| AdminHistory | The recordings of Charlotte Brooks concentrate on her work, experiences of racial segregation as a black woman living in America. The 'dominant language and culture' (of the educated middle classes) is also a dominant theme. When the recordings were made (1968) Charlotte Brooks was living in Washington D.C. She held a full-time position as Head of Department of English for the City of Washington and Consultant for the Office of Education (MS 4000/5/1/7/2).
Throughout the tapes she talks about her work broadening attitudes to different dialects and also her 'teaching of acceptance' outside her Washington D.C. schools work (MS 4000/5/1/7/12). The recordings discuss the enslavement of black people in America particularly in relation to Mississippi; the work of Martin Luther King (MS 4000/5/1/7/11); and the Fourteenth Amendment freeing slaves (MS 4000/5/1/7/12). The first tape in the series is predominantly an interview with Dan Fader who describes his literacy and cultural work with under-privileged children aged 12-17 years in America (MS 4000/5/1/7/1).
The interviews are all conducted by Charles Parker who is interested to explore both the attitudes to language and dialect as well as black history, racial segregation and slavery. |