Janie Bohanon Transcript
Transcriber:  Janay Crabtree

SL:  Um, well, we know you filled this all, you filled this part out already but we're going to go through this just to have it on tape so we can have that part documented on tape, so we can have that part documented on the tape. Then we'll move on. So today's date is uh...10:15 2003, and the interviewers are D(PI) and Becky D(PI)and we're at Roswell Georgia at the Best Western. 
Okay. Could you tell us your name

JB: Do I know my name? [laughter]
Janie D(PI)

SL:  alright.  You're going to, you're going to be like my grandmother...going to crack me up
 
JB:  oh...[laughter]

SL: And your age?

JB: HI forget how old I am.  How old am I, Gail?

GB: How old are you? eighty what?

JB: eighty five?

GB:  two more

JB:  hmm?

GB:  two more

JB:  eighty seven?  I'm eighty-seven.

SL:  alright

BC:   okay

SL: And you are a fine, young woman.

JB:  mmmm.

SL:  And you identify yourself ethnically as...you say you're

JB: uh, uh, what did you say now?

SL:  What race would you say you are?  What ethnicity would you say you are?  How do you identify yourself?

GB:  She don't understand that question.

BC:  So do you say that--when people ask you, do you say that you’re African American of do you say that your black....or what do you say?

JB:  Black. [said at end of sentence of B.C.]

BC:  okay.

SL:  You prefer that label.

BC:  keep it simple.

SL: And.. How much education have you had?

JB: Oh, I don

SL: What grade did you go to?

J.B: I went through the eighth grade

S.L.:  eighth grade. 
And what occupations...what kinds of jobs have you had

J. B.: Well, mostly... well, I done forgot.

G.B: What did you used to do?
 
J.B.: Well, mostly I did... what you call...oh [untellable] 
work..

G.B.: domestic 
 
J.B.:  umm...Yeah...
 
S.L.: Mostly domestic?

J.B. Hmm.

S.L:  Mostly domestic?

J.B. mm...

G.B:  And what else did you do?
What did you do at the post office?

J.B. Oh, I worked at the post office

S.L:  really?

B.C.: Wow!

J.B.: What are you hollering wow for, that [unintelligible]
[laughter from all but G.B.]
 
G.B.: What did you do at the post office?

J.B.  Well, un--you know the mail that comes in the bag--I  took it out, the thing, took it out and put in on the table in the morning

G.B.:  And what else did you do?

J.B:  and.. well, what else?  well, that was all...

G.B.: uh-uh.  What else did you do?

J.B.: Carried special deliveries at the post office

B.C.: oh , wow.

J.B.:  uh-huh.

S.L.: Did have any cool special deliveries, like to the mayor or something like that?

J.B:  mm-hmm.

B.C.: Did you ever have to take really weird or strange things to people in boxes that you didn’t know what they were...

J.B.: No.

B.C. What if you got one n there was an animal in it or something...

[laughter all around]

J.B.:  Na, I didn’t take anything--I carried special deliveries sometime.

B.C. Did you have to get up really early in the morning to sort the stuff?

J.B.:  mm-hmm.  Six o'clock babe?? {not sure if she says babe}

S.L.:  Every day? Six o'clock? How long did you work? You got to..you were there at six n how long did you have to stay there? 

J.B.:  Well, uh bout how long did I stay. It's been so long.

G.B.: It was kind of a part time, so she go in the morning n kk... nn..I think it was like from six to about eight.  N then she go back in the evening from like three to bout five. 
 
S.L.:  oo..hm..oaky. um What is your address?  Where do you live?

J.B.:  D(PI).

S.L.: Okay, Roswell, Georgia, and you know the zip...you what the uh, the uh ...zip code is?

J.B:  now, what’d you say?

S.L.:  Do you know what the zip code is for that?

J.B.:  mom

B.C.: Were you born in Roswell?

J.B.  No.

B.C. Where were you born?
  
J.B. Cayitta country

B.C.: So-Why did you come to Roswell?

J.B.   I wanted to go somewhere I guess.

S.L. Someplace different...it was too boring where you were

J. B. [laughs] No the reason I come to Roswell--my husband's sister

S.L.: I knew it was going to be a man.

[All talk and laugh--unintelligible]

J.B: They come to Roswell, an' uh.. I reckon that's the reason we up here, they was up here.

B.C. So you came to be near his family then?

J.B.:  hmm?

B.C. You came to be near your husband's family.

S.L.  And then you stayed.

B.C. So you liked it here?

J.B.: yeah...I didn't when I first come though.

S.L. oh really, how come?

J.B.: Whoo, it was an awful place

S.L.  Awful?

S.L. yeah..It was growed up. N [unintelligible]...wasn’t' no black people in Roswell when I come to Roswell--hardly. 

S.L.  Oh really?  So it was just you and your husband's family? 
J.B. Na there's a few more people, but there wasn’t' many.

S.L.:  So where you came from there were a lot more black people"

J.B. uh-huh yeah.

S.L. Oooh, so how was the environment otherwise...then so you mean, you mean in terms of the white people that were here was it a hostile environment...like the people weren't very nice

J.B. Oh, the white people were nice

S.L. n'kay. But there wasn't just, it's just because there weren't a lot of black other black people to socialize with...

J.B.:  mmm-hmmm.

B.C.: Now what about when your children were born.  Were there more back people around then?

J.B. yeah Well, it wasn’t just a lot of um' then....black people

S.L.: So was..was there a black church...then?

J.B. yeah..but it was[laughs]

S.L. it was what? What?

J.B.:  It wasn’t much.

B.C.: Now What religion was it?  Baptist?

J.B.:  yeah, Baptist.

B.C.  Okay...Is that the same church you still go to now?

J.B. uh-huh. yeah, but we have another church now.

B.C.  So there's two black churches in town now?

J.B. Mmm hmm 

B.C.  And what religion is that one?

J.B. say...

G.B.  what's pleasant hill?

J.B: Oh, yeah...there's two black churches he now.

G.B. Both of them are black

B.C. Both of them are Baptist.

S.L. So, one had it going' on or one has it going' on  and one doesn't. One's good and one not so good--is that what you’re saying'?

J.B.  Well, I reckon...they bout the same, I guess. 

G.B.: Is one church bigger one than the other, ?

J.B.  yeah--I think Zion's bigger than the other...yeah.

B.C. Really...Why is that...Do more people just live near it or do they just pick to go to there do you think?

J.B. nn..

B.C. Do you think they pick to go there or cause it's close to people's homes.  

J.B. No, I don't think so.

B.C. They pick to go there.  'Cause they're friends maybe.  

J.B.  mm-hhmm

B.C. That makes sense--you go to church with your friends, that's who you want to be with.

S.L. So you ended up going to the church that you liked and  the  church not the church

J.B. [interrupts]well, that was the church where my husband's people were...n you know they was going to want me to come to the church--they church.

S.L. uh--huh.  Which is kind of interesting, cause my, my sister and her husband they go to two different  cause She just decided she was going to to the church she liked...and he was going to have to manage on his own.

G.B. But how did you all go to church ah when ah you first came here?  did you go to the same church every Sunday?

J.B. Na..cause, uh, we went to church. a church every other Sundays.  now, Zion had church one Sunday n Pleasant hill had church one Sunday, n' we would go to Pleasant hill on their second' Sunday...I think it was an on forth wasn't it forth Sunday we would go to Zion church. ....

S.L. Oh..so everybody went to both churches?

B.C. Did they have the same preacher at both?

J.B. No, it wasn't the same preacher

B.C. So different preacher...and people moved around

J.B. uh-huh

S.L. So was it because there wasn’t' enough people to go to...to support
 
J.B. It just wasn’t' enough black people...yeah..at that time.
 
S.L. Oh, I see.  Yeah, that's how the church was ...I think on  I think that was the same situation on Sapolo Island, they had two churches But there weren't enough people so they would alternate. 

J.B. mmm-huh

S.L. Uhmm.. Yeah, but they  don't have to do that anymore.

J.B.  uh-huh. that's the way we do that.

B.C. So you said that you moved here with your husband and his family...so is some of his family still here too? 

J.B.  Mhh-hmmm

B.C. Okay.  Now what about your family.  Did they all stay back in Caita County?

J.B. No, none of my people did...[unintelligible] don't love here...never have lived here. 

B.C.  Wow.  So you had ventured off? You..You took off. 

J.B.  mm-hmm 
[laughter from B.C., J.B., and S.L.]

S.L. You would have thought some of them would have followed you maybe or something.
 
J.B. Nooooo, it's too fa

S.L.  Really?  How far is that from...

J.B. [interrupting] I don’t know.

G.B.  Noonan is about hour n half drive

J.B.  See, they just did not want to come

S.L. oh. Okay [laughter from G.B.] So how many...what about your brothers and sisters or how many brothers and sisters do you have? 

J.B. Three brothers...how many sisters do I have?

G.B. probably five

J.B. Five sister...

G.B. ain't there nine of you all

J.B. Yeah.

B.C. Big family, Now did you have that many children?
How many children did you have? [J.B. laughs] Did you have a big family?

J.B. Na..

B.C. How many children do you have?

J.B. one...two...three

B.C. three

S.L. What are...boys and girls what's their makeup?

J.B. Two girls and one boy.

S.L. oooh..So you decided you didn't want to have a big family

J.B. Na

S.L.  really?  that's kind of how my mom was.  She came, she had there were eight of them an she said she wasn’t and her mom had...I think there were nineteen and so she said, I'm not having' all those children..I'm having two children and that's all she had...she said I raised enough of my own brothers and sisters you know and my mom had enough aunt brothers and sisters and sisters an she said ...I'm not having all those children and so she was I think she was well she had another sister who only had two  but the rest of them had several children n she said wasn’t' doing that. So you made up your mind too.

B.C. Do you think...Do all of your children live here still...in Roswell or do they move away...when one does...

J.B.  Yeah...they all here.

b.C. they're all here. 

S.L. DO they have any children?

J.B. yeah...I had one I had a son that had two childrens--a girl n a boy...and that's all of them really.

G.B. That was all?   Pat?

J.B. Oh--I forgot Pat.  Pat...Pat had, Pat had two girls...what?

G.B. think about now.  How many girls did Pat have?

J.B. Let's see. one two three.  Pat had three girls

G.B. Portia?

J.B. Portia...

G.B. has how many?

J.B.  three

G.B. How many childrens does Portia have?
 
J.B.  Les see...Two

G.B: Portia has how many?

J.B. Les see, Portia? three?

G.B.  One--Germanie.
[laughter between J.B. and G.B.]

J.B. oh yeah...

S.L. Now wait a second...but you only have two girls...

J.B. n yeah...and one boy

S.L but you mentioned two other girls.

G.B.  We got three girls n a boy.

S.L. Okay--so you have three girls and one boy.
alright Do you have any great grandchildren?

B.C. Four children.

J.B. do I?

G.B. yes..Austin, 

J.B. yeeeaahh

G.B. uh, Charday, Lexie, Maria...

S.L. Oh you have several
[Laughter}
They do come and visit you, don' they?

J.B. yeah.

S.L.  You not like my grandmother and my grandmother goes who are you.

J.B. and male voice:  that's her favorite saying...who are you

B.C. So you got yourself a big family.

S.L You didn’t have to have them but you let some other ones go on and have them.

G.B. cause they were all at the...what.. house Saturday.
  
S.L and G.B. together: Oh really?

