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This is Ella Pruitt. I'm interviewing Adolph Wilson at his place of business, 1919 North 13th Street in Kansas City, Kansas. Uh, the name of his business is The Fireplace Lounge. Today is June 22, 1976. We're going to begin the interview, uh, with something of early childhood.

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Mr. Wilson, would you tell me when and where you were born? Uh, I was born in Okmuggee, Oklahoma. In 1940. Could you give me the month? June 26th. June 26th. OK, who, uh, are your parents? Mr. and Mrs. Vernell Wilson. Do you have any brothers or

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sisters? If so, what are their names? Only child? OK. What type of work did your mother and your father do as you were growing up? My mother, she was a cook, always fell. My father, he was a custodian. They do about the same work today. Do

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you know if they were originally from Oklahoma? Yes. They were from Oklahoma, and that's from Okmulgee, right? Right. OK. When did you move to Kansas City, Kansas? Oh, in 1950. OK, uh, growing up, uh, so you were about how old when you came to Kansas? About

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88. OK, so you were, uh, basically, let's say, uh, in the midst of your rambling days as little boys are. Uh, what was the first school you attended here in Kansas City, Kansas? Let's see. Douglas. Douglas Elementary, was it, uh, well, if I'm correct, Douglas is

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still segregated, right? OK, so it was segregated at that time. Of course. OK, do you recall the curriculum of the schools at that time? Well, uh, No, I can't really. It's been so long ago. OK, what about the neighborhood in which you live? Could you describe

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that for me? Well, I 3rd and. Let's see, 6 and Stewart, yeah. And the neighborhood was a pretty nice neighborhood. And then we moved to, uh, Leamington, Washington, across from uh the blind school. And I lived there the remainder of my high school, junior high school

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and high school days. OK, would it be true to say that the elementary, junior high, and your high school days were all in segregated schools? Yes, very safe to say. OK, what high school did you attend? Sumner High School. OK, at Sumner, uh, at the time,

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say during your junior and senior year, what extra activities did they have available for you? Of course, they have the, the athletic program. Uh, football, basketball, track drama club. They had been in the same type of clubs they have today. Let's see. We didn't have an

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auto mechanic. Uh, I, I would say that the same type of curriculum. OK. What about any instructors? Can you recall any instructors that we could say maybe inspired you or that you were particularly fond of because of their teaching ability? Yes, uh, Mr. Hall. He's, uh,

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I think he's vice president of Douglas State Bank. Gerald Gerald Hall Gerald Hall, right? He, uh, he played an important part in my. In my early life, I would say. OK, after you finished high school, what did you do? Oh, I went to Wichita State University

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on a football scholarship. And I stayed there for 4 years. Then, uh. Now is Wichita State, is that all black school? No, it's, uh, White, predominantly white. Predominantly white. What kind of housing, did they have dorms? Did you have to live off? They had dorms, but,

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uh, we had a choice as athletes. We could live in apartment. And they would, uh, they would, uh, my scholarship, was a 4.5 year full scholarship. Everything was paid And then plus if we lived off campus, they would give us $85 per month for paying for

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an apartment. At that time, you know, now we hear, well, I know, say like with the, uh, OU or I think OU or O State's football team, where they kind of did something with the transcripts so that some students, you know, would be able to play.

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And they also, uh, gave you other fringe benefits. Was it anything like that at Wichita? No, I, I can't say that because I, my first year, I played around a little bit and I got myself in the loop. So, you did have to keep a. Right,

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you had to keep a. A C average. Um-hum. They, what they would do at WU if you had some problems, in particular, of course, they would help you, uh, uh, give you a tutor or something like that. Did you work, uh, at any time? No, we

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didn't have to work. Uh, For our scholarship called for 4.5 years at that particular time. And the only thing we had to do was perform in the classroom and on the field or on the court, or whatever, you know, type of sport we was involved in.

