Oral history interview with Joyce Bass, 2015 [text/print transcript]

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THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT GREENSBORO
INSTITUTIONAL MEMORY COLLECTION
INTERVIEWEE: Joyce Bass
INTERVIEWER: Lisa Withers
DATE: June 11, 2015
[Begin CD 1]
LW: My name is Lisa Withers and today is Thursday, June 11, 2015. I am in the home of Mrs. Joyce Bass, Class of 1973, to conduct an oral history interview for the UNCG [The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, North Carolina] Institutional Memory Collection's African American Institutional Memory Project. Thank you Mrs. Bass for participating in this project and for sharing with me your experiences. I would like to start this interview by asking about your childhood. Would you please tell me where and when you were born?
JB: I was born here in Raleigh, North Carolina. My date of birth?
LW: If you feel comfortable sharing.
JB: Okay, December 30, 1950.
LW: [Nineteen] fifty? Okay, thank you. Could you tell me a bit about your parents and your family?
JB: Oh, well, my family, I had two sisters, one older, one younger. I'm the only one who went to UNCG though. The other two went to North Carolina Central [University, Durham, North Carolina]. My parents are both deceased. As far as [elementary], I went to kindergarten, public kindergarten. I went to a catholic elementary school and then public high school and then UNCG.
LW: Okay. Which high school in Raleigh did you go to?
JB: Enloe High School.
LW: Enloe? Is that E-n-l-o-w?
JB: E-n-l-o-e.
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LW: L-o-e. Okay.
JB: Yes, E-n-l-o-e.
LW: Enloe High School. Okay, so what was it like growing up in the 1960s?
JB: Well it, it was fine for me. It was, you know, what we knew. Now there was, you know, it was just, integration was just starting. I remember our family used to take a vacation every summer and the summer of 1972, no 1962, we went to Canada, you know, drove to Canada. And, in order to get out of the South so that when it was time to stop for lunch, you know, we drove to [Washington]. We didn't drive the route that probably would have been the easiest, whatever that was, but we needed to get out of the South so that, you know, we could stop. So I remember that, you know. I remember when we could not go to—I remember the first time I sat not in the balcony of a movie theater. I remember the first movie I saw, Antony and Cleopatra. And you know the main portion of the theatre. And it was a popular movie and there were a lot of people there. And so by the time we got there, you had to sit, you know, the only seats available were really in the front. And then, you know they didn't have the stadium seating, were you, you know, so we sort of looking up. But at that point, we were not going to sit, the better seats were probably been, you know, in the balcony. But because of the situation, because, you know, it had just integrated that we were not going to sit in the balcony. So, you know, I remember that. Enloe was an integrated school. I didn't have any problem at all there. And I went to UNCG. I applied to three places and you know I chose UNCG.
LW: What were the other colleges you applied to?
JB: [The] University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill [Chapel Hill, North Carolina] and East Carolina University [Greenville, North Carolina]. At the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, I applied under early decision and they would not accept me on early decision. They said next decision time. Meantime, UNCG accepted me and I had an acceptance by December and I said bingo that was it. And East Carolina had accepted me also.
LW: Ok, so essentially your decision to go to UNCG was based on when you got your decision letter.
JB: Yes, I was so happy [laughter]. Yes, it was, I mean, I didn't really know anybody else going there or anything. I just felt like it had the major I wanted, it was far away, far enough away from home but not too far, you know. I thought it was wonderful and to know in December exactly where. I just, you know, to me it was a load off my mind.
LW: [Laughter] Well, I know UNCG when you were going I believe your freshman year would have been 1969.
JB: Yes.
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LW: Around that time period. They were in the midst of trying to integrate you know that institution. So what was your family and friend’s reaction to your decision to go there?
JB: Oh, nobody had a problem with it.
LW: Nobody? Okay, especially since you had two siblings who went to Central which is a historically black college.
