Oral History Interview with Dianna Baker

Partial Transcript: My name is Diana Baker, I was born in East Bernstadt, Kentucky, February the 6th, 1938.

Segment Synopsis: Baker recounts her family history and family tree. Baker was one of ten children and had four sisters and five brothers.

Keywords: Dixie Dam; Migration

Subjects: African American caregivers; African American construction workers; African American history; African Americans--Appalachian Region; African Americans--Genealogy; African Americans--Social life and customs; Coal mines and mining--Kentucky; Family history; Homemakers; Migration, Internal--United States; Coal miners; Coal mines and mining; Brothers; Construction workers; Family history; Family trees; Father; Genealogy; Grandparents; Homemakers; Chores; Mother; Siblings; Sisters

Partial Transcript: So then you said that at one point-how old would you have been when you moved to Harlan?

Segment Synopsis: Baker recalls her early life, beginning with her education at a one-room schoolhouse, and her after school routine. Baker also describes her childhood home.

Keywords: After school routine; Dime stores; East Bernstadt Colored School; Farm work; Lilian Butner; Memories; Nickel stores; One-room schools; One-room school; One-room schoolhouse; Lincoln Institute (Lincoln Ridge, KY)

Subjects: African Americans--Agriculture; African Americans--Appalachian Region; African Americans--Education (Elementary); African Americans--Social life and customs; Childhood and youth; Chores; Education, Rural--United States; Schools; Education; Chickens; Cleaning; Coal; Cows; Shopping; Segregation; Elementary schools; Farming; Farms; Food; Gardening; High school; Shelby County (Ky.); Memories

Partial Transcript: Would you eat with the church or at home with the family?

Segment Synopsis: Baker reflects on a few of her church homecomings, early childhood traditions, and her community.

Keywords: Altamont Baptist Church; Black churches; Downtown; Entertainment; Extended family; Movie theaters; Religion; Reunions; Traditions; Black communities

Subjects: African American caregivers; African American history; African Americans--Appalachian Region; African Americans--Religion; African Americans--Social life and customs; Migration, Internal--United States; Communities; Blacks; Baptists; Church; Childhood; Christianity; Families; Homecoming; Memories; Religion

Partial Transcript: He came home every weekend and a lot of weekends--most weekends I came home with him.

Segment Synopsis: Baker discusses increases in price of movie tickets, from twelve to twenty-five cents. Baker reflects on her time spent living at a coal camp for part of her childhood. Baker also describes her experiences of attending Rosenwald Schools.

Keywords: Classes; Clover Splint Coal Camp; Coal camp communities; Coal camps; Extracurricular activities; Math; Migration; Subjects; Lincoln Ridge Institute (Lincoln Ridge, Ky.); TV shows

Subjects: African American coal miners; African American families; African Americans--Agriculture; African Americans--Appalachian Region; African Americans--Education (Secondary); African Americans--Employment; African Americans--Social life and customs; Childhood and youth; Migration, Internal--United States--History--20th century; Games; Childhood; Classmates; Cleaning; Coal miners; Coal mines and mining; Company towns; Cooking; Education; Father; High school; Education; History; Home economics; Teachers; Shelby County (Ky.); Husbands; Literature; Memories; Mother; Recreation; Blacks; Segregation; Rosenwald schools; School buses; Schools; Sewing; Sisters; Stenographers; Students; Television; Travel; Wives

Partial Transcript: What was you're--um--when you were living in um we can talk about both places but living in Harlan living in you this sorta coal camp and being around that what would-did you have any interaction with white people at that time or not really?"

Segment Synopsis: Baker discusses what it was like to be a Black woman in Harlan.

Keywords: Friends; Integration; Interracial friendships; Interracial interaction; Interracial relationships; Coal camps

Subjects: Harlan (Ky.); Blacks; African Americans; Coal miners; Coal mines and mining; Friendship; Hair; Hairdressing; Education; High school; Segregation; Cooperation; Race; Racism

Partial Transcript: And so when you were about 18, did you move back?

Segment Synopsis: Baker discusses her life as a young adult and career.

Keywords: Employment; Extended family; Family dinners; Thanksgiving dinner; Skills

Subjects: Blacks; African Americans; Bakeries; Cleaning; Cooking; Cooks; Food; Gardening; Education; High school; Work; Generosity; Chores; Laundry; Learning; Thanksgiving

Partial Transcript: We'll talk-before we go to the talking about the bakery-what were your memories of the Civil Rights Era here in London?

Segment Synopsis: Baker recalls her memories of the Civil Rights Movement living in London, Kentucky.

Keywords: Friends; Integrated schools; Interracial friendships; News

Subjects: London (Ky.); Blacks; African Americans; Civil rights; Civil rights movement; Children; Communities; Discrimination; Grandchildren; School integration; Parenthood; Prejudice; Racism; Sisters; Sons; Students

Partial Transcript: Now let's going back to--um--going to work at the bakery, which you said was 1972.?

Segment Synopsis: Baker discusses her life as an adult and her work at the bakery in the 1970s.

Keywords: Assembly lines; Promotions; Spirit Award; Women's Rights Movement

Subjects: Bakeries; Bakers; Baking; Children; Civil rights movement; Divorce; Equal pay for equal work; Marriage; Blacks; African Americans; Marriage; Parenthood; Awards; Supervisors; Women's rights

Partial Transcript: When did you get married?

Segment Synopsis: Baker says that she worked up to 80 hours a week at the bakery and retired in June of 2003. Baker was a divorced, single mother of five with no child support, but did have help from extended family. Baker has six grandchildren and three 3 great-grandchildren. Baker was also a caretaker for her mother, who lived to be almost 101 years old

Keywords: Car mechanics; Caretakers; Childhood friends; East Bernstadt Schools; Extended family; Great-grandchildren; Husband; Biracial dating; Biracial marriage; Biracial children

Subjects: Blacks; African Americans; Alcoholism; Anniversaries; Mechanics; Cemeteries; Children; Cousins; Divorce; Grandchildren; Laurel County (Ky.); Marriage; Interracial marriage; Mother; Nephews; Nieces; Parenthood; Photographs; Single mothers; Young

Partial Transcript: Cause you were still taking care of your mother up until tell me cause your mother lived to be 101 or she was almost 101--.

Segment Synopsis: Baker describes some of the attitudes and cultural practices towards death in Appalachia.

Keywords: Black cemeteries; Burials; Caregivers; Caregiving; Caretakers; Ceremonies; Churches; Deeds; Family; Family cemeteries; Funerals; Gravestones; Illness

Subjects: Appalachian Mountains; Aging; Parents; Cemeteries; Death; Deeds; Gravestones; Hospitals; Mother; Health

Partial Transcript: Let me ask you sorta some-some closing questions if you don't mind . . .

Segment Synopsis: Baker considers some of the changes she has experienced in her community over the years.

Keywords: African American communities; Altamont Baptist Church; Black churches; Black communities; Churches; Congregations; Disunity; Reunions; Rural African American communities; Rural black communities; Unity; East Bernstadt (Ky.)

Subjects: Blacks; African Americans; Laurel County (Ky.); Homecoming; Progress; Rural; Change