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INTERVIEWER: VICKIE M. JONES INTERVIEWEE: ANNIE RACHEL SQUIRES Today is April 24, 2007

INTERVIEWER: I am interviewing Mrs. Annie Rachel Squires. We are going to start our interview by asking you something about your family. Could you please give us some basic information about yourself; such as, state your full name your date and place of birth.

MRS. SQURIES:

INTERVIEWER:

March 29, 1908.

And give me your full name.

MRS. SQURIES: Annie Rachel Squires.

INTERVIEWER: What was your parents' names?

MRS. SQURIES: Paul and Alvine.

INTERVIEWER: Last Name.

MRS. SQURIES: Her name was Jones but she married into Johnson.

INTERVIEWER: What about your spouse, your husband? What is your husband's name?

MRS. SQURIES:

INTERVIEWER:

Squires.

How many children did you have?

MRS. SQURIES: 11

INTERVIEWER: Can you name them?

MRS. SQURIES:

INTERVIEWER:

Alberta, Perella, Grant, Edward, Otis, Annie, Marie, Louise, James MacArthur and Fred.

Describe yourself and the family that you grew up in? Can you tell us a little bit about the family you grew up in? Do you have any brothers and sisters?

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Interview number U-0346 in the Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007) at The Southern Historical Collection, The Louis Round Wilson Special Collections Library, UNC-Chapel Hill.

MRS. SQURIES:

INTERVIEWER:

Yes, I have Marie, Helen, and Gillis, Bonnie Lee, Mary,.... Sister, I got so many I can't even count.

You have a big family, too; a lot of brothers and sisters.

MRS. SQURIES:

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MRS. SQURIES:

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MRS. SQURIES:

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MRS. SQURIES:

Yes.

What do you remember most about your family and their involvement in the community? What kind of things did your father do, what kind of work did they do?

They worked on a farm. We had to go out there and pick bugs off of stuff. They worked on the farm.

They worked on the farm.

Yeah.

What else did they do?

I don't know, nothing else I don't think they worked on the farm all the time.

INTERVIEWER: What do you remember most about growing up as a child? "

MRS. SQURIES: I remember we had to go in the field and work, pick bugs off something. We had to work in the field.

INTERVIEWER: Where were you born?

MRS. SQURIES: Here. In North Carolina.

INTERVIEWER: In this community? In Maribel?

o Interview number U-0346 in the Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007) at The Southern Historical Collection, The Louis Round Wilson Special Collections Library, UNC-Chapel Hill.

In Maribel; Cash Corner.

So you were born in Cash Corner and you live in Maribel now? Did your family ever have any family reunions or anything that brings the family together?

Yeah, we have family reunions.

What kind? Maybe you and your daughter can tell me something about it. We have Ms. Squires' daughter also with us today being interviewed. If you will tell me your full name please, because we are going to have you to help.

ANNIE MARIE SQUIRES: Annie Marie Squires.

INTERVIEWER: If you will speak just a little louder.

ANNIE MARIE SQUIRES: OK. Annie Marie Squires

INTERVIEWER: OK. So together we are going to do this interview. I think we can do well. What do you remember in terms of any family reunions? Do you recall.... What about the Johnson's family reunion?

ANNIE MARIE SQUIRES: We came here, its like when we say here we get together and have family reunions, everybody would come here, we have picnics and we have service, go out to dinner then we would all come back to my mom's house.... It was very very nice. We have games, we have tee shirts, we have caps and we have plenty of good food.

INTERVIEWER: How long would you say you all have had family reunions?

ANNIE MARIE SQUIRES: I don't know. About seven years I guess.

MRS. SQURIES:

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MRS. SQURIES:

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i Interview number U-0346 in the Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007) at The Southern Historical Collection, The Louis Round Wilson Special Collections Library, UNC-Chapel Hill.

INTERVIEWER:

MRS. SQURIES:

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OK, can you describe the family that you live in today?

