Our Gathering Places Oral History Project: Interview with Pauline Young and Sylvester Young Jr.

Titles: Our Gathering Places Oral History Project: Interview with Pauline Young and Sylvester Young Jr. (Supplied title)

Description: BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: The barbering career of Sylvester "Chubby" Young, Sr. is discussed by his wife, Pauline Young and son, Sylvester Young, Jr. Chubby was one of five brothers who worked as barbers in St. Paul and Minneapolis in their own shops or those owned by their siblings. He grew up in St. Paul. Pauline Young is from Mexico, Missouri. Chubby worked from home giving haircuts, then went to barber school in 1945. He first worked in Brownie's shop (south side) and Reverend Walter Battle's shop, then opened his own shop, Young Brothers Barbershop. Pauline Young later went to beauty school and opened her own shop, the Satin Doll Beauty Salon. The two of them then combined the two shops in one location at Nineteenth and Plymouth Avenue North. They stayed there from 1971 to 1991. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Chubby Young's background. History of black barber shops, services provided. Changes in clientele, shop locations, hairstyles. Community changes over time. Cohesion of small group. Life in the Projects when they were new. Community gathering places: community centers, black owned businesses, churches. Problems starting a business. Welfare. 1960s riots. Streetscape before and after Humphrey's mayoral term. Sylvester Young, Jr.'s experiences as a musician. Finding and keeping housing. Wetland Project.

Dates

• 02/27/1997 (Creation)

Creation

• interviewee: Young, Pauline
• interviewee: Young, Sylvester Jr.
• interviewer: Kretsedemas, Philip

Identifiers

• Library Call Number: OH 100
• Accession Number: AV2003.65.20

Holding Type: Oral History - Interview

Project

• Oral History - Project, MHS Collection, project: 'Our Gathering Places Oral History Project' <OH 100>

Quantity: 2 hours sound cassette 32 pages transcript

Format

• Content Category: sound recordings
• Content Category: text

Measurements

• 01:42:53 running time

Subjects

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