WEBVTT
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Jim Gass: hey sorry about that.
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Tonia ONeal: No worries.
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Jim Gass: My roommate offered to let me use her computer and I thought it was
going to work better, just because of the Internet, quality, but the, uh...4
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Tonia ONeal: But it's worse.
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Jim Gass: Well no, it was it was fine it's just she didn't mention how to get
her microphone to work, was the problem, so. 00:01:006
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Jim Gass: yeah as far as the camera goes I know Denetta it did not want her
video to be included in the final version.7
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Jim Gass: But.
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Jim Gass: As far as like keeping your camera on and off that that's up to you
i'm gonna leave mine on just make sure this works, but.9
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Tonia ONeal: Okay yeah i'm probably gonna leave mine off because i'm.
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Tonia ONeal: Sure, my last net I must have had like a really bad fever actually
I look gross right now so.11
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Jim Gass: You said you have a bad fever?
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Tonia ONeal: I think, while I was sleeping I had I got really warm.
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Tonia ONeal: So I don't
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Tonia ONeal: remember while I was asleep, but now, when I woke up, I felt fine but.
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Tonia ONeal: Definitely feeling it as the day progresses getting more and more tired.
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So.
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Tonia ONeal: I did get the recording from the.
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interview.
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Tonia ONeal: so good.
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Tonia ONeal: Good sound is.
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Jim Gass: Denetta is calling me right now give me just one second okay.
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Jim Gass: i'm going to text her the login one more time.
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Tonia ONeal: i'll try to email you the other interview I don't know how big it
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deal.
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Jim Gass: Did it, uh, did you record it locally or through the cloud?
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Tonia ONeal: um I think I did it locally.
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Okay.
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Jim Gass: This one's on that-okay-this one's on the cloud, and I think I might
be able to set it to record it locally as well, but that was the setting I picked when I first set the meeting up.29
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Jim Gass: She will be joining us in just a second here.
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Tonia ONeal: i'm gonna put myself on mute while my dog barks.
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Jim Gass: I know the feeling.
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Tonia ONeal: i'll probably bounce back and forth between mute and unmute just so
that way we don't pick up any of my background noise from my dog.33
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Jim Gass: Of course that's what I was doing during Charlesetta interview earlier.
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Jim Gass: I keep hoping it'll give me a notification that.
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Jim Gass: She enters the waiting room.
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Tonia ONeal: yeah I left the waiting room off on mine, so I don't have anything
to happen oh.37
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Tonia ONeal: No.
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Jim Gass: don't believe I set this thing up with that issue I.
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Jim Gass: I sent her the passcode as well.
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Jim Gass: If,um, if she has problems or she'll text or she'll call me probably
just a minute.41
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Tonia ONeal: Ok I'm gonna step away real quick to silence my dog.
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Denetta James: Jim I can't recall the year.
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Denetta James: Because I am 85 years old.
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Denetta James: And let me think here.
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Denetta James: and
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Denetta James: I would say nineteen-
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Jim Gass: class of 49 OK.
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Jim Gass: And then.
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So.
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Jim Gass: If I have the year correct, you would have proceeded from there to
Vashon High School at itat its original location, with uh, is that correct?51
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Absolutely.
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Jim Gass: Now I can't remember the address.
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Jim Gass: off the top my head, I know where the second location was I got some
good shots of it for this project about a week ago, and it now, it would have changed locations after you had already graduated.54
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Denetta James: Oh yeah absolutely yes, when I graduated from Vashon it was still
in existence on Laclede. Um.55
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Denetta James: Quite a few years after I graduated because I came out in 53.
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Denetta James: And it was Oh, they were Vashon
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Denetta James: I don't know.
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Denetta James: The expiration date for Vashon, but it was still in existence,
you know. 00:05:0059
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Denetta James: And a lot of more classes and lot more attendance on Laclede.
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Jim Gass: And after you graduated Where are you still in frequent contact with
anybody who was still attending there or anybody who is teaching there, possibly younger sibling, neighbor, anybody?61
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Denetta James: Well um.
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Denetta James: I have a lot of friends there yet, because we all live in the
same community.63
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Denetta James: And we would.
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Denetta James: meet and walk to the Vashon from- I lived on Howard Street 2700
on Howard, and we would meet going over Glasgow onto Vashon and then there were a lot of um.65
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Denetta James: Lot of my friends did live
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Denetta James: In the Jeff-Vanderlou area that attended Vashon.
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Denetta James: So we had football players and
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Denetta James: and regular students.
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Jim Gass: I believe we have some old some footage from the 70s, of the, I want
to say, the basketball team i'm still working with MOHIST on how to figure out how to work that into our film.70
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Jim Gass: So so you've lived in Jeff Vanderlou your whole life, correct?
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Absolutely.
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Jim Gass: um could you say right about when the neighborhood started being
referred to as Jeff Vanderlou? The name, you know kind of... what the name meant kind of coalesced for me, you know, after hearing it a couple times in class, you know Jefferson, Vandeventer, and St Louis avenue, but can you remember,73
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Jim Gass: Can you remember, if it was called something else before that?
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It was.
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Denetta James: Jim, but I think it was called
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Denetta James: Something like the Hole, or something like that, because it was
going down towards the river.77
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Denetta James: You know? Uh huh, and I think that is what it was called, the Hole.
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Jim Gass: It wasn't called the Patch by chance, was it?
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Jim Gass: I might have a different neighborhood.
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Denetta James: who? repeat that.
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Jim Gass: It wasn't called the Patch.
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Jim Gass: By-by chance, was it?
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Denetta James: That might have been the Patch going down into the Hole, yeah.
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Denetta James: That's familiar.
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Denetta James: and
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Denetta James: When it became Jeff Vanderlou,
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Denetta James: I really wasn't living in the area, when it became Jeff
Vanderlou, you know.88
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Denetta James: I had grown up and moved when it became Jeff Vanderlou.
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Denetta James: But I was I taken part in the name being transferred to Jeff Vanderlou.
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Denetta James: I became a member of the board of Jeff Vanderlou.
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Denetta James: But when it became Jeff Vanderlou.
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Denetta James: I was, uh,
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Denetta James: In my 20s.
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Denetta James: You know and,
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Denetta James: And was married when it became Jeff Vanderlou.
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Jim Gass: That would put it in the mid-
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Jim Gass: 50s or so, correct?
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Denetta James: It was later than the mid-mid 50s, Jim, because when I graduated
I lived in Jeff Vanderlou and99
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Denetta James: Then,
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Denetta James: had, uh, my son,
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Denetta James: And it was still Jeff-Vanderl- no, it was, no, it was not Jeff
Vanderlou, it became Jeff Vanderlou about,102
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Denetta James: Oh,
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Denetta James: I moved out of Jeff Vanderlou in the 50s.
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Denetta James: I mean, out of the Hole in the 50s, so I think it became Jeff Vanderlou.
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Denetta James: about in the 70s.
Jim Gass: That makes sense.
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Jim Gass: I see you mentioned, you were on the board for the area for a little
while, can you say a little bit more about that? Was that the, like the township board, city board?107
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Denetta James: It was, it was a township board for Jeff Vanderlou only, uh huh.
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Jim Gass: Was that an elected position?
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Denetta James: Beg pardon?
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Jim Gass: Sorry, was that an elected position?
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Denetta James: No, no, it was just, um.
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Denetta James: Members that lived in the area.
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Denetta James: I would say, people that lived in the area.
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Denetta James: That, um, knew, well that actually worked in area, and I did work
00:10:00in the area as a social worker at Jeff Vanderlou Senior Citizen building and.115
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Denetta James: And I knew the man,
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Denetta James: That actually participated in the change of Jeff Vanderlou,
Macler Shepard.117
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Denetta James: And so I became a member of the board, because I worked at the
senior citizen building.118
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Denetta James: And my mom lived there, so I became a member of the board,
because I worked with the seniors.119
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Jim Gass: Can you tell us a little bit more about Macler Shepard? That's
actually a name that I don't think has come up in my research, yet, although I might have passed it.120
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Denetta James: Oh, is that right? Oh, my goodness well,
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Denetta James: Macler Shepard, um
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Denetta James: He lived in the community and
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Denetta James: He was a bus driver in the beginning and,um
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He,
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Denetta James: became.
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Denetta James: I was saying, um
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Denetta James: He became in involved in the community and,
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Denetta James: He became,
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Like...
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Denetta James: A person, he-he was,
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Denetta James: He...
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Denetta James: He was like a director over the, over the area, Oh, the senior
citizen building, when they started the Senior Citizens building,133
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Denetta James: on Howard street and then,
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Denetta James: They open a Senior Citizen building on Martin Luther King.
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Denetta James: and
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Denetta James: He became
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Denetta James: like the director over there, over the building and, um,
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Denetta James: Then he did so much work with, with, with, uh
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Denetta James: Jeff-with,with Jeff Vand- Jeff Vanderlou, and so he became the
director of both senior citizens buildings and, and he did such140
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Denetta James: a magnificent job.
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Denetta James: They named
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Denetta James: The senior citizen building on Martin Luther King after him.
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Denetta James: Macler Shepard.
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Denetta James: And we all worked together there with him and, um
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Denetta James: Dedicated the building to him and named it, uh, Macler Shepard
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Denetta James: Senior Citizens building on Martin Luther King.
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Denetta James: He was,
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Denetta James: He was something like a activist, I would say, and that in the,
in the community.149
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Denetta James: and
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Denetta James: He was chosen, you know,
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Denetta James: and responsible for the activities in the senior citizen building
on Howard, and then, as I made mention, he built the senior citizen building on Martin Luther King and, um.152
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Denetta James: He became
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Denetta James: The overseer and the director of both buildings.
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Denetta James: That was Macler Shepard and, um,
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Denetta James: He remained there for many years, and I was on the board, chosen
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Denetta James: to be on the board, then my mom lived in the senior citizens
building on Martin Luther King, and she was one of the first,um, 00:14:00157
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Denetta James: residents to go into the building when we the building opened.
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Denetta James: So,
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Denetta James: he was,
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Denetta James: he was magnificent, he did a lot of things and so he was
dedicated that building because he,161
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Denetta James: He did so much you know, to have that building built.
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Denetta James: So that was Macler Shepard and Mr. Shepard remained in that
building until, Oh, my goodness,163
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Denetta James: of age.
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Denetta James: He became of age and he lived in the community, of age and,
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Denetta James: After a while.
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Denetta James: As we all age he aged, and um.
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Denetta James: We put him in a dependent
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Denetta James: Senior citizen building.
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Denetta James: Home.
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Denetta James: And that is where he perished.
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Denetta James: i'm surprised you didn't hear about Macler Shepard, if you had to
do any wonder about Jeff Vanderlou because he was the,172
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Denetta James: He was the main part of Jeff Vanderlou, to change the name of
Jeff Vanderlou.173
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Jim Gass: Well, you know now that you mentioned that he was a bus driver at one point.
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Jim Gass: That, that sounds familiar so it's possible.
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Denetta James: Does it?.
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Right.
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Jim Gass: He, he sounds like kind of a Homer G Philips
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Jim Gass: figure, you know, maybe a couple decades later.
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Jim Gass: The hospital is, the Homer G. Philips Hospital is another site that
we've researched a little bit in the course this project. Growing up, did you know anybody who was treated over there, or who spent any time in that hospital?180
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Denetta James: At Homer G. Philips? Homer G. Philips in The Ville, okay?
Jim Gass: Pretty far from Jeff Vanderlou, but yeah.
Denetta James: My son was born at Homer G. Philips.
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Denetta James: Uh huh and that was really,
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Denetta James: The only neighborhood I mean the only hospital, we had.
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Denetta James: To go to you know, to go for treatment or whatever.
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Denetta James: Because it was...
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Denetta James: It was like well, it was the
186
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Denetta James: hospital for minorities, okay right, I would say that, and we had
practically all Black doctors.187
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Denetta James: We had.
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Denetta James: minority doctors, foreign doctors
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Denetta James: I had been in Homer G.- a patient in Homer G. Philips, about two
times in my life and, um.190
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Denetta James: I lived, I moved to live with my grandmother who lived around the
corner in The Ville from Homer G. Philips as a child and... 00:17:00191
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Denetta James: It was... it was...
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Denetta James: It was our hospital, I would say it was the community hospital
for that community, the Ville, and for the minority people that that is the hospital we attended, before193
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Denetta James: they dismantled it, Okay, as I mentioned, my son was born at
Homer G. Philips the.194
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Denetta James: in 1953,March, and um,
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Everyone I knew, uh,
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Denetta James: was born at Homer G. Philips that was born in-in the city, in the
city of St Louis.197
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Denetta James: So, um.
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Denetta James: It was, it is history, you know, and we were kind of...
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Denetta James: I could say,
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Denetta James: I would say that
00:18:00201
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Denetta James: we were kind of
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Denetta James: disgruntled when they, you know.
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Denetta James: closed Homer G. Philips and turned it to a, turned it to a senior
citizen building.204
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Denetta James: Okay.
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Denetta James: Because the nurses, all the nurses, they were there they had a
home on, um.206
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Denetta James: On Good Avenue which is in The Ville, they had they had their
home and they had the school there and they all went to Homer- you know, were nurses at Homer G. Philips and doctors also yeah I know quite.207
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Denetta James: A great history of Homer G. Philips, because, that was the only
hospital we had to go in attendance, as patients.208
00:22:58.740 --> 00:23:00.960
Jim Gass: And it was still a distinct neighborhood from Jeff.
00:19:00209
00:23:00.960 --> 00:23:04.920
Jim Gass: Vanderlou. Was there, can you remember, if.
210
00:23:05.940 --> 00:23:16.320
Jim Gass: Anybody who was living in Jeff Vanderlou like if they, say, needed
medical attention but couldn't make it to Homer G Philips, was there a place they could go in Jeff Vanderlou?211
00:23:17.940 --> 00:23:18.450
Denetta James: No.
212
00:23:22.650 --> 00:23:25.890
Denetta James: You had to make it to Homer G. Philips.
Jim Gass: Right.
