John W. Brooks Oral History Interview

March 22, 1978; April 12, 1978; April 21, 1978
Oral History #OH0050
Creator(s)
Lennon, Donald R. (Interviewer); Brooks, John W. (Interviewee)
Physical description
0.02 Cubic Feet, 4 audiocassettes, 5.25 hours, 92 pages
Preferred Citation
John W. Brooks Oral History Interview (#OH0050), East Carolina Manuscript Collection, J. Y. Joyner Library, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA.
Repository
ECU Manuscript Collection
Access
No restrictions


Scope and arrangement

John W. Brooks (b. February 18, 1899) discusses his early family life in North and South Carolina as the son of an evangelist minister (p. 1-8) and his education at Falcon Christian School and Holmes Theological School (p. 9). Brooks and his family spent their first ministries in South Africa in Krugersdorp, Transvaal, and Natal. He discusses farm towns, living conditions in Indigenous towns, jobs for Black men, and the multitude of Indigenous languages (p. 10-13).. As Superintendent of the Missionary Conference from 1925 to 1926, he was able to visit many churches and discusses structure and life in general as well as customs of polygamy (p. 35-36), marriage rituals (p. 36-39), and initiation into manhood (p. 43-45). Contracts for native mine workers, their compounds, and living arrangements are discussed (p. 21-25). Missionary work in the compounds and in the Indigenous villages is discussed throughout the interview. The provision of education for natives through Sunday schools, mission schools, and a teacher's school are detailed (p. 23, 45, 71-72) as is the mission school's gradual takeover by the Native Education Department. Aftereight years in the United States (1947-1954) Brooks returned to Nigeria where he organized and operated an African Bible College to train native ministers, 1957. Differences and occasional friction between the various Christian denominations (p. 70-73) are noted as is the difference in treatment of Black ministers (p. 63-70), Rev. K. E. M. Spooner being one example, versus white ministers. Trading of enslaved persons between enslavers are discussed (p. 48) as are apartheid and discrimination in various contexts. Also discussed is the rural economy, including farming, hunting, and barter in South Africa (p. 39-40), the ability to buy and sell land in Lagos and lease land in other parts of the country (p. 76-80). The Nigerian work ethic is also noted (p. 87-88).


Administrative information
Source of acquisition

Gift of John W. Brooks

Processing information

Processed by L. Harris; M. Boccaccio, April 1987

Encoded by Apex Data Services

Descriptions updated by Ashlyn Racine, May 2023

Copyright notice

Literary rights to specific documents are retained by the authors or their descendants in accordance with U.S. copyright law.

General note

1924-1966


Key terms
Personal Names
Brooks, John W.
Topical
Clergy--Africa
Clergy--Nigeria
Education--Nigeria
Education--South Africa
Land tenure--Nigeria
Land tenure--South Africa
Marriage--South Africa
Mineral industries--South Africa
Miners--South Africa
Missionaries--Nigeria
Missionaries--South Africa
Rites and ceremonies--South Africa
Slave trade--Africa
Work ethic--Nigeria
Places
Nigeria--Race relations--20th century
South Africa--Economic conditions--20th century
South Africa--Social life and customs--20th century