JB: Yes, yes, my sister was at Central. My older sister was at Central. But nobody had a problem with UNCG. You know, it was, it was fine.
LW: And so what were your favorite subjects while you were in school and did that reflect what you decided to major in in college?
JB: Oh yes, yes, English and history. I'm not a math science person. When I was very young, I thought I wanted to be a doctor. But when those sciences courses hit, then, you know, I knew that probably was not my calling. So, yes English and history and that kind of thing. I loved to read.
LW: Okay.
JB: I always, you know, I always read a lot. That did affect my, and you know I had dreams of being a writer also. You know, I took, while I was at UNCG, they had, they started a new writing course and all the English majors took that, you know, [door creaks] and it was a short story writing course.1
LW: But you were saying how there was a new English course, writing course.
JB: Yes, and so it was short story writing. So, you know, I took the course and you know we had to write short stories. I wrote short stories and sent them off, in addition to turning them in, you know, we were taught how to find out where to send short stories to be published. Short stories like we were writing. And, I of course did and I of course got the rejection letters and everything. Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah. Which, I mean, you know million people send out things. I never got anything published. But that was one of my favorite courses.
LW: Okay, and so your official major was in English.
JB: Yes, it was English. I was an English major and I, you know, took the education courses and, you know, I started my career as a teacher.
LW: Oh, okay. As a teacher. I was going to ask what was your transition like going from high school to college? Was it a seamless one or did you notice differences?
1 Personal conversation (6:40-7:33) with interviewee’s family in original recording redacted from interview transcript and edited from archive public listening copy. 4
JB: It was no problem for me. Because, now back then, you know now everybody take these days and weekends and go on college visits and it makes sense to see a campus before you ever go to it. But now the first day I was on UNCG's campus was the day my parents took me for—.
LW: Oh wow.
JB: Yeah, I mean. For me that was ok. Because, I mean that was where I was going. To me, it was not a problem. And, it just turned out, I met on the first day, three people that I am still in contact with today. There weren't that many African American students on campus in 1969. In fact, they said there were 200 on campus. And so, I was in Cotton Dorm [Residence Hall]. Cotton was one of the, what they, it was a freshman dorm.
LW: Okay.
JB: And it used to be in the Quad, what they called the Quad, it was like four dorms. Anyway, there were four black people in that dorm and we met that first day and we've been friends ever since. And so, you know.
LW: Do you mind sharing who those individuals are?
JB: Yes. Patricia Gray, well, Patricia Haughton Gray [Class of 1972]. And she was actually my roommate.
LW: Okay.
JB: Evelyn Rochelle Davis [Class of 1973].
LW: Okay.
JB: And Ernestine Davis Ledbetter [Class of 1973].
LW: Alright. Awesome. And you said you still keep in touch today?
JB: Yes, yes. Two of them more than the third one but I'm still in contact with all of them. And see that to me is, you know, we're talking about over forty years ago. Actually three of us actually took a trip in 2010. So, you know. And four of us took one in, I guess it was 2001, something. The four of us actually took a trip together then. So, you know, that, you know, that to me is a wonderful thing to have friends to have for that long.
LW: Especially yes, I can imagine. I know there are a lot of people I graduated with and we haven't talked since the day of graduation.
JB: Yes, yes. That's usually the way it is. You move on with your life.
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LW: That is true. So you mentioned that in your freshman year you were in Cotton dorm. Did you stay there all four years?
JB: No, no. That, they used to have freshman in dorms only for freshman.
LW: Okay.
JB: So that was the dorm I was placed in. That was the freshman dorm. After that, I went to, brain drain. Phillips-Hawkins [Residence Hall].
LW: Phillips-Hawkins. Yes, that is one a lot of people [talk about].
JB: Yes, Phillips-Hawkins and I remained there for the other three years because I was on campus all four years [clock chime].
LW: Okay. Just want to repeat that. So you were in Phillips-Hawkins for three years on campus. Okay. So what was it like to be in Cotton Hall and in Phillips-Hawkins? What was your experience like?
