Series:

Black Educators in Los Angeles, 1950-2000

Topic:

African American History

Education

Biographical Note:

Director of Academic English Mastery and Closing the Achievement Gap Branch in the Los Angeles Unified School District. Educational consultant for LeMoine & Associates Educational Consultant Services. California State University, Northridge, Mount St. Mary's College, and California Lutheran University instructor and adjunct professor.

Interviewer:

Stevenson, Alva Moore

Interviewee:

Lemoine, Noma

Persons Present:

Lemoine and Stevenson.

Place Conducted:

not known

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 Alva Moore Stevenson, Program Coordinator in the UCLA Library Department of Special Collections; M.A., African American Studies, UCLA.

Processing of Interview:

The transcript is a verbatim transcription of the recording as transcribed by a professional transcribing agency. The interviewee was given an opportunity to review the transcript but made no corrections or additions.

Length:

8 hrs.

Language:

English

Copyright:

Regents of the University of California, UCLA Library.

Audio:

Series Statement:

This series documents efforts to secure quality education for Black students in the Los Angeles area in the years 1950-2000. This includes the issues of integration/desegregation, increasing the numbers of Black teachers and administrators and the struggle against discriminatory hiring practices, securing equitable resources and safe learning environments, and maximizing achievement levels

Childhood in Austin, Texas—Memory of Choctaw great-grandfather —Family’s ownership of land in Buda, Texas—Bunton Pass—Class distinctions—Models for achievement—Father’s occupation as unlicensed electrician—Fluctuation in family’s economic status—Father’s occupation as chef—Mother’s occupation as housewife and beautician—Lemoine and sisters models for mother’s hairstyles—Love for her father—Father sets stage for children’s math aptitude—Parents not “pushers”—Value placed on education—Siblings’’ higher education and occupations—Lemoine and sister Zora’s coming of age in the sixties—Migration from Austin to Los Angeles—Parents’ separation—Experiencing denigration from teachers—Carver Middle School—Discrimination in education—Bias because of language difference—Lasting expression of father’s words—Resistance to teacher denigration—Not buying into low expectations—Experience at Blackshear Elementary School in Austin—Departmentalized curriculum—Teachers with love of their subjects—Miss Lovelady—Creating and performing music—Miss Kitchen—The Science Room—Best learning in segregated schools—Black teachers’ understanding of Black students—Higher expectations—Norma Jean Adams—Passing a note in class—Mrs. Wadamyer—Mother ahead of her time—First self-identification as African—Mother’s refusal to cook pork—Eating vegetables as a child—Mother’s claim to be a diabetic—Love of reading—Checking out books at the Library—Books of Lois Lenski—Values learned from parents—Mother takes in homeless—Father’s love of achievement—Mother’s value for character—Recognition of race upon relocation to Los Angeles--Understanding discrimination in the “integrated West”—Desire for Black doll—Going to Salvation Army—Positive Black identity instilled by Mother—Norma Jean runs for student body president—Discrimination based upon light-dark skin—Neighborhood as a child—Creative play—Brother shoots bird—Bird funeral—Play imitating life—Sheltered upbringing—Purity class—Brothers’ protectiveness—Herman Jenkins—Life lessons from parents—Black businesses in Austin—Strictures of family’s religion—Mother’s early understanding of health and nutrition—Father a Mason.

Extracurricular activities at Kealing Junior High School—Spatial perception as a child—Migration to Los Angeles—Parents’ separation—Sister persuades mother to move—Excitement of the trip—Family stays with Perry—Attending John Muir Junior High School—White students—Living with Uncle—Uncles’ green eyes—Experiences with White teachers—Introduction to feeling of denigration—Focus on Lemoine’s language—Retention of positive self-image –Color consciousness—Other students who were migrants—Perception of Lemoine as introverted—Love of reading—Mother limits social activities—Love of learning—Self-navigating her learning—Mr. Kleimmetz—Moving into their own home—Attending largely-White Washington High School—Being denied access to rigorous learning—Slide rules—Lack of equity in education—Taking after school classes to catch up—Experience with arrogant math professor--Involvement in Thespians—Fairness of Theater Arts teacher—Taking Shakespeare course—Participation in Shakespeare Festival—Henry Alexander joins Thespians—Lemoine and Alexander sweep Festival awards—Best Actress Award—Learning standard English—Lemoine first Black commencement speaker—PBX job in twelfth grade—Commencement speech—Counseling—Social isolation—Attending East Los Angeles College—Social life—Lemoine’s husband—His rejection by both Blacks and Whites—Husband’s eccentricity—Scholarship to Pepperdine University—Choosing speech pathology as career direction—Internships in Torrance Unified School District—Exit interview—Feedback about Lemoine’s social skills—Application to LAUSD—Dichotomy in access—Sending least-prepared, least-qualified teachers to inner city.

