The Ball State University African American alumni oral history project - phase II

Abstract

The experiences of African Americans in higher education during the twentieth century is not well documented. African Americans are often excluded from the histories of institutions of higher education, with the exception of Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Ball State University is not an exception to this trend. The experiences of African American students who attended Ball State University over the past several decades have been largely overlooked. This is a result of a lack of historical evidence regarding their time spent at the university. In order to gain a better perspective on the experiences of African American students, those students need to share their stories. As a team member for the second phase of the Ball State University African American Alumni Oral History Project, I took part in building primary sources in the form of oral history interviews. I conducted interviews with two African American alumni who attend Ball State in the mid-twentieth century, Dr. Robert Coatie and Dr. Linda Wilson. My thesis includes my two interviews and transcriptions, and represents my contribution to the larger oral history project that took place during the spring semester of 2017.