Published on December 30, 2018  

Mary Parsons Gray's word cloud"It, it has changed, the whole thing has changed now. Now it is, I don't think people, they realize the importance of [coal mining], and they realize that people are, um, who live there are like everybody else. And, uh, but I had a feeling when I was growing up that it was, uh, that you had to defend it."

Mrs. Gray made extensive notes on her transcript, and an annotated copy can be accessed in Special Collection.

Chapters

Education in Docena

Mary Parsons Gray describes her experience in the Docena elementary school.
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Race Relations in Docena

Mary Parsons Gray recounts interaction between the black and white communities in Docena.
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The Toothbrush Drill

Mary Parsons Gray recounts the school's daily toothbrush drill.
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The School Building and Music Education

Mary Parsons Gray describes the school building and remembers some of her courses in drama and music appreciation.
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Church Activities

Mary Parsons Gray recalls the activities of the church in Docena.
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Docena Housing and the Town Layout

Mary Parsons Gray describes the company-provided housing and the layout of Docena.
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Medical Care

Mary Parsons Gray describes the medical care that TCI provided its workers.
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Working in the Mines

Mary Parsons Gray describes her father's experience in the mines and recalls memories of his role in her family and the Docena community.
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Home Economics

Mary Gray Parsons recalls the school's home economics program and describes some of the scholarships available to students.
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May Day

Mary Parsons Gray remembers Docena's annual May Day festival.
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Politics in Docena

Mary Parsons Gray recalls politics in Docena, including an incident with the Ku Klux Klan. She also mentions her determination to attend college and her brother's experience in the military.
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Entertainment in Docena

Mary Parsons Gray describes common forms of entertainment in Docena, including a dancing club headed by Mary Dolliver.
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More on Race Relations

Mary Parsons Gray recounts her memories of Docena's African American community.
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More on Entertainment and Community Leaders in Docena

Mary Parsons Gray recalls some other activities for children and mentions some of the leaders in the community.
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Closing Remarks

Mary Parsons Gray makes some closing remarks about common misunderstandings of coal mining families and lists a few of the different church denominations in Docena.
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Transcript

Audio Information
IntervieweeMary Parsons Gray
RepositorySamford University Oral History Collection
AccessionSUHist/TCI/002