B.C. Did you have a family get together or...

J.B.:  uh Youth day parade was in Roswell on Saturday so our house was like a meeting house to go before or go after...most of the time it's to go n meet up after to find out what we had for lunch.

S.L. See, you are the center of action...okay, alright, so you have all this stuff going on....so see you do have family. 

J.B.  Yeah

S.L. ah..okay.  Now---with your brothers and sisters that you have...do they any of them or their children come and visit

J.B.  Sometimes...but not often...they say it's too fa'

S.L. hour?  N its..its

J.B. naaaw, they just want to..

G.B. they live in Atlanta...

S.L.:  and that's an hour...right?

g.B. thirty minutes

S.L. thirty.. thir..thiry minutes.

B.C. Even closer.

S.L:  okay...I'm from Houston...

J.B. Yeah.

S.L. and like that's like just down the street...an half hour that's just' down the street...oh my goodness, you're kidding me...Do have do you ever have like family reunions..where the whole like?

J.B. uh-huh..We have

S.L That group, I'm talking about your far-away half hour relatives [everyone laughs]

J.B. No.. We don't interact with my mom's family that often.  We tried to do a family reunion this year..but...we couldn't get them together...but with my dad's family, we  do one every two years.

S.L.: Okay so you're just there outsider cause they said you just moved too far away.

J.B. mm-hhm

S.L. Oh my goodness..I see...alright....I'm not quite getting that part, but okay.  alright alright...uhn so we've you have
greatgrandkids, grandkids, you have four children of your own now that we've got that part straight

B.C. What are your four children's names?

J.B. My children?

B.C. uh huh..your children..

J.B. umm

G.B. your children.

J.B. my children... Henry, that what my son named. and my daughter name...Pat...what Pat name?

G.B. Patricia

j.B. yeah..and Gail 

G.B. n the other one?

J.B.: huh..

S.L. I know that...

J.B. huh

G.B. the youngest one.

J.B. Hank...naw

G.B. Your next girl.

J.B. The youngest girl?

G.B. uh-huh..We just talked about her.   She has a daughter named Germany. 
  
S.L. Oh I thought you said she was in Germany. okay

G.B. What Germany’s momma name?

J.B. hmm..I miss all something.

G.B. What's Germany momma name?

J.B. I know it ain't Patty.

G.B. uh-uh not patty...the other one is...Okay--the one you adopted...

J.B. Oooh,

G.B. what's her name?

J.B. What is it, Gail?

G.B. you don't know what it is?

J.B. done forgot it...

G.B. Portia.

J.B. oh gosh.

B.C. okay.

S.L. alright. I know you're just...I'm going to just be in love with you.   you remind me of my grandmother.  even I just noticed your nails painted gold...I said that's my grandmother.   
[everyone laughs]
She wear red though...that gold, but it you introduced that color ..she would...that would be her. 
Alright, so you're more involved with your husband's side of the family than you are with your side of the family.  And you.. seem to have quite an extensive family

B.C. a big family.

S.L. That must be really nice to have family all around you like that though..

J.B. yeah..

S.L. And they seem to be around you quite often, uh even though you're saying who are you coming' up to you... but but their still there and I bet they're giving you all the love and the hugs 'cause I can see, cause you are... you're you're looking good here...you are

B.C. you are.

S.L.  all stylish n taken care of...you look really good today.  

B.C. Got your nails all painted.

S.L oh yeah.  I bet you get manicures...

J.B. hmm?

S.L.: Do they take you to the nail shop?
yeah..yeah

B.C. Do you like it?

J.B. mm-hmm [unintelligible maybe pedicure]

[laughter all around]
an I don't know what they saying no how.

B.C. You just stick out your hands like this and let them do the work.

S.L. Do you get a pedicure too?

J.B.: I just [unintelligible] bow my head...I don’t know what they

S.L. Do you get a pedicure too?

J.B. mmm-huh?

B.C. [at the same time] Do you get your feet done?
S.L.: Do you get your feet done too?

J.B. mmm-hmmm.

B.C. Ooh..does that feel good? I never had that done...

J.B. oh yeah... they put you foot in n Oooh--that feels good

B.C. Do they rub it too...rub your feet.

S.L. aaah...I can't afford to get that stuff done. Boy you are

B.C. Yeah--that's way to high-class for me.

S.L.: alright... alright...

B.C. You are taken care of.

S.L. okay..you have told us quite a bit...alright so we got the..we have the...and now I gather though in terms of the churches...the churches are  no longer boring and you go to the right church.  um...tell us about when you were growing up..tell us about what life was like here when you were growing up.

B.C. Or...when you moved here...what was it like?

J.B. oh...well, I didn’t grow up here.

S.L. no, tell us about what it was like ...Oh I’m sorry...I know you didn't grow up here, but what it was like when you moved here I’m sorry when you moved here.

J.B. Oh ... it was...well, it was just' like...well Roswell when I firs' come to Roswell it was all growed up round here n all woods wasn’t' no pave roads it was dirt road....n jus bad you know a little ole road when I first come to Roswell.  Well, it just wasn’t' no ...where I live now..it was just all woods round there then.

S.L: How old were you when you when you moved here?

J.B.: I forget how old I was when I first moved here.  I was well grown cause I ...an, Gail was born where I was born and where I live now...
 
S.L.  now...you.. when you moved here, you didn't have any of your children yet right?

J.B. uh-uh

S.L. okay.  You moved here right after you got married?

J.B. That right.

S.L. So, do you remember when she...

G.B. ahh well we'll say sixty-three years cause my brothers sixty two. 
  
S.L. So She was about twenty, 

G.B. yeah...like twenty

B.C. early twenties...

S.L. twenty four, maybe twenty three.

G.B.: yeah twenty three twenty four something like that.

S.L. okay

B.C. So did you you said when you first got here you didn't like it.

J.B.: Nooo, I said I wouldn't have stay he'

B.C.  You said you wouldn’t but look at you now.

S.L. You told your husband you wouldn't stay.

J.B. yeah..

S.L. and what did he say?
 
J.B.: Cause I say I going' home

S.L what did he say?

J.B. he didn’t say nothing cause he thought I meant it
I did...

S.L. he thought you meant it.

J.B. I did. I did.

S.L. Did you leave at all and did he bring you back...

J.B. no

B.C. Did you try to go an then he come

J.B. No, I didn't try to go.  But I did mean it.

S.L. but you didn't leave.

J.B. naw..

B.C. What made you start to like it?

J.B. well, after all, in the en' people got to being' nice
The white peoples was nice. They were nice, too.

S.L.  well, what made you make up your mind? Cause usually like if you make up your mind to do something' right there's something that really got you and you're like n'kay..that's it 

B.C. I got to leave...

S.L. I’m going...so what got you to that point that said that's it I got to go.  

J.B. Well, I just made up my min...I decided was going to stay.  But it was on account of my husband’s people..cause I thought I I felt like I did mean I was going I felt like I was going.

G.B.: So who did you stay with when you first came here?

J.B. My husband's sister and her husband'.

G.B. An where did they live?

J.B. Down in the ?valley? a place down in the ?valley? there n there was a big spring down there...oh, Lord...

B.C. A big spring?

J.B. Yeah--where we got water' 

B.C. wow.

J.B. an there water..I guess we did drink[laughs] what those little black things be in there water? wiggle tails or what?

B.C. tadpoles?

J.B. Something they uh tease us about drinking they'd say ya'll drinking wiggle tales are something I felt like then didn’t want to drink the water...n I made up my age..I am going away from here ain't going to stay here..still here
[laughter]

B.C. But none of that stuff in your water, now, so it's okay, right?

J.B. it might be if there's a spring, I guess they'd be in there jumping...I don't know what it was.

S.L. So the things that were bothering you were because there were things that were different about the way you grew up and where you left.

J.B. mm-hmm

S.L. What other things were different about here than where you were from?

J.B. Well, where I was from we had wells, you know--where you draw up the wader up with that thing...that's what we had...an I ...

S.L. What other things were different about here that you just didn't like?

J.B. Well, I got to be where I liked it pretty well. pretty good.

G.B. Was it because you had more friends down there and close to your family?

J.B. Well, that might have been it.  

S.L. What about some things about the way life was here--that you didn't like?  Not the way life was where you grew up?

B.C. Was it faster here or slower here?

J.B. no...I liked it the way up here after I learned the people. They were nice.

S.L. What about the, uhm what about the house that you lived in here when you moved here you said you were living with your sister.  Was was living in a house in some way different uh  the way houses were here or you know what are what are some other things that might have  been different about living here?

J.B. Well, I reckon' it was Well the houses was different'..well the house where I was' living was different  from the house here...the house we lived in here wasn't, well it was mmmmm[laughs]

B.C. You didn't like it.  It wasn't nice.

J.B. no, it wasn’t

S.L. Well, how so? What was it about it that...

J.B. Well it was just somewhere' to stay.

B.C, So then did you and your husband move out of the house with his brother and sister an' get your own house?

J.B. Mhh-hhm.

B.C. Okay..an' what what kina job did your husband have when he was here...like when you moved here.

J.B. From living with my brother n sister?

B.C. mm-hmm.

J.B. well, up little place, up what they call that they call that down in the alley do

G.B. That's where you moved to.
 
J.B. yeah.

G.B. What kind of work did daddy do?

J.B. what kind of ?great? work what was that..
like what they do with a scoop with a .. something

S.L. Like construction

J.B. Yeah--I reckon that's what you would call it.

G.B. or was it like landscape like doing yards n stuff.

J.B. Mmm-hmm

G.B. which one was it?

S.L. like Flowers?  n Trees?

J.B. nu-uh not flowers.
They did

G.B. build buildings? houses?

J.B. Well, I guess maybe that's what you call it.
 
B.C. So he worked outside, right?

G.B. An what else did he do?

J.B. Well...?but I already did?

G.B. What else kind of work did daddy do?

J.B. He n mister Harrel was going to go buy one

G.B. going to buy one?

J.B. mm-hmm. and and he used to come home with it sometimes...and do the garden what did he do...he drove a what?

J.B. Tractor? oh. mm-hmm

B.C. Oh, so he was going to go into business for doing' that for people.  So you had a garden?

J.B. yeah.

B.C. Do you still have a garden?

J.B. MMM-hmm.

B.C. What do you grow in it?

J.B. Well, he raise corn n

G.B. No, do you still have a garden?

J.B. Hmm?

G.B. Do you still have a garden now?

J.B. Naw..it's grown up now it's grass

B.C. oh..well what did he used to grow in the garden....what did your husband grow in the garden what did he grow in it when you had it?

J.B. corn, beans, 

B.C. Tomatoes?

J.B.: Yeah.

B.C. n'kay.

S.L. n what else?

G.B. N what else?

S.L. What other kind of things?

G.B. What else did you have in the garden?

J.B. Turnip green

G.B. mm-hmm n what else?

J.B. Oh what else 

G.B. Those little yellow things 

J.B. Mmm...Squash--something I don't like

B.C and S.L [laughing] you don't like squash? uhh.

G.B. And what else? One other thing...you like it fried now.

J.B. tomatoes.

G.B. well, yeah we had tomatoes n what else?

J.B.  I like it fried now?

G.B. uh-huh..Those green things...those long green things that look slimy.

J.B. Green beans?

G.B. yeah we had green beans.

[knock at the door]

J.B. squash?

