Oral history with Mr. Vernon Jackson

              Oral history with Mr. Vernon Jackson
F341.5 . M57 vol. 747, pt. 1
Funding for this project provided by The Mississippi State Legislature, The Mississippi Humanities Council, The Mississippi Department of Archives and History, and the Center for Oral History and Cultural Heritage at the University of Southern Mississippi.
This transcription of an oral history by the Center for Oral History and Cultural Heritage of The University of Southern Mississippi may not be reproduced or published in any form except that quotation of short excerpts of unrestricted transcripts and the associated tape recordings is permissible providing written consent is obtained from the Center for Oral History and Cultural Heritage. When literary rights have been retained by the interviewee, written permission to use the material must be obtained from both the interviewee and the Center for Oral History and Cultural Heritage. Please call ( 601) 266- 4574 for more information.
Biography
Mr. Vernon Jackson grew up in Biloxi, Mississippi. Until 1955 he attended Our Mother of Sorrows Catholic School; he then attended Nichols High School and was graduated from there. He was inducted into the Army in 1965 and served there for two years, including time spent in Germany in the Davy Crockett School.
After leaving the Army, he worked in the civil service at Keesler Air Force Base for several years until he transferred to the post office where he worked until his retirement in 1998.
As a volunteer, Mr. Jackson has for several years been organizing reunions of the once- extant all- black schools of Biloxi.
Table of Contents
I. Growing up in Biloxi
II. Reunion of Biloxi's African- American schools
III. Main Street in the 1940s, 1950s
IV. Entrepreneurs
V. Our Mother of Sorrows
VI. Nichols High School
VII. The nuns' discipline
VIII. Extra- curricular activities at Nichols High School
IX. Black USO
X. Military service
XI. Jim Crow laws, 1967
XII. Personal experiences of racism
XIII. Being a mail carrier in Biloxi
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