JB: Oh, it was. Here again, it was fine. I didn't have any trouble at all at UNCG. But, it was interesting and it is so different when it was a dorm where there was a, what they called a parlor. And when people came in to see you, you know, guys couldn’t just come in and go to your room and knock on your door. No. There was a desk and someone was always at the desk. They would, somebody would come in to see you and they would go to the desk and say, well I would like to see. And they call you on the intercom. Room, you know, you have a visitor in the parlor. And you go downstairs and you sit with them and all of that. They couldn't come up to the rooms. But, I can't remember what year it was. You see we had hours that we had—.
LW: Oh, you are talking about you had curfews.
JB: Curfews. That's right. We had hours. But, now, I have to be honest with you. My parents were pretty strict. So the curfew, for me, was, you know. I never been out that late in my life anyway. But the curfews were one o'clock on Friday and Sunday night and two o'clock on Saturday night.
LW: In the morning?
JB: Yes. And see, I never been out that late anyway. So, for me it was no problem. But I can't remember when it was that we had that, we decided that we were adults and we lobbied the administration for no hours because we were adults and nobody should be telling us when to come in. And I was up there lobbying too, even though.
LW: This was during your time and so a group of mostly female students were protesting the administration.
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JB: It was mostly females there.
LW: Ok.
JB: Yes. We got them, the administration to change it and we had no hours.
LW: And so while you were a student there, it shifted. It's the term en loco parentis I think was when the thought of the university being responsible, especially on women's colleges, responsible, so essentially ending that portion of, you know we can come and go freely from the dorms.
JB: And I can't remember exactly what year it was, whether it was my—. I can't remember. But anyways. I was there.
LW: We know it was between 1969-1973.
JB: Yes. You are right about that. And the other thing about it, one of my friends, she lived on campus but she lived in Greensboro. Her home was in Greensboro and she had a car [laughter]. So that was—.
LW: If you had a car you were the person to hang around.
JB: Yes. She had a car. So, you know the four of us. We called ourselves The Group. We would travel together, I mean as far as going to parties and things. Now our social life. She would know where the parties were. And, you know, they were A&T people [North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Greensboro, North Carolina].
LW: That was one of my questions.
JB: Yes, you know, they were African American parties. You know, so, that was, that was another thing. For me, like I said, my parents were strict. For me, it was, it was—. College was a wonderful time for me because all I had to do was keep my grades up and behave myself and party like I wanted to and for me it was wonderful.
LW: I know it was a different time period. Would you be willing to explain a bit about what these parties were like, what you used to do?
JB: Yes, dance.
LW: Dance? Okay, so what were some of the popular dances you would do? Did they have names to them or?
JB: No, I can't remember the names. I remember the Jackson 5 had just started to be popular.
LW: Okay, so the Jackson 5.
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JB: And, play records. Records.
LW: Records. Oh, oh, oh, I've heard of records. I've seen a few.
JB: Your mother and father probably know what records are. In fact, I'm sure they do. And yes, they play records and dance.
LW: Yes. Okay, so play records and dance. And that was the party. And so were they, did you all mostly go over to A&T or was it?
JB: Not mostly on the campus. She knew where the neighborhood parties.
LW: So mostly in the neighborhood. So did ya’ll do social interaction with A&T students or those at Bennett [College, Greensboro, North Carolina]?
JB: Whenever there was a party, we met guys from A&T. Yes, they guys we met were from A&T because there weren’t that many guys at all on UNCG's campus and then you, then on top of that there weren’t that many. From that, there very few African American guys on UNCG's campus.
LW: That's actually you are starting to talk about something I wanted to ask about. You know when you attended UNCG, they recently changed the name from [The] Woman's College [of the University of North Carolina] and just became coeducational. What was the feel of the campus? I mean, did it still feel very much like they were operating as a women's college? There were still a lot of traditions that were still carrying over even though it was coeducational?