G.B. yeah we had squash n what?...Okra

J.B. okra

B.C. Okra...fried okra's good.  I like that.

S.L. yeah.

B.C. so um did you think that that stuff, that food that you grew in your garden, did does did it taste better to you than the stuff  that you buy in the store? You think it taste better?

J.B> I don't know about tasting' better..but it was just fresh you liked it better than going to their store...I guess cause that had been made together n kind of dried out or something..I don't know.

S.L. 'Cause my mom and my grandmothers swears that food doesn't taste the same just doesn't taste right.

J.B. Well, I told Gail that I told her that not to me don't taste like it. I don't believe it do.

S.L. Cause she says [laughing] They swear, like...she's like onion...onion used to make you really cry, but that onion today, you can't even work up a tear with that thing...an oh food used to taste good it used to have a taste bout everything just tastes the same...I don't know what they're doing to this food today I today.  I hear that every time like we're in there and we're cooking something...she's like oh--I don't know what they're doing the food just doesn't taste the same anymore.  It used to taste good. you had your stuff in your own garden an..so I hear that lecture every time.  So apparently, I don't know what food tastes like any more cause the food just isn't good.

G.B.  now See you  didn't know the taste of fresh food.

S.L. Like my mother..well my grandfather just died uh two years ago and they used to always have a garden n so they'd have eggplant an' oh--the collard greens, and oh,the all the 

G.B. We used to have all that.

S.L. oh yeah, oh yeah..but you said.. But you're saying you do taste a difference?

J.B. uh huh It do

G.B. What else did you all have beside a garden?

B.C. Did you have animals?

J.B. Beside a garden?

G.B. uh-huh.  what else did you all raise?

J.B. We would raise something?

G.B. mm-huh. And we'd go to ?noonan? sometime and kill them

J.B. An take them?

G.B. uh-huh.  We used to have one down at uncle Fats

J.B. A garden?
 
G.B. No, not a garden.  What kind of animals did we have,,, and you like you loved their feet still now?

S.L Oooh--

G.B. What's that?

S.L. Wasn't chicken.

G.B. We had some chickens we raised some chickens 'n we killed some chickens.

S.L. But not for their feet.
[Everyone laughs]

G.B.huh? 

J.B. Said we would raise them

G.B. What what what what kind of feet do you like now?

J.B. Feet?

G.B. uh-huh Reverend Johnson brings you some down from the curb market  he bring

J.B. Oooohh goodness, pig feet.  

S.L You like them pickled? pickled

J.B. No, I don't want them pickled.   

S.L You don't like them pickled pig feet

J.B. I just like them cooked you know cooked 

B.C. So you had pigs, you guys  you raised pigs and then you take 'them and kill 'them.

J.B. haw we never did ...yes we did one time. 

S.L. Well, I hope you weren't eating a live pig.

B.C. That'd be sort of dangerous? might make you sick
[everyone laughs]

J.B. Naw, we eating pit feet.  Well we raised hogs one time

B.C. you did?

J.B. [unintelligible] yeah

S.L. So pigs n chickens?

J.B. mmm-hhmmm

B.C. Now when you would um
 
S.L. Wait, wait, wait--I got to ask now...did you eat the whole hog?

J.B. hush

S.L. Were you living' high on the hog?  Were you' eating the whole hog?  And the tail an...It was funny--we were just watching something and they said oh we ate everything except the except there squeal.  An then they said oh but we didn't eat the chitlins and I was like What and this was at our conference we were just at, and I and I said what? What do you mean and I was like Oh wait I'm talking' a little too loud. And I was like you didn't eat the chitlins.
 
G.B> now I don't eat the chitlins'

S.L. Oh I love chitlins, You got to love the chitlins--oohh

G.B. I watched them clean them so then I decided

B.C. you didn't no more.

G.B. I didn't like chitlins

B.C. But It isn't that always how it is cause if you see the way you get some sort of food then you are always think ughh 

S.L. No, I'd watch them to make sure they're clean good..but after that.

J.B. I don't eat them--ss ughh certain people had to clean them fore I’d eat them. I didn't want anybody to clean them
 
S.L. that's right. but you you just got to make sure they're cleaned well and then after that...you know you eat them

B.C. Now when you kill your pig would you give some of the the meat to different people in your family to have would you share it with everybody or a. 

J.B.If I give it to all of them to have, then I wouldn't have none.

[laughter all around]

S.L. You did say, Now you did say you went to noonum, that's where the other family was.

G.B. That's my daddy's sister.

B.C. So you had to share it with them if you went there. 

J.B. Yeeahhh.  I didn't let them know too much about it.

B.C. If you tell them too much about it, 

S.L. That's not right, that's not right.
then they'd say come on down and try to get your food.

J.B. they might come then.

S.L. You were inviting them to dinner I know [unintelligible]

J.B. oh me.

S.L. Were there other sort of dishes did you liked besides pigs' feet?

J.B. A part of the pig side the pig feet?

S.L. Or other dishes like that that you were doing from you r garden or from special things that you were...

J.B. Raised corn, green beans

S.L. I know, but were there special dishes cause I you know pigs' feet is considered a special thing.
 
J.B. yeah

B.C. Or a special meal that you would cook on a certain holiday what would you like did you have a special food that you always cooked every time on Christmas.

J.B. oh..I can't remember, let's see. 

G.B. What do we do every Thanksgiving?

J.B. Oh

G.B. an everybody always wan you to do it.

J.B. want me to do it?

G.B. uh-huh  'n I tell you I'm about as good as you are but ya'll won't let me try it.

S.L. Oh I've gone through that.  Now I'm the queen.  
[laughter]

G.B. So what is it...You don't make it anymore. Martina n I make it now

J.B. Martin n I make it?

G.B. Martin and I make it.

J.B. Dressing'?

G.B. Mm-hmm.

S.L. yes

B.C. What do you put in the dressing?

J.B. oh what would I put in dressing? onions n cornbread

S.L. It's not just what you put in it, S.L. and B.C. together:  it's how you make it.
J.B. cornbread n corn you cook a pound of cornbread crumb it up n cut up onion to put in it n what else you put in dressing?

S.L. What kind of onion?  Green? or white? or purple? or yellow? It ain't just any kina onion? You know that. That's how my aunt does...she just tells you a little bit of it she always leaves something out some crucial ingredient.

G.B. mmm-hmm.. so it wouldn't taste as good as [unintelligible]
 
S.L. yeah--some crucial thing. B.C. so you couldn't figure it out.

S.L. yeah you're not telling the whole story

B.C.  she’ll like onion n onion n you know the rest [laughter] 

G.B. N what else did they want you to cook? but what what did the rotary club...what did you cook at the rotary club for the thirty years you worked there?

J.B. oh my..dressing

G.B. n what else?  at the rotary club now. 

J.B. nn what did I cook?

G.B. What did you and Mrs. D(PI) cook? Ms. D(PI) did the rolls n you did the what?  You stand there all the time...n you started out 

J.B. [interrupts] Chicken, fried chicken..Ooh.  I had a stool n I I told them I said ya'll going to have to buy me a stool to fry this chicken.  So one morning I went up there and they had got a stool from someone said Jan we got you a seat now you don't have to do nothing but sit here and that's what I dump it you know I was frying it in a big black skillet, but they bought this thing and I just put a whole lot a chicken over in there that one time..boy that chicken be pile up to the [unintelligible] store.

S.L. Now, what's the secret?  to frying...there's a secret to frying good chicken? like you know is it like fish you know the fish is done when it sort of comes to the top n so you know it’s like what's the secret on the good you know knowing the chicken is 

B.C. done?

J.B. Well, the chicken, wasn’t like fish.  it didn't come to the top you just had a big ole long fork n you stir n you stir it  out in there till' it get good n brown till you know it was done [unintelligible] as done.  N you stack it up there....ova to warmer over the stove boy boy

B.C. It's making' me hungry

J.B. N then we eat chicken, we start eating' chicken by the time dinner time come, we not hungry cause we done eat.[everyone laughs] oh me

B.C. So you cooked that even for other people at the rotary club n' things like that too ...You're famous for your chicken.

J.B. Mm-hmm

S.L. chicken an corn bread dressing' what about macaroni n cheese?

J.B. Na, I never I never did like macaroni n cheese too much I didn’t never just like it but I never... I ain't a good hand on macaroni n cheese Gail will tell you that.

S.L. oh

G.B. What else did you cook?  

J.B.  No that was all Gail

G.B. oh a dessert? Everybody always wanted you to cook some.

B.C. Did you make a special cake or pie or something?

G.B. Did I ever make a cobbler?

J.B. oh Did you ever make a cobbler?
[everyone laughs]

S.L. I was thinking' I was hoping it was cobbler...you didn't have a little time to whip up a little something' already

B.C.Yeah, 

J.B. Yeah yeah

S.L. It wouldn't be peach cobbler, would it?

J.B. Unintelligible

G.B. take the paper out cha mouth so we can hear you.

J.B. What a cobbler n potato pie

S.L. both?

J.B. I'd make it. uh-huh 

G.B. And what n what did ya'll cook them when you was at the church...what did ya'll do on Saturdays?

J.B: On Saturdays?

G.B. Uh-huh, at the church?

J.B. Oh..Well, we reckon [unintelligible] Well we would sell dinners make cobblers well that was cobbler pie n that's the only pie and we would sell we would sell them.  

S.L n people would

J.B. at the old church, when we was trying to get it because it  it was ready to fall down.  N we was thought n then everybody {clears voice} went to saying now they down there... [hh]  trying to sell dinners n buy they preacher' a ca...you know... we wasn’t' trying to buy preacher no ca we was trying to...what were we trying to do?  Something but we wasn’t' trying

G.B.  Get a new church. 
 
S.L. So you single-handedly you single-handedly through your cooking' saved the church?

J.B. mmm-hmm

B.C. You baked for a new church...

J.B. Mmm-hmm

B.C. wow

J.B. but finally see what we got now. 

S.L. I haven't seen the church. I I 

J.B. [interrupts] You got to come see our church. Just drive  by...if you jus don want to go in just go by..the Lord will make a way somehow.  they say down at the old church where I I guess I used to go to when I was a child said this boy down there said..he said he had a time down there the first Sunday at that little church look pitiful ...said he said the lord say I'm going to try to sing for ya'll said the Lord will make a way somehow...said he ought to not to never say that said he dinner have to sang said when he said that  that church just swung a pieces for he ever sung said they he didn’t give up time to sing said that's all he had to say ...but he has a good voice to sing n he said.  

G.B. So who is this that sung? 

J.B.uh ?megnut melvey? what was his name?

G.B. What kin is he to you?  

J.B. hmm?

G.B. what kin is he to you that sung?

J.B. huh?

G.B. What kin is he to you? That was your what?

J.B. Oh--my husband’s nephew.  N uh. said that just tore that church up said he didn’t' have to sang that's all he had to say
said that jus tore that place up.  

G.B. And this was where?

J.B. Hmm?

G.B. and this was where?

J.B. Mount Gillup

G.B. In Where?

J.B. In Kaita County

S.L. oh

J.B. Yeah down n there..waaay down in the country...I always remember we would go to school down there up on that little hill up in them little bushes...up n down in there we would over in there to play... that’s been a long time.  

G.B. Yes, it has.

B.C. laughs

S.L  See you smile when you think of that when you ask about Roswell, I’m getting the

B.C. sad....[all speak at once] she saw you.

J.B. oh me. 

