Wright, Lillian Ransier, April 10, 1981
Scope and Contents
The Avery Institute of Afro-American History and Culture Oral History Project contains 44 oral history interviews arranged in three series based on the corresponding project or scope of the oral histories. The majority of the oral histories were conducted or coordinated by Avery Institute of Afro-American History and Culture members with the exception of Phase 2 of the Avery Normal Institute Oral History Project which was conducted by the Avery Research Center. Within each series, the oral histories are arranged alphabetically by last name. Greater details about the contents of each oral history can be found at the file level abstract of each interview. Each oral history, when available, includes a transcript and any supporting documentation like questions, notes, tape logs, and interview release forms. Transcripts do not currently exist for every interview and work to create them is ongoing.
Series I: Avery Normal Institute Oral History Project, 1980-1996 contains oral histories with former students, teachers, principals, and community members of the Avery Normal Institute discussing their attendance at the school including classes, teachers, extracurricular activities as well as perceptions of the school in the larger African American Charleston community and perceived reasons for why the school was closed. 12 of these oral histories are accessible on the Lowcountry Digital Library including the interviews with Ruby Cornwell, Julia Craft DeCosta, Marcellus Forrest, Dr. Joseph Hoffman, Felder Hutchinson, Anna D. Kelly, Louise Mouzon, Peter Poinsette, and both interviews with J. Michael Graves and Eugene C. Hunt.
Series II: Laing School oral histories, 1981 contains two oral histories with former students of the Laing School in which they discuss their time attending the school, their lives after graduation, and their impressions of the Avery Normal Institute.
Series III: Avery Institute of Afro-American History and Culture oral histories, 1983-1995 contains seven oral histories with members of the Avery Institute of Afro-American History and Culture discussing the founding of the organization and its grassroots efforts to acquire and preserve the Avery Normal Institute school buildings. There are also oral histories in this series with former students of the Avery Normal Institute and Immaculate Conception discussing their attendance at both institutions.
Dates
- Creation: April 10, 1981
Creator
- From the Collection: Avery Institute of Afro-American History and Culture (Organization)
Access Restrictions
There are no restrictions to this collection; however, a cassette player is required to listen to the audiocassette tapes. A cassette player will be made available to researchers in our reading room.
Full Extent
From the Collection: .834 linear feet (2 Hollinger boxes, 79 audiocassettes, and 27.7 gigabytes (audio and transcripts))
Language of Materials
From the Collection: English
Abstract
Lillian Ransier Wright (April 19, 1905 – January 30, 1995), born in Savannah, GA, was raised by her aunt, Shawn Ransier Toomer, in Summerville, SC, where she attended the Epiphany Episcopal School until 7th grade. Upon moving to Charleston, SC to live with her sister, Beatrice Ransier McGill, Mrs. Wright received her formal education and graduated from Avery in 1924. She recalls Mrs. Cox’s influence being a mentor and tutor for many girls, as well as Mr. Cox’s respectful appearance, his vast teaching knowledge, and his efforts to instill a correct sense of public conduct in his students. Mrs. Wright also remembers several of Avery’s teachers, in particular Mrs. Edna Morrison and Florence “Birdie” Clyde, who was head of the teacher training program. After attending summer school at South Carolina State College, Wright received her first teaching appointment at the Dixie Training School in Moncks Corner, SC in the fall of 1924. Wright hereby mentions the difficulties of teaching poor farm children in these rural parts, adapting to the dialect, as well as the general living conditions.
In the second part of the interview, Wright recalls meeting her husband, William G. Wright, at one of the social events of the Catholic Schools during her junior year. She then elaborates on her children attending Avery and several changes that occurred over time, such as the junior/senior banquets turning into proms, as well as the tradition and rites of Class Day. The interview also inquires about Avery’s reputation among its white neighborhood, specifically the College of Charleston, which was segregated and inaccessible for African American students to seek admittance at that time. Further, she refers to the segregated public life in Charleston, particularly the busing system. Inferring about intra-racial discrimination, Wright argues that she never felt any discrimination because of her fair skin color at Avery. She further remembers several aspects of Avery’s educational culture: rhetorical sessions, special speaker events, the Glee Club, and the Civics course.
The final part of the interview focuses on Mrs. Wright’s grandfather, the Honorable Alonzo J. Ransier (1834-1882), former United States Congressman and South Carolina’s first Black Lieutenant Governor. She refers to his political career and impact on legislation, as well as his strong advocacy for public education. She hereby also mentions the existence of a family bible with his entries, dated 1868. The interview concludes with her husband’s impact as one of the first Black teachers at Burke Industrial High School in the 1920s and his lifelong career as an educator.
The oral history is conducted Dr. Edmund Drago and Eugene Hunt.
Repository Details
Part of the Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture Repository
125 Bull Street
Charleston South Carolina 29424 United States
843-953-7608
averyresearchcenter@cofc.edu