Interview: Knox, Brenda
Item
Identifier
Mss-0282, Tape 48-50
Title
Interview: Knox, Brenda
Type
Sound
Format
.mp3
Language
English
Source
Black Heritage in the Upper Piedmont of South Carolina Collection
Rights
Interviews may only be reproduced with permission from Clemson University Libraries Special Collections and Archives. All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, have been transferred to the Clemson University Libraries Special Collections and Archives.
Date
1990-09-13, 1990-09-24
Description
Brenda Knox was born on August 21, 1951 in Anderson County, SC. Her father, Dr. Bryant Sebastian Sharp, practiced medicine in Seneca, SC.
Cassette 1
Side 1
00:55--Mrs. Knox's father was Dr. Bryant Sebastian Sharp. He was born on September 12, 1877 and died in January of 1956. Her mother was Geneva Catherine Sizemore Sharp. She was born on June 23, 1910.
1:14--Her paternal grandparents were Joseph and Evelyn Sharp. Her maternal grandparents were Bruce and Carrie Lemon Sizemore.
1:32-2:42--Mrs. Knox discusses the fact that she knew her maternal grandparents well, but didn't know her paternal grandparents at all. Her father was many years older than her mother (he was in his 70's, she in her early 40's), and therefore her grandparents had died well before she was born. She did know an aunt on her father's side who lived in Atlanta, Ga. that would occasionally visit as well as knowing older relatives on the Sizemore side of the family.
4:01--Her father grew up in Seneca on land owned by his father. Her mother was from the Pickens/Liberty area.
5:11--Mrs. Knox raises points of interest regarding her grandparents. Her paternal grandparents lived for some time near Fairplay, SC and eventually deeded some of this land in order that St. Paul's Baptist Church could be built on it. They also were missionaries and traveled to Liberia in Africa. They did not return safely, however. They either died while there or died on the voyage back to the United States. Her maternal grandparents were farmers who lived on land near Highway 123.
7:00--Mrs. Knox discusses some of the family homes and their locations.
8:30--Recollections of older people in her family didn't include slavery. Some family members have researched genealogies, and have had difficulty finding anyone who was a slave. It is a mystery to Mrs. Knox.
10:11--Burials/funerals--The Sharp's and Sizemore's are buried at Oak Grove Cemetery. Many family members, however, are buried in various parts of the country because they moved away from South Carolina during their lifetimes. She can remember her father's funeral because of its uniqueness, at least according to how things are carried out contemporarily. It was an old style funeral, where his body rested "in state" at the family home in order that friends and family could take part in the "wake."
19:50--Her father was a medical doctor who had his practice in the Seneca, SC area. He went to school at Shaw University in Raleigh, NC where he attended Leonard Medical School. Mrs. Knox discusses aspects of her father's practice, including his treatment of patients during the flu epidemic of 1917-1918. She also recalls her mother's work as a nurse and insurance agent before returning to medicine at Oconee Memorial hospital.
30:15--Mrs. Knox begins to relate what she knows of her paternal grandparents experiences while missionaries in Liberia.
31:27--Audio ends.
Cassette 1
Side 2
00:30--Aspects of the Liberia mission continue to be recalled. She is not sure of the exact dates but thinks it was during the late 1890's or early 1900's.
5:50--Mrs. Knox discusses some of the typical employment opportunities that were available to her family.
9:10--Aspects surrounding her grandparents land and how it was deeded to the church (St. Paul's) are discussed.
9:40--Mrs. Knox discusses family members who left the area for better employment opportunities including several who moved to Ohio and one who works for NASA.
13:35--Issues regarding shopping trips, clothing, and furniture are discussed.
22:05--Church--her parents were members of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Seneca, SC. She discusses the affiliations of other family members, local ministers, the history of Ebenezer Baptist, group activities within the church, and the influence of Dr. J.J. Starks regarding local schools and churches.
31:52--Audio ends.