The family.

Describe you life that you live now. What are the things that you do now?

MRS. SQURIES: What do I do now?

INTERVIEWER: Yes ma'am.

MRS. SQURIES: Go to the center.

INTERVIEWER: What kind of center is this?

MRS. SQURIES: Senior Citizen Center.

INTERVIEWER: What do you do there?

MRS. SQURIES:

INTERVIEWER:

We have exercise. Exercise and lessons and lunch and some times you can get on the treadmill, but I don't get on that. There is a lot of thing for you to do but I don't do. Play bingo and I love that.

I understand, and you're there with other people.

MRS. SQURIES:

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MRS. SQURIES:

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MRS. SQURIES:

Yeah.

Now let's talk a little bit about when you were younger; what was some of the things that you did during the week when you were younger, when you were growing up in Cash Corner?

Go in the field.

Other than going in the field.

Played ball and stuff; just played around.

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Interview number U-0346 in the Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007) at The Southern Historical Collection, The Louis Round Wilson Special Collections Library, UNC-Chapel Hill.

INTERVIEWER:

MRS. SQURIES.

Did you go to school?

Yeah. I quit school.

INTERVIEWER: Tell us a little bit about that.

MRS. SQURIES: I enjoyed going to school.

INTERVIEWER: Tell us a little bit about that.

MRS. SQURIES:

INTERVIEWER:

I just enjoyed it because we learned our lessons and doing thing.

Were you involved in farming and working the land, and, if so, what did you do and who did you work for? I heard you say that you worked in the field.

MRS. SQURIES:

INTERVIEWER:

MRS. SQURIES:

We did.

Who did you work for?

We worked for, I can't think of the man's name that we worked for but we worked in the field, the McCotter fields.

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MRS. SQURIES:

What kind of crops did they have?

They had corn, cotton, white potatoes, sweet potatoes and stuff like that.

INTERVIEWER:

MRS. SQURIES:

White potatoes, sweet potatoes, cotton and corn. I'm going to go back to the question about school, Education. You said you went to school. Name the school you attended. What was the name of your school and where was it located?

Here in Maribel.

INTERVIEWER: What was the name of it? Was it down here?

s Interview number U-0346 in the Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007) at The Southern Historical Collection, The Louis Round Wilson Special Collections Library, UNC-Chapel Hill.

MRS. SQURIES: Yeah; school right out there right back there.

INTERVIEWER: But it was in Maribel. OK. Now what do you remember, who was your favorite teacher? Do you remember?

MRS. SQURIES: I had a colored teacher her name was, I forgot her name. She was a colored teacher.

INTERVIEWER:

MRS. SQURIES.

Do you remember any courses or subjects that you liked? What was some of the courses that you really liked in school?

I liked reading and I liked everything in school.

INTERVIEWER: How far did you go; did you graduate from school?

MRS. SQURIES: I left school when I was in the seventh grade.

INTERVIEWER:

MRS. SQURIES:

OK. Now let's talk a little bit about your religion. Tell me a little bit about your religion, where you go to church, what is your faith?

I go to church in Vandemere.

INTERVIEWER: What is the name of the church?

MRS. SQURIES: AME Zion.

INTERVIEWER: Is it Saint James?

MRS. SQURIES: Yeah. Saint James.

INTERVIEWER: How long have you been a member there?

MRS. SQURIES: Every since I was little.

INTERVIEWER: All your life.

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Interview number U-0346 in the Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007) at The Southern Historical Collection, The Louis Round Wilson Special Collections Library, UNC-Chapel Hill.

MRS. SQURIES: Yeah.

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How often do you attend church?

I attend church the first, second and fourth Sunday. But I don't go every Sunday now.

You don't go every Sunday now?

No.

What are some of the things that you do, how do you put your religion into action? I know one is musical.

I use to play the piano but I don't play now. I got to old and gave it to somebody else.

How long did you play the piano?

All my life.