Involvement in Greater New Canaan Church of God in Christ—Bishop Wilson’s sons—Social life in the church—Young men who served in Vietnam—Mental illness and drug addiction—Lemoine’s sisters as girlfriends—Awareness of antiwar opposition—Identity through the Black Power movement— Movement changes life—Immersion in Black literature and history—Moving to awareness of global history—Disconnection with European history—Experience at Budd Schulberg’s home—Watts Writers Workshop—Identifying talent in Watts community—Reciting poetry at Workshop—Black history courses in college—Book on African kingdoms and Mansa Musa—Fascination with Africa—Dr. Ernie Smith—Sensitivity sessions—Studying African American language—Interview for position directing language development program—Questioning by Al Moore—Head of Speech, Language and Aphasia Program—Watts Rebellion in 1965—Cognizance of conditions which led to Rebellion—Forensics debates around issues of the Rebellion—Admiration for Black Panthers—Outcomes of the Sixties—Lemoine an Itinerant Speech Pathologist—Language variation—Difference between language impediments and language difference—Deficit paradigm—Public Law 94-142—Controversy over diagnostic specialist position—Affluent students with speech pathologies—Teaching at 42nd Street School—Students mislabeled Special Ed—Using father’s approach in teaching self-esteem—Teacher attitudes—The chair-thrower—Phonics versus Whole Language approach to reading—Cultures of Oracy—Hearing African folktales as a child—Preparation for reading—Position in West San Fernando Valley—New certification requirements for speech pathologists—Resistance to Lemoine in SFV position—Teaching at Cal State Northridge—Coordinator Administrator position—Teaching class during Jewish holiday—Teacher denigration directed at bused students—Counseling African American parents.

History of Standard English Learners (SELs)—Hawaiian American language—Its military, historical and economic background—Understanding language acquisition in children— Linguistic competence—Pragmatic linguistic system—Hawaiian Pidgin English—Deficit paradigm—Stripping language and culture from Native American children—Red English—History of Mexican American language—Mexican American Standard English Learners—African American Standard English Learners—Linguistic history of African Language—Niger-Congo languages of enslaved Africans—Postulates which rationalize deficit paradigm—Multilingual Africans—Dialectologists' theories on evolution of African American language—Creolists' theories—Different terms for African American English—Trade and Pidgin Languages—Ethnolinguists' theories—Removal of indigenous languages from enslaved Africans—Inhuman conditions aboard slave ships—Choosing death over dehumanization—Breaking up African languages—Ignorance of African linguistic history—Involuntary immigrants—Low academic achievement—Role of groups' status—Theory of cultural ecology—Language different groups—Standard English a gatekeeper—Equality of languages—Myth of Linguistic Competence correction—Barriers to core curricula—Research on West African languages—Correlates to Black English—Consonant-vowel pattern of Niger-Congo languages—Ebonics—Th phoneme—Attribution of dysfunction to language difference—Sound-symbol association—King v. Ann Arbor case—Lau v. Nichols case—Tracking children of color into special education classes—Lack of cultural responsiveness in the curriculum—Wade Noble—Subtractive Schooling—Negative effects of busing—Mistreatment and denigration of bused students—Adverse effects of closing segregated schools—State Fair hearings—Counseling African American parents.

Language development program for African American students in LAUSD—Recruitment of director—Program design—Less than optimum staffing—Advice of experts in the field—Creating model for the program—PEP—Professional development—Stakeholders agreement—Black on White video—Joey Dillard—Language intuition of White children in the South—African influence upon Southern dialect—Linguistic history and not dysfunction—Deficit paradigm—Lack of Standard English models—Contrastive analysis—Strategies for engaging students in reading—Scaffolding histories of oracy—Shifting teacher attitudes and beliefs—Reading assignments—GSAT teams—Collaborative lesson planning—Changing practice—Student Focus Component—Research Component—Content Knowledge Deficiencies—Teacher response—Budget challenges—Expansion of Academic English Mastery Program—Program supporters—Steering Committee—Support of African American Board Members—Using Evaluations to Deflate the Program—Dealing with politics and bureaucracy—Losing talented staff—Current status of the program—Advocacy on behalf of African American students—Dearth of African American administrators—Affect of changing demographics—Right of every child to an education—School experiences of African American students.

Lack of internal support from Los Angeles Unified for Academic English Mastery Program (AEMP)—Obstacles for programs targeted towards students of color—Cultural component of AEMP and incorporating knowledge about African and African American culture—Influence of AEMP model for other programs In the United States—Currently designing an AEMP for San Francisco Unified School District—Discusses involvement in PBS documentary series Do You Speak American? and exploration of African American language—Closing the Achievement Gap initiatives—Action Plan for Culturally Relevant Education that benefits African American Students and All Other Students—Developing blueprints for action for local districts to implement Achievement Gap Action plan—Involvement with Los Angeles County Central Committee, the New Frontier Club, and state political parties—Founding of the Black American Political Association of California—Serves as founding president of the National Black Association for Speech, Language, and Hearing in Los Angeles—Discriminatory experiences with racist professor while studying to receive her master’s in speech pathology—Impact of international travel on her career, specifically trips to Africa—Influence of communal paradigms of education in African schools.