JB: Okay. One tradition, I didn't think of it necessarily, well, but I guess it was a—the blazers. They had blazers.
LW: They still had class jackets.
JB: They had class jackets. I did not buy mine and right now I can't think of why I didn't buy one. I guess I didn't like the color that year. I can't remember. But I didn’t buy one but they did have class jackets.
LW: They still continued. Do you remember what color your class year would have been?
JB: You know, I'm almost thinking it was gold. I don’t know. I don't remember, I don’t remember.
LW: But that was something they were still doing with the class jackets even after it became UNCG.
JB: Yes, but I did not buy one. And of course, the ring, well back then, was very, very distinctive. You could spot at UNCG ring anywhere. 8
LW: Yes, well, we hear a lot about the class jacket but this is really the first time I have heard anyone say the ring as something distinctive.
JB: Have you ever seen one?
LW: Not for UNCG specifically. I've seen a lot of the class jackets because a lot of alumni talk about how you could tell anyone from the university by the jackets but as far as the ring being another main identifier.
JB: Do you want to see one?
LW: Oh you have one?
JB: Oh yes.
LW: Sure, if you would like to share.
[Mrs. Bass exits room and reenters with class ring; door creaks]2
LW: OH WOW! Okay.
JB: In fact, you know, you can, I'm sure they don't have that ring now, but you could spot those rings. In fact, I'm thinking that when I was, the summer after I graduated, you know, I taught. I had a job teaching but the teaching job didn't start until the fall and so during the summer I was working at Crabtree Valley [Mall, Raleigh, North Carolina] which was you know. And I was a clerk in the store for the summer. And I was on the cash register and some woman came up and saw the ring and said, “Are you a UNCG grad?” And I said, “Yes.” And she said, she didn't ask me like this but she actually wanted to know well why are you working at this dime store. And I said, “Oh, this is my summer job,” and I told her where was, what I was going to do. But yeah, you could spot those rings. And see inside is my name. Now you didn't have to get that but I wanted to.
LW: Yes. So did everyone? I know when I was coming along I know— high school rings were popular. You could customize it. So with the class rings was it the same design for everyone or could you tailor it to your—?
JB: No, it was the same design but I mean you could but your name on it or not. But you see '73 is on one side.
LW: Yes, '73 engraved on one side, UNCG engraved on the other side, and the top.
JB: You see the seal.
2 19:22-19:48 is silence in audio. 9
LW: Yes, the seal with Minerva is in black. Wow, and so most people would order a class ring. So you have a ring and a class jacket.
JB: Yes. But see now the ring would come when you got ready to graduate. You order during junior year maybe or whatever. The jacket you could order that, if I remember correctly, anytime but I didn't.
LW: Well, I want to make sure that you have that. Thank you. Okay. Well that is something new I learned to day was the class ring.
JB: Okay, okay.
LW: Well I know you talked a lot about your English classes. Were there any professors that you enjoyed having that you particularly remember?
JB: Names? No [laughter]. I'm sorry.
LW: [Laughter] That’s alright.
JB: I do remember though that writing course that I talked about, he had a guest speaker that was Reynolds Price. Now, I don't know if you know who Reynolds Price is. He is a local author. He died a couple of years ago. But he got to be very famous.
LW: Okay.
JB: And, you know, I always remembered that. The other course that I really liked, in addition to my English courses, just plain, the regular literature courses and things. The other course that I liked, particularly liked, they had a film course. They started a film course when I was there when I was a junior and all the English majors took that too and that taught me a lot about film. You know, just different movies and what kinds of things you looked for and that kind of thing. So.
LW: Do you remember anything about the administration? Especially Chancellor James Ferguson was there when you were there. Do you remember anything about the administration or was there a lot of interaction with the students and the administration at the time?
JB: Okay. I don't. I don't remember anything particularly.
LW: Okay. Alright, and so going through. Okay.
