Oral Histories
Interview of John T. Stevens
Manager of special field markets for Anheuser-Busch brewing company.
- Subtitle:
- Black Leadership in Los Angeles: John T. Stevens
- Series:
- Black Leadership in Los Angeles
- Topic:
- BusinessAfrican American History
- Biographical Note:
- Manager of special field markets for Anheuser-Busch brewing company.
- Interviewee:
- Stevens, John T.
- Persons Present:
- Stevens and Woods.
- Place Conducted:
- Stevens's home in Culver City, California.
- Supporting Documents:
- Records relating to the interview are located in the office of the UCLA Library's Center for Oral History Research.
- Interviewer Background and Preparation:
- The interview was conducted by Clyde Woods, UCLA Oral History Program; B.A., Government, Oberlin College; Master of City and Regional Planning, Morgan State University; Ph.D., Urban Planning, Graduate School of Architecture and Urban Planning, UCLA; Assistant Professor, African American Studies, Pennsylvania State University.
- Processing of Interview:
- Kathleen McAlister, editorial assistant, 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.Stevens reviewed the transcript. He verified proper names and made minor corrections and additions. At that time Stevens also requested that a transcript of a video tribute to him given at the time of his retirement from Anheuser-Busch added as an appendix.Alex Cline, editor, prepared the table of contents. Peter Limbrick, editorial assistant, assembled the biographical summary and interview history. McAlister compiled the index.
- Length:
- 5.1 hrs.
- Language:
- English
- Copyright:
- Regents of the University of California, UCLA Library.
- Series Statement:
- Interviews in this series were made possible by support from the UCLA Center for African American Studies, Institute of American Cultures. This is the first of several Oral History Program series focusing on social, cultural, economic, and political aspects of African American citizens in the Los Angeles metropolitan area.
- Abstract:
- Childhood in Bay City and Detroit, Michigan; African American culture in Detroit; employment with Anheuser-Busch and Miller Brewing Company; Detroit after World War II; employment with Anheuser-Busch after military service; the impact of the civil rights movement; Anheuser-Busch's community involvement in the aftermath of the Detroit riots in 1965; becoming a Los Angeles resident; African American communities in the Los Angeles area during the early seventies; organizations Stevens became involved with upon arriving in Los Angeles; relationship with African American politicians in Southern California; prominent African Americans in Los Angeles; serves on boards of various Los Angeles housing facilities; the Los Angeles uprising of 1992; organizations in the African American community that receive support from Anheuser-Busch; Anheuser-Busch's lobbying efforts; effect of term limits legislation on African American political leaders; corporate opportunities for African Americans; the threat to affirmative action; political influence of the liquor industry in California; the importance of education for African American youth.