James Jordan was born in Esmont, the tenth of twelve children, and except for a brief stint in Los Angeles and his army experience, has lived there all his life. He shares some memories and stories about his grandparents, conveys the affectionate nature of his parents' marriage, and details their various work experiences, particularly the challenge of long distance employment for both and the occasion when his mother stood up to her white employer over the timeliness of her paycheck. Jordan recalls in much detail his daily life and chores growing up. He also tells of Buster (Albert) Scott, the local baseball player who was extremely talented and known into neighboring counties. Jordan describes the difficulties he faced in transferring from the Esmont school to the Burleigh school in Charlottesville. He relates the story of how he decided to join the military at 17 and how during his four years there he found "soul brothers. . . in a white skin!" Jordan was the first African American to be offered a salesperson job at Sears Roebuck in Charlottesville, but he refused it, preferring to continue working in shipping and receiving.

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Esmont Oral History Project: Building Digital Communities, Race and Place: African American Community History, Albemarle County, Virginia. Prepared by the Virginia Center for Digital History, Charlottesville, VA, 2001-2002