Oral History Interview with Mary A. Cooke

Object Details

Names: Anacostia National Bank; Bethlehem Baptist Church (1872-) (Washington, D.C.); Birney Elementary School; Campbell African Methodist Episcopal Church (Washington, D.C.); Douglass Hall (Washington, D.C.); Garfield Elementary School; St. Teresa of Avila Catholic Church (Washington, D.C.); Cooke, Mary M.; Shipley, Rezin, Dr., 1865-1924; Smoot, James
Collection Creator: Anacostia Community Museum

Topic: African American women; African Americans; Community Organizations; 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 cassette ((1 sound cassette (00:51:44))); 1 Sound disc ((1 sound disk CD-R (00:51:44). digital, 16-bit 44.1 KhZ)); 1 Digital file ((1 data disk DVD-R digital, 24-bit 96kHz WAV.)))

Type: Archival materials; Audio; Sound cassettes; Sound discs; 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: Mary A. Cooke, an African American woman born around 1903, recounts growing up in the Anacostia neighborhood. She talks about her education at Garfield Elementary and St. Anne's Catholic School as well as her family life. Other topics of discussion include recreation, racial tension, employment and income, and historical landmarks, such as Griswold Place and Fort Stanton. She also discusses important businesses in the community, including Douglass Hall and the Anacostia Bank (now the Anacostia National Bank). Other important landmarks in the area include St. Elizabeth's Hospital, Eureka and Green Willow Parks, and several churches, including Bethlehem Baptist Church, Campbell AME Church, and St. Teresa's Catholic Church. Cooke describes what community organizing and civic associations were like at that time and what community leaders did to contribute to the neighborhood. Throughout the interview, she remembers important residents in Anacostia, such as Lucille Dale, Ollie Cooper, Dr. Luther Scott, James Smoot, and Dr. Rezin Shipley. She concludes the interview by talking about the current issues with crime in the neighborhood. Mary A. Cooke was interviewed on December 12, 1970, by an unnamed volunteer or staff member at the Anacostia Neighborhood Museum (now the Anacostia Community Museum). 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.