Scope and arrangement
The Abyssinian Baptist Church Oral History Project consists of twenty audio recordings comprising interviews with ten African American women about their recollections as active church members. Since the collection's original formats are audio cassettes, many of the items contain two or more parts, one for each side of the cassette. The interviews are arranged alphabetically and in sequence by part. The scope of the interviews date back to the late 1920s, but the primary time period under discussion is from 1940 to 1970.
All the women interviewed in 1992 were over seventy years old, and one was over ninety. The interviewees were: Helen Brown, Robbie Clark, Susan Craig, Gwendolyn Jones, Esther McCall, Estelle Noble, Fannie Pennington, Olivia Pearl Stokes, Amy Terry, and Laura B. Thomas. The women were all involved in several clubs and organizations within the church, and many held leadership positions. The topics discussed range from the women's personal and work lives, church life including church clubs and organizations, Adam Clayton Powell Sr. and Adam Clayton Powell Jr. 's ministries, social activism and political campaigns, as well as the historical context of the time. A brief bio for each woman is included. Susan Craig, Estelle Noble, and Laura B. Thomas are interviewed more than once. For more information on topics discussed and interview transcripts, see "Abyssinian Baptist Church Oral History Project 1992" collection finding aid in the Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Books Division.