Interview with Cynthia Plair Roddey - OH 690

Interviewer

Dr. George Garrison

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Abstract

This oral history interview was conducted by Dr. George Garrison on July 17, 2012, with Dr. Cynthia Plair Roddey as part of his History of Emmett Scott High School project. Emmett Scott High School served as the segregated high school for African American students in Rock Hill from its opening in 1920 until its closure in 1970 following full integration of the local school system.

In the interview, Dr. Roddey reflects on her early life in Rock Hill, South Carolina, including her family background, religious upbringing, and formative educational experiences in both Rock Hill and Greensboro, North Carolina. She provides extensive detail on her family genealogy, tracing lineages through the Plair and Roddey families, including connections to formerly enslaved ancestors, Native American heritage, and prominent local figures. She also discusses the entrepreneurial accomplishments of her grandfather, Isaac G. Plair, and the broader social and economic life of the African American community in Rock Hill.

Dr. Roddey recounts her education at Immanuel Lutheran High School and Johnson C. Smith University, as well as her early career in education. She taught at Emmett Scott High School from approximately 1961 to 1963, where she instructed English and assisted with music programs, offering insight into the school’s limited resources, faculty environment, and its significance within the Black community.

A significant portion of the interview addresses her experience as the first African American student admitted to graduate study at Winthrop College, where she enrolled in 1964 and earned a Master of Arts in Teaching with a concentration in library science in 1967. Dr. Roddey discusses the circumstances of her admission, the broader context of desegregation in South Carolina higher education, and her experiences navigating a predominantly white academic environment. She reflects on the social isolation she encountered, the support she received from select faculty, and the strategies she employed to succeed academically.

Throughout the interview, Dr. Roddey emphasizes the cultural, educational, and historical significance of Emmett Scott High School and its role in shaping generations of African American students in Rock Hill. Her narrative provides valuable insight into the intersections of race, education, community life, and institutional change in the mid-twentieth-century American South.

Publication Date

7-17-2012

Unique Identifier

OH 690

Format

MP3; WAV;

Length

01:26:42

Interview with Cynthia Plair Roddey - OH 690

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