How did you learn how to play the piano? Who taught you?

My sister-in-law I believe, her name was Ella. She taught me how to play the piano. I played the piano a long time for the church.

Was there any other family members that played a musical instrument?

No, not my family.

Just you; none of your sisters and brothers. Did you sing to?

MRS. SQURIES: Sing, yeah. I Sing.

7 Interview number U-0346 in the Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007) at The Southern Historical Collection, The Louis Round Wilson Special Collections Library, UNC-Chapel Hill.

INTERVIEWER: What do you do at home that involves your religion? Do you read the bible?

MRS. SQURIES: Yes sir. I read my bible. Be in the room singing.

INTERVIEWER: Do you? What are some of the songs you sing?

MRS. SQURIES: 'I'm Free". That's one song. Do you know that?

INTERVIEWER: Yes ma'am. Well, what are other songs?

MRS. SQURIES: I sing a lot of songs. Yes sir that I do.

INTERVIEWER: What about singing a song.

MRS. SQURIES: Sung the song I'm Free.

INTERVIEWER: Did anybody in you family go in the military?

MRS. SQURIES: Yes, Chester.

INTERVIEWER: Who is Chester?

ANNIE MARIE SQUIRES: Her brother.

INTERVIEWER: Do you know what war he was in?

MRS. SQURIES: No but I know he was in service.

INTERVIEWER: Did any of your boys go in service?

MRS. SQURIES: Yeah.

INTERVIEWER: Which one?

MRS. SQURIES: Grant was in service and Edward was in service and Fred was in service and Sutton.

INTERVIEWER: Let's talk a little bit about your social life. We know you like to go to the center, but describe

e Interview number U-0346 in the Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007) at The Southern Historical Collection, The Louis Round Wilson Special Collections Library, UNC-Chapel Hill.

MRS. SQURIES:

INTERVIEWER:

MRS. SQURIES:

your life with your family, your neighbors and your friends. Go way back and tell me some of the things you used to do growing up in Cash Corner.

Go from house to house; my sister-in-law learned me how to play the piano.

How old were you then?

About 13 or 14. I played the piano and I played a lot in church.

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What are some of the things you would do with your friends when you were growing up.

I would go to their house and did some playing around; sing some songs; just had fun.

What about courting. Did you do some courting?

Yeah, I did some courting.

Tell us a little bit about that?

MRS. SQURIES:

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MRS. SQURIES:

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I love to court. Got married and had 11 children.

How old were you when you got married?

My husband was 21,1 wasl7.

Now when you got married tell me a little bit about that, did you already have your home or where did you stay, what kind of work did your husband do?

He worked on a farm and we didn't have a home then but we lived in one of my cousin's home until we got one. Then we move in our own house.

INTERVIEWER: How did you meet cousin, Artis?

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Interview number U-0346 in the Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007) at The Southern Historical Collection, The Louis Round Wilson Special Collections Library, UNC-Chapel Hill.

MRS. SQURIES:

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MRS. SQURIES:

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MRS. SQURIES:

In school.

You were in school. What happened, how did you start talking?

On school ground.

What do you do as a hobby? What are some of your hobbies? Some of the things you like to do aside from working. I'm sure playing the piano is one and playing bingo. Isn't it?

Yeah.

ANNIE MARIE SQUIRES: She did ceramics.

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She said you used to do ceramics.

Yeah.

Now what about traveling? Where and when did you travel and what was it like in your early life? Did you do a lot of traveling going on vacations? Did you travel to see your children?

Yeah.

Where did they live?

In Virginia, I went to New Jersey and New York to see my son. I went to see him.

Was that your first time traveling to the city?

Yeah.

What was it like?

MRS. SQUIRES: Yeah, it was nice to me.

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Interview number U-0346 in the Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007) at The Southern Historical Collection, The Louis Round Wilson Special Collections Library, UNC-Chapel Hill.

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Can you recall anything from that? What did you do?

