Oral history interview with Charles Johnson, December 29, 1990
Subtitle: interview M-0025, Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007)
Contributors: Wells, Goldie F. (Goldie Frinks); Southern Oral History Program; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Documenting the American South (Project); University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library
Edition: Electronic ed.
Publisher: University Library, UNC-Chapel Hill
Published: 2007
Place of publication: [Chapel Hill, N.C.]
Language: eng
Subjects: Interviews; African American school principals; High schools; Administration; Secondary Education; African Americans; Education (Secondary)
Other titles: Interview M-0025, Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007); Interview with Charles Johnson, December 29, 1990; Oral histories of the American South.
Description: Charles Johnson was the principal of Jordan-Matthews High School at the time of this interview. Here, he describes his ascension to his position, his management style, his discipline policy, his use of funds, and other details of his position. He loves his job, but he sees some problems with education in a post-desegregation environment. He makes an extra effort to project an aura of professionalism, because he thinks that some people have difficulty accepting direction from a black authority figure; his demeanor is also an effort to reverse a decline in courtesy and diligence. While he says that his race has not affected his treatment from his superiors, it has affected his approach to his job. This interview offers some insight into a black principal's effort to rebuild the authority of the black educator.
Notes: Title from menu page (viewed on Nov. 10, 2008).

Interview participants: Charles Johnson, interviewee; Goldie F. Wells, interviewer.

Duration: 01:27:56.

This electronic edition is part of the UNC-Chapel Hill digital library, Documenting the American South.  It is a part of the collection Oral histories of the American South.

Text encoded by Jennifer Joyner.  Sound recordings digitized by Aaron Smithers.

Text (HTML and XML/TEI source file) and audio (MP3); 2 files: ca. 106.3 kilobytes, 161 megabytes.

Original version: Southern Oral History Program Collection, (#4007), Series M, Black high school principals, interview M-0025, Manuscripts Department, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Original transcript: 20 p.

Funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services supported the electronic publication of this interview.

Mode of access: World Wide Web.

System requirements:  Web browser with Javascript enabled and multimedia player.