Coleman, Jonathan.

ABSTRACT: The collection consists primarily of taped interviews and transcripts of interviews conducted by Jonathan Coleman for his book on Milwaukee race relations, Long Way to Go: Black and White in America (1997). There are also taped interviews conducted by Coleman for an article on the construction of the Civil Rights Memorial in Montgomery, Alabama; the article eventually appeared in Time magazine. In addition to taped interviews and transcripts, the collection consists of other documentation relating to the publication of Long Way to Go.

ACCESS RESTRICTIONS: There are no access restrictions on access to the papers, and the collection is open to all members of the public in accordance with state law. However, the researcher assumes full responsibility for conforming with the laws of libel, privacy, and copyright which may be involved in the use of this collection (Wisconsin Statutes 19.21-19.39).

Access to tapes 16, 27, 43, 47, 57, 66, 69, 120, 124, 127, 137-138, 147, and 149 is restricted. Consult an archivist for details.

SCOPE AND CONTENT: The collection consists primarily of taped interviews and transcripts of interviews conducted by Jonathan Coleman for his book on race relations. There are also taped interviews, which have not been transcribed, conducted by Coleman for an article on the construction of the Civil Rights Memorial in Montgomery, Alabama; the article eventually appeared in Time magazine. Many tapes contain interviews with more than one person, or continuing interviews held over from another tape. The collection spans 1976-1997, but the bulk of the material dates from 1991-1993. The collection consists of three series:

Series 1: Tapes and Transcripts

Series 2: Research Materials

Series 3: Book Publication and Publicity Materials

The names "Blair Moreland" and "Alice Lester" are pseudonyms used as a condition of access at the request of two interviewees.

Series 1: Tapes and Transcripts: Tapes 1-164 contain interviews used by Coleman in his research for Long Way to Go. Tapes 1-152 are transcribed. Many of the transcripts have handwritten notes by Coleman. Examples of people interviewed are Mayor John Norquist, former Superintendent of Public Schools Howard Fuller, and former Alderperson Michael McGee. There are also interviews with people in Milwaukee from all walks of life who relate their personal experiences and beliefs about race relations. The transcripts have not been corrected for the spelling of names and places. Each transcript contains a summary sheet that identifies interviewees and lists the order of interviews for that tape. Electronic copies of the transcripts, which contain spelling corrections made by Coleman, can be obtained by consulting an archivist. Some of the original transcripts were water damaged, which made some of the notations unreadable, and were photocopied.

Tapes 165-200 contain interviews conducted by Coleman for an article that appeared Time magazine; that research motivated Coleman to write Long Way to Go. The interviews are with University of Virginia students and acquaintances. There are no transcripts for these tapes.

The following list is a sample of prominent individuals interviewed, and people who are interviewed in series on more than one tape. Positions and titles are those that were held at the time of the interview.

Portions of transcript 16, 43, 57, 66, 69, 120, 124, 127, 137-138, 147 and 149 have been masked at the request of the donor.

Series 2: Research Materials: This series consists of newspaper and magazine articles, interview notes and follow-ups to interviews, and informational papers and publications from meetings, gatherings, and youth initiatives in Milwaukee. The research materials include excerpts from diaries, Milwaukee tax and income statistics, a draft report on lending practices and segregation in Milwaukee suburbs, and a handwritten subject index to the taped interviews. There are also press releases and information concerning the Jeffrey Dahmer murders, and photographs of Coleman at a reception at the home of Carvis Braxton. This series also contains materials relating to the Civil Rights Memorial in Montgomery, Alabama: a design plan, notes, a photograph of the Memorial, and a brief biography of Maya Lin, who designed the memorial.

Series 3: Book Publication and Publicity Materials: This is the smallest series of the collection, consists primarily of correspondence between Coleman, his agent Owen Laster, and the Atlantic Monthly Press and the Crown Publishing Group. Atlantic Monthly Press published Long Way to Go in 1997. Only one version of the manuscript of Long Way to Go is included in the collection. This series also contains photographs of a book reception at the Milwaukee Public Library's Centennial Hall.

