Wed, 16 December 2009
In the early days of automobiles, learning to drive was an adventure. As the son of the local Ford dealer, James Allen of Port Gibson learned to drive at a young age. Allen recalls how different the Model T was from other cars. He also remembers how his father taught a local rancher to drive his first car. |
Wed, 16 December 2009
By the 1960s, railroads had lost much of their freight hauling business to trucks. Ray Ward of McComb recalls how track maintenance suffered as a result. As a car man, Ward’s job was to re-track derailed cars and locomotives. He explains how he was able to do this with a crew of only two men. |
Wed, 2 December 2009
As World War Two raged on, women helped keep the trains rolling back home. Bonnie Stedman of McComb remembers the work as difficult and dangerous. |
Wed, 18 November 2009
During World War Two, women took jobs traditionally held by men. Bonnie Stedman of McComb began working for the railroad in 1943 at the age of 17. She recalls the dangers and rewards of working long hours in remote locations.
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Wed, 18 November 2009
The civil rights movement brought increased job opportunities for African Americans. Paul Leonard describes how work changed for black employees of the McComb Railroad Shop. Leonard remembers the first two black employees of the McComb shop to become engineers.
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Wed, 4 November 2009
The advent of Diesel-electric locomotives was a vast improvement over the steam engines they replaced. John Balser worked as a machinist at the McComb Railroad repair shop. He recalls the pride that the steam engineers took in their locomotives. Balser also details how much more efficient the new Diesel engines were than their steam predecessors. |
Wed, 28 October 2009
Working on the railroad was always been hard, dangerous work. Woodrow Addison of McComb recalls the frequent derailments he experienced during his 38 years with Illinois Central. |
Thu, 22 October 2009
Woodrow Addison worked for the Illinois Central Railroad shop in McComb for 38 years. He worked first as a brakeman and then, a conductor. |
Wed, 14 October 2009
Many memorable movies have been made in
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Wed, 7 October 2009
Growing up on a farm, |
Wed, 30 September 2009
After the Civil War, the lands of many Mississippi Plantations were farmed by share croppers. Alonzo “Duck” Irving of Natchez recalls growing up on such a plantation.
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Wed, 23 September 2009
Today, modern supermarkets offer convenient one-stop grocery shopping. But, Ruth Colter of
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Wed, 16 September 2009
For thousands of troops during World War II, their journey began with a trip to |
Wed, 9 September 2009
Long-time Natchez resident Henrietta "Lou" Mallory worked in the downtown area for over 45 years. She discusses the changing face of Natchez through such topics as the introduction of fast food and gaming. She also expresses her love of the city and hopes for the future.
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Thu, 3 September 2009
Long-time Natchez resident Henrietta "Lou" Mallory recounts the events that brought her to Natchez in the late 1940s. She also reflects on 45 years as the owner of Lou's Tailor Shop and the love she feels for her adopted city.
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Wed, 19 August 2009
F. L. Speights of |
Wed, 19 August 2009
In August of 1964, forty Freedom Schools were set up in
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Wed, 19 August 2009
Palmer Foster of |
Wed, 19 August 2009
Idalia Holloway of
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Wed, 19 August 2009
In 1965, Raylawni Branch and Elaine Armstrong were the first African-American students to enroll at The
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Wed, 19 August 2009
Raylawni Branch recalls her experiences as a civil rights activist and as one of the first African-Americans to attend The University of Southern Mississippi.
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Wed, 19 August 2009
In the 99 year history of The
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Mon, 10 August 2009
University of Southern Mississippi graduate student, Isaac Gang, immigrated to Jackson, Mississippi, from post-war Southern Sudan in 1995, several years before the "Lost Boys" of Sudan made their journey to the U.S. He discusses fleeing war and genocide, assisting the Lost Boys in their transition, enjoying the simple modern luxuries, and the importance of giving back. (photo of Isaac Gang at the University of Juba, July 2007) |
Tue, 7 July 2009
George Taylor discusses the Rural Electrification Act and what it meant to the lives of thousands of Mississippians. He also tells the story of how the various electrical co-ops banded together to form the South Mississippi Electric Power Association and the challenges they faced.
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Tue, 16 June 2009
Hattiesburg resident Charlie Ainsworth recalls helping to construct the hundreds of sawmills that sprang up across the state during the early part of the 20th century.
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Thu, 21 May 2009
Joe Berryman, Buck Wells, and Hugh Clegg fondly recall hometown entertainment during the days of the silent film.
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Thu, 21 May 2009
Purser Hewitt, Sam Alford, and E. G. McDavid recall the spirited personality and oratorical skills of the controversial U.S. senator and Mississippi governor from Pearl River County.
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Thu, 21 May 2009
Presidential Citizens Medal recipient Oseola McCarty remarks on her lifetime of work as a washerwoman and the legacy she created at The University of Southern Mississippi.
