Oral History Interview with Ella Mae Gothard Bransom

Object Details

Names: Birney Elementary School; Campbell African Methodist Episcopal Church (Washington, D.C.); Frederick Douglass Memorial Home; National Association for the Advancement of Colored People; Saint Elizabeths Hospital (Washington, D.C.); Bransom, Ella Mae Gothard, 20th century (active); Bransom, S. Leslie
Collection Creator: Anacostia Community Museum

Topic: African American women; African Americans; African American families; Police-community relations; Antisemitism; 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 disc ((1 sound disk CD-R (00:46:18). digital, 16-bit 44.1 KhZ)); 1 Digital file (1 data disk DVD-R digital, 24-bit 96kHz WAV.); 2 Sound cassettes (1 box)

Container: Box 2, Folder 5; Box 4, Cassette 31A; Box 4, Cassette 31B; Box 4, Disk 31

Type: Archival materials; Audio; Sound discs; Digital files; Sound cassettes; 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: Ella Mae Gothard Bransom, an African American woman, discusses her time as a resident of Anacostia and her children's experiences growing up in the area. She provides information about her work with community organizations, such as the Urban League, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and the National Parent-Teacher Association, as well as about education at Birney School and the various occupations she has held throughout her life. She also describes typical family life of community residents during the 1940s and 1950s. Bransom talks about important landmarks in Anacostia, including the Frederick Douglass Home, Campbell AME Church, and St. Elizabeth's Hospital, as well as what the transportation, recreation, and police force were like at the time. Throughout the interview, she discusses her opinions on various sociopolitical subjects (welfare, the political parties, and anti-Semitism). Ella Mae Gothard Bransom was interviewed on January 8, 1971 by an unnamed volunteer or staff member at Anacostia Neighborhood Museum (now the Anacostia Community Museum). Her husband, S. Leslie Bransom, was present during the interview. Digital audio files include white noise and static; interviewee can be heard clearly for most parts.

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