Interview #1: Kathy R. House

 What is your name?
o Kathy House
 Where were you born?
o Helena, Arkansas
 Where did you grow up?
o I was raised in Kenosha, WI
 What were your parent’s names?
o Alvin and Bertha House
 What did your parents do?
o Daddy worked at the power plant and mama was a stay at home mom
 How many siblings do you have?
o It is 8 of house all together
 What are their names?
o Bertha who died in 2009, Rose who is your grandmother, Sandrews, Benny, Alvin Jr., Ricky, Margret, and Me. I’m the baby.
 What was your life growing up as a black girl in the north?
o Well first of all I guess it was ok. Kind of like it weren’t a lot of black women around. Well first of all I was the only black girl in my class in all of my classes. So I didn’t have any people that looked like me. Especially people to look up to, except for mama and daddy. So I was kind of sheltered. I stayed in the house a lot. Mama was older, daddy was older. So I was taking care of mama. At the age of twelve. I had been taking care of her.
 Did you ever encounter racism?
o YES
 Elaborate, please?
o The first time was when I first went to school up there. I didn’t really know what it was. This white girl came up to me and was like can I touch your skin. I was like sure. And she said “It feels the same as mine.” I didn’t understand what that meant. The second time was when I was working at the bank. I know the lady’s name but you can’t mention it on your blog. Her name was Mrs. ___She refused to come to my line because I was black. She called me the n-word and everything. The n-word and everything. And my manager didn’t even put her out because she had over a million dollars in her account. My manager didn’t put her out but my assistant manager put her out. She said “if you can’t go to her and she represents out bank then you need to leave and go to another branch.” And now she’s the manager
 What privileges or setbacks do you feel that you experienced growing up in the north?
o Well, I had a different life because I was taking care of mama. So I felt like I had to sacrifice a lot because I was taking care of her. So I didn’t do a lot of stuff because of that. But that didn’t have nothing to do with me being black. But I don’t think that my teachers pushed me enough.
 What, if anything do you remember your parents telling you about race?
o They ain’t talk about race. They was old first of all. They did not talk about race. Umm next question.
 What did your parents tell you or instill in you regarding being a black woman?
o Mama was very supportive. She was always very proud of me. She told me I could do anything I wanted. She told me I was beautiful even though I was dark skin. She was my biggest supporter.
 Why did you attend school (high school)?
o Because mama told me I had to go to school. That was the law right there. Nawl but because I was always curious. I always asked a lot of questions. I still do. I always wanted to know. I always wanted to know the facts. I had to get the facts from the books. You know I always wanted to be a nurse so I had a plan. I had to go to school I had to go to college. Plus mama made me go I ain’t have no choice.
 Talk a little about those days please.
o Well I really didn’t do anything. First of all I was dark skinned so I was choc-o-latte, and I was heavy set. So I kind of felt like I wasn’t part of the in crowd. Being the only black person and being dark skinned. I think if I was lighter, I don’t know why I thought that if I was lighter I would fit in a little better. So yea, umm I didn’t really participate in any sports or any extracurricular activities. Not because I really didn’t want to but just because I felt like I didn’t fit in. Like I was embarrassed at times of who I was. Which is kinda sad, because I love myself now, but at that time I felt like I didn’t fit in so it was like awkward.
 Where did you attend undergrad?
o First, I went to Gateway to get my associates. Then I went to Champlain, which is a branch of DeVry. But it’s the nursing part of it, for my bachelors. I haven’t went back for my masters.
 How far did you take your education?
o I only received my bachelors. I did not go back to get my masters because I am working two jobs.
 Do you have children?
o No
 Why did you choose not to have children?
o Because I wanted to have my career first. Do I regret it? Yes. Plus I wanted to get married first. I wanted to do it the right way. I should have had me a whole bunch of kids.
 How is it like being a black woman today?
o I still think that its racism out there, it’s just more undercover. Especially in my profession. It was very hard when I first started out because everyone wanted to challenge how smart you are. Especially the ones that are under you. Because we’re over LPNs and CNAs. And they really didn’t want to listen to you. They challenged everything because of the color or your skin. I noticed that too. Not only them but the patients too. Not so much the white patients but the African American patients. Especially the ladies. I never understand this, but they will challenge you. “You sure you know what you’re doing?” I want to be like, “Excuse me? You asking my CAN what to do? She don’t know what to do she coming to ask me what to do.”
 Where are you working now?
o I work at Aurora hospital as a staff nurse. I work on the medical oncology surgical floor at the hospital. Then I also teach LPN students at a private college.
 Where do you teach?
o I teach at this college called Jay Renee. They are moving to Elgin, IL where I live at. It’s a private college. It’s a nursing school.
 What are your relationships like with other women?
o Well with my family, I have a very good and very positive. I think they uh do respect me, and respect my opinion. Sometimes I do go off the wild a little bit but not all the time. But like I said it’s very challenging with black women as patients. Not older black women but women my age. Between the ages of 20 and 40. They challenge a lot of things I say. They don’t trust me, they don’t respect me, they look at me all crazy. I just don’t understand that. And then my students, it depends. It’s either good or it’s bad. Some of the black girls, just the girls not the boys, they try to give me attitude or favoritism. It just don’t make any sense. But umm, as far as my family I have a good relationship with them. I have one best friend, she black though. We have a good relationship. I don’t know, sometimes I think that our culture doesn’t like to see us doing well.
 What do you think is the role of both black men and women in a relationship should be (in the home)?
o I don’t think that there should be a specific role. Like the traditional, man should take care of the household, whatever, whatever. I think that in order for a relationship to work that both parties have to contribute something. You have to have very good communication or its not go work. Communication is the key. Both parties have to contribute something. Like if one is out working, you have to contribute something in the household. You have to work together, you have to be one. If you on this page the other can’t be on another page. Nope, Nope, Nope it’s not going to work. Both have to be on the same page working in the same direction. If I’m over here working on my master’s you can’t not even have your GED. That is not going to work. It’s not because my goals and what I’m striving for and what you want is totally different. You content with blowing your money, working at I don’t know, I don’t want to say Wal-Mart, but working at odds and ins here. You know content with making a couple hundred dollars a month. And I’m striving for something different and I want my house and stuff it’s not going to work.
 What do you think about women who date outside their race?
o It doesn’t bother me. I don’t care about men or women. If you love somebody it doesn’t matter what color you are.
 What issues do you think most affect black Americans today?
o I think that our biggest issue is that we want to blame everybody else for our mess ups. We don’t want to take accountability for our own actions. We have so many opportunities but we don’t even try to take advantage of them. We can be and do whatever we want to do. It may be a little harder because of the color of our skin. But we don’t even want to try at times. We are content with failure. And we’ll say “All it’s because we’re black”. That’s not an excuse anymore.