B.C. So when you  when you were a kid, you would run and play outside all day...is that where you would played all the time with your brothers and sisters..outside all day long.

J.B. mm-hmm mostly well we did not want to be in the house mmn-uh we was glad to be outside.
 
B.C. Would you play games like ball like ball or play I don't know tag, running around what would you play?

J.B. We had uh little we had some rag dolls, somebody give us some rag dolls n we play with them. n we as I don’t know what we was glad to have n we'd take some rocks some [unintelligible] called the houses to dolls that live in their house n go see  their.. We'll do anything.. isn't that something;..we didn't want to be somewhere,..just give us anything to play with some  rag doll...n' I remember one these dolls ...I left somebody give us some doll n I left my doll outside n it rained...an her head that stuff come off her head n I took my doll n  put my doll in my sister’s place an carried hers n put hers in mine...now what I do that for?  
[everyone laughing]

S.L. Same reason you said you weren't going to let the family know about the hog feet [eat?]. 

J.B. An tried to make out like that was Leola's doll an I know I had changed it...whew--momma tore me up...she said you know better than that now you know you left your doll outside ...n all that little white stuff come off there wasn’t' nothing she didn’t have no nothing her face peel off n I tried to take her. mmm it's a site what kids won't do...but they don't care nothing bout stuff like that now though..they want other stuff [unintelligent] other stuff

S.L. mm-hh.

J.B. Yeah I's glad to have anything.
  
S.L. What other kinds of things did you have that you liked?

J.B. I don' know...that's all tem..when my dad was raisin watermelons n things we'd go n bust them all up I know that.

B.C. Oh no.  Did you get in trouble?

S.L. You were kind of a mischievous little girl

B.C. You got in some trouble.  You were a troublemaker.

J.B. Well, he'd have big fields of watermelons he didn’t care

S.L. But are you sure?

J.B. Mmm-hm. Well they was little old knotty watermelons he'd a bring to the house n put out there [unintelligible] then he'd throw some other in there for the pigs we'd throw them in  there for the pigs let them eat on them.

S.L. mm-hmm

B.C. So did you have when your dad had this watermelon farm, did you have chores you had to do every day? 

J.B. well...

B.C. Around your house or did you have to go our an help outside or help with the laundry or something like that?

J.B. Naw, we had big grown sisters that did that.  We didn’t

S.L. At some point you must have had some chores to do.  

J.B. Well, cleaning the kitchen up in the morning. We'd clean the kitchen, wash dishes.

S.L. Oh wait I have this big one I need to ask now.  Were you responsible for making up your own bed?

J.B. uh-huh till momma broke us up.

S.L. What do you mean? 

J.B. We'd just go throw the cover up there any way n go on about it... 
[laughter from all ]

J.B. She broke us from that. n' we know knew that wasn’t' right. That just cover just be hanging well just like we got out of it n we'd tell her we done made it up n uh she said ya'll come here said who made up this bed n [unintelligible] we looking at each other n we know who did it she said it's the last time I'm telling' ya'll about this bed said cause when you get out of this bed make it said you don't know  who coming' n your bed ain't even made up it look like where don' look like nobody ever slept in it last night she had a switch n' I got something won't break too[low laughter]...so she call us one by one...pull that sweater up
have on a sweater...pull it off I ain't going to tear up you sweater...she act like she was going to kill us...we thought she was going to kill us. She get us a good whipping that broke us up from that we get out of the bed it just like we got out of it...

S.L. mmm-hhhmm And how old were you when you had to make up , how old did she start when you had to make up your own bed?

J.B.  I don' know how old I was..I done forgot how old I was, but I know she used telling us don't get out of that bed an leave it like that. 

S.L. I was just wondering' cause I got this going on with my own six year old.

J.B. Yeah..

S.L. It's your bed, you slept in it, you make it up.

J.B. Yeah

S.L.  and don't trying that pulling your cover up like you were doing that way.  

G.B.  Mama, you do that now, don't you?

S.L. You don't!

J.B. Well, I do sometimes.
[laughter all around]

S.L. Ohh

B.C. She called you out.

S.L. ohh Now wait..now, you didn't ..with your own children..did you tell them they had to to make their bed up and they had to make it up.

J.B. uh-huh but see they wasn't old as I am though an they was able to make it up...

S.L. They did they try that cover-pulling up thing?

J.B. uh-huh but see I done got old now...I

S.L. So you feel that you can do whatever you want..
That's what my grandmother says...[B.C. also talking]I'm old I can do whatever I want.  I don't know about this...Okay.  It sounds like you were getting all kin of whippings going on.

J.B. I'm telling you.

S.L. Oh naw..Alright alright now we're getting a better picture of you you were the mischievous one

B.C. The trouble-maker.  

S.L. The troublemaker.  I bet you were leading' the pack.  You were going' let's go out there n get daddy's watermelons [B.C. also talks 'bust them up]an let's go out there n bust them up n you were going...let's go in there and not make our beds n see what momma does

J.B. uh naw.

G.B. So who was the one, then..if you wasn’t' the one who was the one...who was the one who got in the most trouble?

J.B. I don't know 

G.B. I don't know you tell me cause you get in plenty trouble now.  

J.B. I don’t know who got in the most trouble

B.C. The boys get in more trouble than the girls you think?

G.B. Well, I don't know whether they did or not...

S.L. I'm seeing you

B.C.  I think it might be her.

J.B. Oh--y'all trying to pin it all on me.

S.L. What was what was school like then for you...when you were growing up?

J.B. Well, school was alright, but the back then we had to go to school we had to walk to school. N' I [?every evening?] we would come from school there was some big boys, older than us...n they say come on ya'll let’s have a fight, they'd make us fight oooh--I'd hate when school would turn out cause I knew we was going to be some fighting going' on there' 

S.L. They made the girls fight?
  
J.B. the big boys would said come on ya'll we going to have a fight alright ya'll come on  the badenes step in the ring first. you know you want to be the bad one get you but whooped anyway.  I'd step in the  that's when I'd get whooped and get on out of the way.  [laughter]  

S.L. oohh.

J.B. [laughter]Yeah--they'd make us fight. You might as well step in there 'cause they was going to make the big uh girls fight they going to come on ya'll let's have a fight the badenest step in there first n' you step in there like you bad ain't going to do nothing but get your butt whooped and get on out of there.  Yeah they was sight.
  
B.C. Now when you had to go and fight, did you have to fight another girl or would you have to fight a boy?

J.B. girl.

B.C. so two girls fight two boys fight.

J.B. MM-hmmm. 

B.C. okay.

J.B. Yeah, you know you want to be the bad 'in you didna not want to be bad you step in the ring but you going to get tore up when you got in there anyway.

S.L. oh my goodness

B.C. so you just get it over with get your beatin n get out

J.B. [interrupting]get in there get it over with n get over n look at the rest of them 

S.L. ya'll were supposed to have school on your mind.  No wonder you didn't want to go past the eight grade. It's fortunate you made it to the eight grade. 

J.B. mm-hmm Sure is.

S.L. aw you did good.

J.B. Sure did.

S.L. un-uh, un-uh.  What about what was going on in school then .  I don't know if I want to know anymore about what else  was going on after school if that was the...I could see how that would have a lastin' memory for you...but what was in school like for you?

J.B. well, it was alright in school really.
  
S.L. Did you guys have I remember I was talkin' to my granmother did you guys have it where it was more like a one-room school house an multiple grades were in there

J.B. Yeah, mmm-hmm. yeah and then in one ta' uh school the mens  come an put a patition in between dere an made three well I reckon you call em classrooms.  It was justa building uh big room n dey divided it up so we could have diffren rooms..mmm

S.L. mm-hmm

J.B.  No it watn nothing like what kids have now
 
S.L. N was there..I assume at that point then you didn't ever go to a school where there was integration at anyway

J.B. Mmm-hmm, mm-hmm

S.L. So there was always just one school for blacks n then a different a different school for whites always 

J.B.mm-hmm

B.C. Now what about when you moved here an you had your children here..did they go to school with mixed? or was it not 
J.B. Yeah--it was mixed.

B.C. It was mixed.

J.B.  mm-hmm  but no it wasn't when we firs started..oh that was a sad day when it was integrated

B.C. Was it s..What happened?  Tell me about it.

J.B. Well they, well nothing happened, you know it just got out what was gonna happen but nothing did cause everybody was uh  worried bout their chile about their children People didn wanna go ta work cause they wanted ta be home ta see bout their childrens n'all Gail was in dere.  I don' guess dey done away wi' her cause she still n here [G.B. laughs]

S.L. N how old how old was she then when integration occurred?

J.B. How old were you Gail?

G.B. bout my eight grade year.

J.B. mm-hmm

B.C. So were you worried about her that day at school?

J.B. Yes!  We were [unintelligible] worried bout that chil but nothin you know how people get started talkin n can't [?help but sayin things?] n then nothin happened that day

B.C. So nothing bad happened here in Roswell onthat day?
 
J.B. No...the white people were nice. They were real nice.

S.L. An what were schoo what were the schools like before that? What were the black schools like in general or I guess or was it just one school?

J.B. One school

S.L.  What was that what was that school like? 

J.B. Well, it wasss

G.B. Where was the school?

J.B. Where was it?

G.B. um-hum.

J.B. It was out from where we lived.  It wasss

G.B. What was the school that uh Pat an Bo went to?

J.B. huh?

G.B. What was the school where Pat and Bo went to an I went my elementary school year.  Where did they where did black kids go to school?

J.B. Alpharetta.

G.B. And what was the name of that school?  Do ya remember?

J.B. nn, good Lord, what was the name of that school?

G.B. Bailey what?

J.B. hmm?

G.B. Bailey what?

J.B. Bailey Johnson.  mm-hmm.

B.C. wow so you had ta go all the way ta Alpharetta...

G.B. mm-hmm

G.B. An it was an elementary an high school togetha

B.C. Wow

S.L.  unn? So that was in a black community then ...

J.B. mmm-hmm yeah

S.L. Okay alright n so then they were bussed 

B.C. Did you ride busses?

S.L. Your children were bussed to school?

J.B. Not then

G.B. yeah, we were bussed when we went ta Alpharetta.

J.B. oh yeah, cause  we couln walk up there.

S.L. okay. An then the white kids went to school in town.  

J.B. No, [unintellible]

G.B. Yes, cause the white kids went ta schools in Roswell cause ya know it was Roswell Elementary right across I coulda walked

B.C. So Roswell had only white schools in it for a long time?

G.B. Right.

B.C. Wooow!

G.B. They were small black schools at one time, real small black one-room schools at one time but then they built a school in Alpharetta an it took on uh kids from Semi-springs,uh Duluth, Sheltonsville as they called it them, uh Alpharetta an Roswell, so it was like four or five different small towns that tha black kids were bussed ta school.

S.L. Hmm interesting. I see. Umm and then what was it like after integration?  After the schools were integrated?  What was school like then... here?

B.C.  Do ya think your kids got a good education after integration after integration or do ya think it was better before integration cause some people say we got a better education when it was all all black schools...
what do you think?

J.B. Iiii  I really I think if the kid really wan'd ta get uh educa education....I think it kinda help [hope] them I think  ta my notion 

S.L. It kinda what?

J.B. MM-hmm

S.L. It kinda.. It k.. What did you say you think

J.B. I think it help [hope] the black kids...

S.L. Okay. So it didn' matter.  You think integration was a good thing then

J.B.  Mmm-hmm Yeah...from my notion anyway.

