| Summary: | In this interview, H.D. Coke discusses his move to Birmingham in 1936 and his earliest impressions of the city. He discusses his years as a local newspaper reporter and his various other careers throughout his lifetime. Coke comments on his involvement in both the labor and Civil Rights movements in the Birmingham area. He also recalls being a witness in the "Communist trial" for W.E.B. Dubois as well as meeting Eleanor Roosevelt at the 1938 meeting of the Southern Conference for Human Welfare in Birmingham. Coke explains how he dealt with segregation and Jim Crow laws in Alabama. For example, he recalls trying to register to vote in the 1930s and being required to name the Justices of the Supreme Court. He discusses Birmingham's business community, statistics, race relations and politics. He also discusses his involvement in gospel music. He talks about the Harmonettes, the Blinds Boys of Alabama and Inez Andrews, among others.The digitization of this collection was funded by a gift from EBSCO Industries.
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