Blanche Davis interview recording, 1994 June 28 / Behind the Veil / Duke Digital Repository

Blanche Davis

Well, I hardly know what to start about my back life. Let's see.

0:03

Tywanna Whorley

Well, when were you born?

0:08

Blanche Davis

Hmm?

0:10

Tywanna Whorley

When were you born?

0:10

Blanche Davis

I was born 30 July, 1900. In Montgomery County. I'm from about 14 miles out of Montgomery. Between Montgomery and Tuskegee.

0:12

Tywanna Whorley

Okay. Do you remember your grandparents?

0:29

Blanche Davis

Hmm?

0:29

Tywanna Whorley

You remember your grandparents?

0:29

Blanche Davis

Remember my grandparents?

0:29

Tywanna Whorley

Yes, ma'am.

0:31

Blanche Davis

Yes. I remember My daddy's mother, she passed on in 1914. I was 14 years old. I remember that real good.

0:31

Tywanna Whorley

What was her name?

0:40

Blanche Davis

Hmm?

0:40

Tywanna Whorley

What was her name?

0:40

Blanche Davis

Her name was Emma Davis. Emma Davis.

0:41

Tywanna Whorley

And your grandfather?

0:50

Blanche Davis

Well, I don't remember my daddy's father, but I do remember his mother. And this is her picture over here on the—Right here on this thing.

0:50

Tywanna Whorley

Oh, okay.

0:55

Blanche Davis

I remember her real, real well. I remember three grand-mamas. My mother's grandmother, and my mother's mother's grandma, my great-great-grandma.

0:57

Stacey Scales

Did they ever talk about slavery times?

1:09

Blanche Davis

I remember a old lady that I used to visit when I was a little girl would talk about slavery times very—A lot, a lot. She would show me the bed and her husband made this bed that they slept in. That's when I was a little girl, maybe about 10 years old.

1:13

Tywanna Whorley

What did they tell you about that period?

1:28

Blanche Davis

Hmm?

1:31

Tywanna Whorley

Do you remember what they told you about that period? About being slaves during that time?

1:31

Blanche Davis

Talk a little louder.

1:35

Tywanna Whorley

Oh, I'm sorry. What did they tell you about that period? About being slaves?

1:36

Blanche Davis

Well, this old lady, she would tell us about how they would whip the people in slavery time. And of course, my grandmother told—My great-grandma told us a lot about that, how they would tie them down and beat them. But they didn't ever whip her. She said she had—Well, button them when they come up to her, and she'd just knock them out. Oh yeah. That was my great-grandma. So, but it was a kind of rough road for them back there. They couldn't pray loud.

1:41

Blanche Davis

I remember once I wanted a different—A new job. That's when I was about 35 years old, and working in Mountain Brooks when this happened. I went in a women's—After serving lunch for them that day, they had a Bridge party. I decided I'd go and ask her to give me another job. And I did, I went in her kitchen and I said, "Now, my grandmother, she had to pray with her head under a bucket, but I'm asking you today for another job." And I got that job. Worked only 13 years and eight months without any trouble. So, I do know the Lord will answer prayers. Mm-hmm. Yeah.

2:14

Stacey Scales

So, what brought your family to Birmingham?

2:58

Blanche Davis

Hmm?

2:59

Stacey Scales

What brought your family to Birmingham?

3:01

Blanche Davis

What brought them?

3:03

Stacey Scales

Yeah.

3:04

Blanche Davis

Well anyway, my mother was living in Montgomery County after I was age 20. It would've been my birthday that that Monday. I left on the weekend to visit a brother of mine who lived in Birmingham. And after visiting him, I didn't ever go back, let her live. I got married. 1920. And I lived in Walker County for about three years. And after then I moved here to Birmingham and separated from that husband in '27, married again in '36. And that husband passed February the 8th, 1993. And so, I've been in Birmingham probably approximately about 70 some years. Just about that long.

3:05

Stacey Scales

What's the first job that you had?

4:02

Blanche Davis

The first job I had was right up here on Claremont. On Claremont Street here. That was in '23, I believe. Yeah. And from then, different jobs around, around, around. And finally when I asked God for another job, I got tired of this housework. I worked at a place cleaning a office, just about half a block from my house. That's the job I made 13 years and retired from that age at 63.

4:04

Stacey Scales

How much were you making at first?

4:45

Blanche Davis

At first?

4:46

Stacey Scales

Yes ma'am.

4:47

Blanche Davis

$5 a week.

4:47

Stacey Scales

$5 a week?

4:49

Blanche Davis

Mm-hmm.

4:50

Stacey Scales

Was that a lot of money?

4:51

Blanche Davis

Hmm?

4:52

Stacey Scales

Was that considered a lot of money?

4:53

Blanche Davis

At that time $5 could do more than $20 can do now away, because rent was very cheap. My rent was only $9 a month. There's a room and a kitchen apartment, and made it pretty good. But it was kind of rough. No clothes much. No money much. But we made it. I know that sounds funny to young people to think about it now, they work for $5 a week, but that is true. $5, and I mean, had to have breakfast on the table at 7:00, 7:30 every morning except Sunday. And stayed in the kitchen until 7:00 at night. $5 a week.