213
00:23:27.000 --> 00:23:38.520
Denetta James: And it wasn't, you know, from Jeff Vanderlou, so everybody had- I
mean, even if you were shot, cut, or whatever you had to make it to Homer G. Philips.Jim Gass: Right.
214
00:23:39.660 --> 00:23:40.080
Denetta James: and
215
00:23:41.310 --> 00:23:42.330
Denetta James: It was such a-
216
00:23:44.100 --> 00:23:48.420
Denetta James: It was such a hospital. It was such a place for people.
217
00:23:50.580 --> 00:23:56.250
Denetta James: You could be cut from head to toe and you would come out living,
you know.218
00:23:57.300 --> 00:24:09.270
Denetta James: Doctors which is awesome, we had- As I mentioned we had all Black
00:20:00doctors, we had foreign doctors, also, you know, minority foreign doctors.219
00:24:10.770 --> 00:24:11.880
Denetta James: Those doctors had their own
220
00:24:13.350 --> 00:24:18.930
Denetta James: office also, you know, like a doctor's office, where you go now
to the doctors and, uh,221
00:24:20.340 --> 00:24:20.850
Denetta James: They were, um,
222
00:24:22.230 --> 00:24:23.130
Denetta James: it was a heck of a team.
223
00:24:25.830 --> 00:24:26.820
Denetta James: My doctor,
224
00:24:28.440 --> 00:24:29.490
Denetta James: My physician,
225
00:24:30.660 --> 00:24:36.480
Denetta James: Was a doctor at Homer G. Philips and, uh, he was a heck of a doctor,
226
00:24:37.500 --> 00:24:38.430
Denetta James: you know, so um.
227
00:24:39.660 --> 00:24:46.980
Denetta James: That was the only place we had to go during that time, you, you
could not, um, I can't remember anyone228
00:24:48.600 --> 00:24:57.360
Denetta James: attending a patient going to Barnes before it became Barnes
Jewish, you know that came after Homer G. Philips.229
00:24:59.370 --> 00:25:00.540
Denetta James: We had our own clinic,
230
00:25:01.770 --> 00:25:02.760
Denetta James: In our area,
00:21:00231
00:25:06.270 --> 00:25:06.690
Denetta James: and
232
00:25:09.540 --> 00:25:15.300
Denetta James: we had our clinics, and then the doctors lived in the area, a lot
of doctors lived in Jeff Vanderlou,233
00:25:16.560 --> 00:25:17.550
Denetta James: you know so, um.
234
00:25:18.570 --> 00:25:25.200
Denetta James: And you could go to your doctor right there, your doctor and your
dentist or whatever right there in Jeff Vanderlou.235
00:25:27.240 --> 00:25:28.080
Jim Gass: When doctors still made house calls.
236
00:25:30.570 --> 00:25:31.290
Denetta James: Beg pardon?
237
00:25:32.370 --> 00:25:34.950
Jim Gass: Oh, back when doctors still made house calls all the time.
238
00:25:36.240 --> 00:25:40.800
Denetta James: They did! They did, they did make house calls.
239
00:25:42.420 --> 00:25:42.810
They made-
240
00:25:45.510 --> 00:25:46.710
Denetta James: Beg pardon, I'm sorry?
241
00:25:47.310 --> 00:25:57.390
Jim Gass: Oh no worries I was just about to say that's something that's come up
in our research quite a bit is the quality of care that people received that Homer G. Philips and how professional the doctors were and242
00:25:59.070 --> 00:26:00.540
Jim Gass: how competent they were, you know.
00:22:00243
00:26:01.740 --> 00:26:03.660
Denetta James: Magnificent. And the doctors were, I can say carte
244
00:26:05.370 --> 00:26:10.200
Denetta James: blanche, very professional doctors, as I made mention you could
go in.245
00:26:11.700 --> 00:26:12.360
Denetta James:
246
00:26:13.380 --> 00:26:14.160
Denetta James: You could go in
247
00:26:16.770 --> 00:26:24.900
Denetta James: cut from head to toe whatever you know holding your intestines in
your hands and stuff, and you would live, you know.248
00:26:25.920 --> 00:26:33.390
Denetta James: We see you a week to three weeks later and you'd been, been to
Homer G. Philips. They were awesome.249
00:26:34.770 --> 00:26:37.770
Denetta James: That is the, That is something I really, really do miss.
250
00:26:38.970 --> 00:26:40.530
Denetta James: The doctor care we had.
251
00:26:41.640 --> 00:26:46.230
Denetta James: The doctors we had at Homer G. Philips and, as I made mention
they had the office252
00:26:47.940 --> 00:26:50.700
Denetta James: within the community also, you know,
253
00:26:53.040 --> 00:26:57.750
Denetta James: And you had, you could choose the doctor that you wanted to attend
254
00:26:59.550 --> 00:27:02.760
Denetta James: for your health care and I had about,
00:23:00255
00:27:04.110 --> 00:27:06.540
Denetta James: Two, three doctors, Dr Spencer.
256
00:27:09.150 --> 00:27:13.980
Denetta James: Dr Flanagan was an Ob gyn doctor, who was, um
257
00:27:15.090 --> 00:27:15.720
Denetta James: very good,
258
00:27:16.770 --> 00:27:18.510
Denetta James: And we had a baby,
259
00:27:19.590 --> 00:27:23.550
Denetta James: We had clin- we had clinics in the area to take your baby to, you know,
260
00:27:25.800 --> 00:27:39.720
Denetta James: For like, for your- for your vaccine shot or whatever, and you
check up, you know, for your baby and also for yourself, you could go to the clinic. We had a clinic in- this clinic still does exist.261
00:27:43.050 --> 00:27:46.620
Denetta James: But it's not in the Jeff Vanderlou area, it's in like, the
262
00:27:47.940 --> 00:27:49.050
Denetta James: Cochran area.
263
00:27:50.310 --> 00:27:51.630
Jim Gass: Okay is it-
Denetta James: Down towards-
264
00:27:53.190 --> 00:27:53.850
Jim Gass: Is it still on-
265
00:27:54.000 --> 00:27:55.470
Jim Gass: Is it still in operation?
266
00:27:55.860 --> 00:28:07.710
Jim Gass: In its original building?
Denetta James: yes, it is, it most certainly is because it's for the Downtown as
00:24:00I made mention of. It was like for, um...267
00:28:12.180 --> 00:28:15.180
Denetta James: Down down in the Cochran area and, um
268
00:28:17.970 --> 00:28:18.600
Down, um.
269
00:28:22.380 --> 00:28:24.780
Denetta James: We would say across Jefferson,
270
00:28:26.040 --> 00:28:26.790
Denetta James: across...
271
00:28:28.740 --> 00:28:33.510
Denetta James: down by, down on 18th street, down by 18th street and.
272
00:28:36.180 --> 00:28:38.220
Denetta James: yeah, the cochran and you had, um,
273
00:28:40.470 --> 00:28:44.580
Denetta James: What other residents, did you have down there, um,
274
00:28:47.880 --> 00:28:50.670
Denetta James: Carr Square Village, you know.
275
00:28:53.400 --> 00:29:01.170
Denetta James: And those were homes, like subsidized homes and everything, so
you had a quite a community down there. 00:25:00276
00:29:02.220 --> 00:29:03.780
Denetta James: Uh, yeah the Bond Project, and
277
00:29:06.360 --> 00:29:07.890
Denetta James: down there and
278
00:29:09.780 --> 00:29:29.250
Denetta James: the clinic was the only clinic we had in the in that community
because I had to take my son to the clinic after he was born, you know for the uh, visits, so that was the only clinical care in the community during that time, and it is still there, as we speak.279
00:29:33.000 --> 00:29:33.690
Jim Gass: Speaking of, uh,
280
00:29:33.720 --> 00:29:42.660
Jim Gass: Car square village, that's come up a bit in our research because it's
often contrasted with Pruitt-Igoe, and you know how it's still standing and still, uh,281
00:29:42.930 --> 00:29:45.840
Jim Gass: You know, working to this day and how it became one of the
282
00:29:45.840 --> 00:29:58.020
Jim Gass: first tenant-owned housing projects, I think, in the country, not just
in the city. Did you know anybody well who, uh, who lives in Carr Square Village when it was initially constructed?283
00:29:59.310 --> 00:30:04.770
Denetta James: Yes, I do because a lot of the children that live in Carr Square Village,
00:26:00284
00:30:06.600 --> 00:30:13.530
Denetta James: they attended Curtis School and from there, they would have to walk
285
00:30:16.380 --> 00:30:18.240
Denetta James: from down there to Curtis School.
286
00:30:19.350 --> 00:30:23.970
Denetta James: And a lot of my classmates lived in Carr Square Village.
287
00:30:25.650 --> 00:30:27.150
Denetta James: Um, I'm trying to think of
288
00:30:30.270 --> 00:30:31.350
Denetta James: the Congressman
289
00:30:32.640 --> 00:30:46.140
Denetta James: that grew up in Carr Square Village... Maxine Waters grew up in
Carr Square Village.Jim Gass: Is that right! I never heard that.
Denetta James: Yes she did, yes, she did. Maxine waters grew up in Carr Square
Village and,290
00:30:49.980 --> 00:30:52.800
Denetta James: the Congressman now, his son
291
00:30:54.270 --> 00:30:55.080
Denetta James: taking over now, um,
292
00:30:56.700 --> 00:31:02.340
Denetta James: he grew up in Carr Square Village, we have a lot of professional
Black people grew up in Carr Square Village. 00:27:00293
00:31:05.160 --> 00:31:09.750
Jim Gass: Are you in contact with anybody or any your classmates who grew up
there, today?294
00:31:11.370 --> 00:31:11.820
Denetta James: No
295
00:31:14.700 --> 00:31:16.200
Denetta James: No, a lot of
296
00:31:17.220 --> 00:31:21.810
Denetta James: them have, um, moved on and a lot of them are, a lot of them...
297
00:31:24.960 --> 00:31:30.300
Denetta James: have gone on, have died, most of my classmates have died.
298
00:31:32.640 --> 00:31:44.490
Denetta James: I do have- I do have a few, we would have like a reunion, a block
reunion, the reunion every year until the pandemic came, you know and a lot of our classmates come299
00:31:45.450 --> 00:32:06.990
Denetta James: and on Howard Street in the 2700 block on Howard Street we-we
have-we have a big reunion and a lot of classmates that had moved out of town would come to attend it and the 10 year reunion, but after the pandemic, we 00:28:00never had another one. We had planned to have another one, but it didn't-it didn't happen.300
00:32:09.150 --> 00:32:10.530
Denetta James: My husband grew up in, um.
301
00:32:13.350 --> 00:32:21.420
Denetta James: Jeff Vanderlou, downtown Jeff Vanderlou and he attended Vashon
and graduated from Vashon. He was a football player and, um.302
00:32:22.800 --> 00:32:23.040
Denetta James: He.
303
00:32:27.150 --> 00:32:28.080
Denetta James: His fathe
304
00:32:30.480 --> 00:32:32.970
Denetta James: lived in Jeff Vanderlou and he was on the board
305
00:32:34.020 --> 00:32:34.410
Denetta James: when, uh
306
00:32:38.550 --> 00:32:45.300
Denetta James: When- when Jeff Vander- on the Jeff Vanderlou board when he first
started Jeff Vanderlou he was on that board also.307
00:32:46.470 --> 00:32:48.150
Denetta James: And Mr James was, uh.
308
00:32:50.130 --> 00:32:55.380
Denetta James: He owned his own business, he was a contractor and, um.
309
00:32:56.910 --> 00:33:00.720
Denetta James: He lived on Sheridan and Sheridan was
310
00:33:02.100 --> 00:33:11.520
Denetta James: about a block back from Howard, Cass, and then Sheridan, okay,
00:29:00and a lot of my school friends lived on Sheridan, and we would walk-we would walk to311
00:33:12.660 --> 00:33:18.000
Denetta James: Vashon high school, but he was a quite a businessman and.
312
00:33:19.710 --> 00:33:28.230
Denetta James: And I met my husband years... second husband years later, because
he was, uh. He was ahead of me in high school.313
00:33:30.300 --> 00:33:30.720
Denetta James: and
314
00:33:33.090 --> 00:33:34.560
Denetta James: He received a scholarship.
315
00:33:36.840 --> 00:33:37.860
Denetta James: You know, for being, uh,
316
00:33:38.940 --> 00:33:41.580
Denetta James: For winning the Turkey game, we had the Turkey game between Vashon
317
00:33:42.840 --> 00:33:56.070
Denetta James: And Sumner because we only had three high schools, okay, it was
Sumner, Vashon and Washington Tech and Washington Tech was basically a trade school.318
00:33:56.460 --> 00:33:59.040
Jim Gass: Right.
319
00:34:00.390 --> 00:34:01.230
Denetta James: We would have, uh,
00:30:00320
00:34:03.300 --> 00:34:10.740
Denetta James: We were- we were competitive, we would have a football game
against Vashon, you know, Vashon and Sumner.321
00:34:13.710 --> 00:34:16.530
Denetta James: And we would have a Turkey game on Thanksgiving.
322
00:34:17.760 --> 00:34:18.060
Denetta James: and
323
00:34:19.890 --> 00:34:23.610
Denetta James: was basically people from Vashon and the people from Sumner.
324
00:34:25.140 --> 00:34:25.530
Denetta James: and
325
00:34:28.440 --> 00:34:33.900
Denetta James: That was- it was- it was quite- it was a beautiful, it was a
lovely community, I can say that.326
00:34:35.550 --> 00:34:43.710
Denetta James: It was the community I grew up in, and I am so happy because I
did grow up in a community like that, because.327
00:34:45.930 --> 00:34:52.050
Denetta James: Everyone taking care of everyone, you know the children were
taken care of by the families.328
00:34:53.250 --> 00:34:54.360
Denetta James: My mother worked.
329
00:34:56.190 --> 00:35:06.570
Denetta James: I- I was a latchkey person, but being the oldest I had two
00:31:00siblings under me, and I would make sure they get home from.330
00:35:07.830 --> 00:35:21.720
Denetta James: Curtis School for lunch and have lunch and make sure they got
back to school and I would make sure they attended school that morning, you know, I was, I was responsible for that and- but,331
00:35:22.740 --> 00:35:23.670
Denetta James: Saying that.
