VT Stories Oral History with First African American Women Students, April 22, 2016 (Ms2016-015)
Title
VT Stories Oral History with First African American Women Students, April 22, 2016 (Ms2016-015)
Subject
Description
Marguerite Laurette Harper Scott, also known as Chick, grew up in Norfolk, Virginia in a family of Virginia State graduates. Although she intended on doing the same, when Virginia Polytechnic recruiters visited her high school, her father decided it was the place for her. She studied sociology and history, and graduated in the class of 1970.
LaVerne Hairston Higgins, commonly known as Freddie, grew up in Roanoke, Virginia and arrived at Virginia Tech through following her math teacher from high school. While at Virginia Polytechnic, she was heavily involved in social activism and studied math.
Linda Edmonds Turner grew up in Halifax County and arrived at the school through the Rockefeller Foundation. She is a triple Hokie, receiving her Bachelor of Science in 1970, master's in 1976, and PhD in 1979.
Upon arriving to Virginia Polytechnic Institute, these women did not know they would be among the first Black female students of the school. However, they turned into trailblazers for later classes of students, especially in challenging the schools traditions. In this interview, the women talk about their experiences at Virginia Polytechnic through this intersectional lens. They recount experiences with discrimination on campus and pockets of acceptance they found, professors they butted heads with, displaying the Confederate flag during home games, stories from Hillcrest, and participating in social activism on a predominately White campus.
LaVerne Hairston Higgins, commonly known as Freddie, grew up in Roanoke, Virginia and arrived at Virginia Tech through following her math teacher from high school. While at Virginia Polytechnic, she was heavily involved in social activism and studied math.
Linda Edmonds Turner grew up in Halifax County and arrived at the school through the Rockefeller Foundation. She is a triple Hokie, receiving her Bachelor of Science in 1970, master's in 1976, and PhD in 1979.
Upon arriving to Virginia Polytechnic Institute, these women did not know they would be among the first Black female students of the school. However, they turned into trailblazers for later classes of students, especially in challenging the schools traditions. In this interview, the women talk about their experiences at Virginia Polytechnic through this intersectional lens. They recount experiences with discrimination on campus and pockets of acceptance they found, professors they butted heads with, displaying the Confederate flag during home games, stories from Hillcrest, and participating in social activism on a predominately White campus.
Date
Rights
Permission to publish material from the VT Stories Oral History Collection must be obtained from Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech.
Type
Identifier
Ms2016-015_FirstAfAmWomen
Rights Holder
Special Collections and University Archives, University Libraries, Virginia Tech.
Interviewer
Shelby Ward
Narrator
Marguerite "Chick" Laurette Harper Scott
LaVerne "Freddie" Hairston Higgins
Linda Edmonds Turner
LaVerne "Freddie" Hairston Higgins
Linda Edmonds Turner
Location
Blacksburg, VA
Duration
01:10:45
Citation
“VT Stories Oral History with First African American Women Students, April 22, 2016 (Ms2016-015),” VT Special Collections and University Archives Online, accessed April 27, 2024, http://digitalsc.lib.vt.edu/Ms2016-015/Ms2016-015_FirstAfAmWomen.