4:54

Stacey Scales

Did the people you worked for ever treat you unfair?

5:43

Blanche Davis

They were very good to me though. I didn't have any trouble wherever I worked. I give that to them to just to paying the money. But they were very good to me. Yeah, very good. The daughter of that family calls me sometime now. She lives in Malcolm Brooks. She was 18 years old when I went to work for them, now she's 75. Yeah. Y'all want me to go way back in those years, huh?

5:47

Stacey Scales

You remember a lot.

6:15

Blanche Davis

I guess Otis told y'all that I was way up in age, I guess.

6:19

Tywanna Whorley

How was it growing up in the '20s and Birmingham?

6:26

Blanche Davis

Hmm?

6:26

Tywanna Whorley

How was it growing up here? Well, when you first came to Birmingham, how was it in terms of—

6:29

Blanche Davis

How was it going? I don't know, you could ride the bus about seven cent. I remember that real good. Seven cent. And you had to get a seat in the back, of course. Oh yeah. Regardless of whether it was vacant in the front, you had to go in the back. And I thought that was awful, but that's the way it was.

6:36

Stacey Scales

How'd you feel about that?

7:01

Blanche Davis

Hmm?

7:01

Stacey Scales

How'd you feel?

7:01

Blanche Davis

I didn't feel so happy about it, but it wasn't anything else I could do. We weren't able to buy a car. Not at that time. And then further down though, we bought a—My husband had his car and I had mine. Oh yeah. I didn't have to worry about all that. I just stopped driving about maybe three or four years ago. Yeah.

7:03

Stacey Scales

All right.

7:28

Tywanna Whorley

When did you first become aware that there were just certain things that you could do as a Black person back then, even I guess in the 19-teens? When did you first become aware that there was a difference between White people and Black people? That Black people could do certain things—

7:30

Blanche Davis

Well, when I first came to Birmingham, to go to a doctor's office you had to go in the back door.

7:48

Tywanna Whorley

For real?

7:55

Blanche Davis

Oh yeah. You went in the back door, and if you went downtown you wanted a drink of water there was a certain place for Blacks to drink water. And all that kind of funny stuff. But for some reason, not the Martin Luther King kind of knocked right in the head. Nowadays you go anywhere you want to eat or drink if you have the money. So, it's much different. Much different than it was 30 and 40 years ago.

7:55

Stacey Scales

Where did you shop when you came here?

8:34

Blanche Davis

Where did I shop?

8:36

Stacey Scales

Yes.

8:38

Blanche Davis

Well, it was all right going shopping. You could go anywhere and buy your clothes if you had the money. There wasn't too much shopping when I first came to Birmingham to do. After I married and had two children, I made most of their clothes. And I could go to town when I—I remember once I had to wash then iron, and one of the people, $1 a week to do a washing. I had two little girls. I would get a yard and a half of cloth for one this week, and a yard and a half the next week out at $1. 25 cent a yard material. That was tough. And then we raised chickens, and we had a milk cow, and a garden, and all these things. Didn't ever go hungry. We had plenty to eat because we had to raise all that kind of stuff.

8:40

Tywanna Whorley

Were there other families around in the community?

9:44

Blanche Davis

Hmm?

9:46

Tywanna Whorley

Was there other families in your community the same way in terms of raising—?

9:46

Blanche Davis

Everybody was the same. Everybody was practically the same. Very little money. Oh yeah, very little.

9:49

Stacey Scales

Did people own any of their houses?

10:00

Blanche Davis

Hmm?

10:01

Stacey Scales

Did people own their houses?

10:02

Blanche Davis

Well, in a way there was several people owned houses, because after we were married, on down the line my husband finally built a home. In fact, he built two houses. He built a home house, and a two family rented house. Then we began to kind of live to buy nice furniture. And other than that, we just had to have what we could get hold to.

10:02

Tywanna Whorley

What did your husband do for a living?

10:33

Blanche Davis

Hmm?

10:34

Tywanna Whorley

What did your husband do for a living?

10:34

Blanche Davis

He worked for Louisville National Railroad. About 25, 30 years before he passed. And I was blessed to ride the trains then where I wanted across the country. Well, a railroad pass is half-fare. That was one blessing. That happened during the '30s and the '40s, and the '50s, and the '60s, each year was building better.

10:36

Tywanna Whorley

When you traveled on the train, did you travel alone?

11:09

Blanche Davis

Alone?

11:15

Tywanna Whorley

Mm-hmm, on the train?

11:17

Blanche Davis

I would take my children when they were small. We would go to New Orleans, Detroit, Chicago, anywhere we wanted to go, because we could ride the railroad pass half-fare.

11:17

Tywanna Whorley

This was during the '30s and '40s?

11:25

Blanche Davis

Hmm?

11:25

Tywanna Whorley

Was this during the '30s and '40s?

11:25

Blanche Davis

Was it what now?

11:33

Tywanna Whorley

Was it during the '30s and '40s?

