Oral history of Louetta Freeman 2002 September 7

Freeman tells the story of her families move to Arizona in 1927 in a covered wagon. She talks about her father's experience as a school bus driver driving relatively long distances to pick up kids for school and mentions the homes where her family lived. She recalls that her family had one of the first phones in Mesa and that many people stopped in to borrow it. Freeman describes downtown Mesa and mentions several business including Mollys J.C. Penneys Woolworths and Everybodys Drugstore. Freeman married James Freeman had two children attended Mt. Calvary Baptist Church and worked as a clerk at Diamonds department store at Tri City Mall. She discusses race relations in Mesa where she attended Mesa High School and recalls that before desegregation students had to go to Phoenix and attend Carver High School or not attend at all. Freeman was the only African American in the school band. She describes an incident where her bandmates walked out of a Phoenix restaurant because she was refused service. She also talks about not being able to swim at the Rendezvous Pool or eat at the counter at Everybodys Drugstore. Freeman concludes by stating her hope that people could love each other more and get along.