Boyd, Viola, 1911-

Pettus, Debra

Charlotte, North Carolina

J. Murrey Atkins Library Special Collections, University of North Carolina at Charlotte

2004-03-26

1 audio file (1:02:56) : digital, MP3 + 1 transcript (55 pages : PDF)

sound recording-nonmusical

spoken word

eng

Viola Boyd was a 93-year-old woman at the time of interview, which took place at her son's home in Matthews, North Carolina. She was born in Matthews in 1911. She was educated at Number 2 Murkland School and Madame Walker's beauty school, and was employed as a hairdresser.

In this follow-up interview, retired hairdresser Viola Boyd speaks about her life, career, and family. She begins by discussing her experiences while living in Philadelphia as a young wife at the age of 15 in the 1920s, including her search for a job and her social life. Mrs. Boyd had a son and left him with her mother in Matthews so she could work. She recalls how she and her husband Sam moved back to Matthews so their family could be together. She describes her family's difficulties farming cotton the first year they were back in Matthews, then their search for different work. Mrs. Boyd recounts her husband's career working for Seaboard Air Line Railway and her work as a hairdresser at her home. She recalls experiences of racism in her community in Matthews, including a time when a local doctor demanded that she go to the back door with her injured son. Mrs. Boyd shares her opinion that conditions had improved for African Americans by the time of her interview, but there were still prejudiced people in Matthews. She also discusses her leisure activities, including her membership in the Matthews-Murkland Presbyterian Church, working on her home garden, and entertaining visitors including local politician Rod Autrey. As the interview closes, Viola shares stories about raising her children, including teaching them about sex, avoiding arguing in front of them, and making sure they looked presentable.

MP3 access copy created on ingest from WAV preservation master file. Interview originally recorded on analog audio cassette and digitized using Digidesign 003 rack.

Beauty operators

Boyd, Viola, 1911-
Boyd, Sam
Boyd, Harvey
Autrey, Rod

Seaboard Air Line Railway Company
Ku Klux Klan (1915- )
Matthews-Murkland Presbyterian Church (Charlotte, N.C.)

Racism
African Americans--Segregation
African Americans--Social conditions
African American families
Middle class African Americans
Railroads--Employees
Country life
Beauty operators
Hairdressing of African Americans
Police--community relations

North Carolina--Charlotte
North Carolina--Matthews
North Carolina--Matthews--Crestdale
Pennsylvania--Philadelphia

Interviews
Oral histories

1920-2004

Robert Smith student project on the Charlotte African American community
Living Charlotte : the postwar development of a New South city

Viola Boyd oral history interview 1, 2004-03-09 (OH-BO0481), J. Murrey Atkins Library Special Collections, University of North Carolina at Charlotte; Harvey Boyd oral history interview, 2004-04-17 (OH-BO0449), J. Murrey Atkins Library Special Collections, University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

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Digitization made possible by funding from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by the State Library of North Carolina, a division of the Department of Cultural Resources.

audio/mpeg

OH-BO0565