Elizabeth Sloan Ragland

Published on June 14, 2017

Elizabeth-Sloan-Ragland “I was not greeted by hecklers. I was greeted by Martha Ann Cox.”

Chapters

Introductions

Elizabeth Ragland introduces her story, and talks about her time before Samford and Civil Rights.

Growing up in Birmingham; Civil Rights and Coming to Samford University

Ragland talks about her early life in Birmingham and the people who influenced her decision to come to Samford University.

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Arriving at Samford

Ragland talks about her first experience at Samford University.

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Activities on Campus; Motivation and Community Support.

Ragland talks about her activities at Samford, as well as what motivated her at school.

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The Changes that have been Made

Ragland discusses what she sees as changes that have been made in the lives of African American students at Samford since her time as a student.

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Triumph and Tragedy; Shared Experiences

Ragland talks about how triumph and tragedy has shaped her life, and how such events create shared experiences between people.

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Education should be Transformative

Ragland explains why education is a transformative experience based on the new ideas that people are exposed to.

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"I'm just glad that I'm here."

Ragland talks about the lasting impression that Samford has on her and others.

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Closing Remarks

Ragland talks about working together to make a difference is how people can continue to causes change.

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Transcript

Elizabeth Sloan Ragland: Good morning Samford University. I am pleased to be
here, almost 40 years later, having graduated in 1973. I guess this dispels all
the rumors that I've been spreading about being 39 years old, but I'm pleased to
be here, so to the president of this great university, the provost, the staff
members, the faculty, the students, I want to say thank you for inviting me. I
want to thank Dr. Denise Gregory for the wonderful hospitality that she has
shown while we have tried to make this happen. And so, today I stand 40 years
later to tell you a little bit about a little girl who grew up in a little
place. It's not so little anymore, but Oxmoor, Alabama graduated from Rosedale
High School in Homewood, Alabama and had the wonderful fortune of attending this
university at a time, of course, we had many, many things going on in
Birmingham, Alabama. Birmingham had gotten the name of "Bombingham" Alabama.
Lots of turbulence, the dogs, the fire hoses, so many things, the bombing with
the 4 little girls who lost their lives. Many negative things about Birmingham
and Alabama, so I stand on the shoulders of many who paved the way for me. Those
who sacrificed their lives for me to be here this day. To my parents, my
brothers and sisters, all my family members, I owe a debt because without them
and their sacrifices, I would not be standing here today and that is part of my
story. It is historic because this is the one hundredth and fiftieth anniversary
of the Emancipation Proclamation, the 50th anniversary of the march on
Washington, and this very week, they will be celebrating the march in Selma,
Alabama. God is good, that all of this came together on this week, this year,
and this date. So, let us talk about coming to this place, on this week, this
year, and this date. In 1969, as I was preparing to graduate from high school, I
was pleased to have a gentleman who had a tutoring program as a part of our high
school and I was looking at the possibility of going to college. No one in my
family, immediate family, had ever gone to college, so I was working with my
counselors at my high school and we were trying to figure out a way for me to go
to college. Well, we looked at several things and one day while in the tutoring
program, this gentleman asked about my plans for college and I said "Well I'm
not really sure. We're trying to figure something out." He said "Well have you
thought about Samford University?" and with that single question, it set in
motion my appearance here today, because based upon that question and my answer,
we got busy, worked out the details, worked out all of the obstacles for me to
come to this university, and I have never publicly had an opportunity to say
thank you and recognize him, but today I want to take that opportunity to have
him stand because publicly, I would like to have Dr. Wayne Flynt stand, because
I want to tell you that because of you and all the others before, I am here
today, so I want to say publicly, I thank you. I salute you and most
importantly, I love you for what you did in my life. My parents were people who
came from a very, I guess background that did not foster education. My father
worked in the mines and he worked at US Steel. He never learned to write his
name. He always signed his name with an X, but he knew the value of education.
My mother was a homemaker and she was able to keep six kids on the straight and
narrow and that's a hard job to do. Three boys and three girls, but she did it.
She had a high school education and so, education for both of them was very
important and I made my choice to go into speech and drama based upon the
recommendation of a man who signed his name with an X, my father. In talking
