The Black Experience at Grinnell College Through Collected Oral History and Documents, 1863–1954

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Marie Brito Wilson: My name is Marie Brito Wilson. I am delighted to share in this oral history at Grinnell as an exchange student from Hampton January to June‚ 1947.

Wilson: My parents were immigrants. My mother came from Jamaica‚ British West Indies and my father from Portugal. They were not educated beyond elementary school. My parents separated when I was very young and I grew up in a segregated area of a small suburban town‚ Summit‚ New Jersey where I attended a predominantely white high school. In fact I was the only black in most of my classes. I lived with my mother and attended Protestant churches but also went to Catholic church when I visited my father‚ who was Catholic. My parents did not become citizens‚ but if they had participated politically‚ they would have been Democrats.

I applied to the Hampton-Grinnell Exchange Program through the urging of our chaplain‚ Reverend Miller‚ with encouragement from other staff persons. I do not remember who originated the program‚ but I'm sure the goals were to promote relationships among black and white college students and to provide an enriching experience for all concerned. Of course‚ I hoped to serve those goals at Grinnell. But I also wanted to see if I could achieve academically.

Luckily‚ my roommate at Hampton‚ Mae Winfie1.d‚ was also chosen as an exchange student. However‚ we lived in different dormitories at Grinnell. Although blacks from the town had attended classes on campus‚ we were the first black students to live in the dormitory and the only black students in classes at that time. We just exchanged rooms with the girls who left Grinnell to go to Hampton. Therefore‚ I took Phyllis Hook's room in the basement of Haines Hall. It was a private room like several others that opened into a common sitting room‚ something like a suite. From the moment of my arrival the shpoas made me feel welcome and a part of that specia 1 group of Haines Hall Hellers that lived :in.the basement. (See the '47 yearbook‚ pages 20 and 21)

Mae and I were warned that there were those who objected to our presence‚ but I personally never felt any hostility. I think those who objected just stayed out of my way. I spent most of my time with shpoos‚ but on the one occasion when I had to visit every room in the dorm to make a collection for a charity‚ I was received graciously by most‚ politely by all.

Most of the white students' prior experience with blacks had been as servants in their homes‚ but I sincerely believe that those who came to know me personally found a different kind of experience. We developed a friendship that lasted over many years through a round-robbin letter that circulated among the shpoos. Mae and I did socialize with the students on campus. We frequented the campus coffeehouse‚ dorm parties‚ etc. We even went into town once to a movie with two of the male students‚ much to the surprise of a carload of townspeople who drove around the block twice to see if their eyes were deceiving them.

We had no problem with the townspeople. I sang in the church choir under Dr. Schoolar and attended or participated in as many school functions as possible. The Haines Hall Hellers and the shpoos saw to that.

Since we were the first black students to live on campus and there were only two of us‚ we were not a threat of any kind. We were there before the civil rights issue became an entity on campus. We were more of a curiosity‚ an experience‚ than anything else. I am really interested in how black students who became activists fared.

We knew one black family in Grinnell‚ the Tibbs family. Harold‚ Albert and their family provided a haven that kept us from being completely isolated1 and we enjoyed the contact.

I graduated from Hampton in 1949 with highest honors. I worked as young adult program director at Flanner House in Indianapolis‚ Indiana‚ from September 1 49 through August1950 at which time I got married. I have four grown children‚ two daughters‚ two sons‚ and I now have three grandchildren.

In the early years of my marriage‚ I worked part-time as a YWCA young adult program leader. When we moved to D.C.‚ I returned to college and completed the courses for certification in education and have a master's equivalency. I have been a first-grade teacher for eighteen years)and I'm looking forward to retirement in 1985.

My husband and I live in a racially integrated apartment development here in Maryland‚ and we have built a retirement home in an integrated private community in Virginia. We have seen many positive changes in rffBe relationships down through the years.and I'd like to believe that my experiences at Grinnell and since have made a contribution to that change.

Prior to your inquiry‚ I had not heard from the shpoos since the seventies when Nancy Smith Hall wrote to say that her son was going to college and that he would have a black roommate. I hope the experience for him was a positive one. Mine certainly was. I shall never forget the four and a half months I spent at Grinnell.

Your request for information about my experience brought back such a flood of memories I dug out an old addre.ss book and located Nancy. I took a chance and called. Much to my delight she and her husband‚ John‚ are still in West Virginia. We had a wonderful time sharing what has happened over the years since we last corresponded.

A few other observations: As I stated before‚ civil rights was not an issue on campus when I was at Grinnell so questions about blacks in a predominantly white environment were of a persona 1 nature. They were curious about my coarse hair and how I cared for it‚ and I teased them about the effort they went to to become tan like me‚ such as sunbathing in March. Other than the differences in the color of our skin‚ I believe that some learned and others reinforced the idea that people are basically the same‚ underneath. We share the same kinds of feelings‚ the same hopes‚ disappointments‚ joys‚ sorrows. As college students we complained about the same things‚ classes‚ food‚ teachers‚ etc‚

There was a great deal more social freedom at Grinnell than at Hampton during those years. But having had a daughter and a son to graduate from Hampton in '73 and '78‚ I know that difference no longer exists.

The courses I took at Grinnell did not yield any heavy black-white discussions. But I was an active participant in all classes and my opinions and ideas were treated with respect. When I needed help or advice‚ it was warmly given by students and teachers.

How can I evaluate the impact of Grinnell upon my life except to say that it was a most rewarding experience in every way. I know that it contributed to and reinforced my positive attitudes toward race relations.

You asked if I was happy at Grinnell. Yes‚ I was. Toward the end I was tired‚ weary‚ anxious about final exams‚ but so was everyone else. And I would have felt that same way at Hampton. I kept a diary during my college years. I'd like to read two excerpts from it:

January 3O‚ 1947‚ Arrived in Grinnell late‚ 10:3O. Bill and Tommy were on hand to meet us. They are swell. In fact every girl I met tonight had been most fine. The housemother is sweet‚ My room is lovely‚ If I can only make the grade academically‚ I'm sure I'll like it here‚ It's snowing‚ but it's beautiful. Can't wait to see the campus by daylight.

June 8‚ 1947‚ Bobby‚ Phil‚ Nancy‚ and Jackie went home tonight‚ This is my last night at Grinnell. I feel blue. Received about 90 in genetics according to Dr. Mendoza. That's good news. I'm tired and I have to get up so early. Our stay in Grinnell has been quite pleasant. May God bless all those who have been so good to us.

Thank you for letting me share my thoughts with you. It brought back a very enriching part of my college experience. Please let me hear from you again. I would love to know how many black students have shared the dorms and classes at Grinnell since 1947 and what their experiences have been.