Document text
Approximately 2100 wird.
SOUTH CAhINA 'OJECT
Life History
TITLE MI E 1.3i.i.ON
Date of First ,iriting January lIth,1939
Name of Person Interviewed Madeline iillen(colored)
?ictitious Name Mamie Brown
Street Addreds 4 Norman Street
Place Charleston,S.C.
Occupation School Teacher
Name of riter Muriel A.Mann
1
Name of keviser Office Charleston
Project
uriel
k.,Aann,
Charleston,.C.
Mit MI .11
No.of words 2100
LIFEHITOiY
It WkS 4 right sunny morning out of doors. Tho
city was baskin8 in a warm mid -winter sun, but inside the
little brown house on 1:obson 3treet there was gloom and
despui. It W4S the home of gamic :Asown, and !::amie had
lost her
Yet.. wouid newer guess, judging from her appeerance,
that she is e wo-an of considerable talent and education,
u capable echo '1 teseher,librsrianeseamstress and mother.
But BY° is ull of these, aId more.
_arnie is tuller than the uverage woman and inclined
to pllimpnesr. She has thiult lips,a broad nose, coffee
colcred skin and straight, airy hair a true negro type.
She dresses nently and in go,lb tt;stes
t nox ith Street forty years ago.
Her fatr was e Lrickmason and her mother was a seamstress.
They Lan aorked and saved, und in 1903, when Yaiie was four
years old, they were abic to buy the home on ilobson Street
in which they still live and Which they glare with the
widowed e and her two daughters. It is a two -storied
frame house pctinted brown, and is the most substantial one
on the street s short throu:;hfare off the highway near
the edre of the city.
Project 1653
Muriel A. Mann,
Charleston,S.C.
LIFE HISTORY
Page 2.
There are no trees or flower gardens on this un-
paved street that borders the section of the city known
as Fiddlers Green, a section which ends in the marshes
of the Ashley River nearby. The square plot by the
side of the house, which might have been a garden, is
paved with cement. A roof has been erected over it to
provide shelter for an automobile. This was during
better times. In true Southern style broad porches
follow the L shape of the house, the lower floor of
which is occupied by Mamis,IWhile her parents live on
the upper story.
MamieAS father, Samuel, was seventy years old
on Thanksgiving Day. He is slight and erect and wears
his years lightly. He is still able to do an occasion-
al days work. His wife, Henrietta, has long since given up
sewing. Their chief concern is the welfare of Mamie and
her family, and keeping the taxes paid on the home,now
that Mamie is no longer able to pay any rent.
whenEamie was a child she attended the public
schools, Simonton and Burke, respectively, and wompleted
the fifth grade. She went from there to the Avery Institute,
a junior college, where she finished the normal Course.
hfter receiving her diploma she obtained a position teach-
ing school. She gave up teaching when she got married.
That was in 1924. Her husband, Alliam,had a good position
Project 165b
Muriel A. Uftnno
Charleston,S.C.
LIFE Hr7TORY
Page 3.
as assistant cashier at the Mutual Bank and was able to
provide for his wife. After they were married they eon-
tinued to live in her parents' hone.
The family circle was complete when Mamie bewame
the mother of two daughters,born five years apart. It
was a united and happy little group. They were able to
study and enjoy the things they liked bests radio pro-.
grams, and reading. Mamie loved to do fine hand work
in her spare time, especially in the evenings, with
her family grouped about her. She and her husband read
the classics, DickenstScott, Thackeray, while her
nimble fingers worked swiftly on delicate fabrics or
crocheted many useful articles. Samples of Mamie's
afghans, bedspreads and hemstitching have been shown
on sany occasions, and her work was in great demand
for church bazaL.rs at one time. Their lives seemed to
be quite complete. They were, above the average intel-
lectually, and they were very ambitious for their daughters.
The rooms occupied by Mamie are quite comfortably
furnished, with rugs, curtains and furniture of better
taste thar, is usual in the homes of the colored people.
There is a piano in the parlpr, a radio in the dining
room, and the apartment is heated by a large circulating
oil -burning heater. There are built-in bookcases filled
with books, many books. One of these in the dining -room
Project 1655
Muriel A. Mann,
Gharleston,S.C.
LIFE HMTORY
Page 4.
contains a complete set of Punk and ifignall's Standard
Encyclopedia. A ,gDldfish bowl stands in the corner
near a window, filled with minute tropical fish. The
house is lighted with electricity and equipped with
modern plumbing. iArerything looks well cared for.
'jut this kind of life was destlned, teend. Four
years ago, in 19350 lAamie's husband, William, died of
BrigYts Disease, .following a lingering illness, and
Mamie had to readjust her life to the new circumstances.
At the time, thel, the older daughter, was eight years
old, and her sister Violas, was three. Since then it has
been rough traveling for Mamie and her aging parents.