11:33

Blanche Davis

That was, yeah, during the '30s and '40s. Yes, I had had a very sick daughter in Detroit during the '30s and the '40s and all. I would go to Detroit sometimes three times a year because she was very sick, and ride the train. Whenever they would call me that she was sick, when I get to the station downtown my railroad pass was there waiting for me. And that was a blessing.

11:37

Stacey Scales

Did the people in the North treat you different than the people in the South?

12:05

Blanche Davis

Yes, it was a little different. They would criticize things going on in the South a lot to me, when I would go there. Oh, "y'all is under bondage," which was true. We had to go in the back door different places, and oh, it was just kind of rough. Yeah.

12:10

Tywanna Whorley

Were there any incidents that you were part of that you had experiences in the '30s and '40s here in the south, like in Birmingham?

12:30

Blanche Davis

Like what now?

12:38

Tywanna Whorley

Any experiences with White people?

12:41

Blanche Davis

Any trouble? No. I never have any trouble on my jobs anywhere. I tried to treat them like I wanted them to treat me, and so everything went along pretty good with me coming to be on the job. I didn't never have any trouble. No.

12:42

Tywanna Whorley

Did you ever hear about other people having trouble with Whites?

12:58

Blanche Davis

The what?

12:58

Tywanna Whorley

Did you ever hear about any other, like friends or people, neighbors who had trouble with White people?

12:59

Blanche Davis

Yes, because I carried a girl on my job one time. The lady didn't like her. She said she just didn't like her appearance, and she wouldn't keep her. And then that's a lot of other people would get into it, and all that kind stuff. But I didn't never have any trouble. Not any.

13:09

Tywanna Whorley

You say you used to take a lot of trips back in the '30s and '40s. Was the train segregated then? I mean, even though you had a pass to ride the train, did you have to go sit in the section where Black people had to sit?

13:31

Blanche Davis

No, I'm riding the trains during that time, there wasn't any trouble. I don't remember. You just get on and the porter would seat you in the seat, and it wasn't a matter of you, White here and White—And then too, back in the beginning of that, it probably was a coach of White and one of Black on the train. But eventually that was cut out, and when you go in you just sit wherever a seat. Yeah.

13:50

Stacey Scales

Did you go to school?

14:18

Blanche Davis

Mm-hmm.

14:18

Stacey Scales

Where'd you go?

14:18

Blanche Davis

I went to school at Mount Meigs, Alabama a short while. That for is the seventh grade. I was in dormitory one time and my mama come and took me out because didn't have money to pay the way, and she thought they was working me a little too hard. And I wish to goodness she had let me stay, because see at that time you had to work for your education because you didn't have the money.

14:26

Stacey Scales

So, you were working for your education?

14:50

Blanche Davis

Hmm?

14:52

Stacey Scales

You were working for your school—

14:53

Blanche Davis

Yeah, I was having doing the teacher's laundry, cleaning the teacher's room, and that kind of thing. That was paying my tuition. And she didn't like that.

14:56

Stacey Scales

No?

15:06

Blanche Davis

So, she just took me out of the dormitory. One thing she didn't understand how important it was to get a education. But I didn't do that with my two children. I started them going to school. Oh yeah. And worked hard to help make them comfortable. My youngest daughter lives in Montgomery. My oldest one lives in Detroit.

15:07

Tywanna Whorley

What are their names?

15:38

Blanche Davis

Hmm?

15:39

Tywanna Whorley

What are their names?

15:39

Blanche Davis

What's her name?

15:40

Tywanna Whorley

Yeah.

15:41

Blanche Davis

Dr. Katie Abell. She works at Alabama State College, in Montgomery.

15:42

Stacey Scales

And the one in Detroit? What's her name?

15:49

Blanche Davis

Her name is Ann Marie Horn. Ann Marie Horn. She finished Parker High School and got married.

15:52

Stacey Scales

Oh, she went to Parker?

15:59

Blanche Davis

Mm-hmm. That's where you went school?

15:59

Stacey Scales

No, ma'am. Do you remember much about Parker?

15:59

Blanche Davis

Parker High?

15:59

Stacey Scales

Yeah.

15:59

Blanche Davis

Oh yeah.

16:00

Stacey Scales

What type of school was it?

16:01

Blanche Davis

I had two girls that finished there. Very nice. Went back years, was very nice to go over there to the exercising class, staying, all that was—It was very nice. Yeah.

16:12

Tywanna Whorley

And did you used to go down to Fourth Avenue a lot?

16:34

Blanche Davis

Fourth Avenue?

16:35

Tywanna Whorley

Mm-hmm.

16:35

Blanche Davis

Uh-huh. I visited Fourth Avenue just for meetings. One minute, please.

16:42

Blanche Davis

You do?

16:48

Tywanna Whorley

We're staying in Miles College.

16:49

Blanche Davis

Huh?

16:51

Tywanna Whorley

We're staying at Miles College.

16:51

Blanche Davis

Miles College. Uh-huh. As far as I ever go on Fourth Avenue, I'm a member of the Order of the Eastern Star, and I'd go to the Masonic building every third Tuesday in the month to a meeting, that's in the building. And what I have to do, and those other people out there the street, I don't really don't know anything about them.

