- Collection:
- Athens Music Project Oral History Collection, 2014-2020
- Title:
- Walter Allen Sr. interviewed by Fred Smith, 20 September 2016
- Creator:
- Smith, Fred
Allen, Walter,Sr. - Date of Original:
- 2016-09-20
- Subject:
- Music--Instruction and study
Music--Instruction and study--Georgia
Georgia - People:
- Allen, Walter, Sr.
- Location:
- United States, Georgia, Clarke County, Athens, 33.96095, -83.37794
- Medium:
- interviews
oral histories (literary works) - Type:
- Moving Image
- Format:
- video/mp4
- Description:
- Walter Allen, Sr. was born and raised in Allendale, South Carolina. He graduated high school in 1947 and attended Claflin University, a historically black college in Orangeburg, South Carolina. Allen played trumpet in the 36th Army Band during his service in the Korean War. After military service, Allen moved to Athens, Georgia, where he was the band director at Athens High and Industrial. Allen also worked as an assistant principal at different schools as the Athens' school system during the desegregation period.
Walter Allen, Sr. grew up in Allendale, South Carolina, in the era of Jim Crow. The area was a close knit farming community, and Allen recalls learning principles of responsibility and discipline from his parents, neighbors, and teachers at Allendale County Training School, an all-black public school. While he also took classes on agriculture and home economics, Allen valued his music education most highly. Because of widespread discrimination, Allen saw and experienced many racially-motivated injustices during his school years, which became a factor in his advocacy for black music education, which he promoted by establishing free after school music programs throughout the state of Georgia. In the interview, Allen chronicles his own music education, beginning in primary school and extending through his time in college, the military, and band directing.
Interviewed by Fred Smith. - Metadata URL:
- http://purl.libs.uga.edu/russell/RBRL379AMP-029/ohms
- Language:
- eng
- Additional Rights Information:
- Resources may be used under the guidelines described by the U.S. Copyright Office in Section 107, Title 17, United States Code (Fair use). Parties interested in production or commercial use of the resources should contact the Russell Library for a fee schedule.
- Bibliographic Citation (Cite As):
- Athens Music Project Oral History Collection, AMP 029, Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies, University of Georgia Libraries, Athens, Georgia, 30602-1641.
- Extent:
- 1 videorecording (ca. 75 min.) : sd., col.
- Original Collection:
- Athens Music Project Oral History Collection
- Holding Institution:
- Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies
- Rights:
-
