Livign History Interview

1. Do you remember what the U.S. response was when sputnik 1 was launched?

First of all everyone was stunned cause the Russians beat us on the space race and the country was embarrassed and then the president came on TV and said we were going to put something up in space and asked everyone to help in the space race. Then we overcame the Russians and put the first man in space.

2. How did Americans respond to Brown V. Board of education’s decision?

I didn’t remember the actual decisions all I remember was the backlash. I was in collage at the time it happened and it was a good thing and opportunity for the country to do something good and make everyone equal.

3. What did you think about M.L.K.’s “I have a dream” speech?

It was inspiring speech it didn’t matter your race it was just u had a dream and I figure good things were going to come from the speech.

4. Where were you when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated?

I washed it on TV I had broken my leg so I couldn’t get out much and I had seen the whole thing on TV.

5. Were you affected by the assassination of President John F. Kennedy?

I was especially each individual that saw it couldn’t believe it happened cause he was such a good man and was the youngest president at the time and he was also doing so much for the country

6. What are your memories of how the African-American community reacted after the assassination of M.L.K.?

I don’t recall a lot of thing happenings there was riots and like J.F.K. he was a national leader and he was a guy for all the people not just the black people and my reaction towards his dead was just like Kennedys I was just stunned. Also thinking who the heck would do it and which made u get angry at the person.

7. What brought about the beginning of the E.P.A.?

It was a growing movement. It started with a lady Rachel Carson and she wrote a book “Silent spring” and how this pesticide was affecting the bird population which would affect other things in the environment and how people wanted to help the environment.

8. What changes have you seen on how American’s treat the environment since the environmentalist movement?

One of the interesting things that happened we had the first Earth day. I was there for the first earth day and I march on it. It was my first march this classmate came and g tem out of the cafeteria and asked me to come with them. But for the last couple years the E.P.A. have water down because the funds we receive form the government went down.

9. Describe what it was like in the U.S. during the Vietnam War?

That’s a really long storey but ill try to make it real short. What happened they were having drafts so a lot for the soldiers that went over there did there job but they were really into it because no one was threatening the country we were just helping the Vietnamese. You didn’t have a choice if your number was called you had to go to war I was almost sent to war but because of the broken leg I had during the Kennedy assassination I mention earlier got deferred because of my broken leg.

10. What is your opinion on how President George W. Bush responded to the 9/11 attacks?

Well I like the decision the president took on 9/11 because to that time we didn’t have no security against any terroristic threats. At the time we didn’t have the safeguard other countries had so it became a wakeup call. The fall out of the 9/11 attacks for me was that I lost my job with the E.P.A. because they had to find a way to fund the war so they cut a lot of budgets for many companies that when I got fired form the E.P.A. cause they paid me a lot and cost them too much. That’s also when I became a teacher and here I am now.