Collection 364 Oral History Interview with Spencer W. Perkins

Collection

Identifier: CN 364

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

Oral history interview with Spencer W. Perkins (1954-1998) in which he discusses his childhood in California and Mississippi; attending black and white schools; relations with his father, John Perkins; the civil rights movement in Mississippi in the late 60s and early 70s; and the work of Voice of Calvary Ministries in Jackson, MS. The time period covered by the interview is 1954-1987.

Spencer Perkins was interviewed by Paul Ericksen on June 18, 1987 at the Voice of Calvary Ministries' International Study Center in Jackson, MS.

Dates

Created: 1987

Conditions Governing Access

There are no restrictions on the use of this collection.

Biographical or Historical Information

Spencer W. Perkins was born in New Orleans in 1954. His parents John and Vera Mae Buckley, were briefly separated at the time, but were soon reconciled and the united family lived in southern California. The couple had seven more children: Joanie, Derek, Wayne, Debbie, Philip, Priscilla, and Bettie. When Perkins was a very young child, he persuaded his father to start going to Sunday school and this eventually led to the elder Perkins becoming a born again Christian. The family moved to Mississippi in 1960, where John and Vera Mae began Voice of Calvary Ministries (VOCM), an evangelistic and social ministry in the rural countryside. Because of his father's and his own belief in the ongoing civil rights struggle, Perkins attended an all white high school for two years, but the suffering and hardship he encountered eventually caused him to return to the black school in Mendenhall. Perkins was also a participant in the protests and economic boycotts during the 1969 Christmas season in Mendenhall which eventually led to his father's arrest and severe beating in February 1970.

After attending college, Perkins settled in Jackson, MS, where he helped his father and mother start VOCM's urban programs. He continued to work with VOC until 1977. From 1980-1981 he was the manager of VOC's thrift store. Later he and his brother Philip started a battery reconditioning business. He was also leader of the Antioch Community, an integrated Christian group which was a part of the larger Voice of Calvary church in Jackson.

Extent

1.00 Audio Tape

67 Minutes

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Accruals and Additions

The materials in this collection were given to the Billy Graham Center Archives by Spencer Perkins in June 1987.

Acc 87-73

September 20, 1993

Robert Shuster