Series: Sadie Bell
Scope and Content Note: Family background in Pontotoc, Mississippi; move to Beloit; Strong school; childhood recreation; Emmanuel Baptist Church; families on Athletic Ave; work in Rockford as first black employee at W.T. Grant; high school experiences; work at Clara Stone's store as first black salesperson in Beloit; importance of CS's Jewish background; SB as local NAACP president; open housing effort in Beloit.

Session I, 1976 July 15
Alternate Format: Audio recording of interview with Sadie Bell, July 15, 1976 available online.

Introduction

Family background in Pontotoc, Mississippi--raised by aunt

Decision by father, Joe Bell, to come to Beloit--influence of relatives--mother was a sister to Zach White

Sadie Bell's early recollections of Beloit--Strong school--influential teachers--integration of Strong elementary school

Forms of recreation--wading in Turtle Creek--floating on blocks of ice

No indication that education motivated father to move to Beloit--father seldom discussed race

Racial differences become apparent during junior high school years--white friends became distant--use of “nigger” as expletive--“poor trash”

Parents' reactions to racial differences

Religion and growing up--Emmanuel Baptist church--joining the church

Families on Athletic Avenue--many blacks left Beloit--teachers discouraged development of skills among black students, S.B. dropped bookkeeping

Work in Rockford at W.T. Grant

Further comments on work at W.T. Grant--first black employee there

Recollections of high school--poor student, did not enjoy high school--blacks not encouraged to participate in extra-curricular activities

Further comments on high school, compared to elementary school--S.B.'s aspiration to be a salesperson

Many black students left for Milwaukee upon graduation--S.B.'s sister married John McCord Jr.

S.B. as domestic worker after graduation--marriage and divorce

Comparison between Rockford and Beloit black communities

Further comments on work at W.T. Grant, positive experience--nature of work there--manager's attitude

Work at Clara Stone's store as first black salesperson in Beloit

Introduction

Further comments on work at Clara Stone's--attitudes or customers--support from Clara--NAACP research on downtown Beloit salespeople

Other stores hired black clerks in the 1960s

Further comments on work at Clara Stone's--importance of support from Clara

Opening up of other jobs for black people in the Beloit area

Clara Stone and civil rights activities--importance of her Jewish background--Clara Stone as an NAACP member--good business with black community

Sadie Bell and the NAACP--participate in the March on Washington--S.B. as local NAACP president

Open housing effort in Beloit--recollection of NAACP during the early years, support from Beloit College professors

Accomplishments of NAACP locally teacher recruitment in the 1960s--jobs at Chrysler and GM in Janesville