Darden, Helen

Interview 223a : In this interview with Jonathan Gerland and Richard Donovan, East Texas native Helen Darden reminisces about growing up as an African American girl in Deep East Texas before integration and the civil rights movement. Mrs. Darden grew up in an African American community that spanned the Angelina and Jasper County lines, centered around the Blue Hole and the Vernon County Line School. She recalls swimming in the Blue Hole, the mining efforts that took place there, and the nearby turpentine camp and community. She also discusses her relatives the Runnels family and her experiences finishing school in Houston in order to get a high school diploma.