Oral History of William Saunders, interviewed by Levi Van Sant, 1 April, 2013
Title
Oral History of William Saunders, interviewed by Levi Van Sant, 1 April, 2013
Subject
Description
Civil rights leader and community activist William Saunders was born in 1935 and has resided most of his life in Johns Island, South Carolina. In this interview, Saunders reflects on the economic and cultural changes he has witnessed over the years. Many of the changes had a negative impact on the health and life expectancy of the African American community. Regarding land ownership and access to natural resources, he states that both poor white and black landowners lost their properties because of shark loan practices. He criticizes government policies that facilitated city annexations, profuse housing development, and the promoted tourism industry without considering their impact on the life of folks residing in rural and urban areas of Charleston. He thinks organic farming is a positive practice but one that does not benefit poor families. Saunders states he keeps working on his community as a member of the Gullah/ Geechee Commission. He also co-chairs, with Tommy Legare, the Concerned Citizens of the Sea Island, which is against the extension of I-526. Saunders states that activism can carry a heavy toll. “If you got the knowledge, and you care, then you have to suffer. You really have to suffer because you’re the one that gets involved.”
Source
Working Charleston
Publisher
The Citadel Archives & Museum
Date
Rights
Materials in The Citadel Archives & Museum Digital Collections are intended for educational and research use. The user assumes all responsibility for identifying and satisfying any claimants of copyright. For more information contact The Citadel Archives & Museum, The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, 29409.
Format
application/pdf
Language
English
Type
Text
Identifier
https://citadeldigitalarchives.omeka.net/items/show/764
Coverage
Charleston (S.C.)
Original Format
Mp3 derivative audio created with Audacity software. Archival masters are WAV files.
Duration
56 minutes
Interviewer
Levi Van Sant
Interviewee
William Saunders
Location
Charleston, South Carolina
Collection
Citation
The Charleston Oral History Program at the Citadel, “Oral History of William Saunders, interviewed by Levi Van Sant, 1 April, 2013,” The Citadel Archives Digital Collections, accessed April 20, 2024, https://citadeldigitalarchives.omeka.net/items/show/764.