Leah: Interview Assignment

Who Would Have Thought?

I chose to interview my Grandmother, Betty, because I thought she would have an interesting story to tell, perhaps not about her life in relation to feminism, but in general. I have always enjoyed listening to her tell me stories about growing up in the Deep South and comparing it to my childhood and how different things have become--I was born in Minnesota. Through interviewing my Grandmother, Betty, I wanted to find out more about her life in the South and the lives women led while growing up and fighting for equality in such a narrow-minded area, like Alabama. I also wanted to talk about the Civil Rights Movements that were occurring at the same time and their relationship to my Grandmother’s life and feminism. I honestly had no idea going into the interview that I would leave knowing how much feminism and activism played a part in my Grandmother’s life, and more so in the life of her mother. I also left realizing that my Grandmother had a set of ideals very similar to the Liberal Feminist movements. I wouldn’t say I walked away being able to label my Grandmother as such, but she definitely fit pretty neatly into that definition.

I started off by asking Betty to explain her idea of feminism as a young woman growing up. She is now eighty-three years old and had trouble articulating herself, but she began by talking about her mother. She revealed to me that her mother was a leader in the woman’s liberations movement—focused on the educational issues plaguing women—and I couldn’t have been more surprised. How perfect! Betty told me that her mother graduated with a Doctorate from Yale in Education and taught children from first through twelfth grade. Her mother worked her way up the educational hierarchy and after being a principal in elementary, middle and high school, she became the superintendent of education. Betty explained to me how her mother was completely independent, so much so that her and her husband even had separate checking accounts. Betty said that her mother was not like many of the other women during her time. She was successful, seated at the highest position in educational occupations, and was an activist. After we discussed this a little further I was able to come up with how I think Betty would define her idea of feminism growing up around such an independent women. Betty feels as though neither women nor men are superior, but both are equal. She mentioned that she believed men and woman are mentally equal, but joked about how women seem to be smarter and more capable—I would have to agree sometimes! I asked Betty if anything has changed since she was a young woman she replied “Absolutely not!” We discussed how her ideas have not changed but the fact that women are given more consideration and recognition for their abilities has changed, more so than when she was growing up. This pleased Betty. She said she was glad that women were becoming more equal because it solidified the ideals her mother instilled in her as a young girl.

I wanted to talk a little bit more about Betty’s mother, just because I had no idea that my great-grandmother was involved in the feminist movement at all. I asked Betty what role her mother played. Betty’s mother was a leader in Mobile, Alabama in the educational circuit of the women's liberation movement. Then Betty revealed some very interesting information: her mother was extremely involved in the Rosa Parks liberation. Who would have thought! She said her mother protested about African Americans being able to eat in the same restaurants as white people along with the issues surrounding integrated bus seating. I started thinking about how I always read about these influential people and I never would have imagined being related to one! Betty started talking about how much the feminist movement and the Civil Rights Movement were intertwined in Alabama where she grew up. I was intrigued because I was under the impression that the multicultural facets of the feminist movements did not form until the third wave began, but since the south was the center for the Civil Rights Movements, I suppose it would have been difficult for the movements not to overlap. I questioned Betty more about the Rosa Parks liberation and she said she remembered her mother needing police escorts in and out of the schools she supervised. (A little off topic, but she is eighty-three, come on!) Her mother was in charge of hiring and firing people during the time of integration and needed protection against those who were still narrow-minded enough to think that African Americans could not be teachers. I inquired more but Betty could not express what she wanted to say, needless to say, I moved on to the next question.

Since we were talking so much about integration I wanted to know more about what the south was like during this time. Betty told me that it was much harder for women to achieve equality during this period, not only because they were competing, or fighting simultaneously for rights along side Civil Rights activists, but because of the idea of white, southern male supremacy. Betty described southern men as more biased and believed in the stereotypical roles of women as housewives and relegated to perform household chores. This reminded me very much of Simone deBeauvior’s “Women as the Other” piece about how women are viewed as the objects and men are the subjects. Betty even revealed that her father would often embarrass her with some of the things he would say about people of other races and women. I suppose this was not unheard of in areas like Mobile, Alabama, but the different remarks made Betty feel uncomfortable and sometimes view her own father as ignorant. Betty claimed that those times helped her form her very liberal ideas about women. Based on what Betty told me about her father, I wondered how men in general viewed women. This portion of the interview made me laugh. Betty replied with a quote, she said “The man that thinks he is smarter than his women is a stupid husband.” We laughed and joked about how men think women are incapable and stupid and Betty paused and said, “Leah, you better quote me in your paper! I'm funny!” I asked Betty one more question about men, and was surprised to hear her answer. I asked if men should be involved in the feminist fight or if women should fight alone. Betty answered quickly with a statement about how everyone should be equal. She said that everyone should have a voice, even the men. Betty believes if the men can help out—often because they are the ones in power—they should. She even said, “It’s about the right to equality, not whether you are male or female.”

At this point, I was excited about how easily this interview was flowing. Everything I wanted to ask was sparked by something Betty has previously stated. The next thing we talked about was how women should go about achieving what they want, or fighting their fight. Betty felt strongly that women should work within the system (even if the system is run by men) and “get to the people in control.” I mentioned that the women fighting for suffrage in the 1920’s often made moral sacrifices in order to get what they wanted—such as appealing to the fact that they perform the household chores or even putting down other races to get white male’s attention—and Betty replied with “women should not subjugate themselves.” At this point I was beginning to see my Grandmother as perhaps a Liberal Feminist, or at least identify with their ideas without the label.

The idea of not subjugating oneself made me wonder what morals my Grandmother had, or what intersections run through her. I talked with her about Audre Lorde’s concept of intersections and all the demographics that run through her. She became a little confused so I explained all about how one part of someone cannot replace the whole and how a women is not only a women, but can be a mother and a lesbian too, if applicable. Betty caught on quickly—she is a very sharp woman!—and said she would describe herself as a white, southern, religious (mildly speaking) woman who is extremely intelligent and broad-minded and not prejudice about race nor religion. It was refreshing for me to hear all about how broad-minded my Grandmother is/was even while being raised in the Deep South. I think Betty gets a sense of empowerment knowing she believed different things than her father and other prejudice people while growing up in Mobile, Alabama. I would feel the same way knowing I defied the narrow-minded society around me.

The last question I asked tied everything we discussed together. I asked Betty what in her life shaped her life’s philosophies. Before she answered she joked about needing about 45 hours to explain everything that has occurred in her life, but then responded with “the leadership of a very strong women’s liberation leader—my mother.” Betty then went on to say, “I always believed in equal rights, no matter what color or religion, we all have the right to a voice.”

I really enjoyed learning about my Grandmother’s past and her mother’s involvement in feminism and the Civil Rights Movement. It is kind-of funny what interesting things are revealed once I sat down to ask and listen. I also reflected on how a simple conversation with my Grandmother brought us that much closer. After the initial interview questions were answered we sat and talked about her life on a farm in Alabama for two more hours. I do not see my Grandmother often, even though she lives in my town, but it is amazing how happy she was that I even sat down to talk with her. I also realized that my Grandmother and I have similar views about women and life, which is exciting to discover.