Alberta Brinson Moore oral history - February 8, 2023

I am Aoife Gorshow and I'm interviewing Alberta Brinson Moore for the Inclusive History and Images Project, a project which seeks to recover the histories of the diverse members of LMU family.

We are on the LMU campus and the Creative Spaces Studios and today's the 8th of February, 2023. Um do you give me permission to interview for the Inclusive History and Images Project?

And do you allow the recording to be used in accordance with the stated goals of the project? Absolutely. I'm excited about doing this.

Great. I'm going to start with some biographical questions. The first is what is your name now and what was your name when you were at LMU?

Okay. My name now is Alberta Brinson Moore. And when I was at LMU, uh, I was Alberta Brinson. Uh that was one of the reasons I kept my maiden

name as a middle name because all my degrees are in Alberta Brinson. So you didn't want to lose it, but I wanted to take on his name.

When and where were you born? I was born January 5th, 1962, in, um, Mount Vernon County, Georgia. So it's a little teeny, tiny town in South Georgia.

All right. And then where is your hometown or the area in which you grew up? When I was three years old, my family, uh, moved to

Los Angeles and, uh, we moved to the Watts area of Los Angeles. So I was there until I was in the— eighth grade.

And, um, once I became an eighth grade, my family moved again, and they moved to the Vermont Square area, which is near USC [University of Southern California]. So, uh, I commuted for a semester—a year to my

old middle school because I didn't want to lose those connections. And then I started school in, you know, the Vermont Square— which is not too far from USC in Los Angeles.

All right. And then, what is your current or former occupation? I am retired now, so I get to be, uh, a busybody housewife of South Central Los Angeles.

Uh my former occupation is I was a claim specialist at State Farm Insurance for almost 30 years. How do you identify yourself? I am a she-her.

Uh my kids call me mom, uh, my husband calls me wife, and my family calls me prissy. That's a secret. [They laugh.]

Um how did you learn about IHIP the Inclusive History and Images Project? I heard, um, that it’s—was going to be—take place and I heard it from—

Father Engh. That's who I heard it— I heard about it initially. And, uh, so I was excited to, uh, get, uh, a letter inviting

me to participate—or email inviting me to participate. When did you first learn about the project? I want to say I knew something like this were going to take place—

COVID has gotten my time frame a little crazy— I want to say two to three years ago. Oh, okay. Um and then—wait, could you tell me the name of the

Father again? Father— Father Engh. Engh.

And Father Engh was on campus when I was here with Father Merrifield, uh, and then he, uh, was president of Santa Clara for a minute. And did he contact you before or after learning about

the project? It was— It was before. Uh because I had a conversation with him before.

And then what made you want to take part in this project? Loyola Marymount University is very special to me. I had a fabulous time when I was here on

campus, and, um, there was a book about the history of LMU that was written—I remember—probably ten or 15 years ago. And the one thing that struck me about this book

is, um, the lack of stories, uh, about folks of different cultures and people that were here at LMU.

So I don't think our stories were told. So that's why I'm really thrilled about this project. And then I'm going to go into questions about the student experience now.

Sure. So what years did you attend LMU? I attended LMU 1980 through, uh, 1984. And then what was your majors and-or minors, if

you had any? Initially I thought I wanted to major in political science, uh, when I came here, but then I found urban studies, which was like political science, sociology, urban—like urban studying

about urban environments and economics. Um my minor was business management. How did you decide on business management? As a minor? Mhm.

Uh during the 80s, parents were always very practical, and so my parents didn't think urban studies was a practical major, so you put that business management in as a—as a [air quotes] “practical minor.”

I see. Um all right. Why did you decide to come to LMU? There was a couple of reasons.

Um one, I went to a program in Los Angeles called Med-COR [Medical Counseling, Organizing, and Recruiting], and it was started by a professor here, uh— John Davis—and he taught sociology. So I met him when I was about 14.

And, uh, that program—Med-COR—uh, met every week on Saturdays. And during the summer there were, uh—you had opportunity to work in a hospital during the summer. So I got to know, uh, Dr. Davis very well.

So his major colleges that he loved was USC—which he went to—and also Loyola Marymount. So, um, a couple of us from our group had decided to apply to, uh, Loyola Marymount.

I applied to Berkeley, Loyola, and Pepperdine. I got accepted everywhere, and I told everybody I was—I was going. The summer before, uh, we were to start,

I went to a bridge program at Berkeley and for, um, you know, a Black girl from the city. It was a little overwhelming, you know? You know, they were really into protesting.

And there was—it was just a culture I wasn't really used to, you know? At that time in Berkeley, they were smoking marijuana all the time,

I wasn’t—my father's a Baptist minister. [Laughs.] So it was—it was a little overwhelming. Um and then my choices were Pepperdine and LMU, and Pepperdine was too strict.

But LMU was perfect. And you started—the program was—you said Med-COR? And that was— Med-Cor. it was oriented around, like, the medical field?

