Oral History Interview with Raymond Bumbry

Raymond Bumbry, an African American man, describes what life was like in Anacostia when he was growing up, what schools people attended (Birney Elementary School and Dunbar High School), what jobs most people had (laborers, domestic workers, and schoolteachers), what churches people attended (St. Teresa's Catholic Church, Our Lady of Perpetual Help), and what parks people went to (Green Willow Park and Eureka Park). Bumbry mentions that he and his neighbors began voting after the Kennedy administration. He also discusses being a part of the Masonic order and doing church work, as well as working for the federal government and passing the civil service examination. He ends the interview talking about popular transportation, such as horses and buggies or streetcars, and recommending other people in Anacostia to interview. Raymond Bumbry was interviewed on December 3, 1970, by an unnamed volunteer or staff member at the Anacostia Neighborhood Museum (now the Anacostia Community Museum). Digital audio files include white noise and static; interviewee can be heard clearly for most parts.