He just took me out to lunch. He wasn't married and took me around to places. I enjoyed that. He was married but he and his wife was parted.

Have you ever experienced discrimination and racism in the early days?

Most of them white folks didn't like black folks so we didn't bother them.

Was there ever any problems?

No. There was some that liked colored people so that's who we went around with but the others we didn't bother them.

You didn't bother them. Why?

They weren't studying us. They were not studying black people.

Let's talk a little bit about the community and changes. Can you tell me about this community? How long have you lived here in Maribel?

Every since I got married.

So you got married when you were 17 and you are 99 now. That's been a long time.

Yeah, 17 and he was 21. Had eleven young'uns.

That's been a long time. What about land, do you all own any land?

MRS. SQURIES: Land, just around here, that's all.

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Interview number U-0346 in the Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007) at The Southern Historical Collection, The Louis Round Wilson Special Collections Library, UNC-Chapel Hill.

INTERVIEWER:

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How much land would you say you all own?

I don't know how many acres it was. I forgot now.

INTERVIEWER: Did you farm it?

MRS. SQURIES: Yes.

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What did you grow on it?

Watermelon, cantaloupes, beets and green cabbage, stuff like garden stuff, string beans.

Did you do any work outside of farming?

MRS. SQURIES: No.

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What about your husband, did he do any work outside of farming or did he farm all of his life?

Yeah, but he worked somewhere else.

Where else did he work?

MRS. SQURIES:

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He worked at Cherry Point.

Okay. He worked at Cherry Point. What did he do down there?

MRS. SQURIES:

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I think he worked in a cafe down there. He was a airplane stripper.

Okay. Do you recall if there was any Black-owned businesses when you were coming up?

MRS. SQURIES: No.

INTERVIEWER: What about some of the segregated facilities you could or could not go to in your early life? Were

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Interview number U-0346 in the Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007) at The Southern Historical Collection, The Louis Round Wilson Special Collections Library, UNC-Chapel Hill.

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there some places that being a Black person, that you could not go to in your early years?

Yeah.

What was some of them?

The white folks would have a dinner or something, we couldn't go in. Bathrooms or restaurants.

How would that make you feel?

Make me feel bad.

Why?

Cause they wouldn't let us go in there. I didn't think that was right either. But that is the way they had it.

Do you recall anything about growing up? Were there beaches or any place where you all could go for recreation?

Yeah, Rainbow beach.

What would you all do down there?

Get in the water and swim and walk around. I didn't swim, I walked around it.

Did you ever take you children down there?

Yeah. They would want to swim and go way out. I tell them they could not go way out there.

Were there any hate groups during that time; what about the Ku Klux Klan, did you ever have any experience with the Ku Klux Klan?

\t Interview number U-0346 in the Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007) at The Southern Historical Collection, The Louis Round Wilson Special Collections Library, UNC-Chapel Hill.

MRS. SQURIES: Ku Klux Klan. What was they during. I suppose so.

INTERVIEWER: They wore the white robes and they would sometime burn crosses in people's yards. Do you remember?

MRS. SQURIES:

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Yeah, I remember it.

Do you remember that happening to anybody down here?

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No. If it did, I can't remember it.

We are going to move on to your adult years. What type of work did you do even as an adult? Did you just stay home and raise the children or did you work?

Worked in the field.

Even when your husband was working at Cherry Point, you worked in the field?

Yeah. I worked at Cherry Point to.

What did you do at Cherry Point?

Housework.

Who did you work for?

I forgot their names. They were white people, Lieutenant Cornell Gray.

Lt. Cornell Gray.

Yeah. I liked working for them they were nice.

How long did you work for them?

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Interview number U-0346 in the Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007) at The Southern Historical Collection, The Louis Round Wilson Special Collections Library, UNC-Chapel Hill.

MRS. SQURIES:

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Until I got married. I worked for them a long time.

That was probably after you got married wasn't it?