16:53

Tywanna Whorley

Can you talk about the Eastern Star, being a member? What type of things went on—

17:16

Blanche Davis

Well, the Eastern Star?

17:23

Tywanna Whorley

—back then?

17:23

Blanche Davis

Well, it's a religious secret order, but we have lovely meetings every first Tuesday in the month where—Just band night for summer, last Tuesday we get out until October. We have the grand chapter meeting, which is going to meet here in July. Around about the last of July, the 100th anniversary of the Eastern Star. There's meeting here at the Civic Center. I was the Associate Matrons for 22 years.

17:24

Tywanna Whorley

Whoa. What type of functions did y'all used to have back in the—

17:57

Blanche Davis

Hmm?

18:05

Tywanna Whorley

What type of functions did you used to have?

18:05

Blanche Davis

Well, we have our annual dinner every year before Valentine. And have this meeting that we go to in July that's visiting, going across the Alabama to different places for the grand chapter meeting. I followed that up about 18 years. I don't go now. Getting where I can't do all that traveling. Yeah.

18:07

Tywanna Whorley

Were you a member of NAACP?

18:40

Blanche Davis

Hmm?

18:42

Tywanna Whorley

Were you a member of the NAACP?

18:43

Blanche Davis

No. Not a member of the—No.

18:45

Tywanna Whorley

Do you remember any other organizations here in Birmingham that people participated in back in that time?

18:50

Blanche Davis

Remember what?

18:56

Tywanna Whorley

Any other organizations, Black organizations here in Birmingham? Do you remember many back then?

18:59

Blanche Davis

Well, Order of the Eastern Star, and now in Christian Endeavor Society. I still go through that. It's very nice, as it was organized in 1921, and it's still growing strong.

19:04

Tywanna Whorley

What did you used to do for fun around here? What did you used to do for fun?

19:26

Blanche Davis

For fun?

19:29

Tywanna Whorley

Mm-hmm.

19:31

Blanche Davis

Well, I never had been a party girl much, but the affairs that the Eastern Star would have are like the Masons Affair. We'd go to that. My biggest going on me is church. I go to church, taught Sunday School for about 40-some years, primary classes and all. But now I don't do that. Of course, you have to go to teachers meeting when you're teachers of Sunday School classes, and I'm not driving so I don't take a part in that now. I mostly now work here with arts and craft, every morning now at 10:30 I'm down in the activity room for the class. That's Monday through Friday. Yeah.

19:32

Tywanna Whorley

What church did you belong to here in—

20:29

Blanche Davis

Bethel Baptist Church North. Did y'all know who Reverend Shuttlesworth was? Or heard of him?

20:30

Stacey Scales

Yes.

20:35

Tywanna Whorley

We've heard of him.

20:35

Blanche Davis

He was my pastor during all of that.

20:38

Tywanna Whorley

Can you tell us about?

20:42

Blanche Davis

Hmm?

20:43

Tywanna Whorley

What do you remember about him? What do you remember about Reverend Shuttlesworth?

20:44

Blanche Davis

Well, Reverend Shuttlesworth was one of the leaders in this—and our church were bombed two or three different times during that time.

20:48

Tywanna Whorley

You were bombed?

20:57

Blanche Davis

Mm-hmm. Two or three times. Tore the parsonage up with Reverend Shuttlesworth in it. And swept him across the floor. But he didn't get hurt. Yeah, I remember that real good.

20:58

Tywanna Whorley

Was the congregation scared about going to church every Sunday—

21:14

Blanche Davis

Yeah, there was kind of prayer of going that people would—They had watchmen, different crews would watch around the church and the parsonage all during that time.

21:17

Tywanna Whorley

Were you scared?

21:30

Blanche Davis

Yeah, I was almost afraid to go on Sundays, but I went on. Yeah. But they always had the guards around, men to watch around during that time.

21:31

Tywanna Whorley

What gave you the courage to keep going back?

21:41

Blanche Davis

Hmm?

21:43

Tywanna Whorley

What gave you the courage to keep going back? I mean, even though they had guards outside.

21:44

Blanche Davis

Well, I felt like the Lord was going to take care of us, in which He did. Yeah, He took care of us all. But it was dangerous. Yeah. But the church was bombed two or three different times, and it tore the parsonage up during the time when Reverend Shuttlesworth was living in it. So, it was kind of bad. But everything worked out pretty good. I remember in Montgomery during that time, the Blacks stopped riding the buses. They walked to work.

21:49

Tywanna Whorley

What'd you think about that?

22:25

Blanche Davis

I thought it was great. Yeah. After they couldn't ride in the front at all, and they just walked to work. That's what those people did in Montgomery. A lot of people here, the same. They stopped riding the buses.

22:27

Stacey Scales

Do you remember the first time you voted?

22:44

Blanche Davis

Yeah, the first time I voted was 19—I believe it was in the '30s. Yeah, I believe it was in the '30s.

22:53

Stacey Scales

How'd you feel about voting?