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OK, now this, uh, W is at that time. Would you say predominantly white, meaning just a little? There's very few blacks at at the time. Oh, what kind of social life was it? Did you have to go in town? I mean, we, uh, we had most

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of our social life was built around in the city of Wichita, which was a lot of black. But as far as campus life, uh, we really didn't have a Uh, exciting campus life at WU. OK, uh, upon finishing school, what did you, what did you receive

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your degree in? I received my degree in, uh. Social studies, physical education, and had 2 or 3 minors. OK, uh, when, uh, you are presently a part of the Kansas City, Kansas school system, that being as an administrator at what junior high school? I'm assistant principal

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at Northwest Junior High School. OK, and you've been there for how many years do you. Uh, this is my 5th year in that position. OK, before coming, before entering in that position, what were you doing? You mean in the education field? the education field. OK, in

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the education field. I taught elementary for a year and a half at Stow Elementary. I went back to my, I went to Stow for a while and I went back and taught for a year and a half. I left there and went to Northeastern High School

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and I taught there for almost 2.5 years. And then I moved into administration. OK, since you've had some, some experience in, uh, elementary school, how would you compare the, Problems of the little, the small children in elementary school and the children as compared in junior high

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school, are the junior high school students that much different? I mean, is there, do you have that many behavior problems? Yes, at that age, you know, junior high school kids are at the age that. It's very difficult to tell them something. They're at the age that

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they, they believe that can't anything happen to them. They know everything, and yet, you know, uh, I guess they, it's they're at age that they really haven't made, you know, they don't have any problems to worry about because living at home, they don't have to worry

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about in the next 4 or 5 years what they, what they're going to be doing because they know mom and dad, dad's going to take care of them. And, uh. They are a very difficult age to work with. OK, how early did you, uh, how early

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in life did you actually begin earning your own money? I mean, this was Adolph's money and you know, Adolph had to pay these bills. Well, I'll never forget that. I started earning my own money in 1964. Uh, when I finished college, I got involved in politics.

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Well, before I finished college, college, I got involved in politics because I worked part time for a guy down in Wichita. Which was a, he was a representative of Kansas at that time and he just sort of got me tied up with the Republican Party and

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working with him and I really got involved in politics and Once I finished college. He got me a job, uh, that's a, Marshall. In Wichita, which, uh, which was a Republican guy, uh, he was the marshal at that time, so I'm definitely involved with the Republican

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Party, and I worked with, worked, uh, see, I worked there for 2.5 years. Then I decided to leave. And I started to go to Washington DC and worked with Senator, Senator Schreiber. Yeah. So, but I was so tired of politics. Uh, so I decided to just.

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But was it good money? Yeah, it was good money. But it was just kind of like a strain emotionally or. Yeah, it was, you know, the games you played, the, the campaigning and all this year. I just got tired of it. Yeah. OK, can you recall

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how much the teachers were earning in Kansas City, Kansas when you signed your first contract? I signed my first contract for 52. $5200. Was that considered good money? I don't know. Because I, the reason I say that because I had been used to making more money

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than $1500 a year. So it was a big cut for me. But you know. It was time really to uh. To do what I really wanted, what I really wanted to school for, and that was teach school. OK. Uh, you've never been in the military? No.

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OK, um. You know, in the school system, as it, as anywhere in the world, uh say back in the 40s and 50s, as I've been told by my parents, there were a lot of racial involvement, whereas if you were black, you didn't say anything. I mean,

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you know, if the man told you to get up and let him sit down, you did that. Have you ever been a victim of, of embarrassment as far as a white person publicly speaking to you or making any kind of remarks or even touching you physically?

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Oh, I, I could think back once when I was in high school, just once. That's when I was working for the city in the summer, you know, when I was a senior in high school. And I was working with, uh, It was 3 other white boys.