Cassette 2
Side 1
00:22-10:55--Mrs. Knox discusses important churches in the community, local cemeteries, singing conventions, camp meetings, and groups in the church such as the Missionary Society and Jolly Workers.
10:58-22:30--Aspects of local education, reading material available to the family, various school locations such as Seneca Graded School, Oakway, and Seneca Institute, and differences between black and white schools are briefly touched upon. Her father's education in medicine is recalled.
22:40--Mrs. Knox believes that her family was involved with both the Freemasons and the Eastern Star. Her mother always voted, but is unaware of any other family member's political involvement.
26:19-31:20--She recalls talk of how relations between local blacks and whites, including stories of a lynching that took place locally in the early 1900's, her father treating white patients, and the cooperation and respect given to her father by local whites who were also in the medical profession.
31:23--Audio ends.
Cassette 2
Side 2
00:30--She continues to recall her father's work with white colleagues and their cooperation as well as aspects of her Uncle B.C. Sharp's pharmacy practice in Seneca.
3:30--Relationships between white men and black women, black marriage relationships, racial mixing with Native Americans, and people who passed for white are discussed.
12:31-19:10--She discusses aspects of local travel by train, her father's affiliation with the State Medical Association, and her parent's travel with close family friends Dr. Harold Hill and his wife Eugenia to such places as the 1939 World's Fair.
19:15-31:40--Mrs. Knox discusses celebrations such as Christmas, July 4th, cakewalks, dances, Sunday dinners, and birthdays before commenting on what she perceives as mostly positive black/white relations in Seneca and its small town sense of community.
31:45---Audio ends.
Cassette 3
Side 1
00:07-15:40--Mrs. Knox briefly discusses her father's office desk and medical awards before mentioning that her mother most admired Mary McLeod Bethune, whom she once heard speak at a lecture in Atlanta. She thought nothing of being black and was given no warnings in regards to how to act around whites. She discusses her mother's nursing career before briefly touching on aspects regarding her father's medical practice and making house calls.
15:44--Audio ends.
Cassette 3
Side 2
Blank
Cassette 1
Side 1
00:55--Mrs. Knox's father was Dr. Bryant Sebastian Sharp. He was born on September 12, 1877 and died in January of 1956. Her mother was Geneva Catherine Sizemore Sharp. She was born on June 23, 1910.
1:14--Her paternal grandparents were Joseph and Evelyn Sharp. Her maternal grandparents were Bruce and Carrie Lemon Sizemore.
1:32-2:42--Mrs. Knox discusses the fact that she knew her maternal grandparents well, but didn't know her paternal grandparents at all. Her father was many years older than her mother (he was in his 70's, she in her early 40's), and therefore her grandparents had died well before she was born. She did know an aunt on her father's side who lived in Atlanta, Ga. that would occasionally visit as well as knowing older relatives on the Sizemore side of the family.
4:01--Her father grew up in Seneca on land owned by his father. Her mother was from the Pickens/Liberty area.
5:11--Mrs. Knox raises points of interest regarding her grandparents. Her paternal grandparents lived for some time near Fairplay, SC and eventually deeded some of this land in order that St. Paul's Baptist Church could be built on it. They also were missionaries and traveled to Liberia in Africa. They did not return safely, however. They either died while there or died on the voyage back to the United States. Her maternal grandparents were farmers who lived on land near Highway 123.
7:00--Mrs. Knox discusses some of the family homes and their locations.
8:30--Recollections of older people in her family didn't include slavery. Some family members have researched genealogies, and have had difficulty finding anyone who was a slave. It is a mystery to Mrs. Knox.
10:11--Burials/funerals--The Sharp's and Sizemore's are buried at Oak Grove Cemetery. Many family members, however, are buried in various parts of the country because they moved away from South Carolina during their lifetimes. She can remember her father's funeral because of its uniqueness, at least according to how things are carried out contemporarily. It was an old style funeral, where his body rested "in state" at the family home in order that friends and family could take part in the "wake."
