Elizabeth W. Ackerman interview with Mary Thomas and the East Point, Union Baptist Church Revival Group, including Deacon Patterson, Jennie Novah, Julia Simms Neal, Mary Thomas, Virginia Wellmaker, Wanda Jacobs, Leland Jacobs Jr., Glynis Fambro, Clifton Brown, and Gerald Brown (part three)

The John Burrison Georgia Folklore Archive recordings contains unedited versions of all interviews. Some material may contain descriptions of violence, offensive language, or negative stereotypes reflecting the culture or language of a particular period or place. There are instances of racist language and description, particularly in regards to African Americans. These items are presented as part of the historical record. This project is a repository for the stories, accounts, and memories of those who chose to share their experiences for educational purposes. The viewpoints expressed in this project do not necessarily represent the viewpoints of the Atlanta History Center or any of its officers, agents, employees, or volunteers. The Atlanta History Center makes no warranty as to the accuracy or completeness of any information contained in the interviews and expressly disclaims any liability therefore. If you believe you are the copyright holder of any of the content published in this collection and do not want it publicly available, please contact the Kenan Research Center at the Atlanta History Center at 404-814-4040 or reference@atlantahistorycenter.com. This is the third part of a four-part recording. In this part Elizabeth Ackerman interviews Deacon Patterson, Jennie Novah(?), and Julia Simms Neal, congregants at Union Baptist Church in East Point, Georgia. Deacon Patterson starts by remembering when he sang from the Gospel Pearls songbook as a child, unaccompanied by instruments at the Providence Baptist Church in Griffin, Georgia. He observes that his current church has shifted away from so much singing. At 4:54, Patterson recalls learning spirituals in school, which he contrasts with the removal of prayer from schools by the time his children were attending. In addition, he notes that young people participate less in church. At 8:55, he discusses popular gospel singers and purchasing music from Professor Charles H. Pace (1886-1963) and Professor James M. Dawsey (1947- ), two gospel music publishers. Next at 11:35, Patterson shares his thoughts on spirituals as uplifting songs sung by enslaved peoples, his connection to his faith, and traveling with his Reverend to sing older music. Then at 13:53, he talks about his background, family, and playing for Gladys Knight (1944- ) in Hampton, Georgia. At 22:05, he discusses the meaning of spirituals and how they differ from gospels before returning to his relationship with faith and music. Jennie Novahs interview begins at 29:07. She explains that she prefers singing older spirituals because they inspire her to attend church. Then, at 35:44, Julia Simms Neal details the gradual introduction of choirs to rural churches when she was growing up, and remembers becoming an alto in the senior choir. She further discusses the absence of instruments and the inclusion of choirs in rural churches at 39:21. Then at 40:09, Neal compares similarities between songs and services in rural versus urban churches. Lastly at 43:46, she discusses changes in the structure of services and her disapproval of ragtimes influence on church music. Deacon Patterson (approximately 1906-?) was born in Griffin, Georgia. He moved to Tennessee in 1928, then a year later moved to East Point, Georgia. During his retirement, Patterson served as a pianist for churches in the metro-Atlanta area. Jennie Novah (approximately 1890-?) was born in Coweta, Georgia. She moved to Atlanta, Georgia when she was approximately 30 years old. Julia Simms Neal (approximately 1898-?) was born in Sparta, Georgia, then moved to Atlanta in 1929. She taught school and married a minister. Mary Thomas (approximately 1941-?) was born in Atlanta, Georgia. She taught Sunday School. Additional biographical information has not been determined. A PDF transcript exists for this recording. Please contact an archivist for access. Professor John Burrison founded the Atlanta Folklore Archive Project in 1967 at Georgia State University. He trained undergraduates and graduate students enrolled in his folklore curriculum to conduct oral history interviews. Students interviewed men, women, and children of various demographics in Georgia and across the southeast on crafts, storytelling, music, religion, rural life, and traditions. As archivists, we acknowledge our role as stewards of information, which places us inaposition to choose how individuals and organizations are represented and described in our archives. We are not neutral, andbias isreflected in our descriptions, whichmay not convey the racist or offensive aspects of collection materialsaccurately.Archivists make mistakes and might use poor judgment.We often re-use language used by the former owners and creators, which provides context but also includes bias and prejudices of the time it was created.Additionally,our work to use reparative languagewhereLibrary of Congress subject termsareinaccurate and obsolete isongoing. Kenan Research Center welcomes feedback and questions regarding our archival descriptions. If you encounter harmful, offensive, or insensitive terminology or description please let us know by emailingreference@atlantahistorycenter.com. Your comments are essential to our work to create inclusive and thoughtful description.