Pauline Davidson Oral History Interview

This interview with Pauline Davidson begins with a brief discussion about how she first came to Eugene, Oregon, in which she explains that she moved when she was quite young. The interview turns to her experiences with racism in her younger years. Mrs. Davidson states that she didn’t notice much racism when she was a child, probably because she did not understand it, although some of her friends’ parents did treat her differently. She talks about some of the discriminatory laws that Eugene had, and discusses her experiences as a Black mother raising her children in Eugene.

From there, the conversation then moves to popular styles of music Mrs. Davidson remembers, during which she touches on how the Black community interacted in Eugene in the past. The interview then returns to entertainments, with Mrs. Davidson noting that she enjoys reading novels and attending house parties.

The interview concludes with a question about how the Black community in Eugene organized during the Civil Rights Movement, and how Eugene is different than it has been in the past. Mrs. Davidson answers by discussing the CORE: Racial Equality group that was active in Oregon. She also explains that she believes there was more drug abuse in Eugene at the time of this interview than there was in her childhood. She concludes by emphasizing the importance of education.

Pauline Davidson was born in Atlanta, Georgia. She moved to Eugene, Oregon with her family when she was a young child, and spent most of her childhood in Eugene. She had five children, and also helped to raise her sister’s three children. At the time of this interview she had fourteen grandchildren.