23:00

Blanche Davis

Well, at one time I didn't want to, but it was a man who worked with the civic leaders around. He insisted on me voting, say, "Your vote account." And I decided I would. So, I just went on and voted. I made up on my own mind about it.

23:04

Stacey Scales

Check that.

23:24

Tywanna Whorley

Did you vote in presidential elections?

23:27

Blanche Davis

Hmm?

23:29

Tywanna Whorley

You remember what presidents you voted for?

23:29

Blanche Davis

Let me see, who was that President? I knew what it—

23:33

Tywanna Whorley

Hoover? Did you vote for Hoover?

23:42

Blanche Davis

It was Hoover. Mm-hmm.

23:42

Tywanna Whorley

You voted for Hoover?

23:44

Blanche Davis

Yeah. Johnson, McKinney, and who was that other man name?

23:45

Tywanna Whorley

Roosevelt?

23:45

Blanche Davis

Mm-hmm. Yeah.

23:45

Tywanna Whorley

How was things during the Depression? How were you able to make it through the depression? Was it a hard time for you?

24:04

Blanche Davis

Had a hard time for?

24:10

Tywanna Whorley

During the Depression?

24:13

Blanche Davis

Yeah, it was really rough. They would give us groceries though. A lot of groceries. I remember that real good. My husband had two children, and I had two, and that gave us a lot of food because they would give so much for each child. So, we got along with that pretty good. But there just wasn't any money. Was no money made.

24:14

Tywanna Whorley

So, I mean, besides getting food from the government, and you said there was no money to be made, how did you keep the family together surviving?

24:42

Blanche Davis

Well, I said my husband was working the railroad, he wasn't making any money. It was about $2.40 a day, and I was doing these odds in end work. After I had small children I couldn't go out on the job. So, I was doing washing and ironing at home. I'd probably go out one or two days to work, and made that $5. And I'll do their washing for $1 a month, or go out and do a ironing for somebody for $1. And that gave me a little change. We didn't pay no money in church much, because we didn't have it. In them days, people were paying 25 and 30 cent in church.

24:50

Tywanna Whorley

Oh, really?

25:27

Blanche Davis

That's right. They didn't have no money.

25:27

Tywanna Whorley

I mean, during that time you paid 25 cent. What was the normal to pay when things were going okay?

25:34

Blanche Davis

Well, now they pay, oh, maybe it's $50 a month, and all that kind of stuff. But see, at that time we didn't have gas and all that stuff in church. You had heaters, coal, and they could buy this coal kind of cheap to keep a fire going. Now, because of air conditioning, and you have to pay more money now. Oh yeah.

25:39

Tywanna Whorley

Okay. Do you remember the house that you lived in Birmingham?

26:14

Blanche Davis

Remember the first house?

26:17

Tywanna Whorley

Mm-hmm.

26:17

Blanche Davis

Mm-hmm. Yeah.

26:17

Stacey Scales

What neighborhood was it in?

26:21

Blanche Davis

Hmm?

26:22

Stacey Scales

Where was it?

26:23

Blanche Davis

It was not too far from here on this side of town, on 27th. At that time they were calling it Avenue C, and D, and E, and F, and G, and all that sort of stuff. The first house I lived in Birmingham was on 10th Avenue South. 10th Avenue South. I remember that real good. I lived there a little while, and then I moved from there to Avenue C. That's what they call it, and that's Third Avenue now. I lived there for a while. Then after I was married to the second husband who lived on the north side, and lived on 27th Street. 27th Avenue between 34th and 35th street 43 years.

26:24

Tywanna Whorley

Wow.

27:14

Blanche Davis

43 years. And I moved from there here.

27:16

Stacey Scales

Did you have a family then?

27:19

Blanche Davis

Uh-huh. I had two children. Mm-hmm.

27:21

Tywanna Whorley

Were they all Black neighborhoods that you lived in?

27:23

Blanche Davis

Oh yeah. That's a Black neighborhood out there. That's where my church is.

27:26

Stacey Scales

Did the community ever have a crisis where people had to get together, or work together?

27:31

Blanche Davis

Like what? What kind of work?

27:38

Stacey Scales

Maybe someone losing their job, or someone having to help another neighbor out?

27:40

Blanche Davis

Well, I did that when I was growing up in the country. Different families would finish their farm maybe, and then help out the other one with their farm. See, that's where I grew up, my first 20 years was just people picking cotton, chopping cotton, planting corn and having gardens, and all that kind of stuff. Milk cows and horses, all that sort of stuff. Some families lived well, and some didn't have anything much. And our daddy passed just before I turned 15, it was seven of us. And the baby girl was just walking good. So, my mother had a load to pull.

27:45

Tywanna Whorley

How did she do it?

28:27

Blanche Davis

I don't hardly know myself. I really don't. Sometime I wonder how did she make it with seven children in the country? And I know too, she'd always have a garden in the spring and a garden in the fall. Had a milk cow, and we'd raise pigs and hogs. And we had plenty to eat, I remember that. Oh yeah. And then the neighbors was good to us after my daddy died. The ones who were big farmers. Yeah, they were nice to us.

28:29

Tywanna Whorley

Where were you in the seven?

28:57

Blanche Davis

Hmm?

