Changing racial composition at West Charlotte
Yost says he does not think much about the racial character of his chess team, but he does note that the team is majority black and that "we're becoming blacker at West Charlotte."
Citing this Excerpt
Oral History Interview with Robert Yost, November 22, 2000. Interview K-0487. 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
- PAMELA GRUNDY:
-
In terms of, do you see any, I guess, both racial or interracial
components to the chess club, that are meaningful
to you? Do you think chess, is it at all related to it being chess
they're playing? Or if you don't, if that's-.
- ROBERT YOST:
-
I don't know that I see a racial component here. A few years back, this
is going back a few years. I actually called chess club international
club, because we had a token white person on the team. We called him our
token white. We had several black.
[END OF TAPE 1, SIDE A]
[TAPE 1, SIDE B]
[START OF TAPE 1, SIDE B]
- PAMELA GRUNDY:
-
Okay, you said two Hispanic [unclear]
- ROBERT YOST:
-
Two Hispanics. I'll tell you the truth. We were such a melting pot, we
were really a microcosm of society as a whole. We were just
predominantly minority. However, and then other years, let's see, my
first team, we had two Caucasians, one African American, one Indian, on
the team. I really don't know that, I mean, that that has really been a
factor. I mean, we have just been a composite of what the school is.
We've always been integrated. But the exact composition, I guess I just
don't really look at it that much. I'm so used to, you know, my wife is
black, and I don't even think of her, I mean, I just don't think in
those terms, whether you're black or white. Because I just look at them
as human beings. So that has not really been a factor. I think that's
what I really would like to say. That we don't even look as race as a
factor. Somebody brought this up in one of the classes the other day.
"Mr. Yost, there are only two whites in this
room." We were talking about being minority.
"There are only two whites in here,
him and you." Oh, my gosh. You're right. I mean, I didn't
even think about it. It hadn't even dawned on me. And I have classes in
which I have all black students. Years ago, it wouldn't have been that
way. I think we're becoming blacker in West Charlotte.