Oral History interview with Robert Bennett '69
Title
Oral History interview with Robert Bennett '69
Narrator (written)
Robert Bennett
Narrator First Name
Robert
Narrator Last Name
Bennett
Interviewer
Nuhamin Demeku '25
Abstract
Robert Bennett was born in Columbus, GA, in 1947. He recounts understanding his place in American society at an early age through the limited interactions with white children, attending segregated schools, and his grandparents’ experiences as Black people in Columbus. From 1957 to 1962, Bennett lived in Cincinnati, OH, and then moved to Chicago, IL from 1962 to 1965. Upon graduating high school in Chicago, he began his studies at Dartmouth in the fall of 1965. Bennett joined the football team his freshman year and played until his senior year. He recalls a very limited social life as a Black student and emphasized the importance of a social community amongst Black students. He was involved in the founding of Shabazz Center for Intellectual Inquiry and creation of Blackout, a cultural magazine. As chairman of the Political Action Committee in the Afro-American Society, Bennett describes his involvements in protesting George Wallace’s second campus visit in 1967 and advocating for African American rights at Dartmouth. Upon graduating Dartmouth in 1969, Bennett attended Yale Law School and practiced law for many years until he combined it with consulting practice in Africa. He details his experience hitchhiking around Europe and North Africa, which inspired him to pursue activism work in Africa, combining his legal expertise with consulting practice.
Date of Interview
October 27, 2021
Subject
African National Congress
Afro-American Society
Blackout (magazine)
Dartmouth alumni
Dartmouth football
George Wallace
law
Nelson Mandela
protest/activism
Shabazz Center for Intellectual Inquiry
Language
English
Rights
Interview Audio Source (MP3)
//rcweb.dartmouth.edu/DartmouthBlackLives/histories/bennett_robert/bennett_robert.mp3
Interview Transcript Source (PDF)
//rcweb.dartmouth.edu/DartmouthBlackLives/histories/bennett_robert/bennett_robert_transcript_final.pdf
HTML
//rcweb.dartmouth.edu/DartmouthBlackLives/histories/bennett_robert/bennett_robert_transcript_final.html