28:59

Tywanna Whorley

Which one of you in the seven? The seven kids, which number are you?

28:59

Blanche Davis

In the seven children? I'm the second oldest.

29:02

Tywanna Whorley

So, did y'all have to help out with the little ones?

29:09

Blanche Davis

Yeah, the oldest one, there was about five under me. Yeah, because I had a brother older than I was.

29:12

Tywanna Whorley

What was your chores back then?

29:21

Blanche Davis

Hmm?

29:22

Tywanna Whorley

What were your chores back then?

29:23

Blanche Davis

My chores?

29:23

Tywanna Whorley

Mm-hmm.

29:24

Blanche Davis

Well see, I was single then during that time, that was during my 20th year. I got married at 22. In 1920, I got married and I left the country and I didn't go back down there anymore. No. I lived in Birmingham. I lived in Walker County around, but I been in Birmingham I guess close to 75 years.

29:26

Stacey Scales

Did the people treat you different here than in the country? Or was it the same?

29:50

Blanche Davis

No, I think people in the country was more loving than the folks in the city. As a child, as I was growing up. I really think so. It's a little different. It's still different in people now when I was a child. There's 130-some people here in this building, and everyone have a different mind almost. But I get along with them. I've been in here soon to be 14 years.

29:55

Tywanna Whorley

Back when you living in Montgomery County, how did your parents travel in town?

30:27

Blanche Davis

How did they travel?

30:33

Tywanna Whorley

Yeah, to town, when it's time to go—

30:38

Blanche Davis

Horse and buggies. You heard of the horse and buggy days? And the wagons? My daddy would bring us to Montgomery to see the Barnum and Bailey show every year. But we had to ride in a wagon, leave home real early. And ride his wagon into Montgomery to see the parade. And when the parade is over, he'd get us back home. But that was on a wagon and a horse and buggy, or somewhere like that. Wasn't in a car.

30:39

Tywanna Whorley

So, besides coming to see the circus, when he came—

31:07

Blanche Davis

And going to church, we had to walk. We didn't ride in these wagons, and you didn't have a horse and buggy we walked. We walked to school.

31:12

Tywanna Whorley

How long was the walk?

31:20

Blanche Davis

Well, we had to walk I guess just about a mile and a half, or maybe two miles to school. Yeah.

31:22

Tywanna Whorley

Was the school that you went to, was it a one-brick house? Or was it bigger?

31:31

Blanche Davis

No. The first school I went to, I was—A little thing about the first school I went to in my life was just one little house. I don't know how old I was when I first went to school, but I remember my—The book, my daddy bought us a book you call the Stepping Stone Poetry Reader, and a slate. You ever heard of the slates and pencils? And my grandmother lent us that book.

31:36

Blanche Davis

When I went to school, I might have been seven years old, I don't know, I really don't know how old I was. But it was one room with a big heater in there, to stay warm. And all the children was in one room. And I don't think that school went no higher than third grade. In Mount Megs, the principal school built the place you call a village. Had several room, classroom, and a girls' dormitory, a teacher's house. I don't know how she did it, but she built that. And she taught school out, I guess around 65, 70 years till she died.

32:04

Blanche Davis

That's where I was in the dormitory where my mother took me out, thought I was working too much to try to pay for going to school.

32:53

Stacey Scales

Do you remember the names of any of your teachers at that school?

33:00

Blanche Davis

Yeah, my first teacher was named Miss Duncan from Montgomery. That was my first teacher in that building. But this little building that I went to school out—A little further out in the country it was a man teacher, Captain Edwards, I believe his name was. And then my next teacher was named Miss Sadie-Bell Tyler. I remember all that. Yeah.

33:04

Tywanna Whorley

What did they try to teach you back then?

33:30

Blanche Davis

Well, as I said, we had this little primer book, it was Stepping Stone First Reader. We went through that, and that is the first book. The alphabets was in there. We learned that, and the reading was, "This is Dot. How do you do, Dot? This is Dan. How do you do, Dan?" When I went to school, I remember all that because my grandmother taught it to me, and the teacher took me out of that book and my brother too, the first day we went and put us in the first reader. And that wasn't much different than the reading. I remember that real good. Oh yeah.

33:34

Tywanna Whorley

What type of values did they try to teach you in school?

34:12

Blanche Davis

Hmm?

34:14

Tywanna Whorley

What type of values did they try to teach you in school?

34:15

Blanche Davis

Well, we didn't do anything but a little drawing or something. Teachers wasn't well experienced like they are now. We would do a little drawing on the blackboard and go there, probably make—She would put something on the board, and we'd go to the board and work that out. It wasn't too much. No.

34:19

Stacey Scales

Were there places that you couldn't go growing up that your mother told you that maybe you shouldn't go?

34:44

Blanche Davis

Oh Lord, yeah. See, at this particular school, who Miss Georgia Washington built, this big pavilion place for the graduating exercise, every first Thursday in May her school would close. And about five miles from there was another big school, that school were closed. But we could never go to these. And there was another man out there, a big farmer who had the Flying Jenny, give a picnic at every 4th of July. And I wanted to go so bad, Lord, Lord, Lord. But she wouldn't let us go. No. So, I didn't get to do much going as a child, and a teenager and all that, nowhere but the church, Sunday School, church, and back home. That's where that went.

