My journey this week takes me to Ollie W. Hargis Giles, a “BISM” – Born In San Marcos – and only child, she was raised on Valley Street. Her grandmother was a go-getter in business, operating/owning her own laundry. Her grandfather worked for the Southern Grocery Company and had a popular local coffee brand named for him, “Old Mose.”
When she was eight years old, the family moved to Oakland, California. Giles was the only African-American student enrolled in her public school.
“I was not bashful, making many friends and graduated from high school in Oakland,” she said.
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