Category Archives: Oral History
Judge Clinton E. Deveaux
Emmaus House was what that was about. There was a food bank that was based here, the Welfare Rights program was based here, the Poverty Rights office was based here, the school programs, after-school programs, there was a daycare program here for kids. Read more
Jeanne Brown
And so Muriel Lokey, Ann’s mom, called my mother, Johnnie Brown, and said, “There’s this new project from the Episcopal church, and we need volunteers, and I’m a volunteer. Would you like to come and volunteer?” And so Mother said yes. Read more
Johnnie Brown
I think a part of the underlying purpose [of Emmaus House] was that we would make everything available for any citizen and available for the neighbors of Emmaus House. And to change laws, place pressure in the right places – all that was the underlying purpose. And, in the midst of all of this, were the social programs that helped to give children the idea that, “yes they could.” Read more
Charles “Tony” Foster
Some of them just relocated. Some of them moved, where I don’t know. There were a lot of elderly people back then so lot of them just passed on and their family just went their way. They basically took people’s houses. I’m just being honest with you. Read more
Margaret Griggs
See I don’t know what Father gets me into, get me into something. And he the one got me into that running for the [Atlanta] School Board. I was sitting here tending to my own business, the phone rang, he on the other end and says, “Margaret.” I said, “Father, yes, what do you want?” Because I know there’s something up. He said, “Oh, don’t you want to run for the school board?” I said, “Do what?” He said, “Don’t you want to run for the school board?” I said, “Not necessarily.” Read more
Vandora Scott
It took a while for people to get used to Father Ford not being here, because he had been here so long. But, the amazing thing is that it still continued after he left. I kind of got enamored with Father Ford. But what I learned from Father Ford is that it is not the person. You don’t come here for the minister. You come here and find what it is you [need] to do, because that’s what happened when he left. A couple of people did leave, but we realized that it’s not about him. Read more
Charlotta Bright Norby
I was very young when I was [worked at Emmaus House], and I was Danish, so I learned an awful lot, and it was very exciting to me to be here. Not only did I learn about Emmaus House and how Emmaus House worked, but also about America and about poverty and about race relations. And it was really exciting to me. I learned a lot, and it has had an incredible impact on my life since then. Read more
Ann Fowler
The pattern to our day was that around 2 o’clock, the intern that was at Emmaus House and I would walk down to the elementary school there in the neighborhood. It was important to me that we have a “walking school bus.” We would go down [and] pick up the kids, [and] walk back up to Emmaus House. I thought it was important for the community to see that this is something that Emmaus House is doing in the community. Also, the kids knew the community, but it was good for me to be a presence out there and to see the other folks that are on the streets. Read more
Ray Quinnelly
The Poverty Rights Office was in-your-face advocacy done by upper-middle class white ladies who did not have any patience—they did not suffer fools kindly, let’s say—with anybody that was going to yank the poor around. Read more
Austin Ford
The place was a terrible wreck. It had been a sort of flophouse for alcoholics. There were signs on the doors saying, “Two dollars a night” and things like that. And I remember Sister Mary Joseph—later she became Sister Mary Rose—[chuckles] she had to have a cigar to clean out the place, there was such an awful smell. Anyway, we all went there, and then there was a Moravian seminary student who came. So the four of us went there, moved in and just waited to see what would happen. Read more