Federal Writers' Project – Life Histories/2020/Summer II/Section 06/Evie Robinson

Overview
Evie “Etta” Robinson was an African American female who worked as a nurse and for the Workers Progress Administration (WPA) during World War I.

Childhood
Robinson was born around 1889, into a house located in Oglethorpe county, Georgia. However, she was about three months old when she moved to Athens, Georgia. This location is where she was raised. In Robinson’s early childhood, her mother prepared meals for white people, making about $1.50. Robinson’s father was born as a slave, but he gained his freedom.1 As a job, he tended on farms and became a minister in Oglethorpe County. During her childhood, Robinson had three sisters and four brothers. Three of her brothers became ill and died. Later, she was told that they died because of milk poisoning.¹ This was very common in Black communities owing to the lack of nutrition and food sources. Before her father passed away, he homeschooled Robinson and her siblings. Later, in 1902, she went to school. After saving enough money from working a few jobs, Robinson got married. Slowly, she noticed her husband was cheating and becoming addicted to alcohol. He later committed a murder, making Robinson leave for good.

Career and Education
Robinson moved to Atlanta and married a deacon from her recent childhood. She was able to take classes during the night. After learning how to spell and write, Robinson went to West Broad Industrial School.2 There, she learned how to cook and sew, demonstrating it for the white people. Shortly after, Robinson took nursing classes at St. Mary’s Hospital. She helped around the section for ‘Colored’ because of segregation. She then took a six month course at Chicago Nurse Training School.2 At this Chicago Nursing School, she did not make enough money so she went to Atlanta to become a hairdresser. Robinson did this through the Workers Progress Administration.3 During the Great Depression, the Works Progress Administration offered jobs that other people could benefit from. When her husband died, Robinson became a Sunday School Superintendent. She also became a singer for two of the gospel choirs. She would later get into a bad wreck, dislocating both of her knees.4 She passed away due to natural causes. Robinson provided an insight on how to become a nurse while in an economic burden.⁵ She provided how the lack of job opportunities did not stop her from continuing her education and career.

Nursing
When World War 1 occurred, many blacks tried to enroll in nursing programs. There was an increase in the amount of public healthcare workers during the war, owing to the rise in unemployment. Most were rejected because of their skin color. However, the Army Nurse Corps eventually allowed little to few black nurses to serve because of the on-going epidemic of the flu.6 The black nurses could only tend to the black soldiers and German prisoners.7

Workers' Progress Administration
In 1935, President Roosevelt started an executive order to lift the country out of the Great Depression. With this act, there was a bunch of employment available to the unemployed. This order helped bring in necessary income and gave females the opportunity to make a living without requiring hard labor.8 The jobs were split into projects, composed of many descriptions such as housekeeping, sewing, and construction.

Jim Crow Laws
Racial Segregation in Atlanta brought advancement in businesses and employment. After the Emancipation Proclamation, Atlanta was divided because of Jim Crow Laws. These laws were seen especially during the Atlanta Race Riot in the early 1900s. Some businesses were opened to blacks but most businesses were strictly owned by the white race.9 During the years of the Great Depression, Atlanta was known because of its research. At this time, there were black owned businesses available. However, Atlanta was now known for being one of the segregated cities in the state.10 Eventually, opportunities began to appear for the black race.