DTB 059 Creola Gibby Ruffin 11-9-2022

Authors

Creola Gibby Ruffin
Ryan Morini

Document Type

Oral History

Abstract

In this interview, Creola Gibby Ruffin is interviewed by Ryan Morini in her law office in downtown Mobile, Alabama. The interview focuses on her memories of growing up in the Down the Bay community, and some of her family history, including her father’s travels in the Merchant Marines. She also describes some of the businesses she remembers Down the Bay, and reflects on their role in the community, particularly the role of Argiro’s Beer Parlor near her house in introducing her to jazz—eventually leading her to found the Gulf Coast Ethnic and Heritage Jazz Festival, which at the time of the interview was heading into its 25^th year. She reflects on some of the music history of Mobile, and some of the famous athletes and political figures who emerged from Down the Bay specifically. Attorney Ruffin also describes the impacts that urban renewal and the construction of I-10 had on the Down the Bay community, and considers the relationship of those impacts to the current I-10 bridge expansion project.

Publication Date

11-9-2022

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.

Recommended Citation

Ruffin, Creola Gibby and Morini, Ryan, "DTB 059 Creola Gibby Ruffin 11-9-2022" (2022). Down the Bay Oral History Project Interviews. 35.
https://jagworks.southalabama.edu/dtb-interviews/35