Albert Rodgers interview recording, 1995 August 08

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Mary Hebert	I usually start by having you state your full name and tell me when and where you were born.	0:00
Alberta Jones Rogers	My full name is Zee Alberta Jones Rogers.	0:08
Mary Hebert	And you were born in—	0:16
Alberta Jones Rogers	Williamston, North Carolina.	0:17
Mary Hebert	Okay. And what time period were you born in?	0:19
Alberta Jones Rogers	I was born in 1934.	0:28
Mary Hebert	And who were your parents?	0:32
Alberta Jones Rogers	Waller and Bueller Jones.	0:34
Mary Hebert	Did you grow up in Williamston, North Carolina?	0:43
Alberta Jones Rogers	Yes, I did.	0:46
Mary Hebert	Is that a rural community?	0:47
Alberta Jones Rogers	No, it's a very small community. The people was very close, mostly like family.	0:50
Mary Hebert	Was segregation apparent in that community?	1:04
Alberta Jones Rogers	Yes.	1:06
Mary Hebert	Were there signs?	1:08
Alberta Jones Rogers	There was signs says Black and White. You could only go to the window to buy food certain places. And there was certain places that you could send a White person in to buy something for you because they wouldn't sell it to Blacks, period.	1:10
Mary Hebert	What kinds of places were those? Do you have any—	1:26
Alberta Jones Rogers	Food establishments.	1:29
Mary Hebert	What about, did you ever go to the grocery store and have to wait for a White person to be served before you?	1:33
Alberta Jones Rogers	No. My foster parents did most of the shopping in the food stores.	1:39
Mary Hebert	What school did you attend?	1:46
Alberta Jones Rogers	EJ Hayes High School. It was a middle school and a high school combined.	1:47
Mary Hebert	What elementary school did you attend?	1:58
Alberta Jones Rogers	I think it was Williams Elementary School.	2:03
Mary Hebert	That's okay. Was it a one room schoolhouse or was it a large—	2:07
Alberta Jones Rogers	Oh, it was kind of a large place. We had more than one room.	2:13
Mary Hebert	Okay and how many grades were there? Do you have any memories of that at all?	2:19
Alberta Jones Rogers	You went from one through six.	2:23
Mary Hebert	I've heard that teachers were very strict disciplinarians.	2:29
Alberta Jones Rogers	Very strict. And I believe you learned more than you do today.	2:32
Mary Hebert	There weren't any disruptions in the classroom and things like that?	2:37
Alberta Jones Rogers	Very few. Very few.	2:42
Mary Hebert	What about the books in the schools that you attended? Were they hand—me—downs from the White schools or were you not aware?	2:44
Alberta Jones Rogers	I wasn't aware of that at all.	2:51
Mary Hebert	Did you have a teacher that was influential, that was important to you?	2:54
Alberta Jones Rogers	Yes. Mr. Svade.	2:59
Mary Hebert	And why was he?	3:04
Alberta Jones Rogers	Because he was the type of person, if you could not comprehend fast, he would stay back with you to guide you. He would not turn you loose until he knew you fully understood what he was trying to get over to you.	3:05
Mary Hebert	What did he teach?	3:27
Alberta Jones Rogers	English.	3:29
Mary Hebert	Were you ever instilled with this idea that education was important and that was the way he lived there?	3:32
Alberta Jones Rogers	Yes. In my house you had— Yes.	3:38
Mary Hebert	And so were the people that you were staying with well educated?	3:47
Alberta Jones Rogers	Yes. The lady that raised me was a principal.	3:48
Mary Hebert	Of the high school that you're—	3:57
Alberta Jones Rogers	No, she was a principal in Ocilla, Georgia. And her mother is the one that we lived with, which she was a retired eighth grade school teacher.	4:00
Mary Hebert	Were you taught at home also?	4:12
Alberta Jones Rogers	Yes.	4:14
Mary Hebert	So you had to do your lessons every time.	4:16
Alberta Jones Rogers	You had to do your lessons, everything, before you could go out to play.	4:17
Mary Hebert	Who did you play with? Were there children in the neighborhood?	4:24
Alberta Jones Rogers	Yes, there was few in our neighborhood. You mostly would have to go out of the neighborhood. It was a very few people. We couldn't play with everybody. Certain people, they would allow us to play with them.	4:28
Mary Hebert	So the people you were living with wouldn't allow you to play with certain children?	4:48
Alberta Jones Rogers	That's right.	4:55
Mary Hebert	Were there a lot of sharecroppers, those types of people living in the surrounding community?	4:57
Alberta Jones Rogers	We lived in the town part. So that was a ways out.	5:05
Mary Hebert	That wasn't—	5:11
Alberta Jones Rogers	No, I wasn't aware of that.	5:13
Mary Hebert	Were there any bad sections of town that you weren't allowed to go into?	5:15
Alberta Jones Rogers	Yes.	5:18
Mary Hebert	Why weren't you allowed to go into those?	5:21
Alberta Jones Rogers	Because my parents, I should say my foster parents were very strict. They were very religious and they knew that some people would allow their kids to do more than what they would allow us to do, so they wouldn't let us play. It was two of us.	5:23
Mary Hebert	Your brother was with you?	5:43
Alberta Jones Rogers	No, another young lady.	5:45
Mary Hebert	Because Mrs. Doja mentioned that you had a brother also.	5:47
