pHIg
Contribution
From
Jeanette Wilson
I was assistant to Wil Hartzler for thirteen years when he
headed the Southeastern Regional Office of the American Friends
Service Committee located in the Quaker Blair house at 1818 South
Main St. in High Point. Those AFSC years were so important in defining
my Quaker faith, as I had been reared a Unitarian. Since my office
adjoined Wil's and the door was usually open I was influenced by
everything he said and did. I treasure those years.
In downtown Greensboro one day during the time of the Woolworth
sit-ins, a newspaper reporter interviewed me. He asked if I would
shop at Woolworth if the store served Negroes at their lunch counter.
My new Quaker faith came forward, as I replied that I would no longer
shop at Woolworth if they refused to serve those of the Negro race.
Having grown up in a small Norwegian village in Minnesota, I was
not exposed to other nationalities or people of color. One day a black
man appeared in our village. Word spread quickly and I hurried
uptown to see him.
Another influential person affecting school integration was
Evelyn Thompson of our High Point Friends Meeting. She served on
Jeanette Wilson, Colfax, North Carolina, member of New Garden
Meeting.
25
pHIg
Contribution
From
Jeanette Wilson
I was assistant to Wil Hartzler for thirteen years when he
headed the Southeastern Regional Office of the American Friends
Service Committee located in the Quaker Blair house at 1818 South
Main St. in High Point. Those AFSC years were so important in defining
my Quaker faith, as I had been reared a Unitarian. Since my office
adjoined Wil's and the door was usually open I was influenced by
everything he said and did. I treasure those years.
In downtown Greensboro one day during the time of the Woolworth
sit-ins, a newspaper reporter interviewed me. He asked if I would
shop at Woolworth if the store served Negroes at their lunch counter.
My new Quaker faith came forward, as I replied that I would no longer
shop at Woolworth if they refused to serve those of the Negro race.
Having grown up in a small Norwegian village in Minnesota, I was
not exposed to other nationalities or people of color. One day a black
man appeared in our village. Word spread quickly and I hurried
uptown to see him.
Another influential person affecting school integration was
Evelyn Thompson of our High Point Friends Meeting. She served on
Jeanette Wilson, Colfax, North Carolina, member of New Garden
Meeting.
25
