African Americans in Alabama politics
Nettles describes his personal impressions of J. Gary Cooper. As a major general in the marines, Cooper had been the first African American to command a marine reserve unit. He later co-founded the first minority-owned national bank and became the United States' first African American ambassador to Jamaica.
Citing this Excerpt
Oral History Interview with Bert Nettles, July 13, 1974. Interview A-0015. Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007) in the Southern Oral History Program Collection, Southern Historical Collection, Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Full Text of the Excerpt
- JACK BASS:
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What's your relationship with the blacks from this area who are elected
to the legislature, the new ones?
- BERT NETTLES:
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I know two . . . well, there are three who have been nominated. Only one
of whom has Republican opposition, a black running against the Democrat
nominee, in a black area.
- JACK BASS:
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A black Republican?
- BERT NETTLES:
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Yes, but he's got an uphill battle. Of the three, I know two quite well
and certainly can work with them and have worked with them in the past.
One of the . . . well, really, might say nominee-elect because he has no
opposition. Jay Cooper's older brother, Gary, who is a very, very
attractive fellow. Retired. You should talk with him. He's a retired
marine . . . not retired, I think he's been head of the marine unit here
in Mobile. Just been very influential with the black community, very
well accepted by them.
- JACK BASS:
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Are he and Jay pretty much alike, politically and philosophically?
- BERT NETTLES:
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No, I think philosophically Gary, the older one, is more of a Republican
and probably would have run on the Republican ticket if he felt like he
could have gotten elected. Jay is younger and, I think, more of a
Democrat. I'm talking about national philosophical basis now. Jay is . .
. . I think Gary's got his feet more on the ground than Jay.