It was oriented around the medical field, but the benefit was it gave you extra academic enrichment. And coming from, uh, inner-city school in Los Angeles, having that additional support was really good.

So, uh, they helped you study for, uh, SATs, you wrote a lot, uh, you did trips, and just being in the medical environment. So the jump to college was not as traumatic as

it could have been, uh, because of that extra support I had during high school. Um what was LMU like when you were here in terms of academics, social life, relationship to faculty, your sense of

representation, racial diversity, gender diversity, etcetera? During the 80s, it was a lot smaller. There was only 3500 students and—

maybe with the law school and, um, graduate schools, there may have been 4500—but it was really small. And the footprint of the campus, um, it did not— it—

where the driveway— you know, the circle— that's kind of where it ended.

It did not, you know—all the stuff that you guys have with the library and the—this building, uh, wasn't here. So you could, like, walk around the campus in, you know, 15 minutes.

But it was intimate. It was quaint. Um when I came, uh, my whole family moved me in, and my poor little roommate was, like, overwhelmed because I think there was about

20 of us and I was the first in my family to go to college. Uh but my roommate, she, you know, was Miss Personality from Oxnard,

she had been a beauty queen, a cheerleader. So she just jumped right in and we bonded immediately. Uh we're still great friends now. I've gone to her weddings and, uh—our kids know each

other. So that was—I think—pivotal, that when I came I felt like I belong because she—she thought, Oh, you're fabulous, I'm fabulous,

We should be together, you know? Uh and I had great suitemates— I lived in McKay, and McKay was the fancy dorm at that time, you know, because you had a bathroom

in your room, uh, there was—you had a roommate—it was suitemates— and it was just the hip, happening dorm and there was, uh—boys on the fourth floor, you know, whereas

most dorms at that time was either, uh, male or female and you shared bathrooms. So McKay was, like, the happening place. Okay.

Um what was it like being your identity in the ’80s at LMU? Did you feel like there was representation, or no? In the ’80s at LMU there—

was not that many Black folks. We actually really all knew each other. Uh I want to say there was—if my memory is serving me right—were out about two percent, but the two percent that came

were just really engaged folks. Uh there was, you know, a couple of different cliques. You know, you had the Catholic school girls, uh, you had the public school kids, you had the—the out of state

folks, but just a great clique, and everybody was, uh— feeling the need to just be joined and be part of everything.

So um, I didn't feel intimidated by LMU. But, uh, also, you know, having that, uh, you know, what I call a kick-butt roommate who just thought she was the thing,

and, you know, whenever we went, we're making the appearance. So that part just really—I guess I just felt very comfortable. Um I joined lots of clubs and organizations, uh—and clubs

and organizations that you would not think I would join. Uh I was part of the Asian Pacific Student Association. I loved the Irish-Celtic Society because they had the best, um, St. Patrick's Day parties. Uh the Hawaiian Club, because fabulous

luaus—it was all about what was fabulous. Uh and, you know, just if a new—if someone invited me, I'm like, Sure, I'll go. Can you remember, like, all the clubs and organizations you

were a part of? Um. Or, like, maybe the ones that— Yes, I was definitely—I was Alpha Phi, you know?

At that time there weren't that many, uh, Black Alpha Phis. Uh when I—there was one, uh, that was before me,

and then my big sister—she was Creole—uh, there was me. But I had joined because one of my dormmates— she wanted to rush.

And Kathy—who still gets me into trouble, you know, invites me to stuff—um, she wanted me to go with her. So I'm like, Sure, what the heck?

It's a party, I'll go. And they end up offering me a bid, and she got a bid, and we joined, and it

was an amazing experience. Lots of wonderful people. I'm still friends with a lot of my Alpha Phi sisters. Uh I was—after I graduate—I was, uh, house advisor—

chapter advisor. Student government was my thing. I was a vice president my junior year of Activities— it was APC, so it was the Activities Program and Commission.

So I was always about planning a great party. If nothing else, I think I got my minor in party planning from LMU—because I can throw a good party. Um and senior year I said, Okay, I'm going to run

for president. If I don't win, I'll study abroad. I won for president. So I—that was my major regret,

I didn't get to study abroad during college. I traveled afterwards, but not during college. Um I was on the yearbook committee, because the yearbook was kind of defunct and a group wanted to bring it

back. So, you know, we begged, borrowed money, hustled, asked every, uh, business around Westchester for money to, uh, get the yearbook back. So we worked all summer of that, uh, junior year and

The Tower was able to make an appearance and come back. With the ASLMU [Associated Students of Loyola Marymount University]—uh, initially it was ASLM, and we changed the name because most universities had, uh, it was—it was whatever

their student body with a U. And our slogan was, You make the difference, you know, so, uh, that was one of the things. Um reorganized, uh, student government to be more inclusive—

we added a student senate. Um we had added a, you know—a housing kind of governing body. Things have changed quite a few times, but that was

the first time in a long time because nobody thought, Oh, changing it? So we did that. What else?

