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L: Yes, Claxton was married. I do not think his wife had much more education than
 he. Claxton would always tell you he had a lot of street education. He learned
 the hard way and yet he was one of the finest persons that you could have ever
 talked to, down to earth, real community-conscious. When he ascended and
 became prestigious and affluent, he was willing to share with the poor people in
 the community.

P: To apply this, though, a little bit more to how it played itself out in the black
 community. At fraternity dances and sorority dances, would you often find, like at
 sorority dances, a school teacher, perhaps, going to a sorority dance with her
 husband who might be a non-professional.

L: Yes, were you married to a husband who did not have the education, you took
 him. He went. of course, some other fellows fell out of place as far as being able
 to talk as you and I are talking here today. They felt, somewhat out of place but
 nobody looked on them with disdain. You were married to so-and-so, so you
 were accepted because that was your wife and you could become involved.

P: So you were accepted at these functions?

L: Yes.

P: Very often, you might see a doctor married to a school teacher rubbing shoulders
 with a janitor married to a school teacher?

L: Yes, very easily.

P: That could kind of, not do away with class distinctions, but kind of make it a little
 less clear?

L: Right. A thing I was talking about some time ago is the Cabots, they spoke to the
 Lodges and the Lodges only spoke to the Cabots.

P: You are trying to talk about that...

L: Yes, that New England thing there. What really happened in some instances, at
 the outset, black society sort of tried to pattern itself after white society.

P: Even in Tampa?

L: I think that early on when I was not here, but some of that rubbed off.


P: Can you...