Interview with Willie G. Pope, August 28, 2023

Willie G. Pope was born in 1947 and grew up just outside of Athens in Watkinsville, Georgia. He attended the segregated E.D. Stroud School, before moving to Athens High and Industrial after seventh grade, where he graduated the same year the school was renamed to Burney-Harris High School. After high school, Pope joined the Air Force and served in the Vietnam War, and after completing his contract he joined the Athens Sheriff’s Department. During this time period he also got married and had three children. In this interview, Pope talks about segregation, his experience with racism in the Athens area, his time in Vietnam, and how to safely interact with the police.

2023-8-28

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135 minutes