Fielding, Bernard, June 22, 1995
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: June 22, 1995
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
In this interview, Bernard Fielding (born September 7, 1932) at first elaborates on his family history and upbringing, as well as the Fielding Funeral Home business. He emphasizes in depth the change of living accommodations in Charleston regarding housing projects, in particular, the loss of traditionally African American neighborhoods due to condemnation in recent years. He specifically refers to the erection of the Gaillard Auditorium on Calhoun Street and expresses great frustration over a general ‘powerlessness.’ The interview also inquires about the ‘passing’ of light-skinned African Americans as white back in the 1920s. Fielding recalls his academic career and stresses the importance of education: he graduated from Avery in 1949 and received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Hampton Institute in 1953 before joining the U.S. Army. Fielding graduated from Boston University with a Law Degree in 1958. Further, he recalls the closing of Avery and refers to it as a “willful and deliberate act to demoralize the Black community.” He hereby elaborates on Avery’s rivalry with other schools and mentions the city’s subterfuge that the building was inefficient to operate. He further argues that the city’s reluctance to integrate was a crucial aspect of why Burke High School became a “conglomeration of wings.” Inquiring about Avery’s status as an elite institution with a high color consciousness, Fielding draws an analogy to intra-racial discrimination incited by enslavers to divide the community. He also recalls the teacher training program under Ms. Birdie Clyde and its effects on teaching in rural African American communities. The interview concludes with Fielding recalling his involvement in the local Civil Rights Movement as a lawyer and long-time Charleston County judge. Lastly, some of the current negative developments, such as drug use and violence, in the African American community are discussed.
The oral history is conducted by Cherisse Jones. The audio recording is missing for this oral history.
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