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Drake, Videll (audio interview #2 of 3)
INTERVIEW DESCRIPTION - This is the second of three interviews with Videll Drake conducted at a small table in the dining area of her one story home in South Central Los Angeles. Drake tends to jump from one time period to another, organizing her thoughts and narrative more along thematic than chronological lines. She had her own sense of what was important, and this usually was an incident at North American rather than one in her personal life. 11/14/1980
- Date
- 2021-08-19
- Resource Type
- Creator
- Campus
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- Notes
- *** File: rrrvdrake3.mp3 Audio Segments and Topics: (0:00-3:24)... When Drake moved to California, she went to work for a family in Brentwood as a domestic servant. Her employer was a producer who worked for a movie studio. She did not like living in their home because it was in the woods and it made her nervous to be home alone. The woman of the house was jealous because her husband gave Drake tips even after she was paid a salary. When Drake went to work at North American, she stopped working for them on a full-time basis. She continued to do their laundry on the weekends and occasionally served food at parties. However, when her work at North American became too strenuous she stopped working for them altogether. (3:24-9:26)... When Drake came to California, she was already legally divorced from her first husband. She left her children in Dallas with her grandmother and moved to California with some friends who had already been living and working in California. She lived in several different places and eventually rented an apartment on 47th Street when she started working for North American. (9:26-12:07)... Drake moved to California in 1941 and supported herself by doing "day work." Her employers paid her carfare and about $5 a week. In 1943, she eventually found permanent work for a couple that lived in Brentwood. She quit this job after approximately two months and went to work for North American. (12:07-18:38)... Drake quit her job in Brentwood and applied for a position at North American. She filled out an application at the employment office on Imperial Boulevard. She received a call from the plant later that evening and was offered a job. When she applied, she was asked if she had any mechanical experience. However, experience was not required because the company provided training for their employees. Drake did not attend a training school when she started at North American, but received on-the-job training. She describes the different types of riveting she did while at North American. The only formal training she received was one class on how to operate a crane after WWII. (18:38-23:22)... Drake started working at North American on March 6, 1943. Her starting wage was .66 cents an hour and she received a .05 cent raise every month. She was assigned to work in Department 33 as a general assembler and installer. She describes her responsibilities in this position and what other positions she worked in while employed at North American. (23:22-25:04)... When Drake was hired at North American, she was required to take a physical examination. She explains that employees had to take a physical whenever they were out of work for more than a month. Drake did not know what her chances were of getting a job at North American when she applied. She had planned to apply at the shipyards and was very happy when she got the call that she had been hired at North American. (25:04-26:49)... Drake earned more money at North American than she made while employed in day work, which only amounted to about $7 a week. She was hired to work the day shift at North American and worked six days a week. She moved into an apartment by herself and sent some of her wages back to Texas for the care of her children. (26:49-28:09)... Drake was not nervous her first day on the job. She liked the work and enjoyed learning new things about aircraft and the defense industry. End of tape. *** File: rrrvdrake4.mp3 (0:00-1:50)... When Drake arrived at the plant on her first day of work she was taken to the department where she was assigned. She remembers having to buy pants. She had to wear her hair up in a scarf. Later, the plant issued women wool caps with netting for their hair. They also wore a mesh cap with a plastic cover to shield their face. (1:50-5:09)... Leadmen in the department gave her on-the-job training. She didn't like crawling into small places to work. She worked as a general assembler and installer during the war. When she returned to the plant after the war she worked in the structural department. She describes the mood in the plant on VJ Day. (5:09-9:11)... Drake was laid off from North American in August of 1945, shortly after the end of the war was declared. She believes that she received a letter in the mail terminating her position. She was called back to work some time in 1946 and was assigned to work in the structural department. (9:11-13:50)... Drake worked on the line assembling parts when she first started at North American; she riveted and bucked. Other women were employed in this type of work, some of whom were Black women. At the end of the day, Drake was exhausted from her work at the plant. She