Robert "Bobby" Bellarmine Gant Sr. was president of Knights of St. Jerome and he speaks at length about his experience at the helm, especially the executive board election process. He talks about the '60s and the time of the Civil Rights movement, he says this time was the best in St. Mary’s County for Blacks until Regan got into office. He talks about race relations and other indications of racism within the older population. His grandson attended St. Michael’s Catholic School which led to a conversation discussing stereotyping and racism. He established a political connection with County Commissioner George Aud and pursued avenues for summer jobs for Black youths. Mr. Gant talks about Baltimore vs. St. Mary’s County and why Black men got more respect in the '60s. He remembers watching Martin Luther King’s March on Washington on TV, thinking about what was needed was divine intervention. He discusses KKK activities and influences on racism in St. Mary’s County, the lack of progress by Blacks, and the last school board election. Mr. Gant concludes the interview reflecting upon his community involvement and its lasting impact and acknowledges that his involvement made it easier for his children to get jobs.

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"Bobby" was the youngest of thirteen siblings and was raised in St. Mary's County in the 1940s, a time of rural poverty and subsistence living.  Mr. Gant was a community activists who participated on many government advisory boards and commissions. He served on the boards of more than a dozen non-profits, including UCAC. He was recognized for his service with numerous awards and citations both at the local level and statewide.

Mr. Gant was interviewed on November 16, 1996 by Carol Locke-Endy and Mel Endy for the Unified Committee for Afro-American Contributions Oral History Documentation Project. A verbatim transcript and a log are available. This interview streams from our YouTube Channel.