Title: Oral History Interview with Jefferson M. Robinette, July 1977. Interview H-0041.
Identifier: H-0041
Interviewer: Kuhn, Cliff
Interviewee: Robinette, Jefferson M.
Subjects: Textile workers--North Carolina    Strikes and lockouts--Textile industry    Charlotte (N.C.)--Social life and customs    
Extent: 01:32:38
Abstract:  Jefferson Robinette started mill work at the age of twelve in Charlotte, North Carolina, and spent his working life moving between the area's textile mills and furniture factories, and eventually settling into a job at a dairy. In this interview, Robinette recalls these experiences, offering plenty of detail but little reflection. Robinette worked hard to raise four children and care for his wife, but he never pursued wealth and seemed to accept what was offered by his employers. As a result, he never joined a union and worked well into his old age, retiring from his dairy job at the age of eighty-three.