Transcript
Index
00:00:00 - Introduction
00:00:33 - Ice business in Beloit, Ed Branigan
00:04:00 - Black-owned grocery store in Beloit
00:05:34 - Race relations in Beloit--no discrimination at first--story about J.D. Stephenson encouraging separation in a Beloit restaurant--holdup at hotel--W.I. wanted to drive J.D. Stephenson from Beloit, he taught the “Tuskegee Way”--States Restaurant
00:14:09 - Attempt to segregate W.I. out of the Planning Department office at F-M--further comments on the impact of W.E. Seymour on F-M--big order for English submarines
00:20:33 - Family reaction to W.I.'s recruiting activities, mother worried--recruiting techniques, staying in Memphis
00:25:16 - Decision to quit recruiting, observed Memphis lynch mob--recollections of that case--mob took prisoner from train
00:31:01 - Further comments on Memphis lynch mob--W.I. saw the lynched man's dismembered head--souvenir crosses from lynch rope--gruesome stories--W.I. left Memphis as soon as possible
00:46:09 - The drowning of a friend in Memphis, sailor on a torpedo boat
00:49:58 - Upon return to Beloit W.I. was frightened by the approach of three white, female friends of his, reaction to the Memphis experience
00:52:47 - W.I.'s decision to leave Beloit, laid off and not rehired according to seniority--not treated “like a man”--F-M tried to hire him back
00:59:49 - Further comments on F-M efforts to rehire him--W.I. feared his temper, didn't want to be played with--too many “stool pigeons” in Beloit
01:03:57 - Decision to move to Racine, attracted by baseball team--further comments on hiring by Walker Manufacturing
01:08:49 - Work as a grinder at Walker--incident with fellow worker, later became good friends
01:17:43 - Development of the union at Walker--organized by the UAW, Ed Hall as organizer--decision to fight company, willing to “starve like a peckerwood”--W.I. elected as steward--anger at cowardly workers, W.I. used pick handle to steel their courage in one incident
01:25:37 - Encounter in company office--problem with piece work rates--problem with timing jobs, Lovin' Babe and pacing work
01:31:22 - Further comments on work at Walker--the foreman's beer garden, favoritism toward customers--dealing with foreman's favoritism--Problem with unemployed friend
01:38:29 - A striker hit a protesting woman--impact of call to Madison by Ed Hall,“they started treating us like people”
01:43:20 - Recollections of “Blue” Jenkins, baseball teammates--incidents with the baseball team
01:49:43 - Further comments on Walker Manufacturing--“key men” to thwart the union--dealing with “stool pigeons”--other problems at Walker