The first thing that Mamie did after realising
that it v!ould be necessary for her to support her family,
was to have her teacher's certificate renewed. She
applied for a nosition in one of the city schools, but
unfortunately, in such a crowded field her chances were
not so good, and mamie was uLable to find a place.
It was discouraiAmg, but she kept on trying, with-
out results. Then she applied to the iJ P A and was
fortunate enough, after being certified for relief, to
be given work in a library in one of the largest colored
schools in the city. Dothing could have suited her better,
for it gave her an opportunity to use her imagination, and
she did outstanding work.
Project 1655
kuriel A. :Mann,
Charleston„S.C.
LIFE HISTORY
Page 5.
It was not long before Mamie made the library live
because of the intense interest which she took in her work.
Her posters were artistic and unusually interesting, and
her book reviews were worded in excellent Englishohowing
real thought and much research. ,,111.1e there were a great
many books in the library of this school, they had never
been organized or classified, and it was entirely through
kamiels hard work that the library hemle an outstanding
unit of the school.
Mamie held story -telling hours and soon the children
were flocking to the library to hear her storiessfor Mamie
had the knack of making her characters live. And more and
more the library was used for research work, for the pupils
soon found out that she was a storehouse of information,
and never failed to give whatever help was needed.
It was only natural that soon,sho was raised from
the intermediate to the skilled rating, and the school
board promised that, when the .Ph program ended, Mamie
would continue to be employed by the institution.
The outlook was bright indeed, and Mamie was very
happy and contented in her work. ',thel and Viola, now
twelve and seven years of age,respectively, were doing
well in school. Ethel was finishing the eight grade and
had been on the honor roll every month. She was planning,
Project 1655
'Alriel A. Yann,
Charleston,F,C.
1,1? HISTOla
Page 6.
definitely, to become one of three things, a nurse, a
Pharmacist or a doctor, but her desire to become a doc-
tor was strongest. Ath careful planning it was possible,
on Mamie's pay to make ends meet and to even pay her
parents rent to help out with the taxes. Mamie was plan-
ning for the future.
:amie was not prepared for the blow when it fell.
Athout warning, she was released from the --APA, and her
beloved library work was overe new ruling was made res.
leasing all women over sixty-five years of age, or with
children under sixteen years of age, from the PA rolls.
These women were eligible for Social Security benefits.
Mamio's case was investigated after she had made
her application for the benefits, but she was notified,
that, as she was a healthy woman able to work, she was
not entitled to social Seetrity. In any case, the state
wan not preparoc! to take on this extra burden, she was
told. 1,4amie's spirits were very low. There *is some
consolation in a letter received from the ,elfare Depart-
ment stating that they were goirig to reinvestigate her
cases but meanwhile something had to be done,for Mamie
had not been able to save anything, and it was imperative
that she find work inlediately.
Lt-ain, faced with the problem of providing for her
family, she renewed her efforts to get a teacher's position,
and did succeed in finding a small job teaching,arts and
Project 165;3
uriel•Yenn,
Charleston, .0.
IIILTOY
eage 7
crafts from 3.30 until 7 o'clock overy tatornoon in one
of the schools. But the pay was so small that she was
unable to provide sufficient food for herself and the
children, much less help her father with the taxes, as
she had been doing.
Perhaps the most difficult thing for Mamie to
understand was that another library worker was put in her
place by the P, thus killing her chance of being taken
on by the school board. its long as they could get a
librarian paid by the government, they would not employ
anyone. The thought of another earryirz on the work
which she had begun was hard to be
It was with tears in her eyes that hamie told of
her fear that her children were getting an "inferiority
complex' because of the cenditi ns under which they now
have to live. and she believes this too. The strain la
telling on her visably.
Fortunately the health of the family has boon good,
but it is not pssible to have a balanced dietitheat in the
house, or clothing on the fifty cents a day that ilamie is
now earning. L'1.1e cannot even buy the materials necessary
to complete some of her partly finished handwork and cro-
chet pieces, she hopes to sell. And she is disheartened
by the knowledge that, when the schools close at the end
of the sum-:er term, her pay will ()ease.
Project 1653
ulol .in,
Charleston„.G.
RISTO;IY
Page 8.
There is very little that the children can do to
assist. very &;unclay, 3t?‘.(11, the older daughter, earns
twenty fives cents for playing the hymns at the Sunday
)(111ool, but she is still too 7oulle to earn enougt to
really help, and Mamie has begun to believe that her
chances to study to become either a nurseva pharmacist
or a doctor are very slim. Viola has not made any plans
for the future as she is only in the second grade in
echool.ahe is too young to realize what has happened,
and she does not know why her mother weeps so much and
is so filled xith sor7ow.
3ut there is a. bright side to Vamiels trouble.
If she can hold on a while loOger, she may be given a
permanent position teaching again in one of the public
schools, she 17elieves.
Lhe is still tryivg to find the solution to her
problems and live up to her ideasof a eood life, to be
an active member of the church and of mxme service to
the dommunity, :,ihe says: I want to have a family life
that will he an example to othersV