332
00:35:25.320 --> 00:35:30.060
Denetta James: The parents, the people that- well, most women did not work
during that time.333
00:35:31.590 --> 00:35:34.200
Denetta James: The husbands did in Jeff Vanderlou, okay,
334
00:35:35.220 --> 00:35:41.820
Denetta James: And the mother, they looked- they were, they, they watched out
for all the children, you know.335
00:35:43.530 --> 00:35:45.330
Jim Gass: Right.
336
00:35:47.040 --> 00:35:48.120
Denetta James: And, um, my mom worked,
337
00:35:49.200 --> 00:35:50.280
Denetta James: My dad worked.
338
00:35:51.600 --> 00:35:52.980
Denetta James: He grew up in Jeff Vanderlou.
339
00:35:53.970 --> 00:35:54.960
Denetta James: My father did.
340
00:35:56.370 --> 00:35:56.760
Denetta James: So, um.
341
00:35:58.740 --> 00:36:01.170
Denetta James: And my mom did also after,
00:32:00342
00:36:04.050 --> 00:36:05.820
Denetta James: she attended- she went to Chicago,
343
00:36:07.020 --> 00:36:07.650
Denetta James: to live with a
344
00:36:08.700 --> 00:36:21.150
Denetta James: aunt and she attended all girl Catholic school and then she
returned back to her mother and she was living in Jeff Vanerlou, the area Jeff Vanderlou, and.345
00:36:22.380 --> 00:36:24.510
Denetta James: She graduated from St. Bridgette's
346
00:36:25.380 --> 00:36:31.470
Denetta James: school, which is no longer there, but the building is there on
Jefferson and347
00:36:33.480 --> 00:36:35.340
Oh, what can I say, Jefferson
348
00:36:37.530 --> 00:36:39.300
Denetta James: And Biddle, okay.
349
00:36:40.410 --> 00:36:42.660
Denetta James: Um.
Jim Gass: Right.
Denetta James: And, um,
350
00:36:46.800 --> 00:36:56.100
Denetta James: She would-
Jim Gass: The building is still stay standing?
Denetta James:Yes it is still standing, but they have turned it to a community
school right there on Jefferson.351
00:36:59.130 --> 00:37:03.060
Denetta James: You see, that large beautiful school, there on Jefferson is, um.
00:33:00352
00:37:05.130 --> 00:37:06.000
Denetta James: Something like.
353
00:37:09.000 --> 00:37:11.370
Denetta James: A school for children,
354
00:37:15.750 --> 00:37:16.350
Denetta James: That were, uh,
355
00:37:18.360 --> 00:37:20.640
Denetta James: That was in the spe- special classes
356
00:37:20.970 --> 00:37:26.340
Denetta James: not lower class or upper class, you know and it's still there,
it's a beautiful building now.357
00:37:28.050 --> 00:37:31.590
Denetta James: it's in an area where they're building the new Homer G. Phillips.
358
00:37:34.080 --> 00:37:37.050
Jim Gass: Mm-hmm.
Denetta James: And that is on Jefferson and Cass.
359
00:37:40.800 --> 00:37:42.780
Denetta James: So much changed after the, um.
360
00:37:45.690 --> 00:37:55.620
Denetta James: After- after the site is there for the NGA building, you familiar
with that, aren't you? yeah.Jim Gass: Oh yes, I was going to ask you about that in a little bit.
361
00:37:56.820 --> 00:37:59.820
Denetta James: Yeah. so much changed after that.
362
00:38:01.020 --> 00:38:02.670
Denetta James: A lot of- lot of places
00:34:00363
00:38:05.400 --> 00:38:18.420
Denetta James: came demolished, demolished because- the place that I attended,
when I was growing up down there we had our own bakery, we had our own stores.364
00:38:19.230 --> 00:38:34.170
Denetta James: We had everything, you know? It was- it was- it was a beautiful
community to grow up in, we had own shoe shop, you know, and we had our own clubs, jazz clubs, and taverns.365
00:38:35.610 --> 00:38:43.680
Denetta James: We had our own grocery stores on- you know, it was- we didn't
have no Schnucks during-366
00:38:44.700 --> 00:38:45.210
Jim Gass: 'course not.
Denetta James:-that time.
367
00:38:45.240 --> 00:38:45.540
Denetta James: No.
368
00:38:47.970 --> 00:38:50.220
Denetta James: We had our grocery stores, you know and.
369
00:38:51.420 --> 00:38:53.700
Denetta James: Everyone wanted to attend the grocery store then,
370
00:38:55.050 --> 00:39:00.060
Denetta James: that's where they shopped and that's where they had some people
had a tab on the- on the book, you know.371
00:39:00.510 --> 00:39:03.030
Denetta James: And we could go out get our lunch and, um.
00:35:00372
00:39:07.650 --> 00:39:18.960
Denetta James: We had a bakery, the bakery was awesome i've never I don't think
I would ever see another bakery like the baker we had in our community. it was owned by,373
00:39:20.190 --> 00:39:25.590
Denetta James: I don't know whether they were Jewish or what, people but they
lived up over the Baker right there at374
00:39:29.490 --> 00:39:32.010
Denetta James: Cass and, um,
375
00:39:34.170 --> 00:39:35.070
Denetta James: Leffingwell.
376
00:39:37.380 --> 00:39:38.040
Denetta James: Okay, and.
377
00:39:41.940 --> 00:39:43.530
Denetta James: I don't, I don't know, Jim...
Jim Gass: Mm-hmm?
378
00:39:45.480 --> 00:39:58.320
Denetta James: I don't know much more to say about the community is that we grew
up as a family, it was a family community, could be all the children, you know attended Curtis school and children379
00:39:59.460 --> 00:40:04.170
Denetta James: From down futher, as I made mention
00:36:00Jim Gass: Right.
Denetta James: They all came,
380
00:40:05.520 --> 00:40:07.110
Denetta James: You know, up to Curtis School.
381
00:40:08.790 --> 00:40:13.620
Denetta James: Because we didn't have too many graade schools for minorities in
that area.382
00:40:13.830 --> 00:40:20.700
Jim Gass: Right.
Denetta James: Okay so Curtis School was a grade school and farther, I can say,
farther up.383
00:40:21.780 --> 00:40:28.140
Denetta James: We had Dunbar and Deval grade school, they were there for a
pretty good while.384
00:40:30.720 --> 00:40:40.650
Denetta James: And they had to come down there through our community to attend
school, grade school and also high school.385
00:40:42.780 --> 00:40:49.380
Denetta James: So everyone had to actually come through Howard Street. Our
block, our block was,386
00:40:50.730 --> 00:41:01.560
Denetta James: I was gonna say, one of the greatest familiar blocks in- in Jeff
Vanderlou because everyone had to come through there and go to Curtis School and, 00:37:00387
00:41:02.700 --> 00:41:05.490
Denetta James: Other ones were attending Vashon,
388
00:41:08.250 --> 00:41:17.820
Denetta James: They would walk to Vashon and they would come some would come
through their to pick up other classmates and everything, walk to Vashon,Jim Gass: Right.
Denetta James: And, uh...
389
00:41:19.290 --> 00:41:21.030
Denetta James: Then a lot of them would walk.
390
00:41:22.110 --> 00:41:28.140
Denetta James: it's the Case bus, we had the Cass- no we had- we had the trolley
then we didn't have a bus, we had a streetcar.Jim Gass: Mhm.
391
00:41:29.850 --> 00:41:35.580
Denetta James: Okay, we rode the streetcar and a lot of us rode the-rode the
streetcar to school.392
00:41:36.630 --> 00:41:37.110
Denetta James: But, um.
393
00:41:41.100 --> 00:41:45.180
Denetta James: It was a beaut- it was the beaut-,a beautiful time in life, you know.
394
00:41:46.500 --> 00:41:47.880
Jim Gass: Right, you're painting a beautiful picture.
395
00:41:51.090 --> 00:41:52.650
Jim Gass: Do you know how many of those,
396
00:41:53.070 --> 00:41:59.250
Jim Gass: How many of those elementary schools that you're describing are still
standing to this day, are still in operation?397
00:42:00.090 --> 00:42:00.480
Denetta James: Yes.
00:38:00398
00:42:01.560 --> 00:42:04.500
Denetta James: There is one. It's Dunbar.
399
00:42:05.310 --> 00:42:11.160
Denetta James: And they're trying to close that now so we're fighting very hard
to keep it open.400
00:42:12.600 --> 00:42:13.440
Denetta James: That is on...
401
00:42:16.800 --> 00:42:18.450
Denetta James: Sheridan and
402
00:42:20.790 --> 00:42:21.810
Denetta James: Glasgow.
403
00:42:25.290 --> 00:42:27.840
Jim Gass: And the school consolidation like it.
404
00:42:29.700 --> 00:42:32.190
Denetta James: Beg pardon?
Jim Gass:OH, I was gonna ask about school
405
00:42:32.190 --> 00:42:37.440
Jim Gass: consolidation, that's- that's generally the reason given for closing
down some of these schools, right?406
00:42:38.970 --> 00:42:40.620
Denetta James: which I think is very stupid.
Jim Gass: Mhm.
407
00:42:42.390 --> 00:42:48.690
Denetta James: Because we still have schools standing. The area I live in is
Midtown and-Jim Gass: Mhm.
408
00:42:50.160 --> 00:42:53.100
Denetta James: Now, as of now, uh, and um,
409
00:42:54.150 --> 00:43:02.580
Denetta James: there's a school across the street from me, it's Banneker school
and it is empty, and it is a school that my father attended also. 00:39:00410
00:43:03.330 --> 00:43:09.300
Jim Gass: Okay.
Denetta James: It's sitting there empty, you know big beautiful building, empty.
Jim Gass: Mhm.
Denetta James: and, um...
411
00:43:10.860 --> 00:43:15.090
Denetta James: Then, when they started bussing, you know, which I was totally against.
412
00:43:16.680 --> 00:43:19.500
Denetta James: But I had no control over it.
413
00:43:21.840 --> 00:43:24.630
Denetta James: The biggest buildings, empty and.
414
00:43:27.780 --> 00:43:29.940
Denetta James: There is nothing been done with the buildings,
415
00:43:31.290 --> 00:43:32.580
Denetta James: A lot of buildings now
416
00:43:33.750 --> 00:43:36.390
Denetta James: have, um, are just totally, um,
417
00:43:40.200 --> 00:43:41.250
Jim Gass: just totally destroyed.
418
00:43:41.280 --> 00:43:44.880
Denetta James: Caved in brick, you know all- all the, um,
419
00:43:48.210 --> 00:43:54.720
Denetta James: pipes and everything, stole from the building, so they are
decayed now, and a lot of buildings were420
00:43:55.860 --> 00:43:57.450
Denetta James: totally demolished.
421
00:43:58.680 --> 00:44:06.060
Denetta James: lot of schools but Deval, Dunbar is still there and they still
00:40:00have students there.422
00:44:07.410 --> 00:44:08.790
Denetta James: But the students are...
423
00:44:10.860 --> 00:44:18.660
Denetta James: They want to close the building because there aren't that many
children in the community now.Jim Gass: Right.
Denetta James: You know in- in- in the school.
424
00:44:19.710 --> 00:44:24.990
Denetta James: So we're trying to keep it open, because it is the last school
building we have, uh425
00:44:26.820 --> 00:44:28.200
Denetta James: In that area, so.
426
00:44:29.850 --> 00:44:31.860
Denetta James: it's a struggle, but as we're doing...
427
00:44:33.120 --> 00:44:38.310
Denetta James: I don't know it's going to happen they're going to close it
because they do- they do not have428
00:44:42.210 --> 00:44:47.100
Denetta James: The class, they do not have, um. The class- they do not have the
children, you know, in the area anymore.429
00:44:49.020 --> 00:44:49.560
Denetta James: Because, um,
430
00:44:51.060 --> 00:44:53.280
Denetta James: A lot of the homes became
431
00:44:54.330 --> 00:45:03.000
Denetta James: subsidized homes and you had a lot of children then, but after
that they, they are not, they closed all the homes and, um, 00:41:00432
00:45:04.230 --> 00:45:21.450
Denetta James: They boarded up, for the children, people are spread out in all
different parts, you know, of the city and county, lot of people moved to the county, so therefore, we do not have enough children to attend school to keep it functioning.433
00:45:22.740 --> 00:45:25.290
Denetta James: But that is the only one we have left.
434
00:45:27.120 --> 00:45:31.380
Denetta James: And, as you know, Vashon, there's a new Vashon on Cass Avenue, so.
435
00:45:32.490 --> 00:45:32.850
Jim Gass: Right.
436
00:45:33.480 --> 00:45:41.160
Jim Gass: And the second location of Vashon, uh that was formerly Hadley
Technical School? I think that was the name.437
00:45:44.220 --> 00:45:51.570
Denetta James: Hadley technical school? The former location of Vashon?
Jim Gass: Yes.
Denetta James: No, it was built from the ground as Vashon.
Jim Gass: Okay.
438
00:45:52.740 --> 00:45:59.220
Denetta James: yeah it was- it was a brand new building. Hadley Technical
School... Oh, let me see...um...439
00:46:03.510 --> 00:46:04.290
Denetta James: That was, um...
00:42:00440
00:46:07.170 --> 00:46:10.620
Denetta James: Oh! Hadley Technical School was like.
441
00:46:15.690 --> 00:46:24.000
Denetta James: They did send the children there, but it was it was already
occupied before the minority moved in, okay, there was,442
00:46:25.140 --> 00:46:25.620
Denetta James: Uh,
443
00:46:27.330 --> 00:46:32.100
Denetta James: It wasn't minority then.
Jim Gass: Right.
Denetta James: But they moved Vashon,
444
00:46:33.180 --> 00:46:37.140
Denetta James: and the children into Hadley Technical School and
445
00:46:38.280 --> 00:46:44.160
Denetta James: It was falling down, and so they let them stay there till they
built the new Vashon on Cass.Jim Gass: Right.