Alberta Jones Rogers	I have a brother, yes. But my brother wasn't raised with me.	5:49
Mary Hebert	You said the people that you were with were very religious?	5:56
Alberta Jones Rogers	Yes.	5:59
Mary Hebert	What church did you attend?	5:59
Alberta Jones Rogers	[Shiloh] Baptist.	6:00
Mary Hebert	Were you involved in any church activities? Choir—	6:03
Alberta Jones Rogers	Youth, choir, Sunday School. Then you would come back in the evening to the young people's Christian Cancer Worship service.	6:08
Mary Hebert	Were there revivals? Did your church have revivals?	6:23
Alberta Jones Rogers	Yes, we had revivals.	6:23
Mary Hebert	Did people come from all over?	6:27
Alberta Jones Rogers	They would invite a minister from out of town and this minister would stay a week.	6:30
Mary Hebert	Oh, I've heard that sometimes there were picnics and big, large gatherings with food. And did that happen during revival time?	6:36
Alberta Jones Rogers	Yes.	6:43
Mary Hebert	Did you go on to college?	6:48
Alberta Jones Rogers	I took two years of college.	6:50
Mary Hebert	Where'd you go?	6:53
Alberta Jones Rogers	I went to Norfolk State.	6:55
Mary Hebert	So that's when you came to Norfolk?	6:56
Alberta Jones Rogers	Yes, and I went to Tidewater Community.	6:58
Mary Hebert	How'd you decide to come to Norfolk State?	7:03
Alberta Jones Rogers	Well, I needed more experience for the job and I start going there to take the courses because Tidewater community was far out at that time and I had to get the course in order to maintain the supervisor's job.	7:06
Mary Hebert	So you went to school there. When did you come to Norfolk?	7:26
Alberta Jones Rogers	Oh boy. That's been some time. I've been in Norfolk about 45 years. I can't—	7:31
Mary Hebert	So you were young.	7:34
Alberta Jones Rogers	I was very young when I came.	7:34
Mary Hebert	Did you go to school here at all?	7:45
Alberta Jones Rogers	Yes.	7:46
Mary Hebert	What school?	7:46
Alberta Jones Rogers	I went to Booker T.	7:47
Mary Hebert	Did you graduate from there?	7:49
Alberta Jones Rogers	No, I graduated at night school, Booker T. Because I got a job and I stopped day school and I went to night school. That's where I finished at night school.	7:51
Mary Hebert	What kind of job did you get?	8:05
Alberta Jones Rogers	Okay. I got a job working with a very rich family, and I always like disabled people and I always like retarded people. I was working for a family that had a retarded child.	8:07
Mary Hebert	So that's where your training was?	8:22
Alberta Jones Rogers	My training start there. It started there.	8:24
Mary Hebert	Were you kind of a companion to the child or you took care of the child?	8:28
Alberta Jones Rogers	I took care of the child completely.	8:32
Mary Hebert	Did you live with them all?	8:34
Alberta Jones Rogers	No. What happened, I would take care of the child and I took care of everything. Then they had two other people under me that I would tell them what to do as I was kind of an overall supervisor of those two ladies. And I was very young.	8:35
Mary Hebert	A teenager?	8:55
Alberta Jones Rogers	No, I wasn't a teenager, but I was in my late twenties.	8:56
Mary Hebert	And so you're taking care of—	9:02
Alberta Jones Rogers	Just taking care of that child.	9:03
Mary Hebert	Had you had any experience doing that before?	9:06
Alberta Jones Rogers	Never. Just wanted to do it.	9:08
Mary Hebert	Where'd you live in Norfolk. What neighborhood?	9:11
Alberta Jones Rogers	I lived on Chapel Street.	9:13
Mary Hebert	What's that near?	9:20
Alberta Jones Rogers	Well, they don't have it now. I don't think. It was near New Cabaret Church near Virginia Beach Boulevard.	9:21
Mary Hebert	And it's gone now?	9:30
Alberta Jones Rogers	Yes. I think they torn it down. The new houses settlement has taken. I think that, I'm not sure.	9:32
Mary Hebert	What would you do for fun in Norfolk with, or would you go out to Virginia Beaches and Virginia Beach Seaview, Ocean Breeze, those beaches?	9:39
Alberta Jones Rogers	Really, I don't care too much for the beach. And when I do go, I usually go to Ocean City, Maryland. I like that beach better than I do anything. I haven't been to Virginia Beach in years to go to the beach because I'm not a beach person.	9:50
Mary Hebert	What would you do for fun there?	10:08
Alberta Jones Rogers	Okay. Usually I go to church.	10:09
Mary Hebert	You'd go to church?	10:12
Alberta Jones Rogers	Yes.	10:12
Mary Hebert	Have you always remained active in church?	10:13
Alberta Jones Rogers	Yes, that's my whole life.	10:15
Mary Hebert	What church do you attend here?	10:19
Alberta Jones Rogers	I attend Mount Zion Community Church.	10:21
Mary Hebert	What was segregation like in Norfolk? I mean, was it similar to what you'd experienced in North Carolina?	10:31
Alberta Jones Rogers	Well, some parts. Most of the people that I would be around or had some type of connection with appeared to be— To me in North Carolina they was much warmer. I put it like that. People in Virginia appears to be a little colder, but they would do for you. But it's as if, because I like you, on that note. But if they didn't like you didn't get anything done.	10:37
Mary Hebert	And in North Carolina it wasn't like that?	11:23
Alberta Jones Rogers	It wasn't like it.	11:24
Mary Hebert	Was the White community closer to the Black community in North Carolina?	11:25
