Oral History Interview with Arnett G. Lindsay

Object Details

Place: Anacostia (Washington, D.C.); Barry Farms (Washington, D.C.); Anacostia Community Museum

Topic: African American men; African Americans; African Americans in business -- 1930-1940; Community Organizations; Banks and banking; Anacostia Neighborhood Museum; exhibit

See more items in: Evolution of a Community: 1972 Exhibition Records; Evolution of a Community: 1972 Exhibition Records / Series 2: Interviews

Sponsor: Funding for partial processing of the collection was supported by a grant from the Smithsonian Institution's Collections Care and Preservation Fund (CCPF).

Extent: 1 Sound recording (1 data disk DVD-R digital, 24-bit 96kHz WAV.); 1 Sound recording ((1 sound cassette (00:57:07))); 1 Sound recording ((1 sound disk CD-R (00:57:07). digital, 16-bit 44.1 KhZ))

Type: Archival materials; Audio; Sound recordings; Oral histories (document genres)

Collection Citation: Evolution of a Community: 1972 Exhibition Records, Anacostia Community Museum Archives, Smithsonian Institution.

Collection Rights: Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.

Scope and Contents note: Arnett G. Lindsay, an African American man born around 1896, talks about his time living near Anacostia from 1939 to 1966 and working in real estate. He notes the changing boundaries in Southeast DC and Anacostia. Lindsay discusses how the neighborhood was segregated, so community leaders in the neighborhood, such as Jerry Forest, Ella Foster, and Harold Lewis, created their own transportation, parks, education, and housing. Lindsay notes how close knit the neighborhood was, particularly the streets and church congregations. Black families usually had at least two or three children with the father working for the federal government and the mother at home; however, many families worked extra jobs to supplement their income. Lindsay discusses how banking was sparse in Southeast Washington D.C., but the community participated in many social and civic organizations, including writing clubs and real estate associations. During his real estate career, Lindsay noticed that housing was a pressing problem for Anacostia and the rest of Washington D.C. because of the scarcity of homes and discriminatory covenants. Arnett G. Lindsay was interviewed in the spring of 1971 by an unnamed volunteer or staff member at Anacostia Neighborhood Museum (now the Anacostia Community Museum). Digital audio files include white noise and static; interviewee can be heard clearly for most parts. The interview is cut short due to the tape running out.

Restrictions: Use of the materials requires an appointment. Please contact the archivist to make an appointment: ACMarchives@si.edu.