Interview with George C. Wolfe, November 20, 2018

Interview Summary

George C. Wolfe talks about his current career as a writer and director and his past work with the Center for Civil & Human Rights and the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities during the Obama administration. He tells stories from his childhood illustrating his interest in writing for television, acting in school plays, and other artistic endeavors. Wolfe talks about how members of his family were creative people, but their creativity was unused. Wolfe talks about how his defiant, self-confident attitude partially came from his outrage at the segregation in Frankfort during his childhood. He talks about how his attitude was also shaped by the insular Black community he experienced in segregated schools and neighborhoods, which resulted in him never learning to feel inferior to white people. Wolfe talks about his grandmother's determined attitude and how she would stand up to anyone if she felt someone she loved was being wronged. He tells several anecdotes to illustrate this point, including one about his grandmother yelling at a white women in the 1940s because she had told Wolfe's mother she should be a maid despite her advanced degrees. Wolfe talks about how this attitude of defiance has manifested in his works. He talks about how this confidence manifested when he began attending the integrated Frankfort High School, where others tried to demean him. He talks about harnessing the pain and lessons of the past and using that energy to move forward. He briefly talks about his current projects, the purpose of art, and others' surprise when they learn he is from Kentucky. He talks about the significance of a Kentucky African American artistic lineage.

Interview Keyword

Kentucky writers African American writers Minority writers Discrimination in education Family history Racism Influences Creativity Homeplace Self-confidence Defiance

Interview LC Subject

Writing Authors Minority authors African American authors Kentucky African Americans--Education African Americans--Segregation African Americans--Social conditions Childhood Race discrimination Race relations--Kentucky Racism Segregation in education--Kentucky African American families African American neighborhoods

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Interview Usage

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