JB: But that's not to say there wasn’t. It just means I don't remember anything.
LW: [Laughter] Well, we've actually covered a lot of the questions already so I'm making sure I don't repeat anything. So living on campus, you frequent the dining hall regularly? 10
JB: Oh yes.
LW: Could you tell me a little bit of what the dining hall was like?
JB: Okay now, yes. One big thing about the dining hall was if you were African American, the first table in the front of the dining hall. Now, what I am calling the front is the table nearest the walk around, the buffet.
LW: Oh, where the food was located. So the first table closest to where the food was.
JB: Yes, that first table was the African American table. What I mean by that is that when you went into the dining hall, if you were African American and if you wanted to sit there, if you came alone and didn't have anybody to sit with or whatever, you could sit there. There was always somebody African American sitting there and you were welcome to sit. If you came and didn't want to sit there, that was fine too. It was very, or if you came with somebody else and wanted to bring them you could sit there too, somebody who wasn't African American, it was fine. But, in other words, if you were African American in the dining hall, you did not have to sit by yourself if you didn't want to.
LW: Okay.
JB: So, if you ever came to the dining hall, you didn't have to sit by yourself.
LW: So it was kind of like the unwritten, unspoken known, like it's okay to sit other places but it was kind of like the place where all the African American students knew they could meet and hang out together.
JB: Yes, oh yes. That's right. You could sit there if you want to, you had a place to sit. And you could bring whomever you wanted to. I mean, if you came with somebody else you wanted to bring and sit there, that's fine. If you wanted to sit. It was no pressure either way. It was just someplace where you could sit and you didn't have to sit by yourself if you didn't want to. I thought was very interesting.
LW: Okay. And so I did try to look in the yearbook to see what activities you were in but they changed the style up on me.
JB: I wasn't in very many activities.
LW: I was going to ask.
JB: The Neo-Black Society. It was the African American group on campus. I was in that. And I was in the [clock chimes] Newman Club which was the Catholic students club.
LW: So what was the second group you had said? 11
JB: The Newman Club.
LW: Newman. N-e-w-m-a-n?
JB: M-a-n. That's the Catholic students club. But you know, I wasn't very, I was shy. I am shy.
LW: Well, no, this is great because I have been hoping to interview someone who was actually in the Neo-Black Society because so far a lot of the alumni they were in their senior year so they were trying to graduate and leave campus and so I was hoping being that you were in it that you could tell a little bit about the organization, your experience in it, what you did.
JB: Well, it tried to be an organization that addressed the needs of African American students. They started a gospel choir while I was [there]. I wasn't a part of that but that was, but it was, it was an organization that, you know.
LW: And so, how would you describe your level of participation? Were you an officer of the club?
JB: No. No, no, no. I was just in the club. Like I said, I was shy.
LW: Okay, yes, because we know through primary documents in the archives about the protest that were on campus to have more African American faculty represented so I didn't know if maybe you could speak to that or with the curriculum.
JB: You know, I'm thinking that maybe the curriculum thing came up but maybe not the faculty thing came up while I was there. Here we go. I don't remember.
LW: It's alright. Okay, we also know, I don't know if this was while you were in school, but there was a dispute between the Neo-Black Society and student government over the funding and that they. And that was after?
JB: I don't remember any problems.
LW: Okay, so it was really, at the time you were there, it was really an organization that was more bringing awareness and helping the needs of the African American students who were on campus at that time. Okay. So when you were there, do you remember who may have served as officers at that time?
JB: I can see her face but I can't remember her name [laughter].
LW: [Laughter] It's okay, it's okay. But in talking about with the Neo-Black Society and the time period, what was kind of the political atmosphere like, you know, if you would say there was one on campus. 12
JB: Well, see now, like I said, I didn't have any problems at UNCG.
LW: Okay.
JB: I didn't, I didn't feel at all out of place or you know. I just—. I love it. [Laughter]. Had a good time.
