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Wiregrass Black History Project – Curley Bruner, Jr., Interview, April 17, 2025

Record Group 298

Date Span:  April 17, 2025

Description:  Interview 37:20 min. (5.09 GB) ; Transcript = 18 pages.

Biographical Sketch:  Curley Bruner, Jr. was born in the Southside neighborhood of Dothan, AL, living there until Dothan razed Southside c. 1960 for an urban renewal project. Bruner attended S. Alice Street Elementary School, Montana Street School, and Carver High School. He then attended Alabama State College on a baseball scholarship from 1964 until mid-1966 when he enlisted in the US Air Force from which he retired in 1987 at the rank of Technical Sgt. After that, he worked for the Alabama Department of Corrections until retiring in 2010. He and Eliza Brown married in 1988 and had a blended family of seven children.

Organizational Sketch:  The Wiregrass Black History Project is a collaboration between the Wiregrass Black History Channel on YouTube (by David "Mit" Kirkland) and the Wiregrass Archives. Funded in 2024- 25 by Troy University and the Society of American Archivists Foundation through its Catalyst Grant, the Project's goal is to produce nine video recordings of African American elders in the Wiregrass.

The Wiregrass Black History Channel will host edited versions of the interviews. The Wiregrass Archives will make the raw interviews available on its YouTube channel and create metadata records and finding aids that link to the project and to individual video interviews.

Scope / Content Note:  Video interview of Curley Bruner, Jr., who discusses his childhood in the Southside neighborhood of Dothan, Alabama, prior to its razing for an urban renewal project, c. 1958-62.  He discusses his family's house, recreation, playing baseball for Carver High School, the William-Vorris Lumber Company, his parents' employment, and some of the businesses and churches in Southside.

Provenance:  Interview conducted by Mit Kirkland and Marty Olliff.  Provided to the Wiregrass Archives as part of the grant-funded Wiregrass Black History Project.

Processing Notes:  Transcriptions made by MS Word AI, then edited by Dr. Martin T. Olliff.  Revisions planned to update and correct transcriptions.

Cite as:  Curley Bruner, Jr., Interview, The Wiregrass Black History Project, RG 298, Wiregrass Archives, Troy University Dothan Campus, Dothan, AL.

Acquisition Method:  Gift 

Donor Name:  Wiregrass Black History Project

Proc Date:  7/4/2025 

Access / Use:  Open

Processor:  MTO

 

CALENDAR:

298-25-0704-Intv-002     Curley Bruner, Jr., Interview, April 17, 2025 (Southside)

Click here for the Wiregrass Black History Channel (YouTube) edited video, "Life on the Southside: Curley Bruner."

Click here for transcript of the unedited video provided below. (PDF)

 

Contact Us

Wiregrass Archives
Troy University Dothan Campus
Everett 128
502 University Dr.
Dothan, AL  36303

Phone: 334-983-6556 x21327
Email: wiregrassarchives@troy.edu

 

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