19:50--Her father was a medical doctor who had his practice in the Seneca, SC area. He went to school at Shaw University in Raleigh, NC where he attended Leonard Medical School. Mrs. Knox discusses aspects of her father's practice, including his treatment of patients during the flu epidemic of 1917-1918. She also recalls her mother's work as a nurse and insurance agent before returning to medicine at Oconee Memorial hospital.
30:15--Mrs. Knox begins to relate what she knows of her paternal grandparents experiences while missionaries in Liberia.
31:27--Audio ends.
Cassette 1
Side 2
00:30--Aspects of the Liberia mission continue to be recalled. She is not sure of the exact dates but thinks it was during the late 1890's or early 1900's.
5:50--Mrs. Knox discusses some of the typical employment opportunities that were available to her family.
9:10--Aspects surrounding her grandparents land and how it was deeded to the church (St. Paul's) are discussed.
9:40--Mrs. Knox discusses family members who left the area for better employment opportunities including several who moved to Ohio and one who works for NASA.
13:35--Issues regarding shopping trips, clothing, and furniture are discussed.
22:05--Church--her parents were members of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Seneca, SC. She discusses the affiliations of other family members, local ministers, the history of Ebenezer Baptist, group activities within the church, and the influence of Dr. J.J. Starks regarding local schools and churches.
31:52--Audio ends.
Cassette 2
Side 1
00:22-10:55--Mrs. Knox discusses important churches in the community, local cemeteries, singing conventions, camp meetings, and groups in the church such as the Missionary Society and Jolly Workers.
10:58-22:30--Aspects of local education, reading material available to the family, various school locations such as Seneca Graded School, Oakway, and Seneca Institute, and differences between black and white schools are briefly touched upon. Her father's education in medicine is recalled.
22:40--Mrs. Knox believes that her family was involved with both the Freemasons and the Eastern Star. Her mother always voted, but is unaware of any other family member's political involvement.
26:19-31:20--She recalls talk of how relations between local blacks and whites, including stories of a lynching that took place locally in the early 1900's, her father treating white patients, and the cooperation and respect given to her father by local whites who were also in the medical profession.
31:23--Audio ends.
Cassette 2
Side 2
00:30--She continues to recall her father's work with white colleagues and their cooperation as well as aspects of her Uncle B.C. Sharp's pharmacy practice in Seneca.
3:30--Relationships between white men and black women, black marriage relationships, racial mixing with Native Americans, and people who passed for white are discussed.
12:31-19:10--She discusses aspects of local travel by train, her father's affiliation with the State Medical Association, and her parent's travel with close family friends Dr. Harold Hill and his wife Eugenia to such places as the 1939 World's Fair.
19:15-31:40--Mrs. Knox discusses celebrations such as Christmas, July 4th, cakewalks, dances, Sunday dinners, and birthdays before commenting on what she perceives as mostly positive black/white relations in Seneca and its small town sense of community.
31:45---Audio ends.
Cassette 3
Side 1
00:07-15:40--Mrs. Knox briefly discusses her father's office desk and medical awards before mentioning that her mother most admired Mary McLeod Bethune, whom she once heard speak at a lecture in Atlanta. She thought nothing of being black and was given no warnings in regards to how to act around whites. She discusses her mother's nursing career before briefly touching on aspects regarding her father's medical practice and making house calls.
15:44--Audio ends.
Cassette 3
Side 2
Blank
Subject
African Americans -- History -- South Carolina -- Oconee County
Interviewer
Harrell, Yolanda
Interviewee
Knox, Brenda
Spatial Coverage
Seneca, Oconee County, South Carolina, United States, 34.68037, -82.9609, SC, 7318113, [34.68037, -82.9609] [id:7318113]
Publisher
Clemson University Libraries Special Collections and Archives Repository
