Interview with Venus Jarrell, October 7, 2022

Partial Transcript: Okay, today is October the 7th, 2022…

Segment Synopsis: Breeding briefly introduces Jarrell and describes how the interview will proceed.

Keywords: Athens Black history

Partial Transcript: My name is Venus Joseph Jarrell.

Segment Synopsis: Jarrell recounts how his parents would make him work on the property with the animals in order to teach him the value of hard work. He talks about how his grandmother would watch him and his cousins while they were young instead of going to daycare.

Keywords: Columbus Washington; George Daniels; Hosie Daniels Jarrell; Sadie Daniels; Venus Alvin Jarrell; agriculture; family relations; rural living

Partial Transcript: Now where did you go to elementary school?

Segment Synopsis: Jarrell mentions the schools he attended, sharing that he joined the band in elementary school playing the clarinet. He discusses his experiences traveling to band competitions as well as to compete for track. He emphasizes the spirit and energy that was found in their marching band.

Keywords: 4-H Club; Athens High and Industrial; Fort Valley State University; Herman Sheats; Lyons Junior High; Walter Allen, Sr.; West Broad Elementary School; segregation

Partial Transcript: Now I went to Mississippi Valley –

Segment Synopsis: Jarrell shares that his college band was the first all-Black band to perform at the Rose Bowl in 1965. He talks about the band’s perception of other universities’ marching bands, and he stresses that Mississippi Valley had the third best band in the nation. Jarrell shows Breeding some of the art he has collected over the years in relation to his college.

Keywords: Mississippi Valley State University; cultural conditioning; segregation

Partial Transcript: I dropped out of Mississippi Valley.

Segment Synopsis: Jarrell says that he was drafted by the army and recounts how he found his way into the army band. He talks about the way white people treated him and elaborates on the effect brought about by being a musician and being in the military.

Keywords: Fort Benning; Fort Leonard Wood; Vietnam War; integration

Partial Transcript: The other experience I had, when I went to Germany…

Segment Synopsis: Jarrell shares that he and other army musicians from other countries would spend their nights at jazz clubs after performing. He mentions musicians he performed with in the US and how he went on the road with one of them for a short period before returning after being in a car wreck.

Keywords: Belgium; NATO

Partial Transcript: When I came out the army, I was hooked on drugs, man.

Segment Synopsis: Jarrell describes his relationship with substance abuse. He talks about the jobs he worked while he was attending Athens Tech for marketing management and explains how racism began to affect his work life.

Keywords: Athens Technical College; LSD; Westinghouse Electric; addiction; marijuana; opioids; race relations

Partial Transcript: It was Black and white!

Segment Synopsis: Jarrell shares that he was a part of the group that helped integrate The Varsity against the advice of his parents. He describes some of the stories he has heard about Klan activity during that time.

Keywords: If We So Choose ; Ebenezer Baptist Church West; Ku Klux Klan; demonstrations; protests; segregation

Partial Transcript: I remember when a lot of Blacks had businesses on Hot Corner.

Segment Synopsis: Jarrell recollects businesses from Hot Corner and his own experiences with them as well as the nature of the people who lived in The Bottom. He talks about various housing complexes and how they offered Black people better conditions. He emphasizes that, because he was a musician, he was treated very well and was welcome everywhere.

Keywords: Broadacres Apartments; Ida Mae Hiram; Mack & Payne Funeral Home; Morton Theater; Nellie B Apartments; New Town; Parkview Homes; Riverside; Rocksprings Homes; neighborhoods; public housing; swimming

Partial Transcript: I had finished, and I had asked him about some of them jobs…

Segment Synopsis: Jarrell explains how he became Assistant Director at the East Athens Community Center. He discusses how schools and their faculty handled integration through staffing changes.

Keywords: Aaron Heard Park and Community Center; Bishop Park; Sandy Creek Park

Partial Transcript: In the old days, when it was the city of Athens…

Segment Synopsis: Jarrell describes how much more difficult it was to get resources and funding allocated for the parks often utilized by Black populations, as they would always end up being sent to a park usually used by white people.

Keywords: Evelyn Corene Neely; Miriam Moore; Model Cities; Recreation and Parks Department; Virginia Walker; institutionalized racism

Partial Transcript: Alright, start from the beginning. This is your list.

Segment Synopsis: Jarrell names teachers from his youth and from the Athens community who he considers to be impactful in his life. He talks about the discipline Black schools demanded from their students and the sense of community they fostered. He also shares some of his experiences in the workplace and describes how keeping records of his orders and communications became a way for him to protect himself from accusations.

Keywords: Aaron Heard; Athens High and Industrial; Doc Roberson; George Hester; Howard B. Stroud; Josie Bell Fortner; Keith Heard; Lonnie W. Dickerson; Lyons Junior High; Michael Thurmond; Recreation and Parks Department; Walter Allen, Sr.; West Broad Elementary School; community relations; segregation

Partial Transcript: Number one: I grew up in the church.

Segment Synopsis: Jarrell recounts the influence religion has played in his family, as many of his relatives are deacons. When he returned from the army, he began to play music in the church.

Keywords: Christianity; Ebenezer Baptist Church East; Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church; musical instruments; piano; saxophone

Partial Transcript: But my last question to you – well, two things.

Segment Synopsis: Jarrell advises the younger generations to stay in church, abide by your parents, and get an education. He says that the time he’s most grateful for is the time he spent in the East Athens community.

Keywords: Christianity; generational advice