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And we were cutting grass for the city and we decided to stop out in Armadale there, the pop. And when this little little place and of course uh. Upon me entering the place, the lady just simply denied me. Uh, the right to buy a Coke. Uh,

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because of my color. But I was so proud of the other three white boys I was with because they really, uh, went off and. Um-hum. And, uh, raised a little sand and caused a few problems too, at, you know, being a young age. And we just

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didn't buy anything, but that's the only time I can think of that I was denied anything around here. OK, now you're, uh, you said, is it northeast or northwest? That you mean now, now where you'rewest, uh. I know, uh, in which at the school system in

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which I'm at now, they are eventually will not doing away with away with the PTAs and committees, but seem like they're dying down. I, uh, do you have any type of organizations at your school now that involve the parents? Yes, we have what we call the

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uh. Uh PTS, you know, parent, teacher, Student Association. OK, now, do they have the same functions of the PTA where I knew, you know. Yeah, the same type of function. On, I guess they, They get involved in a little bit more things over at our school

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because the the members of that particular organization, they come up to school and they help us in the halls or something like that, patrol things of this nature. OK, uh, has there been a decline? You know, we, we hear about white flight and, uh, now the

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school where you at now, that is a, that's a black area. You couldn't say predominantly black, but that is a black area, right? Almost, because we have very few whites going to school. Do you know what the, uh, enrollment was this past year, 75, 76? It's

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about, uh, almost 1200. OK, now what do you recall, uh. Um-hum. Uh, I guess we had about 15 to 20 whites. Hm. It, it, it's really declined since I've been there. OK, you said about 1200 students? Um-hum. And about how many were there when you first

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went? Oh, a little over 1200, close to 1300, I would say. Um-hum. OK, um. And say now you started earning your first money as you said about 64. OK, and if you had money, more than likely if you were like me, you would like to go

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out. What was that to do? Oh. Meaning socialize for anything for black people in Kansas City, Kansas. I guess about the same thing they have now, you know, really, go to clubs. Was there any particular clubs that were extremely popular at that time? On the Kansas

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side, I think perhaps the most popular club at that time was 20 men's Club. Yeah, it's big. OK. Now, uh, your place of business, the Fireplace Lounge, uh, which is here at 1919 North 13th Street. Uh, what Uh, what happened that made you want to go

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into this type of business? Do you have any other relatives that could have perhaps influenced you or could you see that this was good money? Why did you go into this type of business? Well, my uncle really, uh, he got me involved in the club business.

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He had had a place for years and years. And he was about to open up a new place and he. He wanted me to go in with him. So I Gave a lot of thought. And eventually I decided to go in with him and that was

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a Golden Key Club at that time, which it still is today. And it's it's on 10th Street, and we, uh, was in business together for 3 years. And I decided to get out. And And start my own business. What did you have to do to uh

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uh enter into business? Was a lot of paperwork. You have to get a lawyer. Well, we had to, what we did, the, The main thing you had to get was some money but uh. Uh, we did, we had, we had a lawyer, uh, which we drew

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up an agreement. What we was gonna do with the money that we earn and how much we gonna bank and how much was gonna go in our own pockets. And From there, we just simply, uh, put up the amount of money that is necessary to get

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started in the place. Let me ask you this cause I really don't know. Now I know like, uh, I was quite horrified when I came to Kansas and they sent me a property tax, you know, the sheet that says personal property tax. Right. And I knew

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I didn't own a thing and they told me I was paying on a 72 Volkswagen. Is it, do you have to pay taxes on, You pay uh this type of business and see Kansas, when you talk about club business a lot different from uh. So Missouri

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or something like that. You have to pay sales tax in Kansas. Well, haven't they, have they ever tried to get rid of this law or? Yes, we've tried and our association has tried and we fought it in court, and of course we lost it. Where we

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could um Have more of an open. Type club. Rather than a private club, uh, but of course, um, that would, would mean simply serving look across the bar. And, uh, Kansas has uh. Well, this particular law has never passed in Kansas, all over the state of

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Kansas. OK. Now, I know that, now I do go to your club, and I know sometimes the club is so crowded and people in the Kansas City area as well as I see Missouri people over in this area, and I've noticed, right across the street, that

