When he retired, must have been… I'm trying to place it in time. Must
have been about 1942 or '43, because he had worked for a time as acting
president of Fortd Valley State College, after he retired from Atlanta
University. But this was the first year he was retired, and in fact, he…
People went down to the next building to give in their taxes. I don't
guess they do that now, but you would go down to the courthouse and give
in your taxes between the first of January and March, and of course it
was a poll tax at that time, accumulated poll tax, which you had to pay
back, I don't know how many years, if you had not been registered, in
order to… So papa used to go to the courthouse just as if he was going
to a job, and talk to the Negros in the line waiting to give in their
taxes, and ask them if they had ever thought about registering to vote.
And they would say, "Yes," They'd thought about it, but they had never
registered
Page 11 and they'd have to pay so much
accumulated. So it'd be so much as… I don't remember the details of the
law, how many years back they had to pay, but it could amount to as much
as thirty dollars to get on the list at that time. And then if he could
persuade anybody to go and register and pay their poll tax, then he'd
make a little note in a book. And before the list closed, he had his
little black book full of people that he had persuaded to get on the
polls. Another funny story about that time, we were all distressed by
the… I mean, not distressed, but had some anxiety about his… We just
didn't think it would be pleasant at the courthouse then. And, sure
enough, after two or three days some courthouse official came over and
wanted to know who he was. And then the second question was, "And whom
do you work for?" And papa said, "I am retired, and fortunately my work…
my needs are few, so I am trying to encourage people to share in this
democracy we hear so much about." They never did…