Alberta Jones Rogers	Yes. Although there were some things we know that we could not do, they would do it for us.	11:29
Mary Hebert	Like going to the restaurant	11:34
Alberta Jones Rogers	Right here. They didn't.	11:36
Mary Hebert	Did you think that the Church Street area and the Black business district made a difference? And were you able to avoid some of the segregated facilities because of that?	11:40
Alberta Jones Rogers	Really, I don't know. I must say I don't know because I never visit your street that much.	11:53
Mary Hebert	I'm talking about back when you first came here.	12:03
Alberta Jones Rogers	When I first came, usually my aunt when I came here would buy everything and I didn't go out that much.	12:05
Mary Hebert	So you stayed with your aunt?	12:18
Alberta Jones Rogers	Yes.	12:19
Alberta Jones Rogers	And uncle.	12:20
Mary Hebert	Were they as strict as the foster family that you lived in?	12:35
Alberta Jones Rogers	No, they wasn't as strict. But some things they did not allow. But through my upbringing, I just didn't do it. I didn't want to do it. I knew the time to come in if I went out. I knew a decent hour to get back home or to let them know where I was going. I always had to do that.	12:38
Mary Hebert	Was education important to your aunt and uncle also?	13:00
Alberta Jones Rogers	At that time they didn't really talk about it because when I came, a neighbor next door showed me how to go to the schools and everything or where the schools were located because my uncle was a [prison.] He didn't have much education. He was a cement finisher, but he taught his own self just about everything. So I did it mostly on my own. I got here.	13:08
Mary Hebert	How did you get involved in working with the Shepherd's Way and—	13:38
Alberta Jones Rogers	Okay, I was taking care at Lady. After she got well, I didn't have a job. Her daughter asked me did I like working with people instead of just doing nursing. Because see at that time I was in school going for nursing's assistance staff and I told her yes. So she said they had a opening here. She knew the lady that was the vice president of this home. And if I would like, she would put in a word for it. I told her yes. So when she told Evelyn Peevee that she had someone who was good, she said I have my references and everything, and they asked her to send me and they hired me right on the spot.	13:43
Mary Hebert	Is it the private facility?	14:40
Alberta Jones Rogers	Yes, it is.	14:41
Mary Hebert	Is it affiliated with the church?	14:42
Alberta Jones Rogers	The church owns it. First Baptist Church, Beach Street.	14:45
Mary Hebert	Beach Street?	14:48
Alberta Jones Rogers	Yes.	14:49
Mary Hebert	For most of your career you've been taking care of people, right?	14:57
Alberta Jones Rogers	Yes, and I love it. I love it.	15:00
Mary Hebert	It's great to love your work, but—	15:04
Alberta Jones Rogers	Yes, I love it.	15:05
Mary Hebert	So that that's all you've really done—	15:06
Alberta Jones Rogers	Oh, I've done other things, but I always would find a way to take care of people. I did housekeeping, I worked in a factory and while I was trying to put myself through school, so I was taking odds and end jobs. I worked in a restaurant. But my baby, I call it, is taking care of people, especially children and the elderly.	15:09
Mary Hebert	And does Shepherd's Way mostly have the elderly	15:38
Alberta Jones Rogers	We do have the elderly. We don't take anything. They have to be 60 and above.	15:41
Mary Hebert	Is it mostly church members who— Or is it anyone?	15:49
Alberta Jones Rogers	No, anyone. Anyone.	15:52
Mary Hebert	This has been about 20 minutes. Is there anything you'd like to add that I haven't asked you about that you would like to include with this interview?	15:59
Alberta Jones Rogers	I don't have anything right off the top of my head, but if there's anything that you would would like to ask me right now to wrap it up, it's fine.	16:06
Mary Hebert	Let's see. Look at this really quickly.	16:15
Mary Hebert	When you were working for the White families, taking care of the retarded child, or any other people that you work for? How were you treated by the families?	16:28
Alberta Jones Rogers	Well, when I was working with the retarded child, I was treated fine. They were service people. And when they left Virginia, they wanted me to go along and I couldn't go along because I was working and going to school as well. But they were fantastic. Very, very nice. And I took care of this lady. No different. They treated me as if I was one of the family, treated me as if I was—	16:38
Mary Hebert	So do you think by taking care of them and being there that they treated you better than they would've say a domestic or someone like that?	17:11
Alberta Jones Rogers	I don't think so, because they did have housekeepers and the housekeepers was treated the same. They had keys to their houses and everything. I really feel some people just, I call it have a heart. And the heart is warmer than others. There's some people, hearts are cold, but I do realize if they allow the Lord to come in, their hearts will warm up. And that's with Black and White.	17:19
Mary Hebert	That's right.	17:51
Mary Hebert	I'll stop this now and—	17:55

