Federal Writers' Project – Life Histories/2022/Fall/Section093/Carrie Black

Overview
Carrie Black was interviewed by Ruth Clark on October 17, 1938 for the Federal Writers' Project. Black spent her life doing a few different jobs but primarily was a wash woman and a mother. At the time of this interview, Black was forty-two years old.

Biography
Carrie Black was a wash woman who lived in College Grove, Tennessee. She was born around 1896 in her grandfather’s house where she lived most of her childhood. When Black was five years old, her father left their family leaving Black without a father figure. Black attended school starting at six years old. She did well in school despite her classmates constantly making fun of her. When she had reached ninth grade, Black attended high school in Paris, however it does not clarify if that is Paris, Tennessee. Here, Black had a fresh start and continued to do well academically. While attending school in Paris, she met a boy named John Upchurch. They got married without telling anybody, and lived together at Upchurch's house for five years. They got a divorce shortly after because Black was doing all the work around the house while John and John’s sisters did nothing. Following these years, Black moved back home with her mother. She then became a teacher because she was fortunate enough to have had schooling and her town was in need. Black then met Bud Black who became her husband. Bud Black did not have education like Carrie did so he greatly admired her for that. They bought a farm together but their crops failed. This caused them not to make much money and had to leave this property behind. They found a new place where they lived with their landlord, Doc. Here Black cooked, washed, and looked after everybody. Although Carrie and Bud Black never had their own children, they adopted two boys and one girl. They lived their lives as Christians and attended the Church of Christ. The Black family gave back as much as they could to the church and community as this was a big part of her morals. Despite Carrie having a childhood without a father figure, she wanted to raise her own children up with a traditional family and to be respectable.

Education for Women
Starting around 1910, there was a great increase in the amount of children receiving an education in Tennessee. This increase was seen amongst boys and girls for elementary through high school grades. Additionally, laws were enacted regarding how many hours children needed to be in school. However, this was not the case for many women aspiring to attend college. “Previous scholarship on eugenics tends to emphasize how eugenics was used to discourage women from advanced schooling, as postponing childbearing meant a reduction in the birthrate.” Women were expected to start families and fulfill the traditional role of a woman such as cooking and cleaning rather than continuing educational pursuits.

Christianity
During the 1930s, there was great division amongst people regarding Christianity. It was in the 1930s that many churches saw declining numbers of attendees. However, there was also a great number of people thinking their faith was the only way through the Great Depression. Missionary trips became a way for Christians to spread their gospel. These missionary trips were funded mostly by the money churchgoers gave. “According to many missionary advocates, “the present financial crisis” afforded a unique and “splendid opportunity” to prove God's faithfulness.” Additionally, many Christians that either did not have jobs or could not make a good enough income to support their family, claim following their faith was the only way they could get through.

Gender Role Shifts
Around 1930 when the Great Depression caused many people to become unemployed, there was a significant change in the traditional gender roles. Many men were laid off or fired from their jobs and this placed financial hardship on the family. As a result, women were increasingly entering the workforce. Most women held jobs as nurses, teachers, and maids as well as taking care of their own households. “According to the Censuses taken in 1930 and 1940, the number of women holding professional jobs increased by 20.” Women working was necessary for many families in order to get by. However, some husbands had the mindset that they were supposed to be the one working in the household. As a result, some husbands felt like failures. In addition to working, women were still expected to clean, cook, wash, and care for the family, just like the traditional woman role.