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Thu, 21 May 2009
Joseph Wroten, Erle Johnston, and Gilbert Mason recall the creation and influence of the Mississippi State Sovereignty Commission during the civil rights movement.
Direct download: 16-Mississippi_State_Sovereignty_Commission.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 2:48pm CDT |
Thu, 21 May 2009
Jack Pace, James "Jaybird" Smith, and Reverend F. E. Sellers reminisce about southern breakfasts, squirrel stew, and homemade syrup.
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Thu, 21 May 2009
Mississippi artists Kay Allen, Jennie Lee Gorton, and Berdie Steve share how identity is discovered and revealed in the folk art forms of quilting, painting, and basket weaving.
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Thu, 21 May 2009
Mississippi musicians Melvin Stacks, Roger Smith, and George Cecil McLeod reflect on the centrality of music in their lives. (photo of singing school students at Greenwright School in Monroe County, 1913)
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Wed, 20 May 2009
Johnny Balser of McComb remembers how he parlayed skills learned as a railroad worker into support for the Allied effort in Europe during the Second World War.
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Fri, 15 May 2009
Belzoni native Thomas Turner reflects on the origins and colorful life of gypsies who mule traded near his home in the early 20th century. |
Fri, 15 May 2009
Mrs. Lamar Hennington, Charles Ainsworth, and Ben Earles reminisce about the days of the gigantic longleaf pine and how an industry altered the land and its people.
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Fri, 15 May 2009
Gene Taylor, Reilly Morse, and Diane Peranich shed light on some of the obstacles and issues that surfaced after the storm was over. (photo of Congressman Gene Taylor, on right). |
Fri, 15 May 2009
Tish Williams, Bill Stallworth, and Kurt Brautigam represent the power of determination to survive and conquer in the aftermath.
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Thu, 14 May 2009
Michael Hewes, Rachel Williams, and Reverend Lee Adams share similar feelings about the overwhelming power of the storm.
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Thu, 16 April 2009
James Harris Jr. and Dr. John Douglas Jr. recall their youthful days buying snacks and swapping stories at the ole country store.
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Thu, 16 April 2009
Kenneth O. Williams and Legrand Capers speak of the legacies of the Civil War in Mississippi.
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Thu, 16 April 2009
Legrand Capers and Libby Hollingsworth share fond memories of attending traveling variety shows of the early 20th century.
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Thu, 16 April 2009
Harry Guin, A.D. Kellar, and Ken Cashion explain how the Stennis Space Center evolved and changed the face of the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
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Thu, 9 April 2009
Chinese Americans Vera Penney Gong, Luck Wing, and John Wing discuss their experiences living outside of a black and white racial identity during segregation in Mississippi. (photo of students of the only all-Chinese school in Bolivar County, 1938) |
Thu, 9 April 2009
Legendary Red Sox Hall of Famer, Boo Ferriss, shares the most memorable experiences of his baseball career, while noting the value and importance of education.
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Mon, 6 April 2009
Jobie Martin reminisces about his early career and entering unchartered territory as the first African American to host his own television show in Mississippi. |
Thu, 2 April 2009
Korean War veteran Sidney Berry recalls the harsh reality of killing enemy soldiers. Rodney Duke describes the torture he endured as a prisoner of war.
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Thu, 2 April 2009
Kenneth and Jason York discuss the history of the Choctaws and contemporary challenges of retaining their traditional values and culture.
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Thu, 2 April 2009
Evelyn Gandy speaks about serving the people and breaking barriers for women during her distinguished legislative career.
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Thu, 2 April 2009
Mississippi writer Willie Morris entertains with recollections of a youthful prank, meeting with Robert Frost, and lunch in Greenwich Village.
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Thu, 2 April 2009
Shelby Foote and Bell Wiley reminisce about the literary skill and eccentricities of their friend and colleague William Faulkner.
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Thu, 2 April 2009
Novelist and historian Shelby Foote discusses his approach to writing, opinion of Jefferson Davis, and friendship with William Faulkner.
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Tue, 31 March 2009
Reid Dunn Jr., Sarah Carter, and Brodie Crump recall firsthand the most destructive flood in U.S. history.
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Tue, 31 March 2009
Lanier Phillips and Lee Spearman recall blatant discrimination back home after returning from military service in World War II.
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Tue, 31 March 2009
African American Lee Spearman recalls an unexpected ride with the KKK during the days of segregation.
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Tue, 31 March 2009
Sister-in-law Elsie McWilliams remembers the legendary father of country music, Jimmie Rogers. |
Tue, 31 March 2009
Comedian Jerry Clower muses about growing up in rural Mississippi and entering show business.
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Tue, 31 March 2009
Vietnamese American Dat Duong relates the difficulties of growing up in Vietnam as a mixed-race child of the enemy. |
Tue, 31 March 2009
Sandra Adickes, Unita Blackwell, and Fannie Lou Hamer relate their experiences forging a new path as civil rights activists for SNCC in Mississippi.