I was vice president of the Panhellenic Council. I, uh— oh, I was in Hillel. Two of my great friends, uh,

wanted— because the club had not been active and they wanted to start it back, and, uh—they were Jewish on campus, and they're like, Okay, we need members.

I'm like, sure, you know, the Baptist girl with joy, you know? [They laugh.] So—so I enjoyed being part of a lot of different clubs.

Uh we had councilors, uh, for the dorms. Uh I was part—I was a census taker during, uh—during—'80s, it was a census year—so I got to be, uh, a census taker.

I worked, um—one of my greatest jobs was a work study job and I got to work in a library, and the library is not the new one. It—Von der Ahe Library—and it was definitely the center of

campus. And at the time, you had to check out—like if the professor had readings for you, you know—we didn't have Internet and stuff like that—

you had to check it out, and there was only a few copies. So you felt like you were all special because it's like, Oh, you want a copy, you know. [They laugh.] But you

got to meet everybody, because everybody would literally go to the library. It was, uh, you know, to study, it—I was so—was social.

So it was great, uh—an opportunity to just to meet so many people working in the library. Uh well— Oh! I worked in hotels.

Uh there was a hotel, like, down the street. And the great thing about catering and working the hotels, you—you—wherever you fit it in—uh, one of my sorority sisters, her boyfriend was a catering

manager. And so sometimes during the summer we would work in the morning and then the afternoons were all free so we can go and hang out at the beach.

Uh so it was, you know—being close to beach was amazing. You can go and support your friends that were part of the rowing team and, uh—and that was another passion.

I loved going to sports events. I never heard of rugby before I came to LMU, uh— but lots of guys were on the rugby team—so we'd go see rugby and water polo, basketball, you know—

no football here at LMU, but some folks had connections to USC and UCLA, so we got to go there—and, um, I had the opportunity to be extras in some movies. You know, you had those roommates that talked you into

all kinds of things. Let's be an extra! Okay. You know, so we would ditch class to be extra in a movie shoot—one of the Rockys. Um, you know,

going to Dodger games, you know, it was just a wonderful memory for me. So—and, you know, just planning LMU formals and, uh, events was—was really fun and just being a sorority girl.

I enjoyed being a sorority girl. What classes or educational program inspired you at LMU? One of my favorite teachers was Michael Genovese. Um he was brand new in the ‘80s, and he was

passionate about history and politics—and so, just loved his class. And it, uh, got me involved in political campaigns—political campaigns. So I volunteered for quite a few political campaigns, you

know, signing up folks for, you know—to be able to run. So that was one of those teachers that really inspired me.

Um. Although my favorite person at LMU was the president at the time. And, um—

he was just so funny. I called him, uh, um— Donald P. And, um, my husband—and, you know, my father, when I was like, Oh, I'm going to go

to—going with Donald P—and his—his first name was Donald— P was his middle name—but Merrifield was his last name.

And when you were in student government, he would take me to different fundraising events. And he loved saying, Oh, this is our Baptist student body president, uh, because he thought that was hysterical.

But he was—I just learned so much from him in terms of fundraising, engaging people and, um, just presenting the school, you know? And then there were some perks to being

the president’s friend. Uh you could borrow—there was cars you could borrow. So, uh, student government—we borrowed the cars to go

places. But, um. That was just—I had great memories from having a great relationship with the president of the university.

How do you feel that your involvement in these organizations helped to shape your experience at LMU? I felt like I belonged and, uh, I

met so many wonderful people and I'm still friends with so many people from my years at LMU. That's the only reason I engage with Facebook to connect with my friends that are all over the world, uh, from

LMU and just to kind of— seeing what they've done, seeing their kids, their families. So just some really, uh, close relationships that have been enduring, you know?

There's something about—you know, I think about some of the, um, Washington kids that love the rain. You know, in LA, it rain— we were all, Oh, no, it's raining.

We can't go out. [Imitating] No, it's raining, let's run through the rain! And we're like, What the heck,

you know? So running through the rain with the Washington kids, you know, because, you know, they lived in the rain. And just some of those—some of those experiences are—are

the Midwestern kids. One of my, um, good friends is from Minnesota and, uh, going and—her—going to her wedding there was fabulous. And she actually went and, uh, met with my daughter—when

she went to the University of Wisconsin—to give her the tutorial of how to survive in the Midwest. So, you know, those kind of relationships were just amazing. Um

were you involved in any community activism during your time at LMU, and can you describe the activism? Um that was kind of a part of being at

LMU. There was always some community thing to be involved in, and, uh, I was, uh, engaged with Special Games. That was—at that time they would bring athletes here

and we would practice for weeks and then we have the big day. Uh that was one of the things I was involved with. I was, um, involved in programs where we tutored kids from

schools in the neighborhood. Um and then there was opportunities to go and work on some of the local Catholic churches that needed painting or things done. So there was always opportunities to, you know, be involved.