Value of history Griffin continues to reflect on the value of
history in this excerpt. He thinks that the history of black
schools is important not only to black Charlotteans, but to
white residents, too, who need to understand the role black
people played and continue to play in their communities. Citing
this Excerpt Oral History Interview with Arthur Griffin, May 7,
1999. Interview K-0168. Southern Oral History Program Collection
(#4007) in the Southern Oral History Program Collection,
Southern Historical Collection, Wilson Library, University of
North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Full Text of the Excerpt PG: What
do you think that history means to people outside the black
community? AG: Well, I hope it’s a reflection of the entire
community, not just the black community. But, you know, a peek
through the window of our past, with respect to who we were
then. And gives us an opportunity to learn of qualities of life,
the sacrifices that people made back then. The mistakes that
were made. So that we can look at t