This oral history interview conducted by William Chafe circa 1975 with Dr. George Evans primarily documents Dr. Evans' recollection of school desegregation in Greensboro and his time as chairman of the Human Relations Commission during the 1963 sit-ins. Evans discusses his appointment to the Human Relations Committee, its subcommittees and membership, the role of Bill Thomas and Tony Stanley, and meetings with students and business leaders to negotiate desegregation. He gives reasons why some businesses were reluctant to desegregate and talks about Mayor David Schenck's announcement in support of desegregation. Topics regarding school desegregation in the 1960s include being the one dissenting vote on the board of education; Robert Moseley, William Caffrey, Phil Weaver, and Lewis Owen; the futility of appealing court-ordered school integration; presentations by the Greensboro Citizens Association and the Greensboro Community Fellowship before the school board; the freedom of choice plan; why many black families didn't enroll their children at white schools; and Josephine Boyd's experience at Greensboro Senior High. Evans discusses at length the inequities between Greensboro's traditionally black and white schools, and how these were exposed and improved upon because of desegregation and busing. Evans also briefly recalls the city council campaigns of several African Americans in the 1950s, discusses the segregationist employment practices of local hospitals, and describes his effort to persuade the Medical Society of the State of North Carolina to admit black members. Other topics include the May 1969 Dudley High protests; Nelson Johnson and GAPP's role in community activism; and Hal Sieber's role in the chamber of commerce.
