Interview with Joe Lewis Marshall, August 9, 2023

Partial Transcript: My name is Tracy Smith, and I'm here with Mr. Joe Lewis Marshall in his home.

Segment Synopsis: Mr. Marshall talks about his early life and his family's move to Athens from Washington, Georgia when he was four years old. He then discusses his siblings, and he and his siblings' responsibility to watch their younger brothers and sisters in the absence of a daycare for Black children.

Keywords: Child care; Lincolnton, GA; Segregation; Washington, GA; Family / Siblings

Partial Transcript: Did you attend school here in Athens-Clarke County?

Segment Synopsis: Marshall discusses his education in Athens, beginning with his time at East Athens Elementary School, and shares memories of his brother. He recalls playing sports, and his older brother's opportunity to be a professional baseball player, and that opportunity being denied by his drinking habit.

Keywords: Alcoholism; Athens High and Industrial School; East Athens Elementary School; Sports; Union Baptist Institute

Partial Transcript: I didn't graduate, I didn't graduate. No. I went there two years and I quit.

Segment Synopsis: Marshall discusses dropping out of school and working at the NuGrape / Budwine bottling plant before getting a job with Pepsi, where he worked for 50 years. He then talks about racism and race relations in Athens during the 50s and 60s. He recalls the verbal abuse he received, being allowed to eat in white restaurants when accompanied by his boss, and Black people being asked to go through back doors.

Keywords: Hot Corner; NuGrape; PepsiCo; Racism; Segregation; Bludwine / Budwine

Partial Transcript: Do you recall any of the Civil Rights movements or activities that was going on during that time?

Segment Synopsis: Marshall talks about a Civil Rights demonstration he witnessed, in which people laid across Broad Street to block traffic. His children participated against his wishes and he says he avoided getting involved in such protests for fear of escalation. He then talks about his children, grandchildren, and his first wife, Elizabeth Collins.

Keywords: Demonstration / Protest; Family; The Migos; Traffic obstruction; Civil Rights Movement

Partial Transcript: Did you witness any type of racism at Pepsi?

Segment Synopsis: Marshall talks about his philosophy of not letting anybody bully him. He also describes his boss' efforts to defend him from racism. He then talks about how he has seen race relations change through his daughter's experience with integration.

Keywords: Family; Integration; Mac Rowe; PepsiCo; Racism / Discrimination

Partial Transcript: You know, a young man likes to deal with a lot of young ladies.

Segment Synopsis: Marshall recalls his sexual experiences with women before meeting his current wife, Ruby Nell Marshall. He describes having a baby with another woman while married to his first wife, showing him to his other children, and his wife finding out at his mother's funeral. He then discusses the relationship between Black men and white women during Jim Crow and his personal experience.

Keywords: Gender roles; Infidelity; Jim Crow; Race; Sexual relationships

Partial Transcript: A woman is a woman, and if you like a woman you like her, if you don't like her you don't like her. I met her, I liked her.

Segment Synopsis: Marshall discusses meeting his wife and provides further detail on the ways he approached women. He then talks about his dry cleaning business Suburban Cleaners, and his brother's advice to quit his job to effectively run it. He credits his disobedience to that advice as the reason the business failed.

Keywords: Dry Cleaning; Interpersonal relationships; Marriage; Small businesses

Partial Transcript: The landscape of the city has changed. Do you agree with that?

Segment Synopsis: Marshall discusses some of the ways the city of Athens has developed in his lifetime. He recalls the segregation at St. Mary's Hospital and then talks about the lack of Black wealth and business ownership.

Keywords: African American businesses; Segregation; St. Mary's Hospital; Urban development; Beechwood Shopping Center

Partial Transcript: They used come round get black people go up the cotton field and pick cotton.

Segment Synopsis: Marshall discusses picking cotton when he was young, and the quality of life for African Americans now compared to under Jim Crow. He talks about the growing problem of substance abuse, decreasing buying power, and emphasizes the importance of ownership.

Keywords: Alcohol / Substance abuse; Cotton picking; Homeownership; Inflation / Buying power

Partial Transcript: Every person ought to go to school and get all the education he can get, and then some.

Segment Synopsis: Marshall recalls advice he gave to his granddaughter in which he urged her to focus on getting an education. He speaks on raising children, and the need for parents to respect their children. He also talks about food stamps and how they can be used to control people, and gives his advice to the younger generations.

Keywords: Education; Food stamps / EBT; Grandchildren; Parenting