Oral History Interview with Helen Greenwood Allen and Reginald Greenwood

Object Details

Names: Bethlehem Baptist Church (1872-) (Washington, D.C.); Frederick Douglass Memorial Home; National Association for the Advancement of Colored People; Saint Elizabeths Hospital (Washington, D.C.); St. Teresa of Avila Catholic Church (Washington, D.C.); Thompson's Furniture Company; Allen, Helen Greenwood; Dale, Almore M., 1911-1984; Greenwood, Reginald, 1928-1982; Jones, Frances Mason, 1916-2002; Qualls, Charles E., 1932-1984
Collection Creator: Anacostia Community Museum

Topic: African American women; African American men; African Americans; African Americans in business -- 1930-1940; 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 disc ((1 sound disk CD-R (00:40:19). digital, 16-bit 44.1 KhZ)); 1 Sound cassette ((1 sound cassette (00:40:19))); 1 Digital file ((1 data disk DVD-R digital, 24-bit 96kHz WAV.)))

Type: Archival materials; Audio; Sound discs; Sound cassettes; Digital files; 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: Helen Greenwood Allen, an African American woman, and her brother, Reginald Greenwood, an African American man, recount their time in Anacostia, focusing on topics, such as public education, religion, and recreation. She recalls having to cross the 11st Street Bridge to attend Dunbar and Armstrong High Schools as well as Bethlehem Baptist Church and St. Teresa's Catholic Church being the two largest churches in the area. She also talks about how close-knit the community used to be and how the neighborhood was segregated. Reginald describes the geographical boundaries of Anacostia and what recreation was available to African American residents at that time. They both mention landmarks in the neighborhood, such as St. Elizabeth's Hospital. They further discuss banking at City Bank of Washington and National Capital Bank, community organizing and leadership with the NAACP, public housing and transportation, and the police department. They end the interview talking about their family business, Greenwood's Transfer and Storage Company, as well as other local business owners, including Almore Dale, Frances Mason Jones, and Dr. Charles Qualls, who could provide more information about businesses in Anacostia. Helen Greenwood Allen and Reginald Greenwood were interviewed by John Bradshaw on January 12, 1971. 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.