S.L. You think you thought it was better with

B.C. What d'jou you think? What did you enjoy more?

G.B. Yes and no.  Uhmm..we had more opportunities to do things.  An I guess the biggest hurt I got an realized was that when I got ta Roswell high, I found out we had been usin' second hand books an we were kinda behind as far as uhmm I guess in some of our lesson as far as math English ne stuff 'cause we were using second-han books or a later date book.  But I guess the good thing was that we had a few teachers who took time after school cause that year it was only eight blacks that went to Roswell high cause integration had just started but the school had hadn't closed in Alpharetta so when we went ta school uhh there was only eight at that time an  we all in you know different kinda class different grades so I can remember that in eigth grade I had a math teacher and uh English teacher that stayed after class with some a the blacks ta help them ya know come up ta the same level as the white kids but in one sense I guess I felt like in the black schools, the teachers  cared more about you in tha sense of makin' sure you got what ya need an if ya didn't get what ya needed they definiately call your parents an toldjou. whereas  our parents wadn used to going to PTA an I mean they went ta PTA but not like tha PTA in tha white schools cause to me the white schools  it was more uh political type thing you know who had the money who didn have the money type situation  but uh it was fine.  But it was hard I guess for me because when we go to a class an they say in groups an all my classes I'd be tha only black an uh the teacher would havta put me in a class cause even though everybody was nice but nobody would choose you because you know they chose their friends.

S.L. and B.C. mm-hmm

G.B. And it was like okay an then they'd say well Shirley uh you need ta go ta this class uh Shirley doesn't have group to go in, so is somebody gonna accept her you know but as I went through school it got a little bit better cause you interacted more with tha kids n stuff an got ta know em better even though you knew most of the kids that were there because ya played wit em be.. that they lived in Roswell an basically 'roun your area but at school you know it's diffren cause [?of their?] friends

S.L. I see.  n'k

B.C. SO what.. So I have a really quick guestion.  Did uhmm the teachers in Alpharetta were they all black teachers?

G.B. mm-hmm

B.C. Did they ever come to the schools in Roswell then?

J.B. uh one teacher did

B.C. okay. okay

S.L. Well then what about the one-room schools that your were talkin about that were already here? Did those schools close an 

G.B. [interrupting] They had closed

S.L. An' did those teachers go to Roswell...

G.B. They had closed. [S.L. talking] They had closed. An mostly I think those teachers I think were more or less from uh from Atlanta.

S.L.  ohn.

B.C. wow

S.L. An so none of those children that were goin to thos schools when went to Roswell?

G.B. No.  cause they 

S.L. [interrupting] cause they closed

G.B. cause this was early on...so when those schools when Bailey Johnson opened the one-room schools in Roswell closed 

S.L. Hmm...okay...I thought they were going on simultaneously. alright okay. 

B.C. wow.

S.L.Very interesting

B.C. It is--so when you sent your kids to school, you had to get them for their clothes that they would wear to school now did you make their clothes or did you buy their clothes?  So when you sent her to school did you make her clothes or did you buy

J.B. No

B.C. No

J.B. ai..et was a lady that sowed sometimes wit' me some things

B.C. So you never sowed?

J.B.  nn-mmn.

B.C. Don't like it?

J.B. ohn..If I...I neva did learn.  I neva did learn ta sow.

S.L. Ohnn cause we were really lookin' for a quilting group.  

[everyone laughs]

S.L. Can't help us help us out with that?

B.C. So did your mom make your clothes for you though growin up? Or no?

J.B. Mm-hmm  when I was growin up.

B.C.  Really?  Now what would she make em' out of?  cause people use diffren things ta make clothes?

J.B. Yeah, but she would buy dis big ole bolt of a um of material.  oh, I remember her buyin it.  All of us had us...we tole momma momma don't buy all that. Ah we don't wanna dress all of don' want a same dress [?some?] made out of that.  We finally stopped her from doin that.  Yeah all of us had the same kinda dre, say all of us have the same kinda dress somebody say ya'll got on the same kin of dress or somethin' like all time mm God

B.C. Cause that's like some people say that their their mom's would make make thier clothes out of feed feed sack
or some sacks

J.B. [interrupting] Well there used to be some chicken feed sacks people made they was pretty chicken feed sacks folks would make dresses out ah.

S.L.  But that's not what your mom 

J.B. nn-uh.  

S.L. made.  You got what do do you remember the material like what kind?  Was it cotton?  Or gabardine?

J.B. I don't know back then a chil I don't remember what kind it wha but I know she'd a buy a whole bolt an all of us uh have a dress made off it...have a dress n

B.C. So everybody' d have the same blue dress or same red dress?

J.B. mmm-hmm. Yeah

B.C. Well,everybody'd know what family you're in.
[everyone laughs]

J.B  Yup, yeah I know

B.C. cause ya'll go together

J.B. yeah, yeah we didn't wanna dress that we'd all have on the same

S.L. There's [unintelligible]family, wearin' that dress.

G.B. Where did ya' get your clothes from in Roswell?

J.B. Oh, ss well, somebody'd give um to me?

G.B. I don't know.

S.L. You mean you didn' shop?

J.B. What was that? Yeah, I uh shop sometimes but it waten well it watn like ya'd have ta have the same kinna dress -mm-hmm all the time it changed

G.B. what kind of shops were in Roswell for ya ta go an shop?  Stores?  Did ya buy your clothes in Roswell?  Did ya buy our clothes in those?

J.B. Not all of em I don' I don't know I don't reckon I don't think so 

G.B. You don't think so.  Well, where did ya go?

J.B.  Well, I reckon I did.  I don't know

G.B. Where was the stores at in Roswell where you'd go shoppin' for us?

J.B. Store was over where we called over in town there. We went to [?Roswell?] sto...wasn' that what they called it?

G.B. mm-hmm.  

J.B. Well, that was where I would go.

G.B. Did ya pay for it or did ya get it on credit?

J.B. Well, I paid fer it.

G.B. mm-hmm

S.L. okay..so

J.B.Na--it wasn costin what it cost now. Take a dolla an buy enough material to make two or three dress [laughs]

S.L. mm-hmm

B.C. So would you go buy the material and take the material for the lady to make dresses for her?

J.B. mm-hmm

S.L. oh, I see.

B.C. Wow

S.L. okay

B.C. now would the lady charge you alotta money to make the dresses?

J.B. I don' think it cost too much

B.C. okay just a couple dollars?

J.B. mmm-hmm something

S.L. I am actually interested in this about the wi with the  shopping too and the point there was integration because it was with the questions you were asking cause could you just go to any store? Or were there only certain stores you could go to because you were black?

J.B. Naw, you could go ta any store.

G.B.  Could you go in tha front door, or did you have ta go to tha back door?

J.B. In the fron do I don' remember goin ta tha back do.

G.B. How bout with tha restaurants? Could ya

J.B. Oh the restaurant ya had ta go ta tha back do

G.B. For the restaurants?

J.B. mmm-hmm yeah ya hav ta couldn't go to the front, had to go ta the back

G.B. Why ya havta go ta tha back?

J.B. I don' know

G.B. Were there signs up?

J.B. mm-hmm.

G.B. What the sign say?

J.B. They tol ya ta go ta the back

G.B.  Take ya han down.

J.B. Tole ya ta go ta tha back.

G.B. Okay were there kinna signs that said something here an somethin there?

J.B. What did they say?

G.B. I don' know.  You tell me.  Do you rememba?

J.B. I done forgot

G.B. How bout Charlie Bottom's? 

J.B. oh [laughs]

G.B. Why ya laugh?  What about him? What about that store?

J.B. It was alright.

G.B. Okay so what did  did he have a sign up?
 
J.B. mm-hmm

S.L. That's means something else when ya do that...[B.C. and S.L. talking together]When you way it was alright.

B.C. So [unintelligible] something good. 

S.L. What's that mean? I wanna know about this Charlie Bottom. you know, you know. I want 

B.C. We need ta know bout the sign.  

G.B. What did tha sign say?

J.B. I don' know. I done forgot.  What did it say?

G.B. You don' rememba?

J.B. Well it said I rememba some'in bout Cha cha uh who?

G.B. Charlie Bottom

J.B. Charlie Bottom.

G.B. mm-hmm. Charlie Bottom that little store that was across next ta tha jail.

J.B. What did his sign say?

G.B. You tell me?

J.B. I done forgot what it said.

G.B. Well, could you go in there and eat?

J.B. Naw...

G.B. Why?

J.B. Cause we was black
 
G.B. Okay. How bout uptown in the ole Roswell store you remember tha bird?

J.B. tha bird?

G.B. uh-huh remember that they hada uh bird in tha store in Roswell store. What would tha store say what would tha bird say when we'd go in tha. 
  
J.B. Nigger?

G.B. hmm-hmm nigger what?

J.B. Nigger run?

G.B. uh-huh nigger what 

J.B. Nigger what?

G.B. uh-uh? Nigger stealing.

S.L. and B.C. together:  oh really?

B.C. In the Roswell store?

G.B. mm-hmm

B.C. Now that's where the CBB is now right?

G.B. uh-huh. Right next door to it.

B.C. Okay.

G.B. Usta be Roswell store.
 
B.C. An there usta be a movie theater up there to somebody said

G.B. Not, now that's oh no in the middle of town

B.C. Now could you go to tha movie theater or no?

J.B. hmm?

S.L. Could you go to tha movies?

B.C. Could black folks go to the movie theater?

G.B. Could we go to the movies? At Ms. D(PI)'s theater?  Could we go ta tha movie?

J.B. nn-nn

S.L. Naw? So was there any place you could go ta tha movies near here?
 
J.B. nn-nn. No Ma'am.

B.C.  Now were there some 

S.L. But you could go to the stores and buy clothes?

B.C.  An ther were only some restaurants you could go to?

S.L. Wow.  So on the day that there was integration like you could go to the schools was that the same day that you could then go to these stores an it was okay? To the movies? To these restaurants?

J.B. I don' tha.. could we go afta that?

G.B. Slowly

S.L. So--some of the nice people let you come in but not all of them.

J.B. mm-hmm

S.L. hmmm.

B.C.  So the Roswell store when were finally you were basically you could go in there but you would get people messin' withya 
 
G.B. I wen' in there an for whatever reason, that bird always sticks out in my mind [laughs]

B.C. Oh of course it would uh yeah, [through G.B. and own laughter] I mean ya go in the store and there's a bird messin with ya I mean come on even tha bird. 

G.B. I mean an you know would be you know you'd go you know in a section an this bird would just [?little an?] say nigga stealin nigga stealin a parrot, that's what it was they had trained this bird.

Male voice:  an there wasn' no stealin going on?

G.B. No 

[male voice says something inaudible]

S.L. You remember tha bird?  You remember tha bird?

J.B. I don't remember tha bird?  

G.B. You don't remember?

J.B. nu-uh. UHGG probably I wasn' payin any no tension.  

S.L.  Do you remember other other places like that other historic places in town like that besides this movie theater or this apparenly this infamous store...I guess I will call it now other  historic places like that or buildings like that around town in Roswell?

J.B. mmmm yeah.

G.B. Was there ever a time when you felt like uhmm there was some racial tension goin' on in Roswell?

J.B. Was what?

G.B. There was some racial stuff goin on that they wanted tha  black fold ta move out an stuff like that?

J.B.  naw. I ain't neva felt like that.

