Behind the Apron: The History, Life, and Hidden Achievements of Southern Maryland's Black Oyster and Clam Workers

Object Details

Scope and Contents

Behind the Apron oral history project documents the experiences of Black oyster and clam workers in Southern Maryland. The audio interviews were conducted by Shelia Montague Parker in 1997. The interviewees include: Doris Harris, Conroy Butler, Mary Hawkins, Christine Gray, Blondell Mason, Mary Washington, Ruth Smith, and Wiliam Bourne. The interviews explore issues such as: the connection between land and water, between farming and the fishing industry; the communal spirit and camaraderie amongst oyster workers; the experience of women oyster workers; and the changes in the oyster packing industry resulting in a diminshed African American workforce.

Biographical / Historical

African Americans have been an integral part of Southern's Maryland's proud commerical fishing industry. Nowhere has their contribution been more prominent than in the seaford houses along the Patuxent River. Until most recentely, in Calvert and other neighboring counties, the function of shucking oysters and clams was almost exlusively performed by African Americans. Black oyster and clam workers have brought dignity, skill, and a strong sense of community to a job that industry outsiders often consider "dirty work."

Date

1997

Extent

1 Linear foot

12 sound recordings (audio cassette)

Citation

Behind the Apron oral history project, Anacostia Community Museum Archives, Smithsonian Institution

Type

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Sound recordings

Oral histories (document genres)

Transcripts

Topic

African Americans -- Employment

African Americans -- Maryland

Culture

African American

Identifier

ACMA.09-007.28