34:49

Tywanna Whorley

Did you ever ask your mom why you couldn't go?

35:36

Blanche Davis

Oh yeah.

35:38

Tywanna Whorley

What'd she tell you?

35:39

Blanche Davis

But she was scared someone would get ahold of us. If she didn't feel like going, we couldn't go. Yeah. It looked so funny, my daughter has four children in Montgomery, four girls. And when they were in college, I'd go there sometimes, they going out to a dance at 10:00 at night. I said, "Oh Lord, mama would've had a fit." 10:00 at night, in the evening getting ready to go to a dance. But she let them go. Yeah. But I didn't have all that pleasure. Then after I got married, the husband was jealous and cranky, couldn't hardly go anywhere with him. No.

35:40

Tywanna Whorley

When you got here, what did you do for fun?

36:28

Blanche Davis

In this building?

36:31

Tywanna Whorley

No, I mean—

36:33

Stacey Scales

In Birmingham.

36:34

Tywanna Whorley

—in Birmingham. During the '40s.

36:34

Blanche Davis

During the '40s, I didn't get anywhere too much for fun. No more than church. Otis was a little boy, there was a church about five blocks from here that he were going there and I was going. That was back in '23. And so, I didn't get any farther than church and back home back in them days. I have more pleasure now than I did when I was young, because I go—I'm getting ready now to go on two weeks vacation, going out to my daughter and going to South Carolina to a wedding.

36:36

Blanche Davis

I went to Memphis here about a couple of months ago. Not Memphis, but—Oh, shoot. What is that first place you get in going up the road? Can't call her name now. But anyway, I do more traveling now than I did when I was young. Oh yeah. And I told you I traveled the Eastern Star for 18 years going cross Alabama. I been to nearly every city in Alabama to different meetings, and I enjoyed that. Lived in a motel. Enjoyed that.

37:12

Tywanna Whorley

I mean, when you had your kids, what—Question, when did you have them?

37:51

Blanche Davis

Hmm?

37:57

Tywanna Whorley

When did you have your children?

37:57

Blanche Davis

When I have my children?

37:58

Tywanna Whorley

Mm-hmm.

37:58

Blanche Davis

My baby girl was born, the oldest girl, was born February the 7th in '35. The second was born July 14th. She just had a birthday end of the week, in '36.

38:05

Tywanna Whorley

So, what did you tell them when they were growing up about segregation?

38:20

Blanche Davis

What did I tell them?

38:25

Tywanna Whorley

Mm-hmm.

38:25

Blanche Davis

Well, I tried to let them go to everything that they could go to, the school affairs. I wasn't like mama, wouldn't let—We couldn't go. But I made arrangements for them to go to all of the affairs that would happen at school. And whatever was at church. I didn't send them, I carried them to church when they were little.

38:27

Stacey Scales

Did they ever have any questions about the separate water fountains, or the bus? Did they ever ask you why that was?

38:53

Blanche Davis

Oh yeah. The children did. They wonder why we couldn't. But that was just the system. If you were downtown and wanted to drink a water, there was a White place and a Colored place for you to drink water.

39:01

Tywanna Whorley

What did you tell them when they asked you why things were separate?

39:17

Blanche Davis

Well, I told them White just didn't want to drink after the Colored. That's the only reason, only thing that I knew why, they just didn't want to drink after the Colored. And had different restrooms. Black go in one, had their room, and a Colored room. Yeah.

39:21

Tywanna Whorley

Did that sit well with your kids?

39:41

Blanche Davis

No, it didn't fit so well with them. They couldn't imagine. When I tell them about all those things now they wonder how in the world did you live. Oh, Lord. Yeah. But that's just the way it was going.

39:43

Tywanna Whorley

What are some of the changes that you see now that didn't take place back then?

39:59

Blanche Davis

What do I see now?

40:05

Tywanna Whorley

Mm-hmm.

40:06

Blanche Davis

Well here, this building, there's somebody always coming in, talking to us from different places, from Montgomery, UAB College. We have free blood pressure people comes in to take our pressure, and people come in to talk to us about Medicaid, and Medicare, and all that kind stuff. So, it's just so much different now. Yeah.

40:09

Tywanna Whorley

What about when you got sick back then? When you got sick back in the '40s and '50s, where did you go?

40:39

Blanche Davis

Well, I always had a doctor. It was a Colored doctor over there on the north side during that time, because I always called him.

40:46

Stacey Scales

What was his name?

40:53

Blanche Davis

What was that Colored doctor name? He had a beautiful home out there. Yeah. Hold on right now, I can't think of his name. But he would always come when you called him. You can't hardly get a doctor to come into your house now. You have to go to the hospital. If we get sick here, no matter [indistinct 00:41:19] comes in to pick us up, take us to the hospital. I have a health thing now on my cabinet. If I get sick and they call the—What's the name? They come here. First thing, he go in there and look and see who is my doctor. And probably he'd get in touch with him on that thing to tell what hospital I want go to if I get sick or whatever. So, that's where we going now, I'm about to see them. But back then we'd call this one doctor for that community.

