Other
Drake, Videll (audio interview #1 of 3)
INTERVIEW DESCRIPTION - This is the first of three interviews with Videll Drake conducted at a small table in the dining area of her one story home in South Central Los Angeles. Because Drake has a tendency to talk about subjects without providing sufficient background, it is a bit difficult to develop a clear understanding of her life. 9/8/1980
- Date
- 2021-08-19
- Resource Type
- Creator
- Campus
- Keywords
- Handle
- Language
- Notes
- SUBJECT BIO - Videll Drake, had been working as a live-in domestic in Los Angeles when jobs at North American opened up for Black women. Born in Dallas, Texas, Drake began picking cotton when she was only ten years old. She married in 1928, when she was only sixteen, and became the mother of two before she was eighteen. After the birth of her second child, she went to work as a domestic in Dallas. When she came to Los Angeles in 1942 seeking better opportunities, she left her children with her family in Texas. After a one year layoff from North American, Drake returned to work there in 1946 and remained until her retirement in 1979. The job at North American had ill effects on her health, however. Exposed to an assortment of dangerous chemicals and injuries on the job, she suffered from several health problem, leading her to emphasize the unsafe working conditions. The interviews with Drake were conducted at a small table in the dining area of her one story home in South Central Los Angeles. Because of ill health, she tired easily, but remained quite fiery during the course of the interviews. She tended to jump from one time period to another - a common pattern among the women who returned to a long work history in aircraft production. Because of health problems and her prolonged visit to Texas, the interviews stretched out over a period of several months. She remained engaged and interested in the project, however, even though it was a physical strain for her. She speaks in what she referred to as a "Texified" way and, indeed, it is difficult to understand her dialect at times. TOPICS - family background and family history; rural living; childhood; and farm work;segregation; schooling; early ideas about sex; pregnancy; marriage; school activities; rural life; farming; household chores; childhood; career aspirations; family background and family history;
- *** File: rrrvdrake1.mp3 Audio Segments and Topics: (0:00-4:04)... Drake was born January 11, 1912 in Dallas, Texas. She was raised by her maternal grandparents and saw her mother periodically when she was a child. Her grandparents lived on a farm in a rural community in Texas. Drake worked in the fields from 4:00 a.m. until noon, at which time she went to the house and cooked meals for the other farmhands. She eventually moved back to Dallas and lived with an aunt. By this time, Drake had a child and supported her by washing clothes. Drake moved in with her mother and stepfather and lived with them in Dallas until she moved to California in 1941. (4:04-15:30)... Drake did not meet her father until 1958. He died that same year and a lengthy court battle ensued regarding his estate. She describes the circumstances of this matter in detail. A woman who claimed to be her father's daughter was able to retain some of his property and money. (15:30-21:39)... Drake's grandfather was a farmer, but he did not own land. The farm was located approximately forty-five minutes from Dallas, Texas. Drake lived with her grandparents on this farm until her twenties. At that time, she moved to Dallas with her two young children and her grandparents. Her grandmother died because of problems with a tooth. Drake had spent very little time around her mother until she moved to Dallas. Her mother did not work. Drake's father worked at a packinghouse in Kansas City. (21:39-25:47)... When Drake was ten years old, she was sent into the field to pick cotton. She was not paid for her fieldwork. She describes some of her experiences picking and chopping cotton, indicating that male farmhands disliked her because she was proficient at picking large amounts of cotton. (25:47-27:18)... When Drake moved to Dallas, she began spending more time with her mother and eventually moved into her mother's house. Drake attended school in Dallas. End of tape. *** File: rrrvdrake2.mp3 (0:54-2:45)... Drake started going to school when she was about seven years old. She went to a segregated school in Italy, Texas. (2:45-7:40)... Drake was interested in joining the track team in school but decided against it because she got pregnant. She remembers telling her friends that she was going to "let the box car bump her." Her friends told a teacher and he reported this behavior to her grandmother. When Drake came home that evening she got married and gave birth to a daughter when she was fifteen years old. She stopped attending school when she got pregnant. Her grandmother never talked to her about sex. Drake's friends teased her that she would end up alone if she did not "do things." Drake digresses regarding her experiences teaching children how to dance while in school and her interest in pursuing a career in dancing. (7:40-10:42)... Drake grew up with two aunts who were like her sisters. In school, they played basketball and softball. Drake was a good basketball player and was praised by her teachers for her abilities. When she moved to Dallas, she played softball with girls who were in high school. Her young children accompanied her to these games and her four-year-old daughter was paid to dance for the crowd. (10:42-13:07)... Drake was responsible for doing the dishes and picking cotton while growing up in her grandmother's home. She was raised near her first husband, who lived on a vacant lot in the country. She discusses some of her experiences living in the country, indicating that she likes to visit, but does not ever want to move back to the country. Although life was hard in the country, her work at North American was more difficult than anything she did while living in the country. (13:07-16:03)... The town where Drake grew up was segregated. There were certain places that Blacks were not allowed to go, though she doesn't provide a lot of details. She believes that Mexicans lived in the town and were segregated in certain areas as well. Most of the White people who lived in the community owned their farms. (16:03-21:23)... Drake gave birth to a son when she was fifteen years old and a daughter approximately nine months later. Prior to giving birth to her children, she worked in the fields picking cotton. Her grandfather collected the earnings and she did not receive any money from her labor. She was occasionally paid when she picked cotton on Saturdays. Earnings were calculated based on how many bales of cotton were picked at the end of the week. She digresses regarding her mother and how she sent Drake a box of clothes before the beginning of each school year. Whenever Drake's mother visited the country, she took sugar and other things from Drake's home. (21:23-25:10)... Drake believes that her grandmother is of Indian ancestry. She discusses her family history. Specifically, Drakes talks about her aunt and her aunt's ailing husband. End of tape.
- Rights Note
- This repository item may be used for classroom presentations, unpublished papers, and other educational, research, or scholarly use. Other uses, especially publication in any form, such as in dissertations, theses, articles, or web pages are not permitted without the express written permission of the individual collection's copyright holder(s). Please contact the CSULB Library Administration should you require permission to publish or distribute any content from this collection or if you need additional information or assistance in using these materials: https://www.csulb.edu/university-library/form/questionssuggestions-the-digital-repository-group
Relationships
- In Collection:
Items
| Thumbnail | File information | Actions |
|---|---|---|
|
1959650344468646-rrrvdrake1.mp3 Public
|
Download |
|
|
1143493703572187-rrrvdrake2.mp3 Public
|
Download |
|
|
2319333283845251-rrrvdrake1.jpg Public
|
Download |