Oral history interview with Melvin Collins 1971
Oral history interview with Melvin Collins 1971
Members of the Columbia University community may log in here to access this content.
Terms of Use: The copyright law of the United States (title 17, United States Code) governs the making of reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a reproduction. One of these specific conditions is that the reproduction is not to be used for any purpose other than your own private study, scholarship, or research. Any subsequent copying, downloading or distributing materials accessed by you in the Columbia University Libraries Digital Libraries Collection that are subject to copyright protection may constitute copyright infringement. In addition, Columbia University Libraries may employ technical measures to prevent any further copying, downloading, or distribution of the materials. A violation of these terms may subject you to potential liability for copyright infringement. For more information about copyright, fair use and permissions, refer to Columbia University Library’s Copyright Advisory Services at https://copyright.columbia.edu, and the Copyright & Permissions for Online Exhibitions & Digital Collections.
- Name
- Collins, Melvin (Interviewee)
- La Brie, Henry G (Interviewer)
- Title
- Oral history interview with Melvin Collins 1971
- Other Titles
- Reminiscences of Melvin Collins : oral history, 1971; Oral history of Melvin Collins, 1971
- Abstract
- In this 1971 interview with Henry G. La Brie III, Collins discusses his father, Melvin Collins Sr., the role of the Shreveport Sun, the cyclical nature of black social progress, and his position in the Shreveport community. Collins begins by briefly summarizing his early life in Shreveport, in World War II, and at Richard College and Lincoln University. After this, Collins discusses his father, a c ollege graduate, student of English, and founder of the Shreveport Sun. Collins recalls his father’s struggles maintaining the paper, including threats by the Ku Klux Klan and a lack of basic materials. He states his opinions on social progress and the necessity of integration. Collins goes on to discuss his intentions for the Shreveport Sun, the role of Southern black newspapers in racial and regional understanding, and how he measures success. Collins goes on to describe the Freedom Press, the continual fight for black dignity, white readership and ownership, and the need for black press to record the lives and deaths of the black community. Collins provides anecdotes to illustrate threats made against him and his father as well as the hesitancy of politicians to comment on black issues. Collins finishes by discussing his father's work during the Great Depression, adoption of off-set printing, and the Shreveport Sun in relation to other local newspapers.
- Collection Name
- Black Journalists oral history collection
- Subjects
- Editors; Journalists; African American press; African American journalists; Newspaper publishing--Economic aspects--United States; African Americans--Civil rights; Shreveport (La.); United States Race relations; Collins, Melvin; Shreveport sun (Shreveport, La. : 1920); Shreveport sun and Bis news; Shreveport sun (Shreveport, La. : 1966)
- Format
- oral histories
- Genre
- Interviews
- Origin Information
- 1971
- Date
- 1971
- Physical Description
- sound files : digital preservation master, WAV files (96kHz, 24 bit); 41 pages
- Note (Biographical)
- Melvin Collins (born in 1919) was the editor and publisher of the Shreveport Sun, which his father, Melvin Collins Sr., founded in 1920 in Shreveport, Louisiana. Collins worked at the family business before attending Richard College in Marshall, Texas in 1940. From there, Collins served in World War II and continued his education through the G.I. Bill (Serviceman's Readjustment Act of 1944) at Lincoln University in Johnson City, Missouri from 1946-1947. Following his father’s death in 1962, Collins assumed the reins of the paper. Collins was a father and community leader.
- Note
- Interviewed by Henry G. La Brie III on July 25, 1971.
- Note (Provenance)
- Henry G. La Brie III Gift, 1975
- Language
- English
- Library Location
- Columbia Center for Oral History, Columbia University
Browse Location’s Digital Content - Catalog Record
- 11562946
- Also In
- Time-Based Media
- Persistent URL
- https://dx.doi.org/10.7916/d8-d9yv-wk44
- Related URLs
- Available digital content for this interview.