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you are now in the process of building what? I'm now in the process of building a new club, a restaurant, and putting a liquor store in it also. Just combine the three things. Now, as opposed to, you know, most, uh, places here in Kansas City, Kansas

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close up. I, I used to say they close up when they get sleepy because it seems like it's that early to me. Do you have any ideas? Now I know there will be hours on the liquor store because that's long, but about the restaurant, do you

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have any idea what hours? I was thinking in terms of once the thing is, is opened up, they'll probably stay open around 4 o'clock because they'll probably be serving a lot of breakfast foods too. That's right. After the club is closed. So, I was thinking in

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terms of 4:00. OK. On the restaurant part. Uh, now, with the type of, uh, business that you have, the fireplace, Is it, uh, do you ever run into a lot of problems whereas, you know, people are, of course, there is alcohol, uh, that people are somewhat

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getting out of hand or is it more so everybody has a friendly attitude and they know when to, you know. Uh, uh, this particular club, my club, now, we have the type of people we have come into the place. Are very, um, Intelligent folks, most of

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them, and they know how to conduct themselves in a respectable way. Um, of course, like you said, it is a drinking, drinking establishment, and they sometimes get a little loaded, but they know how to handle themselves, and we've never had any difficulty in, in the 3

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years I've been open here. Um, I think I can recall one little argument, uh, where a few words passed between two people, and I simply just stepped in and that was about it. Other than that, we've never had any problems in place. OK, I'll. We're very,

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I might add this here too, we're very restricted to the type of people that come in the place. I was we were able to choose the type of people that would come in the place. We did. Um-hum. OK, and I've also noticed in other clubs that

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are drinking establishment, I don't know how, whereas they're different, but I've noticed some of them have guards on duty. I mean, they may not be guards that are suited. Now, is this, according to an individual, if you want to go out, you can get a, but

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it's not, you don't have to? Well, I guess that started about a year and a half ago. And Well, two years, I would say. And the club, the clubs want us to close at 3:30 here, OK? And then they changed the law until, uh, Until 2

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o'clock. I think that's the time, 2 o'clock. You can still open until 2 with the gourd. Oh. But you had to have a guard. Otherwise, you would have to close at, I think it was one o'clock. Well, would the guard. Do you have to be from

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a certain agency or. No, he didn't have to be from, all he had, uh, just be a guard with a permit to carry a weapon. Uh, you know, you got, you get those type of, uh, Commissions today, marshals, sheriff commission, you can get a guy like

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that to work for you. Um, and I think a lot of clubs just continue that. And a lot of them, well, a lot of them continued that because they was having difficulties in the first place. Um. But, uh, I didn't see any point in continuing that,

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continuing with the guard because we never have any problem in the first place. OK, and it, it's something else unusual that I find now, you have a, this is a residential area, more so to speak. I mean, by residential, I mean, cause there are homes, people

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living in homes. Right. And you never seem to have any trouble with the people. And, to me, I would think that there would be, uh, here he is opening up that club and it's going to be a bad weekend. How are you able to, uh, Have

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a club, have your customers and still maintain friends with the neighbors. Well, I've, we've never had any problems. The only type of problem we really have, sometimes when people go outside and closing up, they make a little noise and people real close with, like this lady

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across the street, she's white. In fact, all the families up and down this, the next three houses, they're white. And, um, Sometimes they make a little noise, but other than that, uh, it doesn't, we don't have any problems with the neighbors up to this particular time,

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but I am having problems now since it is a residential area and as far as getting a permit to open up the club over here, moving from across the street over here. Um. This is now a sea, this used to be a commercial zone. Oh, OK.

