Olivia Yancey's Oral History Project

Interviewing Ma

My Grandmother, Willene Collins, was born December 28, 1940, in a small town in the city of Tulsa, Oklahoma called Tallahassee. She grew up there with her 3 sisters and her baby brother. At the age of 18, just after her high school graduation, she moved to San Francisco to live with her maternal grandparents for school, just like me! She attended San Francisco City College to study business. She at first wanted to become a dental hygienist but that, and school got put to the wayside as she got married and started her family. At age 26, going on 27, she gave birth to my mother Adrienne, and her sister Lisa 3 years later. From her two girls, she has 5 grandchildren including me. We spent many holidays and breaks up here in San Fran visiting her and my grandfather. While in her presence, she uses the wisdom she has garnered throughout her life to teach us and make us better people; although we didn't always appreciate it. Still, throughout her moving away from home, the civil rights movement, raising a family and having to deal with their bratty offspring, retiring, and my grandfather’s death, she has always used God as a pillar of support to push her forward.

Table of Contents

1. Childhood

2. Family, Education, and Work

3. Growing older, God, and your favorite part of being. . .

Segment 1

0:03 - 1:01 What was it like growing up in the South, in Oklahoma?

1:01 – 2:04 Did you experience any hate growing up there?

2:04 – 3:15 Why did you decide to move to San Francisco?

3:15 – 4:21 What was it like living through the civil rights movement?

Segment 2

4:21 – 5:17 What was it like getting married and having kids?      

5:17 – 6:10 Did you ever feel like you wished you waited longer to get married?
6:10 – 7:05 You decided to go back to school after starting your family, can you tell me a
little bit about that?
7:05 – 7:32 Do you ever feel resentment. . .? (In response to the answer of the last question)
7:32 – 8:46 While going to school and starting your career did you ever face any prejudices?
8:46 – 9:54 What job was that, that you were happy about? (In response to the answer of
the last question)

Segment 3

9:54 – 11:06 What has it been like growing older, and how has God and church played a role

in your life?
11:06 – 12:27 What’s your favorite part about being a woman in America?
12:27 – 13:03 What’s your favorite part about being black?

In Conclusion:

Being able to interview my Grandmother was such an honor. Getting to know more about her, things I didn't even try to know, really made me love and appreciate her more. It also opened my eyes to the fact that I take for granted everything she does for me. She's done so much for me like letting me stay with her rent free, eating all her food, while I go to school getting my education. Not a lot of people would do that even for the people they love. She is honestly, truly, genuinely one of the most amazing women, that I just so happen have the pleasure to love.