ARRANGEMENT: The collection is arranged into three series:

Series 1: Tapes and Transcripts.

Series 2: Research Materials.

Series 3: Book Publication and Publicity Materials.

Series 1 is arranged numerically. The box and folder list in this finding aid is sorted alphabetically by person, event, or subject. Some interviews are listed under more than one access point. For example, the tape of Rev. Jesse Jackson at St. Luke’s Emmanuel Baptist Church is listed under "Jackson, Jesse, Rev. at St. Luke’s Emmanuel Baptist Church" and "St. Luke’s Emmanuel Baptist Church." The box and folder fields refer to the location of the transcript. An "NT" in the transcript field indicates that no transcript exists for the tape. Series 2 and 3 are arranged alphabetically, then chronologically.

The audio cassette tapes have been removed from the collection and are stored centrally with audio cassettes tapes from other collections. The electronic versions of the transcripts are located in the Jonathan Coleman electronic case file. The audio cassette tapes and electronic files may be accessed by consulting an archivist.

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE: Jonathan Coleman was born in 1951 in Allentown, Pennsylvania, lived in New York City, and currently resides in Charlottesville, Virginia. He was educated at the University of Virginia. He is a former senior editor in the book publishing industry as well as a former journalist with CBS News. Coleman taught creative nonfiction writing at the University of Virginia from 1986 to 1993. His first book, At Mother’s Request, was published in 1985, and his second book, Exit the Rainmaker, in 1989. He has written for Time, the New York Times Book Review, The New Yorker, Newsweek, and other national publications.

Long Way to Go, published in 1997, uses Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as a backdrop to explore local and national racial issues. Coleman moved to Milwaukee and began research in the spring of 1991. He lived in Milwaukee four months and spent another two years traveling to and from Milwaukee from his Charlottesville home. While living in Milwaukee and researching Long Way to Go, Coleman observed firsthand several locally famous racial issues that were included in the book. These include the smoldering racial tensions of the early 1990s, the appointment of Howard Fuller as Milwaukee Public Schools Superintendent, the renaming of Victor Berger Elementary School as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School, and the Jeffrey Dahmer case.

COLLECTION CITATION: This collection should be cited as:

Coleman, Jonathan. Papers, 1976-1997. University Manuscript Collection 152. University Manuscript Collection. Archives. UWM Libraries. University of Wisconsin--Milwaukee.

RELATED COLLECTIONS:

Duncan Group, Inc. Through One City's Eyes interview transcripts, 1998-1999. (Milwaukee Manuscript Collection 202)

Sherman Park Community Association 1992 Oral History Project. Records, 1991-1996. (UWM Manuscript Collection 111)

Sherman Park Community Association (Milwaukee, Wis.). Office of the Executive Director. Records, 1971-1996. (UWM Manuscript Collection 72)

ACQUISITION: Jonathan Coleman donated the collection to the Archives in July 1999 (accession number 99-045).

PROCESSING: Michael Jan, Jennifer Sullivan, Kathy Koch, and Leslie Heinrichs processed the collection in the Archives from October 1999 to December 2000.

MARC RECORD SEARCH TERMS: The following terms were used in the online bibliographic MARC record to this collection:

• Bevel, James L. (James Luther), 1936- .
• Black Panther Party.
• Brophy, Tom.
• Cameron, James, 1914- .
• Dahmer, Jeffrey.
• Dees, Morris.
• Fuller, Howard.
• Gangs--Wisconsin--Milwaukee.
• Harpole, Reuben.
• Jackson, Jesse, 1941- .
• Jones, Arthur.
• Lin, Maya.
• McGee, Michael.
• Milwaukee (Wis.)--History--Sources.
• Milwaukee (Wis.)--Race relations.
• Milwaukee (Wis.)--Social conditions.
• Norquist, John O.
• Race discrimination--United States--History--20th century.
• Racism--United States.
• Racism--Wisconsin--Milwaukee.
• United States--Race relations.
• Victor Berger Elementary School (Milwaukee, Wis.).
• Youth initiatives.