Item Info

Title:

Albert Rodgers interview recording, 1995 August 08

Date:

August 8, 1995

Creator:

Rodgers, Alberta Jones

Contributor:

Hebert, Mary

Description:

Name: Alberta Jones Rodgers; Date of birth: unknown; Place of birth: Williamston, NC; Occupation(s): health services; nursing home worker; caregiver; Residence: Norfolk, VA
Informant ID: 982; Interviewed by: Mary Hebert.

Occupation:

Location:

Format:

Language:

English

Digital Collection:

Behind the Veil

Source Collection:

Behind the Veil: Documenting African American Life in the Jim Crow South interviews, photographs, and project records, circa 1864-2011, bulk 1990-2004

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Provenance:

The David M. Rubenstein Rare Book and Manuscript Library acquired the Records of the Behind the Veil Oral History Project from the Duke University Center for Documentary Studies in 1997, 1998, 2000, and 2002.

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Limited Re-Use

CC BY-NC 4.0

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Copyright for content created by the Behind the Veil project is held by Duke University and made available to the public using a Creative Commons Attribution / Non-commercial (CC-BY-NC) license.

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RL00170-CS-1336
40e01e32-fc1c-4375-b1e7-421bea3f0263
behindtheveil
72ffc3cc-97f4-461b-89b1-643db77cd5ec
ark:/87924/r4pz5cw20
72ffc3cc-97f4-461b-89b1-643db77cd5ec

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Albert Rodgers interview recording, 1995 August 08

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1. Albert Rodgers administrative file, 1995

John Hope Franklin Research Center

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John Hope Franklin Research Center

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