Congress, the play was directed by or sun wells. On the Opening Night in 1936, 10,000 people crowded the streets of harlem in preferred to score a ticket. We were a discouraged people. Because we were the first to lose our jobs when the old man depression came along. The struggle while depression fear and failure stop the nation. A tenth of the population of the United States went out of every four of us was in vain we sought for something to restore our confidence, our whole our courage. Without jobs we had no money. Without money if we could not purchase food for the hungry mouths at home. Our only hope late and charity. It youll wear people to the bread lines. We waited for some sign of better days. Then came the federal governments work program. One by one, it took us out of the bread land and gave us a new chance to take a normal place in the life of our community. It made a self supportive. It changed the haggard hopeless faces of the bread line into face is filled with hope and happiness. For now, we work again. Unskilled laborers the forgotten men of past generations has now worked steadily a decent wages. The nation worked building and repairing schools, public buildings, Community Centers and airports to change the needs of our modern world. 1200 men are invited improving constructing runways building hangers and administration buildings. In addition to the hundreds of unskilled laborers, many skilled workers are employed in this important improvement project. Hundreds of homes have been free from the bondage of poverty. They find security and hope in their new jobs. In new york city, a wta Housing Project is underway with will greatly improve the conditions of families living in moderate means. And other areas of the country fire traps are being torn down to make way for modern buildings containing sanitary apartments. At Colonial Park in harlem as in many other congested areas, wta workers have constructed a huge Swimming Pool and are now completing a bath house which will accommodate 140 in this construction project skilled workers are employed utilizing the knowledge of their trade and skills in the days before the depression. Swimming pools are particularly valuable to the community because they offer a haven of relaxation too young and old during the hot summer months. At the same time Swimming Pools removed children from the crowded city streets, providing every safeguard to prevent such tragedies as were all to come into the old Swimming Pools. Typical of the Park Improvement project underway all over the country is another feature of the Improvement Program at the Colonial Park. Awaiting pool had been built by the wta workers with which the youngsters could splash to their hearts content. New additions to the playground area had been made possible by the improvement of parts of the park. Even the youngest children find plenty of opportunities for play under watchful supervision. In many parts of the country, Nursery Schools had been established were almost 10,000 children of our needy families are provided with hot meals, supervised play activities and excellent preschool training. Under confident instructors. In these projects, employment have been provided for 600 teachers, nurses dietitians and cooks. At the other extreme of age, more than 300,000 adults have learned to read and write for the first time in their lives. Eagerly they studied, realizing how very much a little leverage can mean and our modern working day life. Teachers drawn from relief roads were instructing them and useful subjects. In harlem where the large part of the population central and south america and knowledge of spanish is valuable to workers housekeepers and others. In this class, elementary instruction and spoken language was given by teachers. And corporation to the National Youth administration, 26,500 young men and women are employed as instructors and medical helpers. They are unable to continue their education. Clerical white collar workers find employment and styling and taking important report such as typing, unusual occupations so that they may be available for the use of future generations. As part of the program of rehabilitation of the conservation of human resources, a number of household training schools have been established by wpec. In the schools, girls from relief families are prepared for Domestic Work which will make themselves support and others take the course in order to learn the art of homemaking for their own homes. In kitchens under confident instructors the girls are taught to could and prepare salads for everyday needs. Here is where you may be able to learn something. This is the way the girls are taught to make bets, an art with which few have mastered. These household training courses have already sent hundreds of girls out into the world where they can secure domestic positions and able to command skills workers wages. Health education is an important part of the wta program. A number of health set centers in large cities, qualified and structures, women are taught first aid methods in the proper care of children. The care of the sick is also taught by change instructors and Health Centers throughout the country. These projects which you have seen our part of a Broad NationalEducational Program for which wpa has helped millions of children and adults. In a number of communities, sewing rooms have been established in which are implied winter women who are the breadwinners for their families. Here, garments are made for the distribution of needy families. Musicians and singers as well found employment and orchestra and local groups. These singers were organized and directed by william, successfully presented a great many programs of classical music. One of our greatest contributions of the world of music is the spiritual, recognize the world over as a fine example of the folk music of america. This choir directed by one need a whole presents our traditional music. Under the words program, musicians artists writers and actors can should be their fair share to the contribution of the cultural community. They produced a highly successful version of shakespeares tragedy mcbath which far exceeded its schedule run in new york and sent on a tour in the country. The seamless change from scotland to the spirit of make bath remained and tax. And this contribution to American Theater and in the works program, we have sent our men on the road to a brighter future. Fear not. inaudible there is no i get to be wary of the sun and with now one done. I will die with honor. Lets let me find him fortune. Tyrant, show they face. I cannot whose arms are hired to be if that would be a my wife and children on my name is mcbath. Turn turned all my years i have avoided the. But get the back. Yield you coward. Live to be on under its he will see the tyrant. I will not yield. That inaudible hail king. Hail king behold, the time is peace the charms warned. applause up now in American History tv Cornell College professor talks about racial dynamics in the 1930s including the federal writers project. An effort to gather narratives from former slaves. We recorded the interview at the organization of american historians annual meeting in philadelphia. Catherine stewart, your book, long past slavery slavery, what period of time are you talking about . Its interesting because it focuses on a project that came out of the 1930s and specifically came out of the roosevelt administrations attempts to do something during the