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Tue, 31 March 2009
Clem Maples and William Redd share their experiences during the Great Depression when jobless men nicknamed "hoboes" rode the rails in search of work.
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Mon, 30 March 2009
Gulf Coast residents Vincent Creel, Roland Weeks, and George Schloegel discuss the pros and cons of legalized riverboat gambling.
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Mon, 30 March 2009
Author Minor Ferris Buchanan sheds light on Theodore Roosevelt's famous black bear hunt in the Mississippi Delta.
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Mon, 30 March 2009
Fred Clark Sr. describes the experiences of those who attempted to integrate interstate bus travel in 1961. (photo of Mr. Clark) |
Mon, 30 March 2009
World War II veteran Lloyd Smith and Vietnam veteran Thomas Collins III remember the brutality of life during captivity. |
Mon, 30 March 2009
Amzie Moore and Florence Mars relate the tension in Mississippi in 1955 surrounding the murder of 14-year-old Emmett Till and the subsequent trial.
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Mon, 30 March 2009
Long Beach resident David bul Garang recalls fleeing war as a young boy in his native Southern Sudan, then immigrating to Mississippi after years in a refugee camp. |
Thu, 26 March 2009
Reflections from Fred Clark, William Joel Blass, and James Meredith himself on testing the laws of integration at Ole Miss in 1962.
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Thu, 26 March 2009
Reuben Anderson and Ernestine Talbert recall the resistance to school integration in the early 1970s and the challenges it posed for African American students.
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Thu, 26 March 2009
Jimmy Swan, J.P. Coleman, and Thomas McNeese reminisce about Mississippi's prohibition days.
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Thu, 26 March 2009
Charles Evers, Aaron Henry, and Claude Ramsey remember the courageous life and tragic death of Medgar Evers, first field secretary of the Mississippi NAACP.
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Thu, 26 March 2009
Rims Barber, R. Jess Brown, and Aaron Henry recall the Freedom Summer volunteer effort in 1964 to assist African Americans in registering to vote.
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Thu, 26 March 2009
Veterans Henry Eason, Jesse Broadus, and Julian Feibelman recall the meager training, gas attacks, and novelty of Europe in the First World War.
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Thu, 26 March 2009
Veterans Julius Chambliss, George Thornton, and Samuel Abbott describe the challenges and horrors of fighting Japanese forces in the Pacific.
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Thu, 26 March 2009
Vietnam veterans Richard Murchison, John Young, and Thomas Collins III relate their impressions of war as young soldiers in a far away place. (photo of Sergeant John Young in Vietnam, 1967 - on left)
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Thu, 26 March 2009
World War II veterans William Pace, Patrick Carr, and Gen. Elmo Bell each recall personal experiences of the war, from the Normandy invasion to the Battle of the Bulge.
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Thu, 26 March 2009
Mississippi musicians Wakefield "Big Moody" Coney, Sam Chapman, and Melvin Stacks share their feelings about the blues. (photo of Big Moody Coney)
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Thu, 26 March 2009
Charles Hickson and Calvin Parker describe their encounter with a UFO while they were fishing near the Pascagoula River in 1973. |
Wed, 25 March 2009
Lamar Gray of Gulfport, Elizabeth Brewton of Vancleave, and John Mason of St. Martin reflect on the impact of the storm.
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Wed, 25 March 2009
John Mason of St. Martin and Barry Jones of Gulfport describe their narrow escape as Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast.
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Wed, 25 March 2009
Dr. Gilbert Mason remembers efforts in 1960 and 1963 to integrate Biloxi beaches. |
Wed, 25 March 2009
Fannie Lou Hamer speaks about her involvement with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and advocacy for African American voting rights in Mississippi. (photo of Ms. Hamer holding sign)
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Wed, 25 March 2009
State representative Alyce Griffin Clarke relates her experiences as the first African American female legislator in Mississippi.
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Wed, 25 March 2009
Mary Anderson Pickard and William Anderson, children of famed Gulf Coast artist Walter Anderson, recall their father's demeanor and his admiration for ecology. (self-portrait of Walter Anderson)
Direct download: MS_Moments_172Walter_Anderson_later_life.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 10:24am CDT |
Wed, 25 March 2009
John G. Anderson and Leif Anderson, children of famed Gulf Coast artist Walter Anderson, remember their father's devotion to the Gulf Coast. (photo of Walter Anderson with one of his pots, 1934)
Direct download: MS_Moments_171Walter_Anderson_early_life.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 9:59am CDT |
Wed, 25 March 2009
Lounett Gore remembers sharecropping and the great migration during World War I.
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Tue, 24 March 2009
William J. Simmons, M.W. Hamilton, and Erle Johnston recall both the influence and organizational faults of the White Citizens Council in Mississippi. (photo of White Citizens Council operative on right with camera at voting site)
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