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And now it's been changed, rezoned to a C2 family dwelling. But this building here, this new building is still just a, a commercial building, and I can open up anything I want except a club without getting a special permit. And I am having problems getting a

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special permit. In fact, I got to go before the commissioners of Kansas City, uh, on the 30th of this month. Well, now is it just the law or would it take, uh, maybe if some, uh, I, I really don't know. I'm just guessing, would it, uh,

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to go before the court. Perhaps it's say some of the neighbors in here around this community, if they went with you and said, you know, let them, would that have any effect on whether or not you'd get it or if it's just them they can just

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say no you can't. Well, you had what they had to do. They have to uh petition. All the people who live within 200 ft of this club. Uh this bill. And, uh, they have done this and I have talked with each of the, Each, um, House

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owner here, a homeowner. Uh, about the, the new club, and they all agreed that the, the old one, the old club was, uh, was managed very well, and they didn't see any reason why not. Move across the street into a new building. So, I haven't had

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any problems with the neighbors. They all in, They're all helping me. In fact, I'm going to probably have a few of them go uptown with me on the 30th. Unless I got so I can get my teeth set to eat after 4. Well, the, the, the

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restaurant will definitely be open in the liquor store. It's just a club for. OK, let me ask you this too. Usually has someone to run a liquor store. Is it true? Now I've not read into this or anything, but I've, I've always heard, if you work

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in a liquor store, you have to be a non-drinker. No, that's not true. Just since they, they are of age. Yes, they have to be, uh, 21 years of age. To work in a liquor store, but besides that, you know. Uh I don't think they, uh,

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well, I know about that no drinking. I know that's not true. Oh, OK. Uh, Do you play, uh, an active role in the general community for as is maybe, uh, you do have children maybe, uh, with a softball league or anything of this nature active in

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any club groups, optimist club, anything like this? Well, I'm a charter member member in the Optimist Club. Is this the Northeast Northeast Optimist Club. We organize that. As far as, um, Um, being active, uh, more in the community as far as working with young people, I'm

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not as active as I used to be. Cause I used to be really involved in it. Are you a member of any fraternity? No. I think so by going in, they probably didn't have any black fraternities available to you when you were at WU, did they?

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Well, they had one, but it was so poor, I didn't get in. I won't mention the one, so. OK, uh, during the assassination of Martin Luther King. What was the reaction of the school children to the death? You know, you've heard so many things because I

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recall I read in the paper about Kansas City and when I was in Oklahoma, and they weren't, they didn't, they weren't very, uh, explicit in which Kansas City they meant. I mean, you know, because when they say Kansas City, there are two Kansas City, Kansas, Kansas

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City, uh, Missouri, and they were saying these kids were tearing up schools and, uh, if you weren't here, you really don't know. Yes, uh, at that, if I remember right, I don't think it was, it was a lot of people upset, of course, about it, uh,

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the death of, uh, Doctor Martin Luther King. But I think we're really, you know, the kids really got tight about it was when they uh. I wouldn't, uh, recognize. Um What, uh. His death is a. It was a holiday, right. It's a national holiday. I think

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that's when the kids really got upset about it. I can recall the kids at the summer really, uh, getting uptight about it and. Did they do any, have any demonstrations or? Yes, they did. Uh, they organized and it was pretty well organized, you know. They demonstrated.

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But as far as you know, once it happened, I think it was a Such a big disappointment to everybody at that particular time when it first happened that the people, you know, just really More Sorry about when his death and really raising saying about it. But

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I think, you know, the next year, then they did want his, his, him to be recognized nationally. Presently the faculty at Northwest, is it, is it the faculty, they are, it's integrated, right? Yes, it's about. About 75, 75% white. Really? Now how do our black children

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react to the white teachers? Well, some of them, uh, some of the white teachers there, they do a very good job and they relate very well to the, uh, to the black kids. The ones that don't relate, they don't last long. And if they last a

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year, it's a miracle. Is it usually voluntary getting out of the school or more so of a, of a reason that they know they have to go? Oh. I guess you would say, you know, it's both of them, really, uh, because, uh, sometimes they know they

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have, they're going to have to go and, Because of certain reasons. Uh, they're not doing their job, right? Um, you know, they're having so many problems and, and then again, some of them just, they change jobs and get better jobs. We lost, uh, Uh, About 3

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teachers this year because of, you know, this guy a better position. And then again we lost him. Cutting more because of transfers. OK, uh, Now your family, you are married and what is your wife's name? Joyce. And you have children. What are their names? Uh, Curtis.

