Primary Resources Archive

Interview Transcripts Section

Interview with Raymond A. Jordan
This interview was conducted by Shadae D. Thomas. Mr. Jordan provides an in depth look at Springfield’s Black institutions, community organizations, churches, local movements and incidents, community leaders, and the local racial climate. He speaks powerfully about Springfield’s past, including key events like the Octagon Lounge incident, which took place in the 1960’s, and a sit-in demonstration that resulted in Jordan’s employment as the executive director of the Afro-American Cultural Center at the American International College, which is located in the Upper Hill neighborhood of Springfield, MA. Jordan discusses how these local events eventually led to his election as Springfield’s first black state representative.

Interview with Willie Mae Burgess
This interview was conducted by Ashia Ahnie Alexander-Mason. Willie Mae Burgess discusses her experiences in the city of Springfield, Massachusetts. She explores her family’s migration from Georgia to Springfield, her connections to the late City Councilman Paul R. Mason, and some of her own experiences as a black entrepreneur in Springfield. Like many other blacks in Springfield Willie Mae Burgess feels that she did not have the institutional support needed to succeed at accomplishing her goals. In addition, she contemplates if Springfield can keep young ambitious black residents from leaving the city in search of better employment. 

Interview with Dr. Leonard Lockley
This interview was conducted by Kenneth Simpson. Dr. Lockley discusses his personal experiences in Springfield as well as significant and troubling issues of race and class. Dr. Lockley discussed what it was like to have a doctorate in a community where few Blacks went to college. He recalls the flood of 1936, black relocation from the North End to the Hill, and instances of local racism/police brutality. At the time of this interview Dr. Lockley was employed part-time at Springfield Technical Community College.

Interview with Mrs. Dorothy Pryor
This interview was conducted by Alexis Miller. Mrs. Pryor came to Springfield with her parents when she was just five months old. Mrs. Pryor was proud to talk about her husband, the late Dr. Albert J. Pryor, as well as the experiences of her two children; she has one son and one daughter. Mrs. Pryor is a graduate of Fisk University and the University of Chicago. In Springfield, Mrs. Pryor spent most of her life teaching for the Springfield Public School District; eventually, she became a professor at Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) and was appointed by Governor Michael Dukakis as a trustee in the late 80’s. Every first Wednesday in April is Dorothy Jordan Pryor Day at STCC.

 

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