RIHLA #18

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1. Name of the Interviewee: Tensie Martin

2. Relationship to the Interviewee: Granddaughter

3. Decade of Choice: Childhood (1950's)

4. The environment in which she lived in was a rural are in Pace, MS. The homes were very spread apart and there was a lot of land. At night it would get extremely dark to the point where you couldn't see anything. She then moved to Cleveland, MS. The homes were more closer together, however everything was seperated from white people because it was during the time of segregation.

5. Some of the major activities that she participated in was school plays, the marching band majorette's, track, and other academic clubs.

6. The social issues during that time was that blacks and whites were not equal. She was 5 years old around the time Emmett Till was lynched, so there was a lot of hostility between whites and blacks. His lynching wasn't too far from where she lived. A lot of blacks became afraid and others wanted to retaliate. Having equal rights and being able to do the same things as whites was a major issue.

7. The biggest turning point was when she was told she couldn't order her food inside of the restaurant, that she had to go to the back of the restaurant for black people.

PART TWO

1. Yes, I think her location influenced her to become the person that she is today because my grandmother is a very strong woman, outspoken, and she doesn't take mess from anyone, no matter who the person is. My grandmother is very opinionated and in her words, she doesn't mind "telling it like it is".

2. I don't think my location influenced my actions because I have always lived in a decent neighborhood and I have still been the same person all of my life. Nothing has changed.

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