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Oral History Interview with Angus Boaz Thompson Sr., October 21, 2003. Interview U-0017. Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007).
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  • Abstract
    Angus Thompson recalls decades of civil rights activism, from pushing school integration to opposing segregated public facilities. Thompson inherited a legacy of activism from his father and became a forceful leader in the African American community in Lumberton, North Carolina, forging voting alliances with local Native Americans and opposing other black politicians' accommodationist impulses. Thompson's story is one of undiluted support for integration, which he sees as the cornerstone of racial progress in the second half of the twentieth century. This interview will prove useful for researchers looking for on-the-ground narratives of civil rights activism and an impassioned defense of the progress of the past fifty years.
    Excerpts
  • NAACP campaigns for desegregation
  • Struggling to find successful desegregation plan
  • Blacks and Native Americans form political alliance
  • Desegregation creates white need for black political support
  • Blacks sue to enforce integration order
  • African American man describes legal struggle to enforce integration
  • Fighting against accomodation in black community
  • Black reluctance to resist white hegemony
  • Desegregation creates opportunities for African Americans
  • School mergers improve resources
  • Threat of violence hangs over black activists
  • Learn More
  • Finding aid to the Southern Oral History Program Collection
  • Database of all Southern Oral History Program Collection interviews
  • Subjects
  • North Carolina--Race relations--20th century
  • Robeson County (N.C.)--Race relations
  • Civil rights--North Carolina
  • African Americans--Civil rights--North Carolina
  • Civil rights movements--North Carolina--History--20th century
  • Civil rights movements--North Carolina--Robeson County
  • Robeson County (N.C.)--History--20th century
  • African Americans--North Carolina--Robeson County
  • The Southern Oral History Program transcripts presented here on Documenting the American South undergo an editorial process to remove transcription errors. Texts may differ from the original transcripts held by the Southern Historical Collection.

    Funding from the Institute for Museum and Library Services supported the electronic publication of this title.