Ron Carson Archives - The Student Health Coalition Archive Project

Reflections on the legacy of coal camp healthcare and success of the St. Charles Clinic

Several closely tied to the St. Charles Clinic gather to discuss what contributed to its success and reminisce about past generations of healthcare in the area, namely during the time large coal companies were active. They emphasize the determination of local residents and role of widespread community collaboration in establishing and maintaining the clinic. Those …

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Negro League’s Josh Gibson in contrast to MLB’s first black ballplayer Jackie Robinson

Racial Disparities, Stories / By

Ron Carson explains why he considers Josh Gibson of the Negro League’s Homestead Grays to have been the best Black ball player ever, and how racist behavioral expectations contributed to Jackie Robinson’s acceptance in MLB. Full footage of Ron Carson’s tour of the African American Cultural Center.

First integrated band in St. Charles, VA: Smith Carson and the Black and White Melody Boys

Cultural Encounters, Racial Disparities, Stories / By

Ron Carson shares about his grandfather’s, Smith Carson, first integrated band in the area: the Black and White Melody Boys. Their legacy throughout the South includes having played with Louis Armstrong and Elvis Presley. Full footage of Ron Carson’s tour of the African American Cultural Center.

The renaming of “Negro Head Rock”

Racial Disparities, Stories / By

Ron Carson showcases an old check with an emblem of what used to be called “Negro Head Rock” and shares the story about his grandmother’s 1968 petition to have it renamed. It’s now known as Stoneface Rock. Interestingly, former Student Health Coalition (SHC) participants active with the clinic in St. Charles, Va. recall having referred …

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Post-Reconstruction African American migration and the St. Charles coal camps

Racial Disparities, Stories / By

Ron Carson details post-Reconstruction African American migration trends from cotton fields to coal camps in St. Charles, Va. (including migration years later in the mid-20th century to northern urban centers for manufacturing jobs) and their impact on resulting Black diaspora in the area. Full footage of Ron Carson’s tour of the African American Cultural …

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History of Rosenwald School in Pennington Gap, VA, 1930s-1960s

Racial Disparities, Stories / By

Ron Carson discusses the history of the Rosenwald School (or Pennington Gap Colored School, now the site of the African American Cultural Center) between the 1930s and 1960s, showcasing various school records and sharing stories about its day-to-day operations. More information about historical Rosenwald Schools in the southern United States can be found at the …

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Dr. Daniel Gabriel’s legacy in St. Charles, VA

Power and Politics in Health Care, Racial Disparities, Stories / By

Ron Carson discusses Dr. Daniel Gabriel, M.D. and his local legacy in African American healthcare as the only doctor who in the 1940s and 50s would see Black patients. Full footage of Ron Carson’s tour of the African American Cultural Center.

Post-Reconstruction African American land ownership in Pennington Gap, VA

Stories, Theme: Organizing, Theme: Organizing - Stories, Themes / By

Ron Carson shares about the origins of the building now home to the African American Cultural Center (formerly a Rosenwald School) in Pennington Gap, Virginia. His great-great-grandmother, Rachel Scott, owned the land upon which it was built–along with a significant amount of additional acreage in the area. Full footage of Ron Carson’s tour of …

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