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Uh, in April. OK. Are your children within the public school system or they attending private schools? No, they attend, uh, the public school system. I don't believe in private schools. OK, because you know we have so many teachers that are teaching in the school system, but

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their children attend private schools. Do you see public schools as an evidently as an advantage, whereas maybe private schools, you know, you're so sheltered or they're in an all girls school, all boys school, they have no interaction with the other group? Yeah, I, I see public

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school as the. Has been an advantage over a private school. To the extent that If a child attend a private school, then he's not going to be able to, He might be working with the uh. The kids, all the kids that attend that particular school, they

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probably have to have a goal in mind. They're very bright, maybe, or the parents really, uh, want to get ahead. And you probably won't have as many problems as you do in public school, but that's not the type of life that kid gonna live when you

00:29:15.199 - 00:29:30.869

get to be an adult. He's gonna have to be able to mingle with all types of people and usually in private situations you have. A certain type of person who attends a private school. And, uh, you know, then again, once you got into a society here,

00:29:31.250 - 00:29:48.060

you're gonna have to be able to cope with the, the slickers. PMs. And everything else, the business people, and, and in a private in a public school, you're gonna have all those type of kids growing up. You're gonna have some kids there, you're gonna try to

00:29:48.060 - 00:30:04.479

be little pimps in school. You're gonna try to make some money there, uh, and you have some kids there who are very intelligent kids who are strictly thinking about the future and want to go to college and major in a certain area or profession. And, uh,

00:30:05.939 - 00:30:21.069

So this is the reason I believe in public situation because you have all types. You know, over the private schools, you know, the kids there I've worked in a private situation for a short while, and the kids just are different. All the kids probably have the

00:30:21.069 - 00:30:37.530

same type of goal in mind, especially in the higher level, you know. You don't have the, the kids walking around, uh, Um, they know everything about shooting craps. Right. Um-hum. You just don't have that, you know, uh, you don't know the ones that, you know, the,

00:30:37.569 - 00:30:53.099

uh, Kids who are going to be the bullies going to take money from kids. And then this public school, then your kids or my kids, they, he will definitely be able to uh. To learn how to cope with that at an early age because once you

00:30:53.099 - 00:31:16.250

get to be on the deck, you're gonna have the same type of problem. What do you feel about bussing children? Oh, you bussing. It's all sticky. I believe in integration. But I, I know, I don't think I would want my kid bust. I don't think I

00:31:16.250 - 00:31:37.430

would want my kid busted. Presently, you know, Kansas City, Missouri, um. Uh, has a, a, well, the HEW has a suit against Kansas City, Miss Missouri involving, well, I'm not, I'm not gonna say bussing to achieve integration, but it's about integration basically. What do you think

00:31:37.430 - 00:31:55.180

would happen here in Kansas City, Kansas, because I am aware that, uh. Doctor Pucker has been in court. I don't know if he's still in court. Something involving integration. Do you think there would be a similar incident as in Boston where they have, uh, basically knock

00:31:55.180 - 00:32:11.569

out, drag out every other day the kids trying to go to school? Do you think Kansas City, Kansas would react in this manner if it led to bussing to achieve integration? Uh, yes, I, I really do. I think we have the same type of problem. Perhaps

00:32:11.569 - 00:32:32.170

not as, as great as Boston, but I think we're gonna have the same type problem as far as uh parents uh uh demonstrating. To prevent buzzing. Because, like, again, you know, it's, it's pretty rough to bust your kid. All the way across town, uh, 56 miles

00:32:32.170 - 00:32:52.099

away from home you have a school in your backyard um it's pretty, especially, especially for elementary kid perhaps a junior high school or high school kid, you know. Uh, would be, uh. He's at an age that he can get back home and contact mother or something