with one of my counselors, it was suggested that perhaps I go into home
economics and at that time, that's what it was called, home economics, and my
mother and I were discussing it as a possible major in college and my father
asked "What is home economics?" and I said "Well I think you do cooking and you
do sewing and you do all these things." That's about all I knew about home
economics and my father looked at me and told me "Now look sister, you can't
cook. Don’t go up there to Samford University and shame us, because you can't
cook. You get something where you can talk. You can talk but you can't cook" and
so on the advice of a gentleman who signed his name with an X, I came up here
and my major became speech and drama, not home economics, so I did not want to
shame the family by being one of those who had to go home because I had killed
someone in home economics and that's what he was afraid of, so education and
listening. When I arrived at Samford University, we did not have any state
troopers, we did not have any dogs, and we did not have any protestors. Like I
said, I owe a debt to all of those who came before me. The ones who went to
Alabama and the governor stood in the door, had already opened the door for me
and I was blessed. I was not greeted by hecklers. I was greeted by Martha Ann
Cox. My mother, one of our neighbors, who came to give her support, Mrs.
Jenkins, and I arrived. We were greeted by Martha Ann Cox and she escorted us to
my room. So I entered my room and it's all freshmen, when your parents get ready
to leave, you think the world is ending. It's the same way as when you go to
preschool. You think you're ready but the world starts ending when your parents
start walking away, so when my parents started, my mother, my father said he was
not coming. He indicated that he did not participate in any marches and he did
not believe in nonviolence, so he said if he came and anyone tried to hurt his
child, he was not prepared to be nonviolent, so he did not come, so my mother
and her friend came and I was escorted to my room and I was in a room by myself.
Well I don't know whether it was meant to be a punishment, to be alone and have
no roommate, but it was a blessing. I was sharing a room with 2 sisters so when
I didn't have a roommate at the end of the day, at the end of the week, I said
"Mine, all mine. I'm so pleased" and I had 4 years and I never had a roommate.
Never had a roommate, but that did not bother me. It was meant to me a lemon. It
was lemonade. I appreciated that even when other African American females came
on the campus and lived, I did not have a roommate. That's one of the things
about being the firstborn. You get to have your way. You're spoiled and so I had
4 years of no roommate and loved every minute of it. But I had some good friends
here and with those good friends, I was able to participate in activities, I was
a member of various clubs and activities here on the campus, because it never
occurred to me that I could not do and be whatever I wanted to be. I give that
to my parents, to my brothers and sisters, to the people in my community, to the
little old ladies that for every A that you made, they would give you a dime,
for every B you made, they would give you a nickel. They did not have the words
to articulate it but they were fortifying you and they were convincing you that
you could achieve and I think that is the message that I want to share both
black and white because in the end, all of us want to achieve. We want to do
better. We want to exceed, excel in all things, and so it matters not the color
of your skin, we all want to make a difference and we all can. Some believe that
you have to have a big name, that you have to have an entourage. Well, most of
us will not have a big name, most of us will not have an entourage. It will be
one on one and so if we do what we do as individuals, then you end up with no
sad stories, no complaints. There’s still a lot to do here at Samford
University, but I am thrilled 40 years later, to come to this place, and see the
changes that have been made. I had prepared to bring a CD because I was going to
play a gospel selection before speaking and Dr. Gregory said "Oh the gospel
choir will be performing" and I said "Gospel choir at Samford University? You're
kidding." She said "No" I said "Well throw the CD away. I want to see the gospel
choir" and you all performed beautifully. Please give them a hand. I have been
speaking with a number of students today both black and white and I am pleased
to see the number of black students, African American students, however you wish
to be known and I was watching the news on CNN and I understand on the census,
they're going to take the word "negro" off the census because people don't want
to be identified, so we are an evolving people. We change as we go and that's a
good thing, to evolve, and that's what's happening here at Samford University.
We are evolving. There are people who are black, who live on campus and nobody
thinks anything of it. It just happens. There are people on campus who are
participating in all the activities. I spoke with those who are I guess, in
sports, who are the president, I believe, of the SGA. It's an African American.
Do stand. I want to look at you again. When I was here, I could only remember
five of us on campus. I believe it was 3 basketball players, a football player,
and yours truly, living on campus, so now that has changed, and I can't say
enough over and over, a lot has changed but there's still a lot of work to be
done. We have not reached utopia. We're still striving to make those changes and
