Robin D.G. Kelley, Interviewer, UCLA Oral History Program. B.A., History,
California State University, Long Beach; M.A., History of Africa, UCLA;
Ph.D. candidate, History, UCLA. Member of the editorial board of Ufahamu.
Place: Kilgore's home in Los Angeles.
Dates: May 7, 13, 24, June 19, 1986; January 7,
February 3, 16, 1987.
Time of day, length of sessions, and total number of hours
recorded: Interviews usually took place in the late afternoon or
early evening. Most sessions lasted about an hour and half, but a few were
only forty-five minutes long. A total of seven hours of conversation was
recorded.
Persons present during interview: Kelley and
Kilgore.
Kelley reviewed the annual reports of Second Baptist Church from 1964-84, several articles in the Los Angeles press related to Dr. Kilgore's activities, and biographical material prepared by Dr. Kilgore. He also studied relevant aspects of North Carolina history, the history of Morehouse College, black politics in the 1930s and 1940s, Harlem history, the civil rights movement, and aspects of black theology.
The interview follows a chronological outline. Besides recording Kilgore's individual achievements, it gives substantial information on the history and character of specific organizations, black political history, major permutations in theology, and the relationship between religion and social change. Particular attention was given to Kilgore's role as a social activist in the various communities where he has resided.
This interview is one of a series undertaken since 1983 with selected Los Angeles black leaders.
Chana Kai Lee, assistant editor, edited the interview. She checked the verbatim transcript of the interview against the original tape recordings, edited for punctuation, paragraphing, and spelling, and verified proper names. Words and phrases inserted by the editor have been bracketed.
In July, 1987, the edited transcript was sent to Kilgore for review. He verified proper names and made numerous corrections and additions and returned the manuscript later that year.
Vimala Jayanti, editor, prepared the table of contents and biographical summary. The interviewer prepared the interview history. Teresa Barnett, editor, prepared the index.
The original tape recordings of the interview are in the university archives and are available under the regulations governing the use of permanent noncurrent records of the university. Records relating to the interview are located in the office of the UCLA Oral History Program.