00:00:01.400 - 00:01:02.600

It is October 24th 2019 and this is an interview of Nia Kumba by Marin Orchard for the Meridian Hill. Park oral history. Project recorded at The Listener. Louise, Dixon, her home in Washington. D.c., do I have your permission to record this interview? Yeah. Wonderful. Could you start by giving me an introduction of who you are? Just tell me a little bit about yourself. Well, I was born in Washington DC. One of eight children, three were girls and five were boys. Yes. And each of the boys, For involved in the war. From Air Force two. Army Navy. No worries.

00:01:06.300 - 00:01:25.800

What did you do? Were you alive during the war? Well, do Monday. We did the usual things that women do including rolling bandages. Knitting crochet.

00:01:29.100 - 00:03:52.900

and, Keeping active. In areas that included the war. How old were you during the war? How old was I at the time? I think I was in my My father. Was a World War one dead run. Wow. And he pursued his career. Add the veteran in the American Legion. What neighborhood did you live in Washington DC? well, even though they had to deal with I joined his post, he had Auxiliary police. And they assisted the men in any way they could. They encouraged the young women.

00:04:15.100 - 00:05:46.500

There is a picture of me carrying the flag. Oh, wow. What year is that photo? You know, and there's another one. What are those photos of what were you speaking about? Say what, what were you speaking about in those photos? What are they from something out? Certainly pertinent to the topic. Whatever that may have been. Yeah. So you were active in the Civil Rights Movement. Yes. Do you want to tell me a little bit about what you did? Will the Civil Rights Movement was started by Stokely Carmichael? And he was very active. Did you ever meet him? So did you ever meet him? Oh yes. I'm in a number of cases. Did you ever even that he was not standoffish?

00:05:49.200 - 00:07:33.200

A friendly person. I think so. Yeah. So do you want to tell me what you know about Meridian Hill Malcolm X Park about who Malcolm X Park in Washington? D.c., have you ever been there? Oh yes, we are. Activities after now come next Fall. We consider that the place to be. Why did you guys go there? Why? Because of the name Malcolm X and it was off a power that has excluded people of color. And so it was challenging for us to go there and hold out activities that address And Prejudice and they were many. Do you want to tell me about some of the prejudices you faced in the district? Say, okay, here you would you want to tell me about some of the prejudices you faced in Washington, d.c., well, number one, the

00:07:33.200 - 00:08:45.300

school. The school's, we're not sufficient to meet the needs of the young people and so, I've got to take this coat off. Do you need help? Would you like some of this? That's okay. No, thank you. So you told me that it's because of the name of the park that you guys would go. There, was it always Malcolm X part? No, it was a Dame. I can't recall the the foam, a name Of the car, but it was named after some Civil War, General white, Civil War, General. And after we claimed it in Malcolm's name, then it became more Progressive and will

00:08:45.300 - 00:09:20.200

participatory do you remember when you claim to the new name when I change my name? When the park changed the name? No, I don't remember. There were so many things happening at that time. Schools were integrated young people. We're going out to jobs that they had never had before and it was a very vibrant

00:09:20.200 - 00:09:35.400

time. Can you tell me a little bit about what you were doing during that time and what your role was and the movement? What was I doing?

00:09:35.400 - 00:10:13.900

Yeah. My brothers were in the Army Navy and other Wars. And so I was very much involved in keeping them

00:10:19.300 - 00:11:27.100

Well, secure in their mission to Aid in actively serving the people's needs. in times of stress, in times of, in times of stress. And I did, I did that. My brother's at that time were very young. Five of them in the oldest 1819. In school,

00:11:27.100 - 00:11:45.100

high school. Going to college. What else do you need to know?

00:11:46.900 - 00:12:28.000

We're really interested in. You described Gatherings at the park where they interested in what kind of gathering The Gatherings at Malcolm X Park. Whoa. They were not good because they were involved in the war area. The actual fighting of the war. Hmm were they in? Mom or were they in? Yes. And then you were in the district know that in. To my knowledge.