446
00:46:45.330 --> 00:46:46.200
Denetta James: But um.
447
00:46:47.970 --> 00:46:52.260
Denetta James: No Hadley Technical School had been there for a while, but it was
not minority.Jim Gass: No.
448
00:46:56.730 --> 00:46:58.440
Tonia O'Neal: Earlier, you had mentioned
449
00:46:59.160 --> 00:46:59.970
Tonia O'Neal: St. Bridgette.
450
00:47:01.350 --> 00:47:04.770
Tonia ONeal: Did you and your family also attend St. Bridgette of Aron Church?
00:43:00451
00:47:06.930 --> 00:47:07.920
Denetta James: My mom did.
452
00:47:09.960 --> 00:47:11.370
Denetta James: My mom was Catholic.
453
00:47:13.350 --> 00:47:14.610
Denetta James: yeah she was Catholic, um...
454
00:47:16.710 --> 00:47:17.190
Denetta James: and, uh...
455
00:47:19.050 --> 00:47:21.030
Denetta James: I was not Catholic, um.
456
00:47:24.570 --> 00:47:24.990
Denetta James: I, uh-
457
00:47:27.000 --> 00:47:28.440
Denetta James: funny you mentioned that because,
458
00:47:30.030 --> 00:47:30.900
Denetta James: a lot of my
459
00:47:33.240 --> 00:47:34.470
Denetta James: years growing up.
460
00:47:36.540 --> 00:47:43.380
Denetta James: I lived with my grandmother in the Ville, I think I mentioned
that, around the corner from Homer G. Philips, you know so.461
00:47:44.430 --> 00:47:45.750
Denetta James: I lived with my grandmother
462
00:47:47.940 --> 00:48:03.570
Denetta James: for a while, she raised me in the Ville and I attended like,
Emily's and Marshall, Marshall Grade School and after an incident happened in my 00:44:00family, I had an older brother,463
00:48:04.680 --> 00:48:07.710
Denetta James: He was up- he was the oldest and he was killed.
464
00:48:09.720 --> 00:48:15.510
Denetta James: And it wasn't like a drive-by killing or nothing, they were
playing on a vacant lot.465
00:48:17.250 --> 00:48:21.150
Denetta James: playing football or baseball or whatever and they found a rusted gun.
466
00:48:22.500 --> 00:48:35.280
Denetta James: And they drinking and messing with this gun and the gun, he was
standing in front of the gun and the gun went off and hit him in the stomach and naturally, you know the children ran, you know...467
00:48:37.050 --> 00:48:41.490
Denetta James: the young men, they ran and left him there, so he, uh...
468
00:48:42.810 --> 00:48:52.050
Denetta James: bled inwardly because the bullet was rusty also, and he died so
therefore I had to return back to Jeff Vanderlou because, um...469
00:48:53.220 --> 00:48:55.320
Denetta James: To take care of my sister and my brother, uh,
470
00:48:56.910 --> 00:49:00.150
Denetta James: my two siblings because I was the oldest and, um.
471
00:49:02.640 --> 00:49:03.480
Denetta James: That was, um.
00:45:00472
00:49:04.800 --> 00:49:12.750
Denetta James: And then I returned back to Curtis School, it was still there and
that's where I graduated from, Curtis School.473
00:49:13.890 --> 00:49:15.780
Denetta James: and went on to Vashon.
474
00:49:19.350 --> 00:49:24.480
Jim Gass: Thank you for sharing that with us, I'm sure that was- I'm sure that
was really difficult to deal with growing up.475
00:49:24.720 --> 00:49:27.390
Denetta James: It was it really was because it's,
476
00:49:28.560 --> 00:49:34.080
Denetta James: me coming- it's me becoming the elder, oh my God, it's, uh. Um.
477
00:49:37.140 --> 00:49:40.830
Jim Gass: I can only imagine i'm the eldest son myself and they talk a lot about
how you're, uh...478
00:49:42.870 --> 00:49:43.380
Denetta James: Everything.
479
00:49:44.400 --> 00:49:47.100
Denetta James: I was, I was in charge of, uh...
480
00:49:48.180 --> 00:49:50.220
Denetta James: I was the latch-key child, okay so.
Jim Gass: Right.
481
00:49:52.110 --> 00:49:52.560
Denetta James: My...
482
00:49:53.910 --> 00:49:54.510
Denetta James: I had,
483
00:49:55.710 --> 00:50:10.830
Denetta James: I had to take care of my sister and my brother, make sure they
were taken care of and in the house until my parents came home. My dad, he 00:46:00worked at the bullet plant until after World War Two and that's when they laid off484
00:50:11.940 --> 00:50:16.290
Denetta James: A lot of men, working at the bullet plans, so therefore he worked at,
485
00:50:17.610 --> 00:50:24.750
Denetta James: like, the Mayfair Hotel and different things like that, and my
mom did day work.486
00:50:25.890 --> 00:50:30.030
Denetta James: So, therefore, I was in charge of the children, okay, my sister
and my brother.487
00:50:31.140 --> 00:50:32.580
Denetta James: Which I did not like.
488
00:50:35.820 --> 00:50:39.300
Jim Gass: I can only imagine.
Denetta James: Responsibility, you know, so.
489
00:50:41.760 --> 00:50:42.120
Denetta James: But.
490
00:50:43.290 --> 00:50:47.850
Denetta James: It came out Okay, you know, itcame out okay, yeah. But, um.
491
00:50:48.960 --> 00:50:49.710
Denetta James: Other than that,
492
00:50:52.170 --> 00:50:53.460
Denetta James: as I made mention, it was a
493
00:50:53.460 --> 00:51:01.500
Denetta James: beautiful community, it was a lovely community, we had a lot of
fun, the children, and we all played and. 00:47:00494
00:51:03.750 --> 00:51:06.420
Denetta James: We played in- in the street, we played, um.
495
00:51:08.100 --> 00:51:11.280
Denetta James: went to each other's home and visited and played and, um.
496
00:51:14.370 --> 00:51:24.600
Denetta James: The parents, the parents that did, the women, they did live at
home, the mothers that did live at home, they made sure you were well taken care of until your parents came home.497
00:51:25.350 --> 00:51:42.810
Denetta James: And it was just- it was amazing it will never happen again in
life, I don't think, you know, and most of the children did finish grade school, you know and then most of the children did attend high school, you know.498
00:51:43.830 --> 00:51:45.390
Denetta James: You had to do that or either,
499
00:51:46.680 --> 00:51:52.770
Denetta James: go to work, you know and, but most of the children did attend
Curtis, Curtis High School. I have500
00:51:55.500 --> 00:52:05.790
Denetta James: A brother in law from my first husband, he's still living, and
his brothers are still living. We grew up in the same block on Howard Street. 00:48:00Now he's still living and, um.501
00:52:06.840 --> 00:52:15.540
Denetta James: He graduated from Curtis School and went on to Vashon and
graduated and he's still living and his brothers are still living but out of- out of state.502
00:52:16.890 --> 00:52:17.280
Denetta James: So.
503
00:52:18.690 --> 00:52:21.810
Denetta James: I have another friend, Lois Laster.
504
00:52:22.920 --> 00:52:37.470
Denetta James: She lived next door to me on Howard Street, she's still living
and she was on the board of having the reunion, maybe the reunion, but other than that I don't know of any more that are still living.505
00:52:39.120 --> 00:52:44.490
Denetta James: You know, that I can mention, there might be some still living
but i'm not...506
00:52:46.500 --> 00:52:53.700
Denetta James: i'm not, uh, I don't communicate with them because everybody went
their own way, you know? Jim Gass: Of course.507
00:52:54.990 --> 00:52:56.370
Denetta James: My life changed.
508
00:52:57.750 --> 00:53:02.970
Denetta James: quite a bit after I married and and had my son which attended-
00:49:00509
00:53:06.990 --> 00:53:09.780
Denetta James: Uh, he graduated- I mean he was born at Homer G. Phillips.
510
00:53:11.460 --> 00:53:14.340
Denetta James: In '53 after I graduated.
511
00:53:16.230 --> 00:53:16.650
Denetta James: and
512
00:53:18.960 --> 00:53:24.960
Denetta James: He grew up in- on Howard Street in Jeff Vanderlou all his life
until, um.513
00:53:26.160 --> 00:53:35.640
Denetta James: I moved out. My mom told me that I needed to get my own home and
everything, you know, that's how- that's how your parents were at that time, you couldn't-514
00:53:36.030 --> 00:53:52.440
Denetta James: You couldn't lay at home, like they do now, you had to get up and
get up and go and do something, you know and as I moved out with my son and his father, we, uh-we moved we moved West, but he-515
00:53:53.640 --> 00:54:01.920
Denetta James: He spent most of his life in Jeff Vanderlou and also Pruitt-Igoe,
where his cousins were, now that was a number, Pruitt-Igoe. 00:50:00516
00:54:04.620 --> 00:54:07.050
Denetta James: It was- it was- it was a beautiful...
517
00:54:08.550 --> 00:54:13.680
Denetta James: project and, as I say, project- people don't understand a
project, you know.518
00:54:14.700 --> 00:54:18.420
Denetta James: It was a project and in the beginning,
519
00:54:19.740 --> 00:54:22.830
Denetta James: there were professional people that lived in Pruitt-Igoe.
520
00:54:24.570 --> 00:54:28.500
Denetta James: Doctors, lawyers and whatever until
521
00:54:29.700 --> 00:54:31.680
Denetta James: They turned it into...
522
00:54:33.840 --> 00:54:38.850
Denetta James: Something like a section eight project, okay, and after that,
523
00:54:39.870 --> 00:54:53.100
Denetta James: When they came in to live and do, the whole area changed. There
was just a lot of crime and stuff so the people who were professional people, they moved out so it became, really a project.524
00:54:54.270 --> 00:54:57.600
Denetta James: You had low-income people there and, um.
525
00:54:58.800 --> 00:55:00.300
Denetta James: It was a lot of crime, um,
00:51:00526
00:55:02.370 --> 00:55:04.470
Denetta James: that would come down on our community from
527
00:55:05.910 --> 00:55:06.720
Denetta James: Pruitt-Igoe, um...
528
00:55:09.570 --> 00:55:15.570
Denetta James: which we did not have so a lot of our people started moving out.
A lot of our stores closed.529
00:55:16.800 --> 00:55:21.030
Denetta James: A lot of our businesses closed because they were robbing, you know,
530
00:55:23.820 --> 00:55:28.380
Denetta James: robbing the people that had been business that had been there for
years that we, um,531
00:55:29.700 --> 00:55:30.480
Denetta James: patronized
532
00:55:31.530 --> 00:55:31.830
Denetta James: and
533
00:55:32.940 --> 00:55:38.220
Denetta James: And need them, because you couldn't go far to another- another uh,
534
00:55:39.480 --> 00:55:52.110
Denetta James: grocery store, another shoe shop, we had a man that had a shoe
shop, he was a Jewish fella, and his name was Sam, and Sam had that shoe shop.535
00:55:53.280 --> 00:55:54.090
Denetta James: You could have, uh...
536
00:55:55.170 --> 00:56:04.170
Denetta James: the sole of your shoe could be flapping, and he would make you a
whole new shoe out of that shoe. He was awesome and, um. 00:52:00537
00:56:06.030 --> 00:56:13.740
Denetta James: Years later, someone went in to rob him and killed him, you know so.
538
00:56:15.000 --> 00:56:15.780
Jim Gass: Right.
Denetta James: It became...
539
00:56:16.470 --> 00:56:18.840
Denetta James: Every- everything just- just became...
540
00:56:21.930 --> 00:56:22.560
Denetta James: ...chaos.
541
00:56:23.250 --> 00:56:26.640
Denetta James: And as I said, most of the business closed, we had our own dry
good store,542
00:56:28.110 --> 00:56:30.330
Denetta James: hardware store.
543
00:56:31.260 --> 00:56:31.830
Denetta James: You know.
544
00:56:33.900 --> 00:56:35.040
Denetta James: Our own market, um.
545
00:56:36.180 --> 00:56:42.960
Denetta James: With something like a Soulard Market or something and those- and
they had to close because the...546
00:56:45.030 --> 00:56:46.200
Denetta James: The chaos, and
547
00:56:47.250 --> 00:56:49.140
Denetta James: the crime that came down from Jeff Vanderlou
548
00:56:53.340 --> 00:56:55.380
Denetta James: And everyone-
Jim Gass: You say that the
549
00:56:55.410 --> 00:56:57.090
Jim Gass: Change happened-
550
00:56:58.050 --> 00:57:07.770
Jim Gass: Would you say that the change happened pretty quickly or did it kind
00:53:00of take a number of years for the neighborhood to shift in the way that you're describing?551
00:57:08.730 --> 00:57:12.960
Denetta James: It taken- it did take- it did take some years, you know, I-um.
552
00:57:14.370 --> 00:57:16.470
Denetta James: Not too many because...
553
00:57:17.580 --> 00:57:21.060
Denetta James: um, the government turned it into subsidized...um...
554
00:57:24.150 --> 00:57:29.250
Denetta James: subsidized building, you know, Pruitt Igoe, I'd say about...
555
00:57:31.560 --> 00:57:33.450
Denetta James: Four years at the most, okay.
556
00:57:34.770 --> 00:57:35.070
Denetta James: and
557
00:57:36.900 --> 00:57:40.890
Denetta James: they had the subsidized building and when they did that they
brought in558
00:57:42.360 --> 00:57:48.870
Denetta James: People from all locations, low-income people I guess, that never...
559
00:57:51.180 --> 00:57:52.230
Jim Gass: Never had the life
560
00:57:52.230 --> 00:58:06.330
Denetta James: that I had, this community, and then it became a lot of crime, I
mean a lot of crime, you know, drug-dealing and everything of that sort so 00:54:00therefore, they just destroyed the whole community so.561
00:58:08.850 --> 00:58:09.390
Denetta James: People
562
00:58:10.440 --> 00:58:13.860
Denetta James: That I grew up with that were still living, they moved also.
563
00:58:15.300 --> 00:58:15.780
Denetta James: You know.
