Segregated schools enjoyed stability and community cohesion
Campbell describes some of the benefits of segregated schools, including a stable workforce, a cohesive community, and committed administrative leadership. He recalls the constructive input of the State Supervisor of Black Schools. Researchers interested in some of the changes Campbell initiated under the supervisor's leadership should continue reading after the end of this passage.
Citing this Excerpt
Oral History Interview with Leroy Campbell, January 4, 1991. Interview M-0007. Southern Oral History Program Collection (#40007) in the Southern Oral History Program Collection, Southern Historical Collection, Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Full Text of the Excerpt
- GOLDIE F. WELLS:
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How did you supervise your personnel and how did you select your
teachers?
- LEROY CAMPBELL:
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In the early fifties, Black faculties were stable. If you got a good
teacher, a good teacher wanted to stay. If you were doing something,
they would stay. I worked all those years. I only had problems with
recommending one person to be discharged from working with me. Several
people quit because if you didn't want to run fast, they said
well I want slow racing, they quit and went where they could work like
that. But I didn't have any problems with anything like that.
I selected usually on their academic training. I used that as the
primary thing because my feelings were that if a person could take the
time to train themselves, he had the commitment and discipline to be a
good teacher. My place then was to motivate and supervise and help the
person become what he wanted. He had already shown what he wanted to do
and he was trained.
- GOLDIE F. WELLS:
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Curriculum and instruction. I want to know how much input that you had in
the curriculum and instruction of your school.
- LEROY CAMPBELL:
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The good thing about segregated schools is that you could assemble a good
staff and get a good school atmosphere and get parents working with what
you are doing. You could do almost anything because you had no
interference. I think we achieved that and I had maintained--Dr. Frank
Tolliver had been my high school principal. He was the principal of
Asheville and he became State Supervisor of Black schools. He and Sam
Duncan. Mr. Tolliver came to me and talked to me. Dr. Duncan came first.
I had known Dr. Duncan because I went to Livingstone two or three days,
and I had to stay with my uncle over there and I left the same year. So
Dr. Duncan came and talked with me. He expanded my vision of where I
could go or where the school could go.