Oral history interview with Matthew Jones, 2002

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: Jones, Matthew (Interviewee); Michaels, Sheila, 1939-2017 (Interviewer)
Title: Oral history interview with Matthew Jones, 2002
Other Titles: Reminiscences of Matthew Jones : oral history, 2002; Oral history of Matthew Jones, 2002
Abstract: Matthew Jones begins this interview with a discussion of his upbringing in Littleton, North Carolina, describing his family's social position as well-educated African Americans. Jones recalls his father's confrontation with the Ku Klux Klan, who targeted him because he was a Black school principal. Jones describes the segregation within the Episcopal Church and his father's experience as a Black mi nister. Jones speaks about his participation in the Nashville Student Movement during his senior year at Tennessee State University in 1960. He describes the experience of his first arrest and his empowerment through direct action. Jones describes the inception of the Danville Freedom Voices, and the re-formation of the Freedom Singers in Atlanta, Georgia. He also discusses the gender dynamics of SNCC and Ruby Doris Smith; Freedom Singer fundraising tours; and the murder of Michael Schwerner, James Chaney, and Andrew Goodman. In the last quarter of this interview, Jones provides general reflections on the personal and political aftermath of the civil rights movement, including the burnout of Civil Rights veterans; the strategies of Stokely Carmichael, who became SNCC Chairman in 1967; the alienation and abandonment of Southern Black leadership by Northern activists; books written about the civil rights movement; and the transition to Pan-Africanism
Collection Name: Sheila Michaels civil rights organization oral history collection
Subjects: Civil rights movements--History--20th century.--United States; Civil rights workers--History--20th century.--United States; United States Race relations 20th century; Jones, Matthew (Musician); Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (U.S.); Freedom Singers (SNCC); Tennessee State University
Format: oral histories
Genre: Interviews
Date: 2002

Physical Description: 91 pages
Note (Biographical): Matthew Jones was a Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) field secretary and founding member of the Freedom Singers. He was born on September 17, 1936 and grew up in Littleton, North Carolina. After his father received threats from the Ku Klux Klan, five-year-old Matthew Jones relocated with his family to Knoxville, Tennessee, where his father served at St. Luke's Episcopal Church. Jones attended Tennessee State University, a historically Black university, from 1956-1960. In 1960, Jones participated in the Nashville Student Movement, a three month campaign to end lunch counter segregation in Nashville. In the spring of 1963, Jones was invited by Avon Rollins, SNCC co-founder and Knoxville native, to work with SNCC in Danville, Virginia. Jones spent four months in Danville. He founded the Danville Freedom Voices and, in 1964, became a member and director of the Freedom Singers. Jones left SNCC in the late 1960s and, with his second wife, moved to New York City. He traveled the world performing his music and was devoted to liberation causes across the globe. He died at age seventy five on March 30, 2011
Note: Interviewed by Sheila Michaels on February 27, 2002
Note (Provenance): Sheila Michaels, Gift circa 2002-2005
Language: English
Library Location: Columbia Center for Oral History, Columbia University
Browse Location’s Digital Content
Catalog Record: 11604101
Also In: Oral History Archives at Columbia; Time-Based Media; Time-Based Media
Persistent URL: https://dx.doi.org/10.7916/d8-zg7e-ag08
Related URLs: Available digital content for this interview.