00:12:33.900 - 00:13:20.100

Were you an activist? I would say? So what kind of actions are protested you take part in Will we saluted the church in its mission? To make the world a better place for people to live in. Was that related to your activism against prejudices in the city? Yes.

00:13:23.200 - 00:14:24.800

How did you see, religion and civil rights as being related? We have. Did I see civil rights being violated? Yeah, connected to religion. Where they Both causes for you or connected in some way. Well, that that looks that's a long long time ago. But if the action was still very strong and the need was still very much there, Providing. Provisions, were being

00:14:24.800 - 00:15:21.000

made to. Solidify. The leave. What year were you born? What year? Yes. What year was the Civil Rights Movement? 68 was a big year through the 1970s. 1970s.

00:15:25.600 - 00:15:46.100

Well, whatever schools. And needed to stress education. More and more generally. so that everybody not just, That

00:15:47.000 - 00:16:17.700

who needed an education received an education. And it wasn't. The educational process.

00:16:20.000 - 00:17:23.300

I saw an article recently in the paper about Call the hog to the prejudices that had played us such as color. Class. And other. That order. Have you always lived in Washington, d.c.?

00:17:24.200 - 00:18:00.900

I've always lived in watching, except for time it's accept. Yes, I have always believed. This was in what part of the city, what neighborhood, you know, The Wiz Have you always lived in North West? Do you remember the name of the neighborhood?

00:18:11.500 - 00:19:22.400

We felt that that was classified information. Did you have much money growing up today? But did you have much money growing up much money? Yeah, no. Really. We did not have much money. What did your parents do? But we managed to provide. Do you have any strong memories of being in Malcolm X Park that you'd want to share with our project? Well. Now, come back to Paul.

00:19:26.400 - 00:20:28.000

Was so named because everything we had. In the city was named after someone outside about color. Oh, culture. And it's so excluded, a large portion. Of the population. that it made a barrier between those who had and those who had not and so that needed to be broken down and it was What did you do to break that down?

00:20:30.400 - 00:23:05.100

They what? What did you do to break it down to end those things? Well, those questions. Do involve challenging. The status quo. for example, Malcolm who spoke digitally? Against. Prejudice. Because it was such a harsh Taskmaster. And had. Whether you could get a college

00:23:05.100 - 00:23:35.200

education. whether you couldn't even afford a casket, Yes, it was. it was that kind

00:23:35.200 - 00:24:21.600

of climate. Is there anything else you'd want to tell me about your life for your accomplishments? Well. The further I get. Away from all that. The better it is. but,

00:24:30.000 - 00:25:27.200

I, Can't. We leave. I think it would be better to write.

00:25:28.700 - 00:27:37.500

Something. About. That ties those times the names people were called the attitudes and behavior. Behavior. The cost of everything with hot so much higher for blacks in the community. The quality. About the quality.

00:27:58.700 - 00:29:01.900

It is not strange. and it called, Should be formatted for those who call for it. And believe that they needed.

00:29:24.800 - 00:30:06.800

And that's all I have to tell you. There. Anything else you want to tell me about your life for Malcolm X Park? No, Malcolm X. And exclusive music, what we call high-class music.

00:30:18.900 - 00:31:05.000

Became. I don't think making. Do you remember the drums in the park? Do you remember? Do you remember the drums in the Park? Oh, we had always always drums, always drums. You didn't come up without your

00:31:05.000 - 00:31:24.700

drum and women always dance. There were girls. Who dance who created them?

00:31:37.100 - 00:31:49.900

I hear drums somewhere down. It was more action and activity.

00:31:54.300 - 00:33:17.200

Then then there is now I'm sorry. And giving you a very poor and sketchy. No, not at all. Is it is it hard for you to remember? Did you have any family who would Be willing to talk with me about your life. Who might remember? Well Yes. I'm having great difficulty. Remembering. That's okay. Would you like to be done or do you want to say, what do you want to be done? Or do you want to talk some more? It's up to you. I can be done. Okay, thank you so much for talking with me though.