564
00:58:18.900 --> 00:58:36.240
Denetta James: The parents, our parents had gotten older, and so we were grown
but we didn't want to stay in their community anymore, because of Pruitt Igoe or you know. Our parents, lot of parents owned their own homes and the children still did not want to take the homes because of Pruitt Igoe, they565
00:58:37.770 --> 00:58:39.090
Denetta James: had so much crime.
566
00:58:40.740 --> 00:58:41.160
Denetta James: and, um.
567
00:58:42.840 --> 00:58:47.580
Denetta James: Years later, after Pruitt Igoe was destroyed,
568
00:58:49.200 --> 00:59:00.810
Denetta James: They brought Pruitt Igoe, I'd say Pruitt Igoe down in our
community. People started living in our community, the same people with the same habits and the same attitude so therefore,569
00:59:02.040 --> 00:59:06.270
Denetta James: They turned a lot of homes and houses that were vacant into, uh,
00:55:00570
00:59:09.360 --> 00:59:23.790
Denetta James: The same- same condition and the same low income, and so they
really destroyed our community, so we left you know a lot of my- my friends and everyone they left you know, because of that, just because of that.571
00:59:25.470 --> 00:59:31.140
Denetta James: As I made mention they- grocery stores closed because they were
robbing the grocery stores and, um.572
00:59:33.270 --> 00:59:38.400
Denetta James: Everything just- just changed, it was just like overnight change,
you know.573
00:59:39.960 --> 00:59:51.420
Denetta James: Because they put the low in- brought the Pruitt Igoe down in our
community, which made us like a Pruitt Igoe so when we didn't want- we d- we didn't deal with that, you know, we- we left, we were574
00:59:52.710 --> 00:59:57.810
Denetta James: old enough and we just got out. Got out of the community and our
parents, um...575
00:59:59.580 --> 01:00:01.140
Denetta James: They were older and, um...
00:56:00576
01:00:03.420 --> 01:00:11.910
Denetta James: My mother moved into- a lot of them moved into the senior citizen
building that was provided to them, you know in that area.577
01:00:12.960 --> 01:00:18.210
Denetta James: And that helped a lot. The Macler Shepard came into play, you know.
578
01:00:19.260 --> 01:00:20.880
Denetta James: My mother was one of the first, um...
579
01:00:25.380 --> 01:00:40.230
Denetta James: participant to move into Jeff Vanderlou- the new building on
Martin Luther King, which is named Macler Shepard, she was there when they opened it, finished building that, she was one of the first people to move in there and she lived there until she passed.580
01:00:41.640 --> 01:00:45.960
Denetta James: But I had moved on in FW, and left the community.
581
01:00:48.870 --> 01:00:53.520
Denetta James: I didn't want my- I moved my son from there, but he still had
582
01:00:54.570 --> 01:00:57.270
Denetta James: cousins that he would visit in Pruitt Igoe.
583
01:00:58.380 --> 01:01:04.560
Denetta James:
584
01:01:05.670 --> 01:01:06.090
Denetta James: So.
585
01:01:08.460 --> 01:01:12.330
Denetta James: That was quite a day, quite a time.
586
01:01:13.980 --> 01:01:14.160
Denetta James: and
587
01:01:15.600 --> 01:01:17.280
Denetta James: That- when the government
588
01:01:18.540 --> 01:01:33.450
Denetta James: implemented low income it just- it changed everything, I think it
changed the whole city at a point, you know, but no one could move across Grand that was low-income, believe me, you were going into the West End, and you know.589
01:01:34.830 --> 01:01:42.840
Denetta James: You had to stay on the other side of Grand which we call the Hole
and whatever going all the way Downtown.590
01:01:43.290 --> 01:01:47.820
Denetta James: You could not live across Grand, your owned your own home, and, um...
591
01:01:49.320 --> 01:01:50.010
Denetta James: It was very, um...
592
01:01:52.140 --> 01:01:53.400
Denetta James: It was very different, it was very
593
01:01:53.400 --> 01:02:02.940
Denetta James: sophisticated, you know the people just totally different people,
'cause they own their own homes, beautiful homes, and they didn't allow them to 00:58:00come into their- into their communities.594
01:02:04.320 --> 01:02:04.950
Denetta James: So.
595
01:02:08.250 --> 01:02:10.830
Denetta James: It was just- it was just destroyed by
596
01:02:12.870 --> 01:02:14.010
Jim Gass: The low income.
597
01:02:17.010 --> 01:02:19.020
Denetta James: And therefore Curtis School closed. Um.
598
01:02:22.410 --> 01:02:22.740
Denetta James: and
599
01:02:23.910 --> 01:02:25.290
Denetta James: They had to go to, uh...
600
01:02:26.850 --> 01:02:28.260
Denetta James: to Dunbar or a
601
01:02:30.540 --> 01:02:31.620
Denetta James: different school.
602
01:02:33.180 --> 01:02:51.120
Denetta James: Which i'm not familiar with, there weren't that many grade
schools, they had to walk to different grade schools, Curtis School was still there for a while. A pretty good while. And a lot of them did go to Curtis School and graduate from Curtis School and then went on to Vashon, and then, um.603
01:02:52.410 --> 01:02:57.780
Denetta James: As you've mentioned, Hadley Tech. They went to Hadley Tech so.
604
01:02:59.580 --> 01:03:00.390
Denetta James: After that,
605
01:03:03.090 --> 01:03:11.850
Denetta James: I didn't know too much about it because I had left the community
00:59:00with my son and my husband and moved West and...606
01:03:13.050 --> 01:03:15.540
Denetta James: He grew up in the West end and after.
607
01:03:16.590 --> 01:03:22.950
Denetta James: He grew old enough to go to school, he went to St Ann's which was
on Page and Whittier.608
01:03:24.270 --> 01:03:40.050
Denetta James: A Catholic school, we went to Catholic school all his life and
then he graduated from there and went to Deandres, which is all boys high school and I was determined that he did, because I worked most of my life.609
01:03:41.820 --> 01:03:44.130
Denetta James: I was a social worker at, um...
610
01:03:49.440 --> 01:04:02.790
Denetta James: The state, the state Welfare Office. And I wanted to make sure
that he was taken care of when I was at work, so therefore he had to go to Catholic school, which he was taken care of. 01:00:00611
01:04:06.390 --> 01:04:07.200
Denetta James: And after that,
612
01:04:09.120 --> 01:04:11.790
Denetta James: I never, like I never did go back down in
613
01:04:12.870 --> 01:04:20.040
Denetta James: Jeff Vanderlou, only to visit my mother, because there was no
reason for me to go, our- everyone I knew had left, or614
01:04:21.180 --> 01:04:24.960
Denetta James: moved on and passed, and the children moved on, because
615
01:04:25.410 --> 01:04:31.230
Denetta James: They didn't want the home that the parents left them because they
didn't want to live in the area anymore. It was just-616
01:04:32.700 --> 01:04:41.580
Denetta James: It was just a whole different- whole different area that we were
not familiar with, you know, a lot of crime and lot of drugs and, oh.617
01:04:43.230 --> 01:04:45.210
Denetta James: You know everything changed; if you were
618
01:04:45.210 --> 01:04:55.530
Denetta James: on heroin or anything, it was in the closet. You didn't know it,
because the people that I knew that was on heroin, they worked every day, okay and, uh.619
01:04:56.550 --> 01:05:02.730
Denetta James: They weren't like they are now walking the street, you know
killing people for, uh... 01:01:00620
01:05:03.840 --> 01:05:15.630
Denetta James: For they-the little change to buy heroin and stuff and shooting
up in the corners, in the alley and stuff like that. We didn't have that, doing that. You didn't- they were in the closet, you didn't even know it, you know.621
01:05:19.350 --> 01:05:20.490
Jim Gass: Gotcha, gotcha.
Denetta James: That's just about...
622
01:05:21.990 --> 01:05:24.330
Denetta James: All I can tell you, you have any more questions?
623
01:05:26.340 --> 01:05:34.470
Tonia ONeal: I have one, if I may,
Jim Gass, Yeah, go for it, Tonia.
Tonia ONeal: We were told that you were married to a well known percussionist?
Is that true?624
01:05:34.530 --> 01:05:35.100
Denetta James: Beg pardon?
625
01:05:36.240 --> 01:05:36.570
Tonia ONeal: Uh, Jim and I-
626
01:05:38.310 --> 01:05:41.610
Tonia ONeal: We were told that you were married to a well known percussionist.
627
01:05:42.810 --> 01:05:51.240
Denetta James: Oh, my Oh, my goodness, yes, and he grew up in- on Sheridan in
Jeff Vanderlou. His father was-628
01:05:52.920 --> 01:06:00.990
Denetta James: Was the one on the board of Jeff Vanderlou and he grew up in Jeff
Vanderlou, he was born in Jeff Vanderlou, and he grew up in Jeff Vanderlou, yes. 01:02:00629
01:06:02.640 --> 01:06:05.460
Denetta James: He was in- in the
630
01:06:07.140 --> 01:06:25.650
Denetta James: jazz boo, jazz encyclopedia as one world's greatest
percussionists, Percy James, Quartet Tres Bien. If you ever Google it, listen to it okay, he played Bongoes, congoes, and he made different sounds, bird sounds.631
01:06:26.700 --> 01:06:34.950
Denetta James: All kind of sounds, he was he was immaculate, he was one of the
world's greatest and he traveled and played, you know.632
01:06:37.560 --> 01:06:39.840
Denetta James: We were married 37 years.
633
01:06:41.010 --> 01:06:43.680
Denetta James: That was my heart right there. Oh, we had...
634
01:06:45.810 --> 01:06:48.480
Denetta James: We just- we just had a beautiful marriage.
635
01:06:50.700 --> 01:06:51.120
Denetta James: and
636
01:06:52.410 --> 01:07:04.080
Denetta James: He passed after 37 years, yes. Percy James, Quartet Tres Bien,
and all the- all four of those brothers are dead now, you know. But it was a 01:03:00hell of a group.637
01:07:05.130 --> 01:07:14.160
Denetta James: Please Google that and listen to their music, it was a hell of a
group and you could hear hear him yeah here and playing638
01:07:16.500 --> 01:07:20.250
Denetta James: He played at the clubs in California.
639
01:07:21.750 --> 01:07:25.650
Denetta James: Club in New York, he played at Apollo theater.
640
01:07:28.140 --> 01:07:28.800
Denetta James: He played at, um.
641
01:07:29.850 --> 01:07:35.790
Denetta James: The Harlem club, at all, all the jazz clubs in New York and also
in California.642
01:07:37.440 --> 01:07:37.830
Denetta James: and, um.
643
01:07:39.180 --> 01:07:41.490
Denetta James: All around the country.
644
01:07:43.560 --> 01:07:44.370
Tonia ONeal: How did you guys meet?
645
01:07:48.480 --> 01:07:49.200
Denetta James:
646
01:07:51.330 --> 01:07:53.580
Denetta James: Well, as I mentioned,
647
01:07:54.810 --> 01:08:03.840
Denetta James: I am a social worker, okay, and I always had moonlight job I was
01:04:00working at the La Costa648
01:08:05.640 --> 01:08:09.840
Denetta James: jazz club on the weekends and, uh.
649
01:08:11.910 --> 01:08:13.350
Denetta James: As a waitress, and, um,
650
01:08:14.490 --> 01:08:23.700
Denetta James: I met all the great jazz-all great professional jazz players
would come there, and be there playing.651
01:08:25.290 --> 01:08:26.580
Denetta James: James Moody.
652
01:08:29.220 --> 01:08:31.890
Denetta James:
653
01:08:35.760 --> 01:08:40.410
Denetta James: Just on and on and on the great jazz- the great jazz performers and,
654
01:08:43.650 --> 01:08:49.200
Denetta James: My, uh, the fellow I worked for, the brother I worked for, Otis Hightower,
655
01:08:51.180 --> 01:08:52.290
Denetta James: He were to hire
656
01:08:53.730 --> 01:09:08.910
Denetta James: Percy, but the group had actually broke up, you know. They
weren't together unless they had a gig or something, you know that was very 01:05:00important, so he wanted to hire Percy, you know, to play and um.657
01:09:11.400 --> 01:09:16.950
Denetta James: I was like a mediator during- during that time because.
658
01:09:18.150 --> 01:09:28.740
Denetta James: Everyone had left the club that was not working, but I was still
working, and so I had to- had to- I had to come down and meet Percy, you know and talk to him.659
01:09:31.410 --> 01:09:31.830
Denetta James: and
660
01:09:35.130 --> 01:09:38.790
Denetta James: I was, I went I got up to go to the ladies', um.
661
01:09:40.710 --> 01:09:44.250
Denetta James: Restroom, and my boss Otis,
662
01:09:45.900 --> 01:09:48.000
Denetta James: who was very entertaining himself,
663
01:09:49.680 --> 01:10:04.770
Denetta James: met me half way, said you know what Denetta? I say, what? He say
Percy likes you, I said oh go on, you know, don't bring me that, you know Percy don't like me, I said I don't like Percy, I like him as a musician but otherwise 01:06:00there was nothing going, you know.664
01:10:06.360 --> 01:10:11.220
Denetta James: I wasliving my life, I was live- I was sowing my wild oats, okay,
so um.Jim Gass: Mhm.
665
01:10:14.100 --> 01:10:15.120
Denetta James: After the meeting.
666
01:10:16.830 --> 01:10:25.110
Denetta James: I was in the process of going to my apartment which was a lovely
apartment in the- in the West End, St Louis Clearview apartments.667
01:10:25.800 --> 01:10:40.950
Denetta James: And I was going home, so he say I'll take you home, I say Oh, I
can you know catch a cab and he goes, you know, let me take you home, so I let him, you know, bring me home and then, him being so generous, he was such a...668
01:10:42.660 --> 01:10:43.230
Denetta James: A generous...
