University of North Carolina at Asheville
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Title |
James E. Harrison Oral History |
| Creator | Karen VanEman |
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Subject |
Asheville Urban Renewal --- Asheville, NC |
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Subject |
Stephens Lee school; East End Urban Renewal ; Martin Luther King Park; |
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Description |
This two part interview took place on two different dates and in two different locations. James Harrison recounts growing up in Asheville, beginning in the 1950s. He relates his experiences with the Asheville Urban Renewal Project. His family had built a new home on Blanton St., within the bounds of the East Riverside Redevelopment Project. Harrison was serving in the military during the time the family was approached to sell for the project. His parents moved to the Shiloh area, receiving what was thought to be fair market price for their former home and rebuilding. The area is currently Erskine Apts, near A-B Tech. Harrison describes the difficulties African-Americans had working in the area and his work as a brakeman and conductor with Southern Railroad. Harrison worked to improve relations between the Asheville Police Department and the African American community in the 1970s revising the Asheville Police Manual and creating the Concerned Citizens Committee. |
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Publisher |
D. H. Ramsey Library Special Collections, University of North Carolina at Asheville, NC, 28804 |
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Contributor |
Interviewer: Karen VanEman |
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Date |
Electronic Record Issued: 2009-04-15 |
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Type |
Sound;Text |
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Format |
1 cassette tape; 22 page TRANSCRIPT , 14 documents re: June 18, 1976 Asheville City Council meeting, newspaper copies |
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Identifier |
hhttp://toto.lib.unca.edu/findingaids/oralhistory/AUR/vaneman_karen/harrison_james.html |
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Source |
The Karen VanEdam Oral History Collection, Asheville Urban Renewal Oral History Collection, D. H. Ramsey Library Special Collections, University of North Carolina at Asheville |
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Language |
English |
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Relation |
Housing Authority of the
City of Asheville Manuscript Collection. Publication: Keeping the Promise |
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Coverage |
1950s-present |
| Rights | Any display, publication, or public use must credit the D.H. Ramsey Library Special Collections, University of North Carolina at Asheville. Copyright retained by the authors of certain items in the collection, or their descendents, as stipulated by United States copyright law. |
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Acquisition |
Donor number: 353 ; Date of acquisition: 2009-04-15 |
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Processed By |
Special Collections staff, addendum by Karen VanEman |
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Interview Dates |
November 19 and December 18, 2007 |
| Interview Locations | Green's Mini-Mart and Gas Station and home of James Harrison |
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Biography |
James Harrison was born in 1937 and moved to Asheville, NC in 1951. He graduated from Stephens-Lee High School in 1955, attended Florida A and M for several years, joined the military in 1960 until 1962. He continued school at Livingstone College in Salisbury, NC. Harrison then worked as an insurance agent, at the Grove Park Inn and later with Southern Railroad for 30 years, retiring in 1995. Harrison worked to improve relations between the Asheville Police Department and the African American community in the 1970s revising the Asheville Police Manual and creating the Concerned Citizens Committee. |
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