived on we are mama and you know how parents live they lived in the neighborhood where my parents live before they moved out in Douglas done. They lived in Orange man. Who is Mom and Dad at live in the Moorish man was when I was born and Pauline was born. That's where we do. You know, we were living in Orange Mound.

23:02 And also with Charlie players and was born at home out there in Douglas, you know, he wasn't born in the hospital, but he was born at home.

23:12 But there are the best memories. I think we're at the time spent with them and maybe weekend we didn't stay all night. Now that was just the evening if we could go out there and then come back, you know, those were good memories, of course, some of them are gone now, but I'm in the others are we are not in touch with as I guess because of problems in your head with their children in things that have happened. So but those were some of the best memories and then going to visit grandparents in Mississippi, you know, that was that was up those were good times cuz I'll my great-grandfather had a watermelon plant soap in the morning. We might never get there in the evening, you know in the car but in the morning the next morning that the older cousin will come and get us up and go to

24:12 Watermelon patch in bursts watermelons and eat the hearts of them. That wasn't that was enjoyable. Do it visiting down there, you know, we didn't go in every year cuz I didn't see grandparents and great-grandparents in the world about 8 or 9 before, you know, met any grandparents cuz they lived on a distance away. So it wasn't easy y'all getting up going places like that at that time and then I kind of figure out the time to go because of the problems one can help traveling to those areas at that time.

24:55 But I don't we everybody want to see the folks, you know, so that was that was the funny thing and I'm sorry, we didn't have more relationship with them and to really know the mama and I both parents were from that area of Mississippi, you know, you were born in that area cuz their parents that lived other places cuz Mama Lucia said she was born in Kosciusko. Dad is people were gone when we got any age, you know, his parents and grandparents with the I mean, you know, his parents were gone.

25:31 But that what those word, you know, I do remember those times very well.

25:39 Do you said you remember mother Lucille that you said she was the slave in the family and family that's doing research at being a slave but her mother that is the one that you know that the cousins that live in Ohio it while trying to check to see if she was cuz I told at the sea I met her and I'm a little bit older than the cousins that live in Ohio. So I told them that when I met her her son said that she was at least a hundred years old been but that's something that you know, they are trying to you know confirm or whatever. What is she wants or was it she was not in her husband? That's right. I made up my great-grandfather to they were cuz he was he at that time.

26:35 He was very mobile and everything is mad and everything. You know, he was doing very well at that time and he was about a hundred as well. But Dad is people came from Virginia and went to live in Louisiana while and then stab them in Mississippi, you know later and see if they are still some there in Virginia because each one of them on my daddy's side hit head to set two children his mother as well as his father and I can rent it to both of them had two sets of children. So they are still being aware that said they are still, you know some there in Virginia according to him.

27:24 But I think time goes on you have to keep moving forward. You can't just rest on and worry about those things, you know, but but Rhoda in Ohio is doing some, you know, still doing some research.

27:41 And it's kind of the family but some of the family both sides are the some of them are related to each other, you know, so that's another issue. She was telling me about since she got you know, since she's been doing it because she's got up grandchildren and great-granddaughter house. So she didn't have a lot of time cuz she's got to spend time with them.

28:08 It's always Life Is Life is hard life is can be very difficult telling you wish to be trying to do the right thing. So John, this is one of the things I hope you get is that it l'education always wasn't given to us had to stand up and had to affirm a right or try to get people to say. Hey, we have the right to be educated. So don't take it for granite. And at this time when you're going into high school, which is an excellent time because there's so much you can do now in high school that I couldn't do or I didn't know you could do and you could now you can actually have

29:07 Taking college credits here. There's a high school here where you can actually get college credits when you graduate you could be like a sophomore and stuff, but don't take it for granted cuz you have so much time and high school to do research or read whatever you're interested in and become really good at it before you even graduate.

29:30 Like Grandma here had to sit have to go and sit in to try to be admitted to the University of Memphis at her time. They education wasn't equal. Like I was upset at your previous elementary school because they wouldn't allow you to bring books home. And when I was coaching Eastridge, I saw the kids at Eastridge they were doing homework on the fields and their textbooks and I felt that was unfair and unbalanced. So that's why I we had a meeting with the principal at one time talk about that bitching it to the school board.

30:12 Come

30:14 That didn't change but I did get a meeting with the principal at a ruffle. Somebody fell or somebody got felt like the went to school. She went to school, you know, the school was at the building near the church or one room school house and it did not go to high school. She had to go to Jackson College because they had the other goal of the grade levels to finish high school. So she that's how she finished high school. Did the move go to Jackson get a job working there at the school some kind of way to pay for her education to finish high school and not only in your days those kind of things are going on in my day 2 of being in high school. I know I'd in Tennessee and that was for people to do what it do work in the fields at the different time.

31:14 Is that what's going on in and outside of where we lived in the area where we lived the students? I was trying to think of some of those schools now, but it was out and now cuz Miss Davis that lives that move next door to us on in Douglas where you are great grandmother lived her youngest brother the younger sibling Clifton. Was it going to school like that at that time and also but they did not have the high school that a dormitory. So you good in basketball. So that was you know, that kind of helped him on to get on, you know, getting to go and continuing to get on out of get out of high school and he did later going to tell a lie, just well, but all those things do Camp they slow you down and cuz time is still passing by and you getting older and all of that kind of thing.

32:13 But schools are still not equal. So but you going to have to think about you got to do a lot of Education educate yourself to stay abreast of things what's going on? That's why I tell you about trying to watch the news and reading certain books. Even if you don't read the whole magazines that we have it dries read part of it. No, we don't have a lot of things that other folk hair but you you got to kind of push yourself here and not pay attention to you know, maybe your Associate's now, okay.

32:52 Okay, go on.

33:08 I want to say thank you for my mom to come in and my son John although he didn't want to say thank you, but I want to thank you all for doing this. Yeah, I think it was important. I think so too and do actually have a conversation especially about education. I just hope we can take it to you know, I'm going to tell the people in Memphis about this and it had died and see if we can get it in our community out there because on.

33:40 Is some education is is that no matter how equal people might think it is now is not as far away as it is was a hundred years ago.