669
01:10:44.550 --> 01:10:55.830
Denetta James: young man, you know, he was just courteous and just- just a man,
open the door for you and everything, then I say, well, would- would you like to come up and have a glass of wine, you know.670
01:10:58.530 --> 01:11:08.430
Denetta James: And he say Okay, I can come up for a minute, but I have to go- he
01:07:00worked for his dad, he worked on construction for his dad, he was a hell of a plasterer, he could- he could build, uh671
01:11:09.210 --> 01:11:20.100
Denetta James: anything out of plaster, you know he could make a whole new porch
with plast- with plaster, you know with concrete and stuff like that, so he worked for his dad because672
01:11:20.730 --> 01:11:32.130
Denetta James: In order to keep- because he traveled and always come back and
have a job, so um, I asked him, said yeah, come up and have a glass of wine, he said, I can come up for a minute, but I have to go to work in the morning.673
01:11:32.880 --> 01:11:42.750
Denetta James: I said Okay, so he came up and had a glass of wine and we'd laugh
and talk and laugh and talk and he left, he said, well, he said, can I come and see you again?674
01:11:43.410 --> 01:11:52.500
Denetta James: You know I said, well... 'cause I was dating someone else, I say
well Okay, you know that can be arranged and, uh,675
01:11:55.020 --> 01:11:55.590
Denetta James: He brought, uh,
676
01:11:56.310 --> 01:11:57.240
Denetta James: He called me.
677
01:11:58.890 --> 01:12:03.780
Denetta James: And, um, I just gotten off from work and my job.
01:08:00678
01:12:04.860 --> 01:12:11.640
Denetta James: Like, the Welfare Office became branches in different areas, you
know, not one big state building, and- and679
01:12:12.210 --> 01:12:27.420
Denetta James: Afterwards, we had to go into one big state building, so I was in
a branch office, which was close to my home, and I can walk to my apartment so it was morning and I was at home, right, and taking my- my bath,680
01:12:28.860 --> 01:12:32.160
Denetta James: was playing some jazz and and then just,
681
01:12:33.870 --> 01:12:35.460
Denetta James: retired, and he called.
682
01:12:38.040 --> 01:12:38.430
Jim Gass: And he asked me,
683
01:12:38.520 --> 01:12:41.400
Denetta James: What was, what was I doing- do you really want to hear this story?
684
01:12:43.560 --> 01:12:44.160
Jim Gass: Yes, yes.
Tonia O'Neal: Yes!
685
01:12:48.450 --> 01:12:51.510
Denetta James: This was part of my life, okay? my good life.
Jim Gass: Right, right.
686
01:12:53.610 --> 01:12:58.680
Denetta James: And he came out, um, he drove out there in the snow and, um,
687
01:12:59.700 --> 01:13:08.520
Denetta James: I let him in and we sat and talked and sat and talked, we sat and
01:09:00talked, and we became intimate and, um.688
01:13:10.080 --> 01:13:16.920
Denetta James: He, um told me, said I'll see you Friday, he said and I'll bring-
bring some sandwiches.689
01:13:18.390 --> 01:13:34.350
Denetta James: I say, fine, he brought- we had we had a restaurant on Grand,
called Fishing Thing, and it was- oh, the fish was just made on big hoagies buns, and stuff, it was just- it was awesome so he bought690
01:13:35.610 --> 01:13:47.760
Denetta James: sandwiches and he brought some bean pies, we had bean pies, and
he brought-brought me a bean pieJim Gass: Right.
Denetta James: and that was the first time I'd had a bean pie, so he came and, um,
691
01:13:50.520 --> 01:13:52.290
Denetta James: He stayed all night and
692
01:13:54.090 --> 01:13:57.420
Denetta James: We, uh, certain things happened and, um
Jim Gass: Mhm.
693
01:13:58.800 --> 01:14:00.900
Denetta James: He would come, he would come
01:10:00694
01:14:02.040 --> 01:14:03.810
Denetta James: On the weekends and, um,
695
01:14:05.100 --> 01:14:14.430
Denetta James: the fellow that I was engaged to, he wasn't acting right, you
know, so I would talk to him- talk to him about men, how men act and respond.696
01:14:14.970 --> 01:14:15.330
Denetta James: and, uh,
697
01:14:17.130 --> 01:14:19.380
Denetta James: and so the fellow I was engaged to...
698
01:14:21.540 --> 01:14:23.340
Denetta James: We weren't getting along too well.
699
01:14:24.390 --> 01:14:34.650
Denetta James: He was- he had someone else he wanted- he wanted to have two
women, a woman in- in the West, in the city and a woman in the county, so I wasn't going for that so, um...700
01:14:37.050 --> 01:14:41.820
Denetta James: First, he would come on the weekends and he loved wrestling, and um,
701
01:14:42.960 --> 01:14:52.560
Denetta James: He would stay the whole weekend and watch TV and I would cook, he
found I was a great cook because my grandmother was an excellent cook, she was a, uh,702
01:14:53.790 --> 01:15:01.980
Denetta James: She was a cook for the Bushes, the Bush family during that time,
you know, and she was beautiful cook and I'd watch her cook. 01:11:00703
01:15:03.900 --> 01:15:11.910
Denetta James: And um, my mother did not know how to cook and I didn't learn how
to cook 'cause nobody wanted to cook at home, I had other things to do so.704
01:15:13.020 --> 01:15:13.410
Denetta James: I, uh,
705
01:15:14.760 --> 01:15:17.250
Denetta James: He found out I was a good cook, so.
706
01:15:19.440 --> 01:15:25.290
Denetta James: He would bring the food for me to cook, so I would cook, you
know, and and he was, he was just...707
01:15:26.340 --> 01:15:30.390
Denetta James: He was awesome we became close, very good friends and so.
708
01:15:31.560 --> 01:15:48.810
Denetta James: One day, one- one morning he got up and left to go work with his
father, he told me, he said, well he would call me Dean, he said Dean, he said I tell you what, would you tell the fellow that you supposed to be dating and everything to leave the key, okay?709
01:15:52.170 --> 01:15:58.140
Denetta James: leave your door key, I said, well that sounds good to me, I say
yes, are you for real? He say yeah.710
01:15:59.190 --> 01:16:13.770
Denetta James: He say I will take care of you from... i'm gonna be with you,
01:12:00from this moment on, and so I did. I told- told, told the man that I was dating, partially dating, he was acting up, I say, just, um.711
01:16:14.970 --> 01:16:16.980
Denetta James: It would do- when you leave, leave the key.
712
01:16:18.300 --> 01:16:37.920
Denetta James: And he say, well, can I come back to you sometime? I said, no,
just leave the key, but he never knew that I was dating Percy because he wanted to be a musician himself, blowing the saxophone and Percy was so well known and when he found out, I was dating Percy he was just... "ohhhhh."713
01:16:39.540 --> 01:16:44.220
Denetta James: he was just, uh, basically out of it. But we started dating.
714
01:16:46.080 --> 01:16:53.610
Denetta James: And we had- and he was such- it was such a wonderful- such a
wonderful man, you know, um and.715
01:16:56.790 --> 01:16:57.390
Denetta James: He, um...
716
01:16:58.650 --> 01:17:01.050
Denetta James: lived alone in this home on Sheridan.
01:13:00717
01:17:02.400 --> 01:17:07.950
Denetta James: His wife left him and had taken everything so he was alone on
Sheridan and, um. And718
01:17:10.290 --> 01:17:11.010
Denetta James: I went to
719
01:17:11.040 --> 01:17:17.190
Denetta James: visit his home and meet his family, dad was Percy James
720
01:17:17.190 --> 01:17:28.710
Denetta James: Senior and he was Percy James Junior and she had taking
everything from him and left a mattress for him to sleep on you know, so it was kind of sad.Jim Gass: Wow.
721
01:17:30.450 --> 01:17:39.930
Denetta James: Uh huh, yeah one of those deals, you know she met someone else
she wanted and so he told her to go live with the person, so they got a divorce and, um.722
01:17:41.040 --> 01:17:55.410
Denetta James: Yes, and one day, he came to visit me, he say, will you- why
don't you come and live with me for a while, you know and see how it work out. I said Okay, so I did so I had furniture, you know, I moved down there.723
01:17:56.430 --> 01:17:56.880
Denetta James: and
724
01:17:58.740 --> 01:18:01.200
Denetta James: We lived together for about, um,
01:14:00725
01:18:03.120 --> 01:18:06.390
Denetta James: I'd say three years and then we married.
726
01:18:09.960 --> 01:18:10.470
Jim Gass: And I was
727
01:18:11.280 --> 01:18:26.070
Denetta James: still working at wel-, I worked at the welfare office, for 30
years and then I retired and after I retired, as those who work there, I became a social worker for the senior- for the senior citizens building which was further down, like Cochran.728
01:18:27.210 --> 01:18:36.780
Denetta James: and Cahill senior citizens building which still exists now, and I
became a social worker for that and I became a HIV social worker for the clinic.729
01:18:37.980 --> 01:18:40.710
Denetta James: So um and he would pick me up.
730
01:18:41.940 --> 01:18:48.330
Denetta James: I don't care, where he was working, what he was doing, he would
take me to work every morning, he would pick me up from work every evening.731
01:18:48.960 --> 01:19:00.210
Denetta James: He said we're not gonna have two cars, because we're going to be
together, whatever we do, we gonna do it together and we did we went grocery shopping and every- we were together at all times and732
01:19:01.500 --> 01:19:03.810
Denetta James: He would go up and play and
01:15:00733
01:19:04.980 --> 01:19:06.780
Denetta James: Go to his gigs and play and
734
01:19:08.370 --> 01:19:11.550
Denetta James: come home, you know about two, three o'clock in the morning and.
735
01:19:12.810 --> 01:19:18.420
Denetta James: I would be waiting for him, make sure I can hear- hear him come
in and whatever and, um.736
01:19:19.650 --> 01:19:22.170
Denetta James: We would- we were married 37 years.
737
01:19:24.000 --> 01:19:24.930
Jim Gass: Before he passed.
738
01:19:25.530 --> 01:19:34.530
Denetta James: So please, Google Percy James, with the Quartet Tres Bien, and
listen to their music, do you like jazz?Jim Gass: I just did.
739
01:19:36.390 --> 01:19:37.200
Tonia ONeal: Yeah.
Jim Gass: I do a little bit.
Denetta James:
740
01:19:40.200 --> 01:19:45.690
Denetta James: You will really enjoy them! they was one of the world's best.
741
01:19:47.520 --> 01:19:59.040
Denetta James: And they traveled all over to play. they traveled during the time
that Blacks could not sit- the- not going to, uh, um, different clubs and, uh.742
01:20:01.140 --> 01:20:11.910
Denetta James: theaters, and had to, go up and go to the back doors and they
01:16:00could not live in certain hotels, because, but they had rooming houses, you know and and had lived in rooming houses, uh huh,743
01:20:13.500 --> 01:20:13.890
Denetta James: and
744
01:20:15.000 --> 01:20:15.720
Denetta James: they traveled.
745
01:20:16.770 --> 01:20:18.090
Denetta James: It was, it was called, um,
746
01:20:19.950 --> 01:20:37.050
Denetta James: The Chitlin Circuit Okay, and that was that was the circle
'round- around the area, the county, different cities and things that they call the Chitlin Circuit, you hear about that in jazz, that's where most of jazz players play, that circle, okay. And, um.747
01:20:38.280 --> 01:20:46.980
Denetta James: He was awesome I mean everywhere he go, the house was filled, you
could hardly get in, he played Gaslight Square, okay,748
01:20:49.890 --> 01:20:56.520
Denetta James: when it was first opened, he plays the dark side of Gaslight
Square and you could you could not hardly get in the club.749
01:20:57.540 --> 01:20:59.880
Denetta James: You know, when they played and.
750
01:21:01.110 --> 01:21:10.860
Denetta James: he played so many places, wherever he appeared, Quartet Tres Bien
01:17:00appeared, you could not get in, you know, because he was such a performer.751
01:21:11.790 --> 01:21:14.670
Denetta James: Such a reformer.
Jim Gass: Right.
Denetta James: So, um.
752
01:21:16.830 --> 01:21:22.500
Denetta James: That was my friend and my- and my- we were IN love and he was my
friend and, um.753
01:21:24.000 --> 01:21:25.140
Denetta James: He passed in-
754
01:21:26.340 --> 01:21:27.300
Denetta James: two thousand and nine.
755
01:21:29.190 --> 01:21:30.210
Denetta James: September the ninth.
756
01:21:32.340 --> 01:21:32.910
Denetta James: Yes. Um.
757
01:21:34.830 --> 01:21:35.370
Denetta James: He had, um.
758
01:21:44.370 --> 01:21:45.570
Denetta James: He died from, um,
759
01:21:47.460 --> 01:21:53.820
Denetta James: prostate cancer and it- and it moved and moved up, you know, his
body, to um.760
01:21:55.350 --> 01:21:59.310
Denetta James: It, um. it was uncontrollable and he passed from that.
761
01:22:00.630 --> 01:22:01.770
Denetta James: At home.
01:18:00Jim Gass: I'm sorry to hear it.
762
01:22:03.510 --> 01:22:04.860
Denetta James: Yes, YOU sorry.
Jim Gass:
763
01:22:10.440 --> 01:22:15.420
Denetta James: So i've never dated again because I knew I would never meet
another Percy James so.764
01:22:16.560 --> 01:22:22.710
Denetta James: I didn't even try, but please Google him, and you will- you will
fall in love with Jazz, okay.765
01:22:24.240 --> 01:22:25.350
Denetta James: He was quite a showman.
766
01:22:26.910 --> 01:22:27.480
Denetta James: Oh.
767
01:22:28.920 --> 01:22:32.220
Denetta James: That's my life, so we had a home.
768
01:22:33.270 --> 01:22:35.310
Denetta James: in the 2700 Block on Sheridan.
769
01:22:36.540 --> 01:22:38.550
Denetta James: I left a home, I gave it up.
770
01:22:40.050 --> 01:22:41.520
Denetta James: And I moved over here.
771
01:22:42.750 --> 01:22:51.150
Denetta James: In Central West End, in Lucas Heights, phase three. I have, I
live in like a condo or apartment, uh772
01:22:52.230 --> 01:22:56.220
Denetta James: a townhouse apartment, which is very lovely and, um,
773
01:22:57.870 --> 01:22:59.340
Denetta James: My son, he lives in, uh...