00:32:52.099 - 00:33:07.140

like that if something happens. But, uh, at that early age, it's pretty rough. So, I think we have the same type of problem. Perhaps not as great because, uh, in Kansas, Kansas City, Kansas here, I don't think it would be, it would be very difficult to

00:33:07.140 - 00:33:27.910

integrate the school system, really. Um. Because, uh, uh, if, if you just change a few boundaries, you, you can have integration here. Uh, I have asked most of my interviewees this question concerning the youth of today. If there is a message to inform the black youth

00:33:27.910 - 00:33:45.420

particularly, uh, of things to do in the future, of a message that you could give to a black youth, any black youth, regardless of the parents' background or, uh, say a youth coming from a very poor family, what would you tell that youth about his outlook

00:33:45.420 - 00:33:57.939

in life, things for him to do? Well, I tell a lot of kids today, you know, No matter what type of home they can't come from. That they can make it as long as they want to make it, but they have to want to make it

00:33:57.939 - 00:34:13.870

in life because I, I really came from a poor home myself. And I'm still poor, I guess you could say. Yeah. But, uh, You know, And I had some people who told me that I would never be anything, and perhaps I'm, I'm nothing now, but to

00:34:13.870 - 00:34:26.139

me, I know I've accomplished a lot. And I, I tell a lot of kids at school, they wanna talk to them, you know, they can be anything they wanna be. As long as they got the guts to go out and, and, and, and be it, you

00:34:26.139 - 00:34:38.500

know, they can be a, the best pimp in the city if they want to be, or they can be the most intelligent guy in, in the city if they want to be. Or they can be like a lot of people, you know, lay up and be

00:34:38.500 - 00:34:54.860

on welfare and expect you to give them everything. And I run across a lot of kids like this here. And like this lunch program, you know, and many more programs we have here in the city, I don't necessarily agree on, like the free lunches. Uh, the,

00:34:54.870 - 00:35:12.739

uh, free text books. Uh, what else do we have for here? Uh, they, uh, don't have to pay anything to, to take shop or anything like that to make anything because to me, it's really hurting the young people today, the kids that. They have uh free

00:35:12.739 - 00:35:24.379

lunch tickets, you know, they get food and they just throw it away. They don't have any value of it at all, they just throw food away, get it just because they can get it free. Uh, textbooks is the same thing, they throw books out the window,

00:35:24.709 - 00:35:34.750

but you know, when I think back, when I look at, you know, I think back when I was coming up, I had to pay for my book. As a result, then, I kept my book. I kept it good so I can try to sell it the

00:35:34.750 - 00:35:47.290

next year and get a profit out of it so I can buy some new books. But the kids, you know, now, they just get books free and they just throw them away. They really don't have a value on anything. There's too many things given to them

00:35:47.669 - 00:36:01.719

for nothing, they don't have to earn it. That's when I try to teach my kids, you know, uh, they have to work something, they have to do something to earn money. And just try to show them that, you know, when they get older, that things are

00:36:01.719 - 00:36:14.909

not just going to be given to them, just handed, handed out to them. And that way, you know, if you, if you teach your kids that at an early age and when you grow up, it really helps him in, uh, in his, uh, in his life.

00:36:15.889 - 00:36:36.899

The, uh, where you're presently located, your home, the residential area in which you're living, is that a predominantly black neighborhood or what you would say was integrated? It's integrated. Uh, how do your neighbors? How friendly are your neighbors? Are they the, the neighbors that, well, this,

00:36:36.909 - 00:36:52.979

uh, *** just got money, we just got to face it. Are they more of good, you know, hello, Mr. Wilson or how you doing? And, you know, minding their business. My neighbors, they are older people. All the whites, and I haven't, they've been very nice to

00:36:52.979 - 00:37:11.729

me since I've been there in the past 3.5 years. Uh, we get along well and they got kids, you know, and, and teenagers, and, uh, you know, we really don't have any problems in our neighborhood. it's pretty good people. Uh, most of them are in business.

00:37:12.649 - 00:37:14.530

Or they're professional people.