The NAACP Berkshires Chapter – Oral History Project
2016 Dec. 2
Adams, Magdalene
Magdalene Adams: interview with Judith Monachina
Pittsfield, Mass. – Interview with Churchill Cotton of the Berkshire Chapter, NAACP. Magdalene
(Maggie) born in Dadeville, Alabama, Dec. 2, 1931, raised in Dadeville, while in high school
began to visit Great Barrington, Mass., on school trip with her teacher. She moved to
Pittsfield, Mass., after her third year of college (AAMU, Normal, Alabama), often sending
money back to the family. Sh…
more
Housatonic Heritage Oral History Center (Berkshire Community College)
Collection
2018 Jan. 30
Pratt, Charles, Rev.
Charles Pratt: interview with Judith Monachina
Pittsfield, Mass. – Interview with Rev. Charles Pratt, pastor of Victory Church of God in Christ in
Pittsfield, Mass. Rev. Pratt was born in Columbus, Ohio. His father was a Tuskegee Airman,
and as a child Charles lived in the Azores and other places. Charles loved music in school,
and really began to like school in college, Ohio State University, where he has a
scholarship and studied psy…
more
Housatonic Heritage Oral History Center (Berkshire Community College)
Collection
2017 Aug. 10
Cotton, Churchill
Churchill Cotton: interview with Judith Monachina
Pittsfield (Mass.) – Interview with Churchill Cotton of the Berkshire Chapter, NAACP. Cotton was born in Pittsburgh, PA, in 1950, and shortly after moved to Chicago,
where he lived until the age of 10. His father became an AME minister there, and most of the
family life was centered on the church. When he was age 10, they moved to Galesburg,
Illinois, then when he was 15, back to Chicago. CC talks …
more
Housatonic Heritage Oral History Center (Berkshire Community College)
Collection
2018 May 15
Pratt, Evelyn
Evelyn Pratt: interview with Judith Monachina
Pittsfield, Mass. – Interview with Evelyn Pratt, born in Columbus, Ohio, Evelyn Judy Gammon, in 1948,
talks about living on Grant Ave., where her father bought a house and dug out his own
basement. Her mother died when she was young, and eventually Evelyn had a major role in the
upkeep her the house and family. The children walked to Weinland Park Elementary school.
Though she wanted to go…
more
Housatonic Heritage Oral History Center (Berkshire Community College)
Collection
2017 June 8
Gunn, Wray
Wray Gunn: interview with Judith Monachina
Great Barrington, Mass. – Wray Gunn, longtime resident of Sheffield, Mass., Chemist, Director of Quality
Control for Nelco Metals, later part of Pfizer, was born in Atlanta and lived part of his
childhood in various places in the South. He talks about segregation, moving North, living
in Lee and Stockbridge, Mass., attending UMass, being invited to play with the St. Louis
Browns, but going to co…
more
Housatonic Heritage Oral History Center (Berkshire Community College)
Collection
2017 Nov. 21
Edgerton, Shirley
Shirley Edgerton: interview with Judith Monachina
Pittsfield, Mass. – Shirley Edgerton talks about growing up in Hemingway, South Carolina, Mt. Vernon,
NY, South Bronx and North Bronx, NY. Extended family was essential to her childhood, as was
the Methodist in Mt. Vernon, NY, where she found mentors who guided, took care of her and
modelled a mentoring role that she would follow through her adult life. Shirley attended
Herbert Lehman Coll…
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Housatonic Heritage Oral History Center (Berkshire Community College)
Collection
2017 Apr. 13
Powell, Dennis
Dennis Powell: interview with Judith Monachina
Pittsfield, Mass. – Dennis Powell, born in Pittsfield Mass, 1945, discusses the West Side of
Pittsfield, business and residential streets there, that were later destroyed by urban
renewal projects. He lived with half siblings, mother, grandparents; talks about men,
mentors in the neighborhood, especially Saint Clair Gunn. After graduating Pittsfield High
School, enlisted in Army, Fort Dix,…
more
Housatonic Heritage Oral History Center (Berkshire Community College)
Collection
