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Rosena Gaines

September 26, 2016 by Alex Chapin
section: Interviews

Ms. Rosena Gaines is one of fourteen children and was born on March 8, 1918 to Willie and Marthena Haygood. Ms. Gaines married William H. Gaines, Jr. and has no children of her own. Mr. Gaines is no longer living. She attended Myers Street Elementary School and Second Ward High School. Upon graduating from Second Ward, Ms. Gaines attended Livingstone College and did her graduate work at Columbia University Teachers College. Ms. Gaines was a student, English teacher, and counselor at Second Ward High School. She is able to give two perspectives of attending Second Ward as a student and working at Second Ward as a faculty member. She has a great love of the school and the close-knit Brooklyn community. Ms. Gaines speaks of urban renewal and states that the community was very sad to see Brooklyn go but the community was not adverse to progress. Ms. Gaines’s interview provides good insight into life as a Second Ward student and teacher.

https://sites.charlotte.edu/brooklyn-oral-history/wp-content/uploads/sites/1007/2016/09/RosenaGaines.mp3

Tape Log

Tape Log: Oral History Interview with Rosena Gaines

Interviewed by Amy Hodgin

Time Description of Interview Contents
0. Beginning of interview.
5. Information on her early life, speaking about Second Ward High School when she attended as a student and she speaks of her family life.
10. Briefly discussing African American Business’s in Brooklyn and neighborhoods she frequented.
15. Ms. Gaines’s speaks of her feelings towards urban renewal but comments that “while citizens were sad about what was happening they were not against progress within the city.” She comments on her experiences as being an English teacher and counselor at Second Ward High School.
20. Ms. Gaines’s shares a story about a former student who became one of her success stories.
25. Reflects on the student who is her success story who now calls her mom. Speaks about West Charlotte students versus Second Ward students. Ms. Gaines discusses how the teachers of Second Ward truly cared for their students and had to motivate them and wanted to see them succeed not only in school but also in life. Ms. Gaines then discusses urban renewal in the eyes of others who did not live in Brooklyn.
30. Ms. Gaines concludes by speaking about the love and unity of families in Brooklyn.

Transcript

Rosena Gaines

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