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Phillips, Paula

October 3rd, 1949

Artist, Professor (MICA, Baltimore, Maryland)

Phillips, Paula

Paula was born in Tuskeegee, Alabama where her father studied veterinary medicine before returning to Fredericksburg in 1952. Paula's experience as a black child and teenager in Fredericksburg was both joyful and painful. She and her siblings were not allowed to attend the public school in Fredericksburg due to segregation, so they attended St. Mary's Catholic School instead. The Fredericksburg public school opened its doors to African Americans in 1961, which was early for Texas but late in Paula's education. In her recording below, Paula recalls what it was like to be a young black woman on the frontier of desegregation. Her German skills helped her in some of the precarious situations.

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