Series: Neal Harris
Scope and Content Note: Family background in Mississippi; farming in Mississippi; work in Alabama lumber mill; experiences at and reflections on Tuskegee College; importance of fair-skinned color; recruitment by J.D. Stephenson for work at Fairbanks-Morse; impressions of J.D.S.; segregation at Beloit YMCA; difficulties in organizing against segregation; organization of Steelworkers local at F-M; CIO policy of non-discrimination; service as union shop steward; sit-down strike at F-M; participation in strike; the black church in Beloit; Ku Klux Klan in Beloit; NH as a Republican.

Session I, 1976 February 27
Alternate Format: Audio recording of interview with Neal Harris, February 27, 1976 available online.

Introduction

The Harris family background in Starkville, Mississippi--conditions in Mississippi

Going to school in Mississippi--working as a young boy, harvesting speckled peas, banking potatoes--the necessity of obeying white people--limitations on black people

Farming as a young man in Mississippi

Landlords, good ones and mean ones--dealing with the neighbors, swindlers--Mr. Ware and the bank account--Negroes and mean landlords, treated black people “just like you'd do your children”

Neal Harris “running to live”--beatings--keeping black people down

Neal Harris' efforts to get an education--ordered magazines--hand-me-down books in school--limited opportunities

Work in north Alabama lumber mill--use of guns--fair mill owner, but unequal pay for black workers--life in the lumber camp

Neal Harris left the lumber camp from fear of a mob--foundry work in Birmingham

Application for college at Tuskegee, Alabama

Learning a trade at Tuskegee--meeting with Dr. Robert Moton, the successor to Booker T. Washington at Tuskegee Institute--problems with the chief engineer at Tuskegee--learning the baker's trade, cakes for Dr. Moton--Mr. Owens, the math teacher--the student body

The importance of color--fair skin preferred--problems with being able to pass

Neal Harris' reaction to the influence of Booker T. Washington at Tuskegee--training the hands and the mind--lack of professional and skilled jobs for black people in Beloit

Further comments on the lack of professional and skilled jobs for black people in Beloit--segregated clubs in Beloit

Session II, 1976 March 12
Alternate Format: Audio recording of interview with Neal Harris, March 12, 1976 available online.

Introduction

Neal Harris comes to Beloit from Tuskegee, recruited by J.D. Stephenson--opportunity at Fairbanks-Morse--May 8 as Emancipation holiday in Mississippi--freeing of slaves

Work opportunity at Fairbanks-Morse--transportation to Beloit--the role of J.D. Stephenson--originally came as a summer employee--absence of any opportunity in the South--further comments on J.D. Stephenson and jobs with Fairbanks-Morse

Other workers who came from Tuskegee at that time--they eventually left Beloit--World War I veterans returned to reclaim jobs, caused black unemployment--work in Birmingham

Neal Harris' trip from Tuskegee to Beloit--segregated car to Evansville, Indiana--thoughts on the train

Further comments on the trip to Beloit

Neal Harris' first impressions of Beloit--comparison to Mississippi--segregation in Beloit, but no fear--first residence in Beloit

The importance of J.D. Stephenson--limitations of his work

Neal Harris' early years as a Fairbanks-Morse worker--no opportunity to advance to a trade--inequalities at Fairbanks-Morse

Segregation in the YMCA--segregated Hi-Y clubs

Difficulties in organizing against discrimination in Beloit--soliciting from blacks for segregated institutions--efforts of local NAACP to desegregate civic activities--Johnny Watts

Blacks had to excel to be recognized

Neal Harris recalls the organization of the Steelworkers local at Fairbanks-Morse--CIO policy of non-discrimination--company efforts to prevent organization--overcoming racial antagonism in organizing the union

Neal Harris' service as union shop steward--dealing with grievances

Threat of jail during World War II for pushing grievances--closed shop--union forced uncooperative workers out

Leaders of the union--grievances

Session III, 1976 March 16
Alternate Format: Audio recording of interview with Neal Harris, March 12, 1976 available online.

Introduction

Fairbanks-Morse workers choose the CIO over the AFL for their Steelworkers local--AFL closed to blacks and less skilled workers--skilled workers vs. unskilled workers

Sitdown strike at Fairbanks-Morse--no strike during World War II--strike of 1946 resulted from backlog of World War II grievances

Union leadership--Neal Harris recalls an organizer from Birmingham, Alabama, who preached cooperation between black and white workers--blacks as strikebreakers in Beloit--dirty work

Anti-union workers--“clamping down” on a non-union worker--need for unity

Union organizers--Neal Harris' reaction to John L. Lewis--Emil Costello as a Wisconsin CIO organizer--stalling a strike

Survival during a strike

Reaction of Harris family to Neal's participation in strike--Hostility of most Beloit residents

Communists and the union--the need for unity--pay cut as a motive for union organization

The union as a “godsend for the poor people”

Neal Harris and the church--church as a focus for unity in the black community--church activities at Tuskegee--Veterans Hospital and segregation in Tuskegee--KKK in Tuskegee

The KKK in Beloit

Neal Harris' church activity in Beloit, joined church right away

Church little different from South--Neal Harris comfortable in black churches

Difference between the South and Beloit in exercise of voting rights--fear of courts and police in the South, absent in Beloit

Neal Harris as a Republican--“effects“ of Woodrow Wilson--desire to enter the army during World War I--Neal Harris in Tuskegee ROTC under Benjamin 0. Davis

Stories about the North which circulated in the South--tough stories about Chicago