774
01:23:00.660 --> 01:23:03.750
Denetta James: He graduated from Rockhurst University and.
01:19:00775
01:23:05.490 --> 01:23:08.700
Denetta James: He decided he wanted to sow his wild oats and everything so..
776
01:23:09.900 --> 01:23:17.640
Denetta James: He settled down after that and went back to law- with- back to
get his master's degree in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.777
01:23:18.930 --> 01:23:19.440
Denetta James: State.
778
01:23:21.120 --> 01:23:37.050
Denetta James: Yes, and he got a bachelor's, got a master's degree, then became
the Attorney, he was an attorney for quite a while in Georgia, in Georgia and he's a hell of an attorney, he's a uh, refugee attorney now. Immigrant attorney.779
01:23:38.190 --> 01:23:38.370
Jim Gass: Right.
780
01:23:39.510 --> 01:23:39.930
Denetta James: yeah.
Jim Gass: That's a good profession to be in.
781
01:23:42.300 --> 01:23:44.340
Denetta James: Yes. Yeah, he's doing well.
782
01:23:46.590 --> 01:23:50.610
Denetta James: So that's my life, anything else you would like to know that I
can think of?783
01:23:52.350 --> 01:23:53.610
Jim Gass: Um. The, uh,
784
01:23:54.990 --> 01:23:56.700
Jim Gass: First, Tonia, do you have any other questions?
785
01:23:58.680 --> 01:24:03.960
Tonia ONeal: Uh, yeah I was just gonna ask if there's anything else that she
01:20:00would like to share or if she has any questions for us.786
01:24:05.880 --> 01:24:07.170
Denetta James: No um, that's
787
01:24:10.410 --> 01:24:13.200
Denetta James: just about my life, you know.
788
01:24:14.400 --> 01:24:14.820
Denetta James: and
789
01:24:16.020 --> 01:24:16.830
Denetta James: and now,
790
01:24:21.690 --> 01:24:31.350
Denetta James: I am- I tell you one thing i've been- excuse me, my sinuses
acting up here- in St Louis I have been an activist, all my life, right.Jim Gass: Right.
791
01:24:32.370 --> 01:24:36.060
Denetta James: Yes, and i'm still an activist.
792
01:24:38.190 --> 01:24:47.070
Denetta James: I am on three boards here i'm on affordable housing board, that
is, the City Affordable Housing Board. I'm on.793
01:24:49.680 --> 01:24:56.130
Denetta James: North Newstead Board that's a whole new community of homes and
stuff, I'm on that board and.794
01:24:57.510 --> 01:24:57.960
Denetta James: I...
795
01:24:59.130 --> 01:25:01.800
Denetta James: continue to be on Jeff Vanderlou board, you know.
01:21:00796
01:25:03.030 --> 01:25:04.560
Denetta James: So, i'm active.
797
01:25:07.560 --> 01:25:19.590
Denetta James: Have a community garden here, you know we have, and that is in
Jeff Vanderlou, I think you guys are going to, think you, think you guys are interviewing Rosie Willis.798
01:25:22.830 --> 01:25:25.920
Denetta James: Maybe it's another group interviewing Rosie Willis, yeah.
799
01:25:27.360 --> 01:25:29.070
Denetta James: So...
Jim Gass: It's possible for sure.
800
01:25:30.660 --> 01:25:31.230
Jim Gass: I haven't heard about it, but...
801
01:25:32.430 --> 01:25:33.930
Denetta James: Yes, she attended Vashon.
802
01:25:35.340 --> 01:25:36.420
Denetta James: also Rayray...
803
01:25:37.740 --> 01:25:46.320
Denetta James: During the day, but that's just about all, I lived a beautiful, a
beautiful life.804
01:25:48.510 --> 01:25:56.910
Denetta James: I do not regret anything in my life, because it was very, it was-
it was a lovely life and i'm just so sorry that, um805
01:26:01.140 --> 01:26:07.380
Denetta James: It doesn't feel
806
01:26:10.710 --> 01:26:11.550
Jim Gass: I lived a
807
01:26:11.820 --> 01:26:14.790
Denetta James: beautiful marriage life, my second marriage life, um.
808
01:26:17.730 --> 01:26:18.600
Jim Gass: And I just, I, um,
809
01:26:22.620 --> 01:26:29.820
Denetta James: would like to wish it was possible that all women could
experience the marriage life I experienced, you know because it was simply awesome.810
01:26:31.110 --> 01:26:32.220
Denetta James: It was simply wonderful.
811
01:26:33.510 --> 01:26:34.500
Denetta James: Up until the day-
812
01:26:35.790 --> 01:26:36.180
Jim Gass: It sounds that way.
813
01:26:37.230 --> 01:26:40.560
Denetta James: He died, yes. He squeezed me, he held me real tight.
814
01:26:41.160 --> 01:26:44.130
Denetta James: And that was the last time he held me in anything.
815
01:26:45.240 --> 01:26:45.570
Denetta James: and
816
01:26:48.450 --> 01:26:49.950
Denetta James: He went on about his business.
817
01:26:52.290 --> 01:26:53.610
Denetta James: So it was a beautiful life.
818
01:26:54.630 --> 01:27:04.830
Denetta James: And i'm happy to have been one of those who experienced it, or
even growing up, it was lovely you know, and I was never- I was always, uhh... 01:23:00819
01:27:09.000 --> 01:27:13.200
Denetta James:
820
01:27:16.020 --> 01:27:16.740
Denetta James: I was, uh.
821
01:27:18.030 --> 01:27:19.230
Denetta James: Quite a chick, okay.
822
01:27:22.950 --> 01:27:26.850
Denetta James: yeah and I enjoyed every moment of it.
823
01:27:28.950 --> 01:27:29.670
Denetta James: And um,
824
01:27:31.350 --> 01:27:33.930
Denetta James: Quite a good looking girl, okay.
825
01:27:36.990 --> 01:27:38.700
Denetta James: I had everything to work with so.
826
01:27:43.170 --> 01:27:44.760
Denetta James: It was, it was a beautiful life.
827
01:27:45.870 --> 01:27:47.820
Denetta James: You know, we all have our, uh,
828
01:27:48.930 --> 01:27:50.130
Denetta James: ups and downs, but
829
01:27:51.300 --> 01:27:56.250
Denetta James: I knew how to overcome those and kind of, keep going so.
830
01:27:57.390 --> 01:28:01.050
Denetta James: I had, I had a beautiful life, I was on the go. I wasn't a sit-
01:24:00831
01:28:02.400 --> 01:28:08.220
Denetta James: sit at home girl, you know I did do a lot of reading, my mother
was happy about that.832
01:28:09.720 --> 01:28:28.410
Denetta James: I was reading the books in my- in my room and her friends came
through and saw me reading this book and asked my mother why, why do you let her read- read those books like that, you know. She say I don't care as long as she READ, you know, and it was like you know you love books, you have,833
01:28:29.670 --> 01:28:32.250
Denetta James: cowboy stories, all kinds of stories.
834
01:28:33.900 --> 01:28:36.570
Denetta James: I was reading, like Iceberg Slim.
835
01:28:39.810 --> 01:28:40.830
Denetta James: And stuff, so, you know.
Jim Gass: Mhm.
836
01:28:43.680 --> 01:28:48.870
Denetta James: So I was- Iwass quite a- quite a- quite a young woman, you know and.
837
01:28:51.060 --> 01:28:52.830
Denetta James: I wasn't as- as-
838
01:28:53.940 --> 01:29:07.170
Denetta James: I raised my son to be the man that he is, you know, I was
determined that he be a good man and go to school and he did that, and he's very 01:25:00humble and i'm so happy.839
01:29:07.920 --> 01:29:17.880
Denetta James: Because I was determined to keep him in the right school to be
that type of person, because I know if I sent him to the high school, he would be like they were, you know.840
01:29:19.200 --> 01:29:23.070
Denetta James: That would only come natural.
Jim Gass: You must be very proud.
Denetta James: I am, he was a
841
01:29:24.180 --> 01:29:25.920
Denetta James: basketball player, he got himself,
842
01:29:28.830 --> 01:29:30.840
Denetta James: he got a scholarship playing basketball.
843
01:29:35.880 --> 01:29:43.110
Denetta James: From grade school to high school into college he went to
Rockhurst University in Kansas city, Missouri.844
01:29:44.430 --> 01:29:46.980
Denetta James: That's where he went to college, you know, so.
845
01:29:48.090 --> 01:29:49.800
Denetta James: yeah, I am very proud of him.
846
01:29:51.600 --> 01:29:54.090
Denetta James: We have- we're very- we're friends now.
847
01:29:55.950 --> 01:29:56.850
Denetta James: Once he was-
848
01:29:57.090 --> 01:29:57.360
Denetta James: we-
849
01:29:57.630 --> 01:30:04.230
Denetta James: I was his parent, I'm still his parent, but we weren't friends,
01:26:00Okay, so now we're friends.850
01:30:06.300 --> 01:30:07.890
Denetta James: We are friends now.
851
01:30:08.790 --> 01:30:10.020
Denetta James: Now he can call me Denetta.
852
01:30:11.370 --> 01:30:19.950
Denetta James: yeah he was just dying to call me Denetta, you know he was always
wanting to call me by my first name, so now he can do that, you know.853
01:30:21.570 --> 01:30:23.970
Denetta James: yeah so um.
854
01:30:24.990 --> 01:30:26.820
Denetta James: Is there anything else, I can, uh.
855
01:30:28.440 --> 01:30:31.860
Denetta James: kind of pull forward in my brain, you know?
856
01:30:33.060 --> 01:30:34.470
Jim Gass: That really about covers-
857
01:30:36.120 --> 01:30:41.400
Jim Gass: I was going to say that really about covers it, Denetta, but the last
question, we asked in our interview earlier,858
01:30:41.760 --> 01:30:51.690
Jim Gass: was what was your favorite spot in Jeff Vanderlou growing up, so if
you want to, if you would answer that for us, I think that would about do it.859
01:30:53.430 --> 01:30:55.110
Jim Gass: When I was growing up? Okay.
860
01:30:56.370 --> 01:30:56.760
Denetta James: I, um,
861
01:30:58.950 --> 01:30:59.880
Denetta James: My friends,
862
01:31:00.390 --> 01:31:05.160
Denetta James: As I made mention that attended Vashon during that time right we
01:27:00had, um,863
01:31:07.800 --> 01:31:15.870
Denetta James: We had- we had like the
864
01:31:18.570 --> 01:31:26.250
Denetta James: Why why why W-C-A, we had dances there, and in my group that I
865
01:31:27.570 --> 01:31:31.080
Denetta James: would be with all the time. We had the Regal Theater on...
866
01:31:33.780 --> 01:31:36.030
Denetta James: On Eastern then, and...
867
01:31:39.720 --> 01:31:42.090
Denetta James: We would go, my group was, um,
868
01:31:43.860 --> 01:31:45.180
Jim Gass: Like, like the girls
869
01:31:45.240 --> 01:31:54.810
Denetta James: like the girls group that... really did enjoy ourselves, we had-
we- we'd go to Gamble Center, we're at the Carbo House and,870
01:31:57.210 --> 01:32:02.670
Denetta James: that's where I grew up at mostly you know with my girlfriends and
01:28:00that's where, um...Jim Gass: Right.
871
01:32:04.350 --> 01:32:09.780
Denetta James: my life was with them, was a beautiful life with them, and we
were- when we were really young girls,872
01:32:10.860 --> 01:32:12.180
Denetta James: We wore the Bobby socks.
873
01:32:13.350 --> 01:32:15.150
Denetta James: You know and...
Jim Gass: Mhm.
874
01:32:16.980 --> 01:32:18.210
Denetta James: Um...hairdos and...
875
01:32:21.690 --> 01:32:35.310
Denetta James: We- we, uh- we loved jazz, well I grew up on jazz, but tell you
that my dad was a jazz lover, okay, he would come home from work or wherever he worked with a arm-full of jazz.876
01:32:36.900 --> 01:32:41.130
Denetta James: You know the 78s, and I would- I grew up- I
877
01:32:42.390 --> 01:32:53.580
Denetta James: grew up on jazz 'cause he played jazz all the time, and I really
did like it, and he would take me to some of the jazz clubs on- on Cass Avenue, we had two,878
01:32:54.090 --> 01:33:00.270
Denetta James: And he would ask the owner, could I come in, owner said, yeah,
look in, 'cause it was live entertainment and, um.879
01:33:00.990 --> 01:33:12.090
Denetta James: So, yes, she can come in, but she cannot sit at the bar, he
01:29:00wanted me to see the jazz players and everything you know, and I would stand up, stand in the third area, he would sit in there with me and talk to me,880
01:33:13.110 --> 01:33:16.530
Denetta James: He was- he was a hell of a dad. He was a hell of a dad.
881
01:33:19.020 --> 01:33:21.000
Denetta James: He was tall dark and handsome.
882
01:33:22.200 --> 01:33:23.670
Denetta James: He was- he was a...
883
01:33:25.140 --> 01:33:28.500
Denetta James: terrible woman's man,
Jim Gass: Okay.
Denetta James: I put it like that.
884
01:33:30.690 --> 01:33:31.770
Denetta James: And he did
885
01:33:33.210 --> 01:33:35.910
Denetta James: raise me, he made sure that I would be...a...
886
01:33:39.330 --> 01:33:47.850
Denetta James: good woman and not a tramp, you know, he told me all the things
that I needed to know about how to conduct myself, so.887
01:33:49.710 --> 01:33:50.070
Denetta James: and I...
888
01:33:50.130 --> 01:33:57.780
Denetta James: I still do those now, he tell me how to walk, how to sit in a car
and how to get out the car and, um.889
01:33:58.860 --> 01:34:03.120
Denetta James: How to conduct myself, you know to be a beautiful woman and.
01:30:00890
01:34:04.950 --> 01:34:06.180
Jim Gass: He knew what men liked,
891
01:34:06.240 --> 01:34:08.310
Denetta James: So, therefore he put it in me.
