Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech
Hidden History: The Black Experience in the Roanoke Valley Cassette Tapes and Transcripts
Ms.1992.049
2.5 Cubic Feet
10 boxes
1992
This oral history project was an agreement between University Libraries and The Harrison Museum of African American Culture. It contians oral history interviews with forty African American people from the Roanoke Valley. The interviews are mostly biographical in nature.
The materials in the collection are in English.
Conditions Governing Access
The collection is open to research.
Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use
This oral history project was an agreement between University Libraries and The Harrison Museum of African American Culture. Researchers should contact the appropriate organization for assistance in determining the use of these materials. Copyright restrictions may apply. Reproduction or digitization of materials for personal or research use can be requested using our reproduction/digitization form: http://bit.ly/scuareproduction. Reproduction or digitization of materials for publication or exhibit use can be requested using our publication/exhibition form: http://bit.ly/scuapublication. Please contact Special Collections and University Archives (specref@vt.edu or 540-231-6308) if you need assistance with forms or to submit a completed form.
Preferred Citation
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: [identification of item], [box], [folder], Hidden History: The Black Experience in the Roanoke Valley Cassette Tapes and Transcripts, Ms1992 049, Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The collection was acquired by Special Collections and University Archives prior to 1992.
Biographical / Historical
The Harrison Museum of African American Culture first opened in 1985 in the Harrison School, a historically Black school in Roanoke, Virginia. The institution later relocated to downtown Roanoke in 2013, where it stood for twelve years before it moved once more to the Melrose Plaza Community Center in 2025. According to The Harrison Museum of African American Culture's website, the museum is a cultural and educational institution that is dedicated to preserving and displaying the history of African Americans and their contributions.
The oral history interviews were done in 1992, twelve years after the museum's opening, in partnership with Virginia Tech University Libraries. According to the museum's website, the interviewees were elders in the Roanoke Valley community. Their interviews ranged from biographical to detailed recollections of the Black communities in the Roanoke Valley and their significance to the history of Roanoke.
External Sources:
Harrison Museum of African American Culture, https://harrisonmuseum.com/about/, accessed on November 18, 2025.
Scope and Contents
Oral history project designed to interview African American residents of the Roanoke Valley in Virginia. The interviews cover the African American cultural, social, and political history in the Valley. Collection consists of approximately fifty-five interviews. Transcripts are available for forty of the interviews.
Arrangement
The interview transcripts are arranged in alphabetical order by last name within each box. Box one contains forty oral history interview transcripts. Box two contains thirty-seven copies of those transcripts. Boxes three through ten contain the cassette tapes.
Related Materials
These oral history interviews were taken in conjunction with the Harrison Museum of African American Culture. The museum itself contains a plethora of artifacts, manuscript collections, and exhibits about the history of African American life in the Roanoke Valley.
Rights Statement for Archival Description
The guide to the Hidden History: The Black Experience in the Roanoke Valley Cassette Tapes and Transcripts by Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, is licensed under a CC0 (https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/public-domain/cc0/).
Roanoke (Va.)
African Americans -- History
Local/Regional History and Appalachian South
Women -- History
Transcripts1Paul B. Adams Interview Transcript11Robert and Mary Andrews Interview Transcript12James Henry Leslie Beane Interview Transcript13Kelsy Brown Cooper Beshears Interview Transcript14Eliza Louise Brown Interview Transcript15Edward T. Burton Interview Transcript16Wendell H. Butler Interview Transcript17Ernest Calloway Interview Transcript18Richard Chubb Interview Transcript19Herbert Davis Interview Transcript110Beulah M. Dennis Interview Transcript111A. Beatrice Hackley Interview Transcript112Charles Raymond Hale Interview Transcript113George Heller Interview Transcript114Wendell C. Hipkins Interview Transcript115Alphonso Holland, Sr. Interview Transcript116John Holland Interview Transcript117Veron Holland Interview Transcript118Howard B. Hopkins Interview Transcript119Lynburn M. Hylton Interview Transcript120Jessie P. Jones Interview Transcript121Sandra Smith Jordan Interview Transcript122Margie M. Jumper Interview Transcript123Barbara Otey Keeling Interview Transcript124Catherine Morris McCain Interview Transcript125Dorothy Mendenhall Interview Transcript126Rosa W. Miller Interview Transcript127J. Rapier Mosley Interview Transcript128Leslie Polk Interview Transcript129Rev. Dr. Alfred S. Prunty Interview Transcript130Ruth B. Scott Interview Transcript131Rebecca Stewart Interview Transcript132Dorothy Brooks Stuart Interview Transcript133William Taborn Interview Transcript134Juanita Taylor Interview Transcript135Lucy Taylor Interview Transcript136Claudia Whitworth Interview Transcript137Mary Williams about her husband C.C. Williams Interview Transcript138Leonard Williams Interview Transcript139Dorothy