Oral history with Dr. Aaron Henry, prominent civil rights worker

              Oral history with Dr. Aaron Henry, prominent civil rights worker
This oral history is provided through a cooperative project of University of Southern Mississippi Libraries and USM's Center for Oral History and Cultural Heritage.
Funding provided by a National Leadership Grant for Libraries from the Institute for Museum and Library Services
The transcript is presented here for reference purposes only. Interviews in this collection are protected by copyright. PERMISSION TO PUBLISH MUST BE REQUESTED from the Center for Oral History and Cultural Heritage. Please call ( 601) 266- 4574 for more information.
Biography
Dr. Aaron Henry was born July 2, 1922, in Clarksdale, Mississippi one of two children of Mr. Edd and Mattie Logan Henry. The Henrys were tenant farmers on a plantation and Aaron recalls that " I caught my mule every morning and milked my cow every night and did all the other things that boys on the farms did." While still farming, Mr. Henry went from Clarksdale to the Tuskegee institute and learned to be a shoemaker. That done, he opened a shoe shop in the little town of Webb, and Aaron recalls that " After he came back from Tuskegee, he spent most of the time in the shoe shop, and my mother and my sister and I took care of the chores."
Mr. and Mrs. Henry became concerned over the educational possibilities for their children in their rural setting so " they decided to move into Clarksdale. Frankly they moved on the same street that had the school that was for blacks." It was this that made it possible for Aaron Henry to get a decent education through high school. He attended what was then Coahoma County Agricultural High School ( now a junior college) " which cost us eight dollars a month for room and board. That's where I finished high school."
In 1943, young Aaron Henry joined the United States Army because of World War II and after training he was sent to the Pacific Theater. By the time he was discharged, in 1946, he had been advanced to the grade of Staff Sergeant. After leaving the army, he matriculated at Xavier College, in New Orleans, where he won a BS degree in politics and government, and also took a degree in Pharmacy. Dr. Henry recalls that " in my second and third years, I served as president of the student body - you know, a Methodist at a Catholic School. . ." He returned home and set up a pharmacy, the 4th Street Drug Store, in Clarksdale, and recalls that " I was lucky enough to have assistance from both the black and the white community in helping me get established." The fact that after nearly thirty years he still operates the same drug store testifies to his business acumen.
Dr. Aaron Henry is best known for his struggle for the civil rights of minority peoples. He recalls that his association with the civil rights movement began in high school when a teacher " talked my entire senior class into joining the youth council of the NAACP". After that, while in the military service he affiliated " with every NAACP unit that was in the town where we were based." His real struggle began after he had finished school, married, and opened his drug store. In 1952, he was active in organizing the Coahoma County chapter of NAACP, and served its president for many years. In 1959 he became president of the
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