892
01:34:09.480 --> 01:34:12.900
Denetta James: And my group, the group that I grew up with, they were...
893
01:34:13.920 --> 01:34:21.330
Denetta James: I think some, some are living now, but I haven't been in touch
with them, but we had a hell of a teenage life, okay.894
01:34:22.590 --> 01:34:35.550
Denetta James: We did, we- we went to different-we had- well, they were- they
had teenage places for teenage dances, you know we would go to those, and uh...895
01:34:37.530 --> 01:34:53.160
Denetta James: We went to Regal Theater, that was the only theater- the theater
we had- we only had about three theaters, with the Regal, the Criterion, and then we add the Comic, out in the county and then we had the Douglas Theater, those were the heaters we had.896
01:34:54.810 --> 01:35:01.410
Denetta James: And we went to the Regal Theater with our group with the boys,
they hung out there, too, so we had-we-I had 01:31:00897
01:35:02.460 --> 01:35:18.900
Denetta James: quite a good teenage life. I was always on the go and my mother
would sometime I would overstay my curfew and she'd be looking for me, you know, be out there looking for me, and I would get in house before she come back in.898
01:35:22.500 --> 01:35:23.190
Denetta James: So I was.
899
01:35:25.140 --> 01:35:27.450
Denetta James: I wasn't one to sit at home, no.
900
01:35:28.560 --> 01:35:32.910
Denetta James: I was always on the go. I come in and put my school books down.
901
01:35:32.970 --> 01:35:38.880
Denetta James: on my desk. I would do my homework in the study group, in my
study class.902
01:35:39.960 --> 01:35:46.650
Denetta James: I would have to do homework when I come home and put the books
down, and I'd be out the back door to go with my group, you know to hang out.Jim Gas: Yep.
903
01:35:47.730 --> 01:35:51.630
Denetta James: I didn't let my mother know I could
904
01:35:51.630 --> 01:35:55.470
Denetta James: cook because I didn't want to be at home cooking, you know, so.
905
01:35:56.580 --> 01:35:58.950
Denetta James: I wanted to hit the- hit the street so.
906
01:36:00.060 --> 01:36:01.080
Denetta James: that's my life, I
01:32:00907
01:36:01.080 --> 01:36:01.350
Denetta James: was a...
908
01:36:02.970 --> 01:36:03.750
Denetta James: I was a
909
01:36:03.870 --> 01:36:04.800
Denetta James: young girl.
910
01:36:06.270 --> 01:36:07.860
Jim Gass: That had a lot of fun
911
01:36:09.120 --> 01:36:11.130
Denetta James: you know, and a lot of friends.
912
01:36:13.170 --> 01:36:27.780
Denetta James: Went to a lot of- lot of teen, teenager dances, we had a lot of
places that had dances for us and we were chaperoned. They had chaperones therefore you didn't- you know you wasn't vulgar or anything, you know you just actually had the teenagers dancing.913
01:36:29.130 --> 01:36:38.970
Denetta James: So, then, I loved to dance and I loved to socialize I really did
so that is the reason I ended up working at the jazz club,914
01:36:41.670 --> 01:36:43.140
Denetta James: on the weekends that was my...
915
01:36:46.140 --> 01:37:00.000
Denetta James: I called it my moonlight job you know because I was still at the
welfare office, so I did that and I love that you know because I love all the jazz, great jazz entertainers that would come through there.916
01:37:02.490 --> 01:37:12.240
Denetta James: So I had quite a- quite a- quite a- quite a good life, you know,
01:33:00a beautiful life, you knowJim Gass: It sounds like a good one
Denetta James: I am a people person, okay.
917
01:37:13.980 --> 01:37:16.590
Denetta James: i'm very much a people person, I love people.
918
01:37:17.670 --> 01:37:23.490
Denetta James: You know, because I worked with so many people and work with so
many seniors in a senior citizens building.919
01:37:24.720 --> 01:37:35.490
Denetta James: After I retired from the welfare office after being there 30
years of madness, I thought I better leave, you know, I said, before920
01:37:36.270 --> 01:37:51.060
Denetta James: I end up with somebody head in my hands because it got so bad,
you know, so I left that, so let me retre, I was 62, I was retirement age, my director, he almost had a fit.921
01:37:51.060 --> 01:37:58.890
Denetta James: Because I was retiring, because I was very good at what I did,
but I left there at 62 and, um,922
01:38:01.410 --> 01:38:04.200
Denetta James: went on to live my life with my husband.
01:34:00923
01:38:06.420 --> 01:38:06.960
Jim Gass: And I
924
01:38:07.050 --> 01:38:09.390
Denetta James: went to a lot of gigs with him and,
925
01:38:10.560 --> 01:38:14.070
Denetta James: watched him perform and everything, so it was just- it was beautiful.
926
01:38:16.920 --> 01:38:19.080
Denetta James: Anything else you want to know
927
01:38:22.350 --> 01:38:22.680
Jim Gass: um.
928
01:38:23.880 --> 01:38:26.850
Tonia ONeal: No, I don't have any more questions, right now, thank you, though.
929
01:38:28.020 --> 01:38:29.460
Denetta James: How old are you?
930
01:38:32.430 --> 01:38:33.390
Tonia ONeal: uh, I'm 34.
931
01:38:35.820 --> 01:38:36.060
Jim Gass: and I'm
932
01:38:36.210 --> 01:38:40.530
Denetta James: You have a beautiful beautiful age really enjoy do you enjoy your life.
933
01:38:42.630 --> 01:38:46.950
Tonia ONeal: I do, yes. yeah i'm very thankful for my life it's...
934
01:38:47.820 --> 01:38:52.260
Tonia ONeal: you know, i've had my ups and downs, too, but I think overall it's
been really beautiful.935
01:38:53.220 --> 01:38:55.110
Denetta James: that's part of life, ups and downs.
936
01:38:56.400 --> 01:39:00.600
Denetta James: Long as you overcome the downs, you know, keep going up.
937
01:39:00.660 --> 01:39:04.740
Denetta James: You know so and live a beautiful life. Enjoy it.
01:35:00938
01:39:05.910 --> 01:39:11.730
Denetta James: You know, now you can do as much as you want to do with this...
939
01:39:13.740 --> 01:39:14.790
Denetta James: covid and...
940
01:39:18.450 --> 01:39:19.410
Denetta James: Everything so
941
01:39:21.060 --> 01:39:25.290
Denetta James: up and down and up and down up and down, you can't do what you
want to but do what you942
01:39:25.290 --> 01:39:32.220
Denetta James: can do, and you do the same thing Jim, you know enjoy, because
there's a lot, there's.943
01:39:32.910 --> 01:39:37.290
Denetta James: A lot to enjoy you know, but please Google.
944
01:39:38.310 --> 01:39:43.350
Denetta James: Quartet Tres Bien, or you can Percy James, and listen to them perform.
945
01:39:44.640 --> 01:39:54.480
Denetta James: You know, as I made mention they performed in Gaslight Square for
a long time until the pimps started coming in with the whores so that destroyed that,946
01:39:56.730 --> 01:39:57.150
Denetta James: You know.
947
01:39:59.190 --> 01:40:01.140
Denetta James: Because it was really a class act. A class act.
01:36:00948
01:40:04.620 --> 01:40:12.570
Jim Gass: i'll give them a listen, i'm always happy to pick up more St Louis
artists, especially, especia- especially ones from all different periods of time, so.949
01:40:13.080 --> 01:40:27.480
Jim Gass: Thank you for pointing us towards them and thank you for working with
us on this, you know you've been an invaluable resource and we're looking forward to seeing how this project looks finished up. If, if possible we'll get you a copy of our film after it's done.950
01:40:28.140 --> 01:40:32.700
Denetta James: I would appreciate that because I want to know what are you going
to do with the interview stuff.951
01:40:34.080 --> 01:40:34.890
Denetta James: What do you intend.
952
01:40:39.090 --> 01:40:40.260
Jim Gass: What i'm picturing at the.
953
01:40:40.260 --> 01:40:42.540
Jim Gass: moment involves using a lot of
954
01:40:42.960 --> 01:40:58.680
Jim Gass: Information that you've given us regarding different places and
attaching that to, uh, you know footage and photos of those places where they- as they are now and as they were then, we pulled a lot of old photographs from Missouri history- the, uh955
01:40:59.310 --> 01:41:02.850
Jim Gass: Missouri Historical Society for that, for that very reason.
01:37:00956
01:41:03.840 --> 01:41:05.790
Denetta James: OK OK OK.
957
01:41:06.900 --> 01:41:07.320
Denetta James: OK.
958
01:41:09.360 --> 01:41:11.640
Denetta James: Okay, well, I sure, would like to...
959
01:41:14.190 --> 01:41:17.640
Denetta James: See the finished- the finished work, you know.
960
01:41:19.470 --> 01:41:19.650
Jim Gass: At this
961
01:41:19.950 --> 01:41:24.210
Jim Gass: point in the semester i'd really like- yeah. At this point in the
Semester i'd really like to962
01:41:24.210 --> 01:41:25.260
Jim Gass: see the finished work too.
963
01:41:33.810 --> 01:41:35.250
Denetta James: Yes
Tonia ONeal:
Denetta James: You're not in doubt, are you?
964
01:41:37.800 --> 01:41:37.980
Jim Gass:
965
01:41:38.700 --> 01:41:39.240
Jim Gass: This is one-
966
01:41:39.360 --> 01:41:41.220
Jim Gass: this is one of a couple projects i'm.
967
01:41:41.220 --> 01:41:43.440
Jim Gass: Working on so...
Denetta James: yeah.
968
01:41:45.000 --> 01:41:45.540
Denetta James: Well, are you.
969
01:41:46.050 --> 01:41:46.380
970
01:41:47.700 --> 01:41:49.020
Denetta James: Are you students?
Jim Gass: Yes, yes, we are.
971
01:41:50.430 --> 01:41:50.910
Denetta James: Okay.
972
01:41:52.080 --> 01:41:55.200
Jim Gass:Yes, in the Museums and Public History program at
973
01:41:56.370 --> 01:41:56.640
Jim Gass: UMSL.
974
01:41:57.870 --> 01:42:00.960
Denetta James: That's how you came to me, Lois Conley?
01:38:00975
01:42:03.570 --> 01:42:10.740
Jim Gass: Mhm.
Denetta James: At the Griot? My husband used to play there. Oh, she loved him.
she played there for different events you know.976
01:42:12.060 --> 01:42:12.390
Denetta James: yeah.
977
01:42:14.610 --> 01:42:23.100
Denetta James: So Okay, it was nice meeting you and, um.
Jim Gass: You as well.
Tonia ONeal: You too, yes,
Denetta James: Yes and, um.
978
01:42:25.830 --> 01:42:26.760
Denetta James: Tonya, right?
979
01:42:29.640 --> 01:42:30.120
Tonia ONeal: Tonia.
Dentta James: Your name is...
980
01:42:30.960 --> 01:42:31.950
Denetta James: What is it, Tony?
981
01:42:33.150 --> 01:42:35.280
Tonia ONeal: Tonia.
Denetta James: Tonia!
982
01:42:35.310 --> 01:42:44.580
Denetta James: OK, I wrote it down wrong then, Tonia, it was nice meeting you
and the two of y'all please be safe, you know.983
01:42:45.630 --> 01:42:45.960
Denetta James: and
984
01:42:47.520 --> 01:42:49.050
Denetta James: I congratulate you.
985
01:42:50.910 --> 01:42:54.060
Denetta James: But what are you studying, your masters now?
986
01:42:57.900 --> 01:42:58.470
Jim Gass: Mhm. We're both MA students.
987
01:43:00.750 --> 01:43:07.080
Denetta James: Okay, all right great okay all right well congratulations and,
01:39:00988
01:43:08.130 --> 01:43:18.210
Denetta James: I look forward to hearing from you sooner or later, and I intend
to be here okay, i'm not going anyplace. I have a lot more things I want to do.989
01:43:19.560 --> 01:43:21.180
Denetta James:
990
01:43:22.800 --> 01:43:28.410
Jim Gass: We appreciate that.
Denetta James: After the pandemic is over so yeah, so I can get back out there,
you know.991
01:43:30.720 --> 01:43:44.580
Denetta James: And I intend to go to Atlanta for the fourth of July, and then a
week or so, with my son and my grandchildren and my great grand's, you know, hang out with them for a while.992
01:43:47.340 --> 01:43:59.220
Jim Gass: It sounds like a great fourth of July weekend right there,
Denetta James: Yes we're gonna be awesome it's gonna be simply wonderful yeah.
I'm so looking forward to it, because my daughter in law is Jamaican, and she cooks,993
01:44:00.180 --> 01:44:03.150
Denetta James: She cooks, be making food, be delicious.
01:40:00994
01:44:05.580 --> 01:44:10.530
Denetta James: Well i'm looking forward to that, so the two of you two- have
you- have a great995
01:44:12.300 --> 01:44:23.160
Denetta James: weekend and be careful, please, out there and I'll be looking
forward to hearing from you, call me call me anytime if i'm not available just leave me a message, or whatever.996
01:44:23.160 --> 01:44:23.580
Okay.
997
01:44:26.760 --> 01:44:28.290
Jim Gass: Certainly, Denetta, and thank you again.
998
01:44:28.710 --> 01:44:35.280
Jim Gass: Have a great weekend Okay?
Denetta James: thank you for having me.
Tonia ONeal: Okay thanks bye!
Denetta James: Okay.
999
01:44:48.390 --> 01:44:48.990
Tonia ONeal: Bye.
Jim Gass: That went pretty well.
1000
01:44:49.800 --> 01:44:52.680
Tonia ONeal: Yeah, it did, definitely. She was wonderful.
1001
01:44:53.850 --> 01:44:54.570
Jim Gass: It was no end of
1002
01:44:54.990 --> 01:45:08.550
Jim Gass: Good material to use. My questions were a little bit less structured
than yours, but that ended up being fine because she- she did what I was hoping, 01:41:00which was just to speak at length about you know, everything I- I asked about.1003
01:45:10.080 --> 01:45:12.840
Tonia ONeal: yeah I think we've got a lot of good material to work with.