S.L. You didn't ever feel unwelcome here by white people?

J.B. nn-uh.

G.B. You sure? Okay when we had the boys club for our recreation what happened then?
 
J.B. Oh When Mista D(PI)  give us that buildin' out tha what it was then I felt like that

S.L. How come?  What happened?  What was so uh problematic about that? Why was there a problem with you guys just gettin' a building?

J.B. Well, they wanted after Mista  D(PI)..watn' it him Gail

G.B. I'm not sure bout his name.

J.B. What was his name?

G.B. It doesn't matter.

J.B. Give the boys club that building out tha...an they well, that's when they bu'nt the cross out tha....out tha  [unintelligible] 

S.L. Has there ever been any problem so or I guess that's one but problems like that with the Have you ever felt there's been an issue with blacks sort of taking over like there's been this idea that whites feel  like blacks are getting there's uh too many blacks coming in...we don't want so much of a black presence in town we don't want too many blacks here you know 8% is enough an that's good enough we don't want any more.

J.B. Naw, i ain't never felt like that.

B.C. So I have a quesiton. Nowadays do all of the black folks still live in one area of town togetha or is it more mixed up? Because it sounds like when you first moved here the black folks all sorta lived close together...did you guys live in teh same area together.

S.L. You know like you were saying there weren't many blacks here when you came an then you got two churches an so there must have been  enough to get two churches instead of having one, but then we talked about  the schools were still in the black comm where the blacks lived an the churches  were where the blacks lived but then  we got to the point where we have integration rights so blacks were going to tha black schools an slowly blacks could to ta black  stores an stuff an has there gotten to a point then where blacks no longer are living just among other blacks that blacks now live in some places where whites or maybe whites live where blacks live is that has that happened yet where its not just blacks living in the black section of town. An 

B.C.  So the black people are here and tha white people are over here an

J.B. Naw it ain't like that I don' think

S.L. It's not like that anymore.

J.B. nn-uh.

G.B. I think you're confused.

J.B. What?

G.B. Okay do the blacks live any where they wanna live in Roswell now?

B.C. Can you move where ever you want to? 

S.L   You feel like that.

J.B. I think so. Yeah

S.L.  You feel you could do that...but do people actually do that?

J.B.  Mm-hmm they do. 

B.C. They do now. So awhile back you couldn't do that.

J.B.  Mm-hmm

G.B. When you first moved here where were ahh were there certain sections where blacks lived?

J.B. Yeah 

G.B. Where were the sections?
Janie Transcript 2

JB uh what' dey call uptown.. the black section?

GB uh-huh

JB Well down town they call that

GB where ya live?

JB I  live downtown ...that what dey call thear

GB uh-huh

JB An then up an what they call that up in the alley that's what dey call that.

BC Up in the alley?

SL So downtown an the alley?

JB mm-hmm uptown.  We call that up in tha alley

GB So blacks mostly lived in how many sections of Roswell then?

JB two

SL n'kay So now you'll find blacks living all over Roswell?

JB mm-hmm live anywhere

SL What about whites do whites do you find any whites living in uh up in the uhm living downtown an in this in the alley?

JB mm-hmm

GB not in the areas we live...

JB where we live

GB where blacks usta live

BC So they won't live in a house that a black person usta live in

GB mm-hmm

BC no?

SL So it's pretty much the blacks will go out but not the whites will come in

JB  mm-hmm right

BC now what about Atlanta cause since you've lived here Atlanta has changed a lot 

JB yeah

BC hadn't it?

JB mm-hmm

BC Did d'jou um I hear somebody I talked ta somebody here before an they said there usta be a long time ago a a car or bus that would come inta town an take people into Atlanta is that right? It was called a jitney or somethin' like that?
That mighta been a white people thing

GB It mighta been [laughs]

BC How interestin though I can see I didn' know I never even heard of that maybe that was a white people thing ya had ta like pay money ta get a ride inta Atlanta or somehtin' like that when the roads were still dirt roads

JB Well a bus usta well that was on the highway though a bus if ya want ta go ta Atlanta catch tha bus you'd go around tha corna n catch tha bus

GB Like the greyhound bus not like a [?Martin?] 

BC N kay. right

SL So did blacks use that did blacks use that take this greyhound type bus ta go ta Atlanta but I gather that was segregated too

JB mm-hmm yeah Yeah ya ride tha bus down ta tha bus uh place an then ya haveta walk up in town an that was a mile or more afta ya

SL really? n'kay not for convenience apparenly in some respect.  uhm  Okay we were told how much Roswell has grown  

JB  It really have

SL So does it feel like its gotten a lot bigger or does it still feel like sort of a small town that you came to sixty years ago?

JB it's lots bigger lots bigger

SL  N'kay so it doesn't have that small-town feel anymore.

JB un-huh

BC So could you usta go ta the store an know everybody in the store...

JB hmm?

BC here? A along time ago when you usta go ta the store could you know everybody would you know almost everybody in tha store back twenty or thirty years ago?

JB almost then they

BC an now if ya go ta the store do ya know

JB No! No ya don't know tha people now tha people

SL What about in the black community? Do ya feel like there really is even though you say that blacks have moved out an moved out an live in other neighborhoods, do you still feel like there is a black community here you know a lot of the people that are in the black community so if you're in that part you still feel like I know 

JB mmm-hmmm yeah

BC So what about though those  people who have moved in from outstide like him?

GB Do you know this man?

JB I seen him but

BC But you don't wanna say ya know him.

JB I won't say I know him I seen him

BC You just seen him out [laughter throughout these last six lines]

JB yeah

BC So what about the people who move in from outside? Are some of em friendly are some of em not friendly?

JB Some of em friendly some of em

BC So some of em beciome members of tha community like em but what about some of em still sorta stay

JB mmm-hmm yeah

BC huh?  So people make a choice when they move here if they sort of wanna be part of the community 

JB I guess so

SL mmm. But do you consider yourself ta be uh I don't know what they call it here Roswellians do you consider yourself ta be a Roswell native really or do ya like ya say I'm from Roswell you know I'm

JB mm-hmm  I'm gonna say it

SL Ya gonna say it [laughs] but hten 

BC Or do ya say I'm from Calita?

SL  You will?  You don't say you're from Roswell you'll say I'm fom Calita is that what you say

JB Naw I say I'm from Roswell mm-hmm I don't mind sayin it.

SL See I don't say I'm from ga for example when people say where are you from you know where do you I say I live in Georgia but I'm from Houston Texas.  I do not claim Georgia as my home. I've just lived here for a little while.  I'm just visiting.  Uhh okay.  Uhmm Do you have you noticed some other changes with uh Roswell since you've been here?

JB Yeah..there's been a lota changesa

SL Besides the growth...what have you noticed some other changes 

JB mmm hmm.

SL good or bad? Can you tell me about some of them?

JB uh? What now?

SL and BC [speaking together] Changes?  Do you think the changes are good or bad that you've seen?
 
JB They were good

BC You think so?

SL Enough to have made you stay here apparently

JB  uh-huh Yeah there wa some changes made me wanna stay

SL Like what?  Wh what what are the changes that you've seen that you thougth 

JB  Well the people they wa nice they change ya know they was nice

GB Did ya make more money up here than ya did in Calita County

JB yes. 

BC So you could make a lot more money here too.

GB So that's probably what made ya stay here

JB uh-huh  [laughs]

BC Workin in the post office an makin money an doing all that right?

JB Yeah, I worked in tha post office... how long did I  work in tha post office?

GB I don' know

BC Well you should you should know everybody from workin in tha post office.  Ya saw all their mail [laughs]

JB uhmm No I didn' see their mail I just empti outta tha

BC [interrupting] Well you jus' saw you saw their name all tha time
 
JB [interrrupting] Yeah I just emptied outta tha bag. I didn'a handle i..you know I jus empties out tha bag

SL mm-hmm What else have you have you noticed in terms of Roswell?  Changes for the better?

JB Well it tha changes from da betta. See when I was workin when Gail was a baby these people ah white people I worked fo dis lady she say she wantin me ta come helpha she say Janie why don' ya  brang your baby on say brang ya' baby on Gail wad'd but how old I done forgot how old

GB You brought me now you know I don' know how old I was
[everyone laughs]

JB naw well she was well she wasn' walkin...I done forgot how  ole she wa she say bring the baby on but I was kinna funny bout it I didn' [unintelligible] bout say bring ha on say this big ole chair out hea say  she'll thank she in tha bed.  I made up my min ta brin ha oni so one day I brang ha on. Well I said I need a lil extra money why don't I take her on.   I carried her on up thea an Mr. M say bring brang her on up hea  an put her out hea in this chair.  He had some ol parfume in a bottle. I hadda all fixed up in a little white dress an he jus ruint my baby's dress. She [unintelligigible] had on tha bes one she had.  He [laughs unintelligible] run it puttin all that mess in't.  Yeah it turn yella spots all in't Ohh I was so mad.  When I got home I could'n wash it out it wouldn come out so she wouldn cry  she wouldn cry if she was hongrey she got I reckon she was scared of tha white folks I reckon [everyone laughs]She wouldn' cry she wouldn do.  An then he   [?got wha?] said Janie you oughta take this baby to da docta cause she too quiet Now I ain't seen no baby won't cry.  She wouldn neva cry hongrey or not hongrey  but if ya feed ha he'd eat. She mustn been hongry she would eat if ya feed ha but she wouldn cry for hongry [outside noice] so I'd feed ha an uh an so well I didn take her to tha docta.  So's I'd carry ha on up tha so an den she'd get hongrey I'd [unintelligible] say Janie brang ha on thar ain't nobody hea but me an you you jus brang ha on well uh an she be alright.   I'd put her out tha in dat chair an she'd stay thar all day if ya didn' go an feed ha cause she wouldn cry for nothin.  I reckon she was scared.  

GB So how long did you work with them?

JB Huh?
     
GB How long did you stay after you decided ta go ta work fer these people?

JB oh long time, a long time, long time. Aw when he uh afta  i went ta work Gail growed up and got grown so he said Janie I'm gonna sen' Gail ta What?

GB It wasn't me it was Pat. 

JB Pat?

GB Mm-hmm it watn Gail it was Pat

JB It wat'n Pat  

GB Okay okay Go head witcha story

JB An he say I'm gonna sen Gail ta ta take dis uh class
so he sa come in der he said well I'm gonna send Gail ta take dis class he said Do ya min it? an i say Naw I don' min it so he sen ha say I'm gonna write a check hea ta sen Gail ta take dis class Do you min it so he sen ha. Didn' you go take tha

GB  it was Pat not me

JB  But I thought it was Pat

GB It was Pat not Gail

JB So well,

SL  Pat's not tha youngest, Portia is right?

GB mm-hmm
   
SL okay

JB  An oh well musta [unintelligible]

GB Where was Mr. D(PI) house at?

JB  Was what?

GB Where was his house at  when ya firs started workin for em?

JB On [?house?] road 

GB No, not when ya firs started

JB Oh, up, up what up uh

GB [?Canton?] street

JB Can street  up that big ole

GB [interrrupting] [unintelligible] Taylor hall now  

BC okay

GB I can rememba goin there.

BC really?

GB mm-hmm

SL Oh so you would go also?

GB mm-hmm See i went 

SL [interrupting] Oh so it wasn't just 

GB I wen I went from a baby on til I wen ta school

SL Oh an then Pat startin going?

