Phillip Cooke
Embedded Files
Phillip Cooke - second from left of the six men posed in the center
Photo courtesy: Albert W. Durant Collection, Visual Resources, John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library, The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Mr. Phillip Cooke provided the reflections below as part of the Oral History Community Nights hosted by Colonial Williamsburg during the late 1980s and early 1990s. The clips are excerpts from The Depression Years, one of several films produced from these oral history nights. The full film can be viewed here.
Film Credit: Media Collections, The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Mr. Cooke recalls not realizing there was a Depression as his family's basic needs were met.
Mr. Cooke remembers spending time as a young boy at the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camp at William & Mary.
Mr. Cooke describes a Black man who shot a white soldier who were chasing some young Black girls and tried to force their way into his home.
Mr. Cooke recounts how a deep hole was dug outside a woman's home to force her to sell to Colonial Williamsburg and relocate.
Mr. Cooke remembers having close white friends, despite segregation.
Mr. Cooke remembers being on a job, being forced to go in the back door, and refusing to return.
Mr. Cooke explains his decision to stay in Williamsburg, despite being offered promotions elsewhere, given his ties to the community and his respect for his family.
Mr. Cooke and others provide final remarks and thoughts for the future.
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