remembers that employees wore a blue uniform that was easy to remove and the end of their shift or when they had to go to the bathroom. (13:50-16:19)... Although Blacks and Whites were not segregated at the plant, Drake believes North American practiced discriminatory policies because there were no Blacks working in supervisory positions. White women were hired into supervisory positions. Women were hired to do the same type of work as men but for less pay. This type of gender and racial discrimination bothered her. (16:19-20:11)... Drake discusses her exposure to chemicals while "processing" parts between 1954-56. She was not provided with a respirator or any safety devices to protect herself from elements that put her health at risk. She was eventually removed from this position under doctor's orders. She believes that these risky positions were reserved for Blacks and other minorities who worked at the plant. (20:11-27:30)... She joined the UAW immediately after she was hired at North American. Racial discrimination at North American was more prominent after WWII. Blacks attended union meetings to discuss the poor treatment they received while working at the plant. Union officials advised workers to file a grievance if they were treated unfairly. End of tape. *** File: rrrvdrake5.mp3 (0:00-9:25)... Hill worked at North American for four or five years before she began socializing with people at work. She mainly socialized with friends outside of work. During the war, her main social activity was attending dances. Most of the men that Drake met at these dances were in the service. North American provided entertainment for the employees during their lunch break. (9:25-12:56)... When Drake first moved to Los Angeles, she did not like the city. She often went back to Dallas, Texas to see her family. She promised her mother that if she did not get a job she would return to Dallas and go back to school. When she started working in Los Angeles she sent her mother money to take care of her children. Her daughter visited Los Angeles every year when she was out of school. During the war, North American was scrambling to hire people because of the shortage of men. She did not expect to be laid off when the war ended. (12:56-16:31)... Drake initially rode a streetcar to work and then started car pooling with co-workers. The cost of living in Los Angeles was low. Besides sending money home to her mother, Drake spent approximately $45-50 a month in rent. She lived in the same apartment for eighteen years. The rest of her money was used to pay for groceries and social activities. Her apartment was a meeting place for friends and she often hosted parties on the weekends. (16:31-21:23)... Drake met and married her second husband (Drake) after the war. She digresses regarding racial prejudice in Orange County and how very few Blacks lived there during the war. (21:23-23:31)... Drake worked at North American for over thirty-five years. Although specifics are unclear, she comments on the difficult working conditions at the plant and the discrimination that existed during her employment. End of tape.
- SUBJECT BIO - Videll Drake, had been working as a live-in domestic in Los Angeles when jobs at North American opened up for Black women. Born in Dallas, Texas, Drake began picking cotton when she was only ten years old. She married in 1928, when she was only sixteen, and became the mother of two before she was eighteen. After the birth of her second child, she went to work as a domestic in Dallas. When she came to Los Angeles in 1942 seeking better opportunities, she left her children with her family in Texas. After a one year layoff from North American, Drake returned to work there in 1946 and remained until her retirement in 1979. The job at North American had ill effects on her health, however. Exposed to an assortment of dangerous chemicals and injuries on the job, she suffered from several health problem, leading her to emphasize the unsafe working conditions. The interviews with Drake were conducted at a small table in the dining area of her one story home in South Central Los Angeles. Because of ill health, she tired easily, but remained quite fiery during the course of the interviews. She tended to jump from one time period to another - a common pattern among the women who returned to a long work history in aircraft production. Because of health problems and her prolonged visit to Texas, the interviews stretched out over a period of several months. She remained engaged and interested in the project, however, even though it was a physical strain for her. She speaks in what she referred to as a "Texified" way and, indeed, it is difficult to understand her dialect at times. TOPICS - early work experiences; move to California; living arrangements; domestic service work; application process at North American; job training; job responsibilities; wages; and impressions of plant;job responsibilities; work attire; job training; reactions to the end of the war; postwar layoffs; gender discrimination; racial discrimination; job-related health risks; working conditions; and union activities;friends and social activities; living expenses; children; marriage; racism in Orange County; working conditions; and racial discrimination;
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