GB No, no, Pat was older, but see I was tha one that was tha baby

BC So you were sorta toted along

GB An so I had ta go ta work wif my mom at ta time cause she [unintelligible] lady 

SL okay 

GB so i would getta go ta Mr. D(PI)'s house

SL  Okay. But Pat was tha one who was being sent to this class

GB uh-huh. She went ta college as so he gave her tha money

SL He gave her the money to go to college?

GB Some money

SL some money ta go to college

BC Wow.  So now that house is a historic...

GB mm-hmm

SL So you know a historic site?

JB mmm-hmmm

BC [at same time as SL] you probably knew it well
SL Wow, you worked in a historic site

JB mm-hmm

SL You know it...you worked in any other historic sites that we don't know about

JB Naw.  Ah I were'n uh he wa I uh ain' gonna say I liked it but I [laughs] did he ya know he like ta drink an he can hardly wait til I get thar every mornin' so one mornin' he met me at tha do'or he'd give me a twenty dollar bill he say here Janie go go get me a pint whateva it wa' so one mornin' I come done when ta get tha pint.  I was glad of that cause he uh tell me ta keep tha change [everyone laughs] I know I'd have some money. He'd say keep tha change.  He give me a twenty dolla bill.  I done forgot what it cost but it din't cause that twenty dollars.  I crammed that in my pocket. I said now I know I got some money.  An one  mornin' I come struttin' outta thar and I met up with Joe D(PI) an he a died a laughin.  He said uh I gotcha now.  I done caught cha comin outta tha whiskey store. I'm gonna tell it alova tha Roswell. I'm gonna tell it evawhere I go. He's justa dyin' a laughin' an it upset me so worried an so an I thought he watn' teasin. I thought well now he will tell this an I's said tha's he'll havta tell it I don' know.  An uh he give tha [unintelligible] keep tha change. He be waitin' on me at tha do.  He hadda money in his han'.  Here Janie go get me a pin' or whateva it were. An tha man in tha store knowed he say I know whatcha want. Give me dis money.  I et take tha money an I pay for'et an he give me tha change back an I light out back.  An then one mornin' we was comin' me an him he helped me to tha sto he didn' care who he hit.  I'd be so scared he'd be drivin hittin' people bumpin' em. He wouldn't even stop.

BC Really?

JB  Uh-huh He wouldn stop. It's a wonda tha police didn get us.  He wouldn stop if he hit somebody, he wouldn but I don' reckon he done too much damage.  Yeah it was a sight, it was a sight.

SL So that was your first job every morning to get him something

JB mm-hmm

BC Sounds like he was a reeeaal ...character.

JB mmm-hmmmmm.  

SL That was one another thing you made me think about that since you mentioned his car. Did you have a car ta to get to the places you worked?

JB mm-hmm I had an old piece of car.

[laughter]

SL old piece of car?

JB Naw, I wasn' let nobody hit that cause that was my way ta get aroun.  In tha mornin' it be so cold I rememba a lot of mornings I'd get stuck. [Canton] special deliver oh lord oh mercy  think about all that junk [coughs]

GB  What kind of car did ya'll have when ya first came ta Roswell? Did ya all have a car?

JB nn-uh.  

GB Ya'll didn have a car when ya'll came ta Roswell?

JB What kina car did I have

GB I don't know. I'm askin

JB I didn' have no car

GB So how did ya'll get around?  How did ya'll get ta places?

JB Hmm?

GB How did ya'll get ta places when you first came to Roswell?

JB I reckon with Slim's car.   

SL Oh I see so you borrowed a car or something or you got a ride from them or walked if it was close enough

JB Yeah

SL okay

BC What about uhm I know there were a lot mills an factories here.  Did black folks ever work in those?

JB nn-uh.  Watn no...Well..tha mill I worked at Gooooolly! 

SL You forgot about something?   

JB Yeah I worked at tha factory where they made pants.

BC mm-hmm?

JB  MM-hmm when I firs' come ta Roswell. What were those folks names...you don't know Gail though?

GB thank ya' [everyone laughs]

JB What were them people's...I met um this man he as' me did I have a job I said na he said well I don' know you might could get a job down hea down thea  at that pants factory said they wants somebody to uh down thea said it ain't doin nothing but uh what he say uh sackin what sackin up what?  pants? sackin ? something  uh sackin' up? An I tole him I didn know I'd think bout it an so finally one morning I wen out an [?down thear] dis otha' man ask me he said well there ain't nothing much to it but jus' sackin' up a few pants they leave you layin out hea.  I 'cided I'd do that.  I do that [unintelligible] a sight.   But I  yes, Roswell's alright I likee it alright.

BC Sounds like there were always plenty of jobs around here for people ta have?  

JB hmm?

BC Lots of jobs?  Sounds like Roswell al has always has lots of jobs for people?  A lot of jobs for you.  Cause you had what?  post office working at someone's  house the factory.  So you've had lots of jobs

JB mm-hmm

BC So Roswell's been to you for that I guess

JB yeah

BC yeah?  Maybe not [laughter] You don't sound too convinced.

JB yeah Roswell's alright I liked it after all

SL After after all you said

JB i'm tellin' you.

SL  nn-huh.

BC I bet your kids wouldn' move away from Roswell?

JB Naw, they liked it afta they grow up.

BC You don't think they liked it when they were growin' up though?

JB uh-huh I think they did.

GB Would you want to go back ta Noonan?

JB nn-uh

GB Well, why not?

JB Cause 

GB Cause what?

JB I jus' wouldn like it

GB I thought you loved Calita County?

JB I did...then.  I don' know more

GB Oh so you love Roswell now?

JB mm-hmm

SL Cause your out with your family...this family that thinks their too far away?

JB uh-huh.  Yeah my family...it was always too far for my family ta come.  They's always too fa ta go up there.   

SL So now you're just out with'em?

JB hmm?

SL You're just out with em now?

JB mm-hmm

BC So are you when you moved up here did they think you became city folks when you moved up here?

JB Maybe that's what they thought.

BC Ya think

JB Mus Might'a been

GB They didn' think that think  we was city.  They thought we was what? They thought we lived in the country.

BC Really?

SL What's their excuse now?

BC Now you live in tha city.  Ain't no question about that.

JB yeeahh.

SL Well do you keep in to..do you talk to em on the phone or anything?

JB mm-hmm yeah

SL Are all of your brothers and sisters still living or?

JB No, no, no I don't have but one sista livin'

GB You don't have but how many living?

JB Let's see.  Two.  I have two sistas livin

GB Where do your sisters live?

JB One live in...where where does [?Letta?] live?

GB You tell me

JB uhh I done forgot.

GB Louisianna

JB Louisianna 

SL Oh that's righ...that's where my family is from? What part of Louisianna?

GB La Plais

JB La Plais?  I woulda never think of that 

SL {unintelligible] from Baton Rouge

JB mmm

SL Baton Rouge [parish?]

GB An your other sista's where?

JB Noonan

GB An [untintelligible]

JB Naw [unintelligible}

GB How bout Marietta?

SL How did tha one sista getta Louisianna? A man? Was it a man?

JB [laughs] Naw, she uh wid her chile wid her daughta.

SL That was gonna be the secon reason that was the other reason I was gonna go with.  Alright, awright.  But you do talk to them on the phone?

JB uh-huh.

SL Okay. Anyhow they have good reason [unintelligible]   But you have other relatives though.  You must have like nieces an nephews an

JB  Yeah, it was uh kina large family of us.  

SL An do they do they call you or talk to you at all?

JB  Well, not that much now.  But when we had our uhh I was so aggravated with them when we had our uh family reunion?  naw?  what wa it?

GB I don' know.  What cha tellin me? What d'ja have?

JB When we had our anniversary?  They didn'

SL [interrupts] Your wedding anniversary?

JB uh-huh 

GB How many years?

JB huh?

GB How many years?

JB How many years?  

GB uh-huh

JB I done forgot how many years it wa

GB It was your what anniversary?

SL 50th maybe

GB Was it your 50th anniversary?  Was that what ya tellin' talkin bout?

JB Yeah...I reckon that was it...naw I thank it was what?

GB  So okay you tell me what you was so aggravated about an then I might  be able ta

[SL and BC Interrupting together] Your family got ya all aggravated about what?

JB Well, I was hmmph what I'm tryin ta think of our uh what what.. 

GB I don't know.  You tell tha story an then maybe I can tell em what you tryin ta tell em.

JB Our family reunion.

GB Your family  hadn' had a family reunion.

JB Well what would I'd a had... up there?

GB Up where?

JB Oh I can't think what it was.

GB Okay.  Who was there?  Maybe that'll help me out.

JB Lot of people

GB Oookay.

SL But it was your side of the family 

JB mmm-hmmm an friends

GB What what about did dey come or did dey not come?

JB Dey didn' come

GB Okay. It was your 50th anniversary...wedding anniversary.

JB Yeah. mm-hmm

SL Okay. You were all mad at em cause they didn't 

JB [interrupting] Yeah! An I knew cause some of em coulda come 

BC Especially if they just live in Marietta

GB [unintelligible]

SL I just don't understand..I just

GB [unintelligible] Yeah there's always one side that visits and one side that don't

BC [saying the same time as GB]. An don't. Yeah there's always one side of the family that your  closer to than the other.  It just happens that way.

SL Now, I'm one of these Texas people an I have this thing with my son.  I wanted him to be born in Texas, but alas,  an we haven't been able to get back to Texas so he'll never be a Texan cause you know that in order to be called a Texan you really have to be born in Texas in Texas.  So is it like that here in Roswell? You know since you're kinda really a transplant can you ever call yourself or you know can you ever really say your from Roswell?  How does that work here? To be truly you know a Roswellian or whatever Roswell people call themselves to feel like your truly home when you're here.  You know what how long do you have ta be here? Like can ya be could you be six years old cause I don't think you could twenty-three years old an say I'm from Roswell ya know.  Your children could say that cause they were actually all born here but how what does it take to actually say I'm from Roswell besides actually being born and raised here?

JB Well, I jus say it

BC You just say it

JB mm-hmm

BC So you say your from Roswell because someone [unintelligible]
Can he say that he's from Roswell, ya think?  We're tryin' ta figure out what it takes ta be from Roswell [laughter]

SL Yeah how long do ya have ta be here?

BC How long have you been here?

Male voice:  seven years
[all talking at once]

SL Is it a heart thing in your heart you know?  I'm just all...Cause I I'm gettin  that you're not you're.  Cause you've been here

BC You think about twenty years and then you could say it?

GB An if you're involved.  An' if you're involved.

BC You think you could say it?

SL But yo she's been here sixty years but see you're in your heart you keep harkenin back ya know  

BC Calita

SL back to Calita County an I just can't feel it.

GB [interrupting] That's where we usta at least well we usta go at least twice a year

BC Really?

GB for homecoming...her church..my dad's church. Uhmm my dad was a Methodist an she was a Baptist so uh

SL So that's why you had the issues with the church because there was never a Methodist church..

JB Yeah
[BC talkin as well "must be Baptists here"]
GB It's one in Alpharetta but not one in Roswell.  They all had Roswell had all Baptists, Baptists church but now a lot of people move here that are Methodists but because there's not a Mehtodist church Black Methodist church in Roswell they join the Baptist church.

BC So still only white people will go to the Methodist church here.

GB Well, there's  a few blacks who will go to tha Methodist church here.