40:59

Blanche Davis

It was more than one doctor because it was Colored dentists that I had in the Masonic building, and another Colored doctor was in the Masonic building. But this particular one over there on the north side would always be the one we would call if we was sick, and they would come to see us. I have never been very sick in my life. So, once or twice besides the child, been in the hospital since the first child was born. That's 59 years ago. Only had surgery on my eye about three or four years ago, and that was just a few hours. So, I have never been real sick in my life.

41:52

Tywanna Whorley

Where were your kids born?

42:34

Blanche Davis

Hmm?

42:36

Tywanna Whorley

Were your kids born in the hospital here in Birmingham?

42:37

Blanche Davis

The oldest one were born in the old Hillman Hospital in '35. I stayed in the hospital seven days. I remember that. The youngest girl, who was a clinic over on this side of town, it was a old White doctor headed that clinic. And he had nurses worked in there. And that's where the youngest one was born.

42:40

Tywanna Whorley

In Hillman Hospital, did they have you in the area where they had all the Black females?

43:06

Blanche Davis

The Black mostly was in the basement back in that time.

43:12

Tywanna Whorley

You too?

43:16

Blanche Davis

No, this child of mine was born, I remember good, I think I was on the fifth floor. But most of the time when we go to the clinic it was in the basement. Yeah, that's right. Now they're all over the building. Out here was a big difference. I know you young people don't hardly believe it, but that's just the way it was.

43:21

Stacey Scales

Did you have a lot of friends that went up to live in the north?

43:47

Blanche Davis

Live in the north?

43:49

Stacey Scales

Yes, ma'am.

43:49

Blanche Davis

Well, my daughter was now a great church, and my youngest sister were living in Detroit, and I had a brother live there. And I always would have a glorious time whenever I go. I see three of us were born in July. I remember back in the '40s, I believe it was, we had a tribute birthday party once at my youngest sister's house. So, I always had a big time when I go up there. Oh yeah. Everybody was nice. I'm receiving cards now from friends from Detroit.

43:55

Stacey Scales

So, you would drive up there?

44:23

Blanche Davis

No, no. We rode a train, on the Railroad Pass.

44:25

Stacey Scales

That's right.

44:27

Blanche Davis

Now, my daughter drives. Sometime now we drive up there. But during my time of going regular, I rode train because I rode Railroad Pass. And I would take my children to New Orleans. Take them down there for sightseeing.

44:28

Tywanna Whorley

Just to sightsee?

44:45

Blanche Davis

Yeah, they liked it.

44:49

Tywanna Whorley

What places in New Orleans would you go?

44:50

Blanche Davis

I'd go down on a weekend, and we probably wouldn't spend the night. We'd leave Birmingham, leave about 3:00 on Friday evening and stop over in Montgomery, get a train at 11:00 in Montgomery out from New Orleans. Get in New Orleans around 7:00, 8:00 on a Sunday morning. And the station at that time wasn't too far from the river where the boats come in and out and unload the boats. I'd take them down there to see them load and unload those boats going up. And we would eat dinner at 9:00, get a train back to Montgomery, and change in Montgomery and come to Birmingham.

44:55

Tywanna Whorley

Where did you eat dinner in New Orleans?

45:30

Blanche Davis

Hmm?

45:31

Tywanna Whorley

Did you eat the Black restaurant in New Orleans?

45:33

Blanche Davis

Well, at that time they'd have certain places for you to eat, down in New Orleans. We could go in some places and take a backseat, and buy lunch. A lot of times a niece of mine would carry her baby and I'd carry mine, and we'd just take a lot of food with us.

45:35

Tywanna Whorley

Was that the normal thing, when you went on—

45:54

Blanche Davis

Hmm?

45:56

Tywanna Whorley

Was that the normal thing to do when you went on trips? You knew you couldn't stop to get something to eat somewhere, you just took like a paper bag with you?

45:57

Blanche Davis

Mm-hmm. Yeah.

46:03

Tywanna Whorley

What made you decide to take them sightseeing in New Orleans?

46:17

Blanche Davis

Hmm?

46:21

Tywanna Whorley

What made you decide to take your children?

46:21

Blanche Davis

Because we could ride down there free. We could ride free, and right at the station here was a city bus come by. They could ride that bus about seven cent, go all around the city and bring it back to the—That was the fun part of taking them. Yeah, to ride that bus all around the city. I went to New Orleans about a month ago, a bunch from here, about 25, 30 went. Now, we had a big time down there, went to River Walk, and—

46:24

Blanche Davis interview recording, 1994 June 28

Transcript

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1. Blanche Davis administrative file, 1994

2. Blanche Davis slides: Bethel Baptist Church, Mrs. Davis' church, 1950s

3. Blanche Davis slides: Birthday party for Mrs. Davis - 90th birthday, 1990

John Hope Franklin Research Center

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Blanche Davis interview recording, 1994 June 28

Transcript

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John Hope Franklin Research Center

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