Yeah, I worked for them then to.

Because you said you got married when you were 17.

MRS. SQURIES: 17.

ANNIE MARIE SQUIRES: You didn't work for them before you got married. After you were an adult and got married and daddy work for Cherry Point then you went to Cherry Point so you were fully grown then.

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What have been some important events in your life? What are some things that has meant a lot to you that has happened to you?

What, like working?

Anything that stands out as being really important to you.

MRS. SQURIES:

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Staying home.

More than that. Other than that, what things have been important?

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MRS. SQURIES:

Well I like to go out and work.

Think of some things that happened to you or your family and children that was really important and you would like to share.

Well they went to school, they mind me, they were good and I didn't have any trouble with them.

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Interview number U-0346 in the Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007) at The Southern Historical Collection, The Louis Round Wilson Special Collections Library, UNC-Chapel Hill.

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Do you recall the Great Depression, the Depression era? What do you remember about the Depression?

What was that like?

I don't know. That is what I want you to tell me. Do you remember the Depression?

Depression.

Yes ma'am; when things were really bad; tell me a little bit about that.

It was a mess I know that, we couldn't get nothing much It was really bad.

Do you remember anything about World War Two?

World War Two. I guest I ought to, I am 100 years old I can't remember.

What about the Civil Rights Movement. Do you remember anything about that?

What was that like?

How about Martin Luther King. Do you remember anything about Martin Luther King?

He was for the black people. He wanted to help them.

Why did he want to help them?

Cause he was Black like us I guest.

Do you remember anything about his assassination? When Martin Luther King was

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Interview number U-0346 in the Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007) at The Southern Historical Collection, The Louis Round Wilson Special Collections Library, UNC-Chapel Hill.

assassinated, how did you feel when you heard that news?

MRS. SQURIES: It made me sick.

INTERVIEWER: Why?

MRS. SQURIES:

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Cause I thought he was good.

What about John Kennedy. Do you remember when he was assassinated?

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John Kennedy.

Yes ma'am, President John Kennedy.

I forgot him then. I remember when they assassinated Martin Luther King but the other one I forgot about him.

Do you remember, sometimes people say I remember exactly what I was doing the day that I heard he got killed. Do you recall what you were doing when Martin Luther King was assassinated?

I don't know but I tell you I was hurt.

Is there anything you would like to add that we have not talked about in this interview? Is there something that you would like to say because you just told me you are almost 100 years old? I know there is some wisdom and knowledge in there. Is there something you would like to say to young people about life in general?

I would just say, do the best you can in your life.

Why?

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Interview number U-0346 in the Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007) at The Southern Historical Collection, The Louis Round Wilson Special Collections Library, UNC-Chapel Hill.

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Cause it mean a lot to you. You go out here and be with everybody and anybody and all that mess, that's not good.

In parting, your closing words of wisdom to young people would be what?

You're doing wrong. You shouldn't do things like that.

Things like what?

What they were doing, ever what they were doing.

If there was anything about this world that you could change, what would it be?

That I could change. Tell everybody to get right with God and stay with him. Don't be doing everything but some people do anything and everything and that is wrong.

What do you think is your secret to long life?

Being good and read your Bible and do what the commands say.

I hear you. Is there anything else you would like to say?

Now and way back women were going with women husbands going with men wives and all such of mess as that was wrong, but they are going to get their pay for it. They are going to get their Pay-So that was even going on back in the day.

MRS. SQURIES: Yeah. And I reckon it is going on now.

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Interview number U-0346 in the Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007) at The Southern Historical Collection, The Louis Round Wilson Special Collections Library, UNC-Chapel Hill.

INTERVIEWER: I do want to thank you so much Mrs. Squires, for this interview and thank you for sharing your recollections. Your voice has been empowering for this project and this ends the interview.

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Interview number U-0346 in the Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007) at The Southern Historical Collection, The Louis Round Wilson Special Collections Library, UNC-Chapel Hill.