Loretta Whittle oral history interview, May 21, 2025

Scope and content:

Dr. Tameka Hobbs interviews Loretta Scipio Whittle at the African American Research Library and Cultural Center on May 21, 2025. Whittle explains her genealogy starting with ancestors in West Africa to family in the United States as early as 1810 and ends with her parents. She recalls her childhood and growing up in White Springs, Florida on her family's 120-acre farm. She describes the experience of celebrating May 20th, the anniversary of Florida's Emancipation Day, with school closed and all-day festivities. She lists various foods commonly available and recalls listening to an emancipated griot woman who told stories and sang traditional African American spirituals. Whittle explains how many Black people became land owners in the area, and the community's belief in ghosts and telling ghost stories. She recalls her elementary school's role in celebrating May 20th and the students practicing plaiting the maypole and square dancing. Whittle states that the current May 20th celebrations are missing the traditions and storytelling aspects and that it is instead more about music, dancing, and selling food.

Whittle recalls the closing of George Washington Carver Elementary School and being driven with other children to another school in her uncle's truck that was converted into a school bus because there were no public school buses for Black children at the time. She tells the story of how tea cakes became an African American tradition during celebrations. Whittle recalls the customs of May 20th celebrations while growing up, such as reciting the Emancipation Proclamation and reenactments, and contrasting that with today's celebrations in White Springs. She recalls where her passion and advocacy for Black history originated and the ways she imparts that spirit and knowledge to other generations by writing plays and being a Sunday school teacher. She explains how her grandfather gifted his grandchildren cows so they could earn money from the livestock, which allowed most of her family and herself to attend colleges such as Florida A&M University, Bethune-Cookman University, Tuskegee University and others. Lastly, she advocates for more education and incorporation of early May Day traditions in Florida, and teaching younger generations Black history any way Black people can.

Material specific details:

00:26:32 (26 minutes, 32 seconds)

Access and use