Roberts, Odessa, 2010-06-24
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Scope and Contents
Odessa Roberts shares her experiences in domestic service is Louisiana. She recalls a range of experiences working for white families. Roberts describes one family as nice; she was permitted to use the front door, to use the restroom, and they sent her home with leftover food. She describes a man in another family she worked for as being racist. Roberts recalls him not allowing her to use their washing machine or their clothesline to launder her own bedspread. She also recalls one of the children’s friends using a racial slur in conversation with her. Roberts discusses moving to Lincoln, Nebraska, where she describes her working conditions, pay, and treatment in domestic service work there as being better.
Dates
- Creation: 2010-06-24
Creator
- Jackson, David W., 1972- (Interviewer, Person)
Conditions Governing Access
The collection is open for research. Audio recordings of three oral history interviews are closed, but the associated transcripts are open.
Biographical / Historical
Odessa Roberts is an alias assigned to an interviewee who requested one for privacy. Odessa Roberts was born in Monroe, Louisiana, in 1937. She was raised by her grandmother. Her grandfather was a sharecropper. Roberts began working as a cleaning lady, babysitter, and cook at the age of 17 or 18. She worked in domestic service to supplement income while her husband was in the military. Roberts moved to Lincoln, Nebraska, and later to Des Moines, Iowa. Odessa Roberts had nine children, all of whom she encouraged to pursue an education. She later went through nursing assistant training and worked as a nursing assistant. At the age of 50, she met her second husband, a church deacon.
Extent
From the Collection: 5 linear inches
From the Collection: 19 audiocassettes
From the Collection: 31.5 Gigabytes
Language of Materials
From the Collection: English
Repository Details
Part of the Iowa Women's Archives Repository
100 Main Library
University of Iowa Libraries
Iowa City IA 52242 IaU
319-335-5068
319-335-5900 (Fax)
lib-women@uiowa.edu