Mary Lou Barner, 2021-03-25

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Afua Ferdnance and Mary Russ-Milligan interview Mary Lou Barner on March 25, 2021 at her home in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Mary Barner was born to George and Mary Botford in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on October 1, 1931. She lived in Fort Lauderdale all her life. Mary discusses growing up in Fort Lauderdale, assisting her father pick beans on the farm. She performed well in school and was invited to join the Honor Society at Dillard High School. Mary describes the busing of African American high school seniors to Dillard High School in 1950. She worked and served in the community as a maid, Sunday School teacher for Mt. Olive Baptist Church, a librarian, an elementary school teacher, an assistant for the Family Service Agency, and with the administration for Head Start.

Mary Lou Barner describes her work as a librarian at the Fort Lauderdale Library in 1951 after she graduated from Dillard High School. She worked at the library for two years and then worked at the Sunland Park Library for two years. The street 1201 NW 23rd Avenue in Fort Lauderdale, Florida was named in her honor for her service as the first librarian of color for the city of Fort Lauderdale. Mary was married in 1952 and had three children. When her children left for college, she enrolled in Nova University Advanced Technology (now known as Nova Southeastern University) and earned her Master's degree in Early Childhood Education. She then became a teacher at Dillard Elementary School.

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