LW: Okay, alright. So I know you mentioned that you taught afterwards. I was going to ask, you know, more formally what did you, after UNCG. Were you a teacher after that?
JB: Yes, in fact, I actually got my job through the placement office at UNCG.
LW: Okay.
JB: Because they had interviews and go there and you look and see who was coming to campus and I signed for everybody who wanted an English teacher. Because that's what I was, an English teacher. I put my name on every one of those things for who wanted an English teacher. I interviewed for every, every one . The only one who called me—. I interviewed for several but the only one who called was Chesterfield County Schools in Virginia.
LW: Okay.
JB: Chesterfield County is right outside of Richmond. They called in April and wanted me to come for an interview. And I did. I got my father to go with me because I didn't want to go by myself. He drove me up there and sat in the car while I went for the interview and then shortly after that, when I say shortly, maybe a week after, they called and offered me a contract of course pending my graduation which was the next month. And so, I accepted it because that was the only job I had at the time so I went up there and I taught for a year in Chesterfield County. Lived in an apartment by myself. I was good to go. I lived in Richmond. So, I taught in a junior high. The junior high was Robius Junior High [School].
LW: What was the name again?
JB: Robius.
LW: Robius?
JB: Yes, and it was practically a new school. It was a three year old school at that time and I taught ninth grade English and for one quarter I taught some eighth graders. And somebody told me, and I had a good experience there as far as it was a good department. It was very—. The department had planning periods at the same time so, you know, we had departmental meetings and that kind of thing. Somebody told me that, one thing about Robius, Chesterfield County was in a problem with numbers of African American 13
teachers so that's probably how, but hey, I needed a job. So, you know, I was fine with it but after that first year, my husband mentioned marriage. We had been dating, you know, for four years. So he said well if you can come to Reidsville [North Carolina], if I can find you a job in Reidsville [will you come]. So I did. I got my first job through UNCG.
LW: Okay, and then you came. Which high school? Did you teach in Reidsville too?
JB: Yes. Reidsville Senior High [School].
LW: Reidsville Senior High. And I just want to ask. I know often times if you plan on being a teacher you have to do student teaching. Do you remember where you did your student teaching while you were at UNCG?
JB: Yes. I did it at Western Alamance [High School, Burlington, North Carolina] which is.
LW: Oh, okay.
JB: Oh you know where it is, okay.
LW: Okay, so normally they say Dudley [High School, Greensboro, North Carolina] or one of the other. I wasn't expecting Western Alamance.
JB: I guess all the places in the city were filled. Because when it came time for me to do so student teaching. See I didn't have a car on campus. Well, I didn't have a car period. So you know they were, my student teaching instructor. Now I do remember her name and she was very good. Dr. Elisabeth Bowles. She passed away now though. She was, you know, she asked who had a car. Well, actually, four people did their student teaching at that school, two math majors and two English majors. One math major had and one didn't. One English major had a car and one didn’t. And there were four of us who drove to Western Alamance every day during student teaching. And what I would do is, you know, I would pay one and pay the other. It worked out find.
LW: And just to make sure I'm correct, that's the Western Alamance that is outside of Burlington?
JB: Yes, in Alamance County.
LW: Ok. Just wanted to make sure, Burlington, North Carolina. Alright well you’ve already talked what impact UNCG kind of had on your life. You alluded to that. For student who may listen to this in the future, what do you want them to remember about UNCG and your time there?
JB: Well, like I said one of the best things that I have, I can remember about UNCG is that where I met the three friends that I still have today. That's, you know. And for me it was a great experience. UNCG was a great experience for me. It was.
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LW: Sounds awesome. Well, I don't have any more formal questions. Anything else you would like to add to the interview?
JB: No, I don't think so. I think I told you everything.
LW: Well alright. Well, Mrs. Bass I thank you so very much for participating and look forward to speaking with you again in the future.
JB: Well good.
[End of Interview]