we never stop, because the world keeps turning. When we look at the various
things that have happened over the last 40 years, there have been many
tragedies, but there have been many triumphs. There have been those who have
given their lives and continue and in many cases, you can give your life by
death. In other cases, you give your life by the work that you do and so
positives and negatives in everybody's life, nobody gets a "Get out of tragedy"
card. We all have tragedies. I lost my husband in 2011, in January and I stood
in the same hospital in June of 2011 and watched my grandson enter this world,
jump into this world, arms wide open, and say "World, here I am." So you can
experience tragedy and the sun sets in one life, then you experience triumph
because a new life begins and that is life for us all, black, white, it does not
matter. We all have the same common experiences. We have more in common than we
have in differences and I think once we realize that, it makes it a lot easier
for us to reach out to each other. I do not advocate that we want to have a
colorblind society. We don't need a colorblind society. There are those who
would say "I don't even notice," but it's very hard. I don't think if I came
here in 1969 wearing (?) that no one would have noticed that I was black. I
don't think if I come back today wearing (?) no one would have noticed that I
was black, but it's the differences that enhances all of us. When we accept that
we have differences, but we are willing to work together and we're able to
embrace ideas that are beyond our own. It is my belief that education should be
transformative, that you should leave a better person than when you came,
because you have been exposed to ideas that you didn't have before. Whether that
idea came from someone who looks just like you or someone who does not look like
you, we have to respect each other and our ideas and if we do so, the world will
be a better place, we will be better people, and that we will make a difference
for each other. Again, I am very, very pleased after 40 years to return and see
some of the changes that have taken place. When I came, I don't remember any
professors that were of color and now based upon the numbers and the research,
that has changed. It has changed for the better. I do not remember the ability
to just walk around the campus and look and see that many others that looked
like me, but that's OK. That has changed. There are people who can see each
other. In the end I think the best thing that happens for all of us is that we
open our hearts to each other, that we seek to make that difference for each
other, that we pave the way for somebody else and I hope that has been my role
since 1973 and leaving here. When I talk with students who have graduated from
Samford University, I get a message from most of them that they are pleased,
that they came here. In talking with students this morning, the message was "I'm
just glad that I'm here. I came expecting one thing, but I got something else
and it was a positive thing." So, I spoke with a colleague last week who
graduated from Cumberland law school and her comment made my heart glad. When I
told her I was coming here to speak and we talked a little bit about Samford
University, her closing comments stayed in my heart and in my head and that was
"Girl you know, I love that place" and when she said that about this university,
I was so pleased. My heart was moved. Where do we go from here? We go to work.
We keep working. We make certain that more students feel that they can come here
and they can have that positive experience. We make certain that more students
leave here and when they leave here, when someone asks about this university,
that in fact the person can say "Girl, I love that place" because that's a good
thing. So if you take anything form what I have said today, then I hope you will
take that message of working together, making a difference, and in the end, if
the changes continue, then all that I can say is I am so pleased that I made the
journey and that it was worth the journey and that as we continue along our way,
that you will reach others and that you will make it a positive experience,
whether you are black or white, we all have to work together. Let us have love,
let us have peace, let us have understanding and as I leave this place, let me
say thank you to all those who paved the way for me and let me say thank you for
all those who followed and continue that journey. I am walking but I am pleased
to make the walk. I am smiling because I am happy with what I see and if you see
me cry then it just means that there are tears in my eyes because I'm alive. I
am transformed and I am so pleased to have had a small part in the journey that
has brought us here to this place, this day. Let me end by saying I love you. I
love this university and you have given me an entire life because of my
experience here, I was able to leave here, work at Alabama Public Television
because that relationship with this university and go to Alabama A&M University
where I have spent nearly 40 years. One little seed that you plant can grow. If
you plant seeds of bitterness, don't be surprised when your harvest is a bitter
crop, but if you plant seeds of love, do not be surprised when you have a crop
of love. Faces like the ones that we have today and relationships that will
continue to grow. Thank you for the invitation and thank you for the journey. I
love you.

Audio Information
Attribute	Value
Repository	Samford University Oral History Collection
Collection	STORI Collection
Accession	SUHist/SamfordHistory/007