Witten Interview Transcript140Duplicate Transcripts2Copy of the Robert and Mary Andrews Interview Transcript21Copy of the James Henry Leslie Interview Transcript22Copy of the Kelsy Brown Cooper Beshears Interview Transcript23Copy of the Eliza Louise Brown Interview Transcript24Copy of the Edward T. Burton Interview Transcript25Copy of the Ernest Calloway Interview Transcript26Copy of the Richard Chubb Interview Transcript27Copy of the Herbert Davis Interview Transcript28Copy of the Beulah M. Dennis Interview Transcript29Copy of the A. Beatrice Hackley Interview Transcript210Copy of the Charles Raymond Hale Interview Transcript211Copy of the George Hellar Interview Transcript212Copy of the Wendell C. Hipkins Interview Transcript213Copy of the Alphonso Holland, Sr. Interview Transcript214Copy of the Veron Holland Interview Transcript215Copy of the Howard B. Hopkins Interview Transcript216Copy of the Lynburn M. Hylton Interview Transcript217Copy of the Jessie P. Jones Interview Transcript218Copy of the Sandra Smith Jordan Interview Transcript219Copy of the Margie M. Jumper Interview Transcript220Copy of the Barbara Otey Keeling Interview Transcript221Copy of the Catherine Morris McCain Interview Transcript222Copy of the Dorothy Mendenhall Interview Transcript223Copy of the Rosa W. Miller Interview Transcript224Copy of the J. Rapier Mosley Interview Transcript225Copy of the Leslie Polk Interview Transcript226Copy of the Alfred S. Prunty Interview Transcript227Copy of the Ruth B. Scott Interview Transcript228Copy of the Rebecca Stewart Interview Transcript229Copy of the Dorothy Brooks Stuart Interview Transcript230Copy of the William Taborn Interview Transcript231Copy of the Juanita Taylor Interview Transcript232Copy of the Lucy Taylor Interview Transcript233Copy of the Claudia Whitworth Interview Transcript234Copy of the Leonard Williams Interview Transcript235Copy of the Mary Williams Interview bout Her Husband C.C. Williams Transcript236Copy of the Dorothy Witten Interview Transcript237Cassette Tapes3Paul B. Adams Interview199231Robert and Mary Andrews Interview199232Alphonso Banks Interview199233James Henry Leslie Beane Interview199234Kelsy Brown Cooper Beshears Interview199235John H. Branson Interview199236Charlie L. Bratton Interview199237Eliza Louise Brown Interview199238Emma Brown Interview199239Vida Brown Interview1992310Edward T. Burton Interview1992311Wendell H. Butler Interview1992312Ernest Calloway Interview1992313Richard L. Chubb Interview1992314John B. Claytor, Jr. Interview1992315Walter Claytor Interview1992316Cassette Tapes4Theodore Holland Interview199241John Holland Interview199242Alphonso L. Holland Interview199243Wendell C. Hipkins Interview199244George Heller Interview Tape One199245George Heller Interview Tape Two199246Charles Raymond Hale Interview199247Reverend Charles T. Green Interview Tape One199248Reverend Charles T. Green Interview Tape Two199249Reverend Charles T. Green Interview Tape Three1992410Emerson Gilmer Interview Tape One1992411Emerson Gilmer Interview Tape Two1992412Florine Taylor Fulford Interview1992413Beulah M. Dennis Interview1992414Herbert Davis Interview1992415Sallye Coleman Interview Tape One1992416Sallye Coleman Interview Tape Two1992417Cassette Tapes5Ulysses Randolph Interview Tape One199251Ulysses Randolph Interview Tape Two199252Reverend Dr. Alfred S. Prunty Interview199253Leslie Polk Interview199254Mr. Lewis Perry Interview199255Jo Rapier Mosley Interview199256Rosa W. Miller Interview199257Dorothy Mendenhall Interview199258Katherine McCain Interview199259Barbara Keeling Interview1992510Margie M. Jumper Interview1992511Sandra Jordan Interview1992512Jessie P. Jones Interview1992513Mr. Lynburn Hylton Interview1992514Howard B. Hopkins Interview1992515Ms. Veron Holland Interview1992516Theodore Holland Interview Tape Two1992517Cassette Tapes6Dorothy Witten Interview199261Mrs. C.C. Williams (Mary) Interview199262Leonard Williams Interview199263Mrs. Claudia Whitworth Interview199264Lucy Taylor Interview199265Juanita Taylor Interview199266William W. Taborn Interview199267Mrs. Dorothy Brooks Stewart Interview199268Rebecca Stewart Interview199269A. Byron Smith Interview Tape One1992610A. Byron Smith Interview Tape Two1992611Evelyn B. Skipper Interview 1992612Anne F. Sheppard Interview 1992613Ruth B. Scott Interview 1992614Cassette Tapes7Richard L. Chubb Interview 199271Dr. Walter Claytor199272Ernest Calloway199273Wendell Butler Interview 199274Edward T. Burton Interview 199275Emma Brown Interview 199276Eliza Louis Brown Interview199277Kelsy B. Cooper Beshears Interview 199278James Henry Leslie Beane Interview 199279Robert and Mary Andrews Interview 1992710Paul B. Adams Interview 1992711Cassette Tapes8Veron Holland Interview 199281Alphonso L. Holland Interview 199282John Holland Interview 199283Wendell C. Hipkins199284Mr. George C. Heller Interview Tape One199285Mr. George C. Heller Interview Tape Two199286Charles Raymond Hale Interview199287Beulah M. Dennis Interview199288Herbert Davis Interview199289Cassette Tapes9Reverend Dr. Alfred Prunty Interview199291Leslie Jones Polk Interview199292Jo Rapier Mosley Interview199293Rosa W. Miller Interview199294Dorothy Mendenhall Interview199295Catherine McCain Interview199296Barbara Keeling Interview199297Margie M. Jumper Interview199298Sandra Jordan Interview199299Jessie P. Jones Interview1992910Mr. Lynburn Hylton Interview1992911Howard B. Hopkins Interview1992912Cassette Tapes10Dorothy Witten Interview1992101Leonard Williams Interview1992102C.C. Williams (Mary) Interview1992103Mrs. Claudia Whitworth Interview1992104Juanita Taylor Interview1992105Lucy Taylor Interview1992106William W. Taborn Interview1992107Dorothy Brooks Stuart Interview1992108Ruth B. Scott Interview1992109Rebecca Stewart Interview19921010