While researching his dissertation on African American school reform and activism from the
1930s to the 1990s in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Jack Dougherty conducted over sixty-five oral
history interviews. Most were recorded during the summers of 1995 and 1996, and transcribed
within the following year or two. Portions of these stories were included in his book,
More Than One Struggle: The Evolution of Black School Reform in
Milwaukee.
The oral history project sought to interview and document African Americans who engaged in
one or more K-12 school reform movements from the 1930s to the 1990s. Interviewees included
individuals who represented different perspectives on the school reform movement due to
gender or position within the organization (leading spokesperson versus ordinary
participants). Detailed information about Dougherty's interview process, the impact of these
interviews on his writing, and similar matters is contained in series 2, in a folder titled
"Project Background." This folder also contains detailed information about topics discussed
in each interview.
Although the interviews played a significant role in shaping Dougherty's understanding of
African American school reform and activism, excerpts from the interviews appear
infrequently in the published work. Thus the collection contains a wealth of information to
support original research into and writing about this topic.