SL I see.  So what do you think it takes then? Cause you've been here sixty years and all I heard was nostalgia for Calita County so apparently it's just not tha years

JB  nn-huh

SL ...although they've chosen you to be a part of this project cause they consider you to be a Roswellian

JB yeah 

BC You're important here.

SL But you know you keep all I heard was oh you know Calita County and oh it was beautiful an oh I came here an got stuck here ya know  but oh it's okay now ya know so it must not be that for you even thought they're sayin that's true

JB uh-huh

SL But what do you think it takes then?

JB Well, well I don't reckon it takes no more of me to

GB So if you say where you're from where would you say you was from? 

JB Roswell

SL That's not what you said in tha beginning [laughter all BC say you're from Roswell?] that's not what you said.

JB  naw..I won't

BC Have you changed your mind? Have we helped you changed your mind?

SL [talking all together unintelligible ].. Now I knowthat made you change your mind.  We brought back some memories that made you think that it's not so bad here now in Roswell. 

BC  You said though that um you went back back home for homecoming.  Do they have homecoming here at the church?

JB Yeah, they do. 

BC Is it a big celebration normally or?

GB Mm-hmm  It's not what we consider a homecomin' at Noonan but it's a 

BC Oh really?

GB but it's a homecoming.

BC What's the difference?

GB Ahh when we go to Noonan people come from far an near now don't nobody come I mean in tha church in Roswell nobody come far an near.  But when you go ta Noonan you have people from everywhere.  

BC Wow so it's a big event there.

GB yeah

BC Do you think it's just because of the size of Roswell because Roswell's so big or you just think it's a diffrent feeling with tha church?

GB Well probably because ah most of the people that went ta Zion they have if they lived here they have moved away an they just don't have that same  

BC [unintelligible] 

GB Yeah right cause they move somewhere else now.

BC I see

GB Cause I don' really feel it when like when they have it it's just

BC Right but it's special when ya go back to tha ones at home from Calita and then that's where you are it's a special event

GB An I guess we have that uhmm old hometown 

BC Small

GB small whea you see people an you might not know their name but you know they some kin ta that's the D(PI) family I know that's a D(PI) an I know that's a D(PI) right there an I know that's a D(PI) over there.   Everybody kinda look alike [laughs]

BC Exactly  

GB In a sense where you can kinna tell what  families they belong to as uh people have a real sense  of that an then they start revival right afta that same week 

BC okay 

GB so they still [unintelligible]

BC  So it's a sort a big built up to a big

GB mm-hmm

BC wow

SL Has there been any talk of starting a  Methodist church here?

GB There's one in Alpharetta.

SL No, starting one here though.  

GB nn-huh

SL So you get all of these disgruntled Methodists walking around [BC talking low at the same time "So how far is Alpharetta"] who really want a Methodist church but won't start one.

GB Well they probably would go to probably go to Alpharetta cause they gettin ready to build a large one cause they have [unintelligible]

SL How far is Alpharetta from here then?

GB Six miles

SL Oh okay I'm sor...

Male voice  We're we're connected at the city lines we're joined so once you get out of 

BC It's just here. 

Male Voice out of Roswell you're in ta Alpharetta 

SL oh so it's not far.

GB 'Bout six miles.

SL oh okay

BC Seems like it's far away for some reason too.  I guess when you look on a map it's like here an then they put the dots on the opposite sides so it looks like it's far..

GB So you ya know you could go two miles an you'd be in Alpharetta basically on the line.

SL and BC [together] BC So it's not really a big deal  
SL Alright so there's not a need to have to have one here.

SL So you could go to a Mehtodist church if ya wanted to

GB Well she was a Baptist.  My dad was Methodist

SL Oh I'm sorry.  I thought you said it was the other way around.  Okay.  So how so your so how long has your husband been dead then?

GB Remember?

JB Nine years

GB Aghh...eleven

JB Not that long

GB Eleven 

JB Eleven 

SL I see. Okay

JB Eleven year

SL I forgot in term so of your residence then...your not still living in that house right?  That you and your husband lived in?

JB nn-huh

GB You sure?

JB What?

SL You are still living in the same house. Okay

JB Yeah, yeah mm-hmm

SL That you and your husband lived in.

BC Is that that same house that you moved into after you moved out of your brother and sister with your brother and sister-in-law when you moved here?

JB. mm-hmm

BC Is that the first house that you and your husband had together?

JB yeah

GB No it's not.

JB Naw cause we lived up on that bank ova there'n.

BC So this is the second house that you and your husband had here.

JB Mm-hmm It's the second house

SL okay

GB So how long have you been in that house?

JB Oh--how old are you?

GB [laughs] Not a fair question.
[everyone laughs]  Oh..fifty one years

JB Fifty-one

SL That's how long you've lived in that house?

JB  MM-hmmm

SL Now do you live that do you live there by yourself or do you have other people with you?  

JB  mmm-nn I was

GB Who live in tha house with you now?

JB Gail you [unintelligible] somebody who live with me.  mm-hhmm

SL N-kkay.  And you must get visitors everyday  that come by and say hi grandma hi great grandma  or hi mom how are ya doin'

JB laughs

GB She tole em [look] Sunday they could come by but dey didn' need to stay long. She was tired.

{Everyone says Ooohh, OOhh ]

JB Honey that parade Saturday you know I was ready to lay down

BC Was that a long parade?

JB What are you talkin bout?   We sit ther I don' know how long fore dey moved an it was just inchin' I guess it took us an hour ta ge ova in da road. ooohh mmmm Get up yonda to tha corna to turn ta go up tha street honey mmmmmmmmm I ju'' yeah

SL I don't care where ya go but ya gotta get outta here.

JB An folk had the little bitty chilrens out dere an some peoples ha little bitty babies out dere I mean didn have em wrapped in nothin jus had em I know dem babies was cold.

SL nn-uh nn-uh okay

GB So were you in tha parade?

JB  Huh?

GB Were you in tha parade?

JB mmm-hmmm

BC You were?

JB I was looked enough like [unintelligible] Say aw Ms Jamie, dey says dey know who I were.  Ey Ms Jamie.  I didn have no candy.  Dey had I hate I didn' have no candy.

BC So you were in the parade?  

JB mmm-hmm

BC So did you ride on something? 

JB mm-hmm truck 

BC wow 

JB An we was decorated Oh Lord

BC For what? What were you what was the group that you were with in the parade?

JB hmm?

BC What was the group that you were with in the parade what what group were you in tha truck with who were the people that you were ridin' in tha truck with?  

JB Oh Barbara D(PI)

GB Okay what was the group? Who wer ya all representin'?

JB Grovewell Coas'

SL What is that..Gro

JB Groveway that's Gail's Gail's thing...Groveway

GB Is that Gail's thing?

JB Good ole Groveway.

SL I see

BC So what is Groveway

GB You gonna tell em what Groveway is?

JB What is Groveway?

GB You tell me.  Cause you started in it fore I did so you tell me.

JB mm I don know

GB You don't know

JB nn-huh Oh me

GB An uncross your legs 

JB un-huh

GB Uncross your leg.  Groveway is a nonprofit uh group where it started off uhhm it was more like the it was a Groveway community center where the blacks it was their recreation center an then they decided to make it more or less an organization because they tore down tha buildin' an gave I won't say they gave it was a lease 99 year leased to a child development center cause they were gonna help our kids go to uhmm daycare and kindergarten because at that time blacks were not goin to  daycare or kindergarten there was nowhere for kids ta go  or parents to leave their kids so we stayed organized so we do a lot of things. We get politically involved community involved  in helping the needs of our seniors and youth in tha community.

BC and SL MMM

BC Very active group

GB So I always say we pick up wher tha churches leave off here.  Even though we don't have money we have 
resources to tell you where ta get it.   

BC Right. Wow

SL Oh you gotta be on city council sounds like.

GB No

SL  You gotta vote right here write right there.

[everyone laughs]

SL Okay is there 

SL and BC whispering [unintelligible]

BC Oh yeah are ther any uhm is there anything about Roswell or that's happened in Roswell that you think is really important that kids should know about kids in future generations like that your grandchildren should know about that happened here like is integration important do you think that we shoul that your grandchildren and your great grandchildren should hear about this stuff?  or any stories about the area that kids should know about?

JB Well, I guess so I reckon

SL Like if you before like before before we leave is there is there something that before we leave we should that we should really know-- you really need to tell us?

BC Yeah if you gotta ta tell us something really important about Roswell what would be the things you would tell us about Roswell?  That if somebody said should I move to Roswell an you had ta tell em why why would you tell em ta move ta Roswell?  

JB Well I would tell em well Roswell I think Roswell is a good place ta live. I like it an I think they should.  

SL  How come? It's a good place for families?

JB place for familes

SL Is it a good place for families?  A good place for children? A good place for African Americans? Is it

JB Yeah

SL All of those things its a good place for.

JB Yeah

SL Now.  Not in the past, but now.

JB Now but in tha past [unintelligible]

BC So now you would say you would tell people come on an live here but maybe forty years ago uhh maybe?

JB Yeah I would tell em ta come on an live now. I would

GB But back then you woulda tole em ta come?

JB nn-uh

SL Cause you didn' wanna be here.
 [everyone laughs]

BC She's say don't come but come pick me up an  take me back with you. 
  
SL uuhmm

GB Why because there was nothin ta do in Roswell?

JB nn-uh

BC Was it boring?

JB nn-uh

GB Was it boring in Roswell? Was it many things much entertainment for blacks to do?

JB No

GB So where did ya'll go for entertainment?

JB We didn't have nowere ta go

GB So what did ya all do?

JB Well we out at da building what Mr. D(PI) give tha boys

GB Community center?

SL That was much later.  You guys didn't have dances to do? Or when you first came here

JB No there wasn' nothin.

GB What'dja all do? Go house to house ta visti?

JB Yeah whatever when we wasn workin'

SL Visiting.  Visiting and talking.  What about telling stories?

JB Nothin back then ya know there was one or two stores

SL No Stories

JB oh  no stories

SL Stories telling stories.

JB nn-mm

GB ya'll didn’t get together  and see who could tell the biggest tale.

JB Hmm?

GB Ya'll didn't get together and see who could tell the biggest tale?

JB Oh, sometimes we would just sitting' out here.  

SL I want to hear one. Tell me one.  

JB ohh

SL Tell me one.

JB No. I don' know what it was real...watn many cause we was workin' we had ta work

SL But you know stories.  Tell me one.  Please tell me a story

JB I don't know no stories.

SL oh Everybody has a story. 

JB Oooh.  I can't remember

GB You act like you are sleepy

JB I am sleepy 

[Everyone laughs]

SL That's my favorite thing and I ask you that when you [unintelligible]

JB Can't hardly see. 

SL oh no .That's my favorite part the story part.

JB Oh mercy

GB Tell them about when Mr. Happy used to come to the house. You remember?

BC You guys have neat...Is that is that really someone's last name or is that like a nickname for someone?

GB nickname
 
BC Nickname.  You guys have good nicknames for people.  Mr. Happy.

GB An we had the piano

JB Uh-huh and we had a piano  and he a come uh play the piano. [unintelligible] what was his what would he play"

GB I don't know. oh he played the blues

JB Something. I done forgot what it was. cause Henry'd say play it happy he'd be I don't know he just doing' something he wasn't playing nothing oh mercy

SL Oh music has got to there was no talk of music you just made me think about that I can't believe that but alright you're tired. