UGA Libraries Logo

Interview with Walter Pyron, June 1, 2018

Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies, University of Georgia
Transcript
Toggle Index/Transcript View Switch.
Index
Search this Index
X
00:00:48 - Growing up in Griffin, Georgia

Play segment

Partial Transcript: I was born in an area...

Segment Synopsis: Pyron talks about his early childhood and his experiences growing up in the black community. Pyron recalls how he was not aware of racial discrimination throughout his childhood as the result of his upbringing and the homogeneity of his community.

Keywords: Annie Schockley Elementary School; Griffin, Georgia

00:07:39 - Growing up in Griffin, GA (cont.)

Play segment

Partial Transcript: There was another minister that lived across the street...

Segment Synopsis: Pyron talks about how his father became the minister of a church in Griffin, Georgia. Pyron talks about the ways in which the community's children would innovate to keep entertained despite having fewer resources in comparison to wealthier communities.

Keywords: Griffin, Georgia; community; ministry; religion

00:14:39 - Teachers of the Griffin community

Play segment

Partial Transcript: She said that she asked my parents...

Segment Synopsis: Pyron talks about how his first grade teacher and describes the community of his elementary school, Anna Shockley. Pyron talks about the ways in which the teachers participated in the Griffin, Georgia community.

Keywords: Margaret Kendell; community; teaching

00:20:55 - Pyron's mother / The Griffin mill

Play segment

Partial Transcript: My mama was the PTA president at...

Segment Synopsis: Pyron talks about his mother's job as a maid, and how she eventually became a nurse after graduating nursing school. Pyron recalls the ways in which Georgian hospitals were segregated. Pyron explains the ways in which his mother pushed their family towards better housing and education. Pyron mentions that a local mill eventually started hiring African Americans shortly after mandatory integration.

Keywords: Griffin Technical School; integration; nursing school

00:27:33 - Pyron's father

Play segment

Partial Transcript: But blacks could get those kind of jobs...

Segment Synopsis: Pyron talks about how his father's work as a custodian eventually led him to save enough money to own enough machinery to build an independent cleaning business. Pyron recalls how he would often assist his father in cleaning.

Keywords: Presbyterian Church; business; cleaning

00:33:25 - Moving schools / Attending Fairmont High School

Play segment

Partial Transcript: And we had to move up to Court Nimons...

Segment Synopsis: Pyron talks about the series of moves his childhood family made after his elementary school burned down. Pryon describes his sixth grade principal of Moore Elementary, Mrs. Domidick. Pyron talks about how he eventually moved to Fairmont High School and some of the staff he knew growing up.

Keywords: Dr. Tate; Fairmont High School; Moore Elementary; Mrs. Domidick

00:39:52 - Civil Rights Movements / Intimidation by the KKK

Play segment

Partial Transcript: You talk about a school where it was family...

Segment Synopsis: Pyron talks about how Fairmont High School's community urged a sense of professionalism. Fairmont recalls how members of the Griffin community participated in civil right events. Fairmont mentions some incidents he experienced concerning civil rights and interactions with the Ku Klux Klan (KKK). Fairmont recalls how members of the Ku Klux Klan worked to intimidate progressive members of the black community of Griffin, Georgia.

Keywords: Fairmont High School; Ku Klux Klan (KKK); civil rights

00:47:49 - Intimidation by the KKK (cont.)

Play segment

Partial Transcript: Crosses were burned at their homes...

Segment Synopsis: Pyron describes how after the mandatory integration of the Griffin community, leading members of the black community were targeted by Ku Klux Klan (KKK) members. Pyron talks about how African Americans who moved in predominately white neighborhoods had crosses burned in their front yards. Pyron recalls how integration led to the death of many black businesses due to the competition of local white businesses.

Keywords: Ku Klux Klan (KKK); Triple 8; business

00:54:09 - Working in the Spalding School District

Play segment

Partial Transcript: The Ku Klux Klan at one point...

Segment Synopsis: Pyron and the interviewer discuss how the KKK threatened the Griffin, Georgia sector of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Pyron talks about how he eventually became the Assistant Superintendent of Spalding High School. Pyron explains that the process he went through to achieve his position. Pyron mentions how he was still treated fairly even in leadership positions at the school.

Keywords: Ku Klux Klan (KKK); National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP); Spalding High School

01:02:19 - Challenges of administration

Play segment

Partial Transcript: So can you tell us one of...

Segment Synopsis: Pyron talks about some of the challenges he faced as the principal at the newly integrated school, Griffin Spalding. Pyron mentions an encounter he had with one of the teachers who attempted to frame him for the purpose of removing him from his position.

Keywords: Griffin Spalding; Griffin, Georgia; administration

01:09:30 - The integration of Griffin High School

Play segment

Partial Transcript: See, first they started sending...

Segment Synopsis: Pyron talks about the integration process for Griffin High School. Pryon recalls how his brother, who was sent to Griffin High School, experienced prejudice at the school despite being an advanced math student. Pyron explains how, despite mandatory integration, discrimination lived in Georgian culture. Pyron talks about the impact of the Civil Rights movements on his college experience.

Keywords: Civil Rights Movements; Fairmont High School; Fort Valley State University; Griffin High School; Hosea Williams; integration

01:16:46 - Band directing in Griffin, Georgia / The Vietnam War

Play segment

Partial Transcript: And the first job I got in Griffin...

Segment Synopsis: Griffin talks about how he became a band director at Griffin High School. Griffin explains how he was drafted into the Vietnam war after refusing to work at a schooling institution that was promoting unfair integration.

Keywords: Fairmont High School; Ford Motor Company; Fort Valley University; Griffin, Georgia; Warner Robins, Georgia

01:23:11 - The Vietnam War (cont.)

Play segment

Partial Transcript: I went to the army...

Segment Synopsis: Pyron talks about how he avoided being drafted into Vietnam, as the war was ending around the time of his deployment. Pyron explains how he was instead sent to Germany, where he witnessed the affect the Vietnam War had on soldiers who were transferred to Germany for medical attention. Pyron talks about how he went back to school after the war, and received a masters in counseling and music.

Keywords: Ford Motor Company; Ft. Louis, Kentucky; Germany; University of Georgia; Vietnam War; West Georgia College; infantry

01:30:44 - Administrative experiences / Attending university

Play segment

Partial Transcript: After doing seven years as a band director...

Segment Synopsis: Pyron talks about how he became the assistant principal of schools in Griffin before he became the first black principal of Futral Road Elementary School. Pyron recalls how he attended many schools. Pyron describes how he still gets compliments from some of his students for his work as a principal.

Keywords: Futral Road Elementary School; University of Georgia; segregation

01:37:51 - Integration challenges / Religion in education

Play segment

Partial Transcript: When we were working on...

Segment Synopsis: Pyron talks about the difficulty of the process of dividing resources for schools during integration. Pyron also speaks about the difficulties of integrating religion into schooling, and opines the importance of religion in creating moral standards for students. Pyron talks about his wish for religion integration in public schooling as an option for parents who can't pay for religious private schools.

Keywords: Spalding High School; public schooling; religion

01:45:26 - Concluding thoughts

Play segment

Partial Transcript: With the changes in...

Segment Synopsis: Pyron explains his belief that the separation of school and church has led to unsustainable family structures in the black community. Pyron talks about how the low-income community of the United States has developed a culture that is unstable.

Keywords: African American community; education; religion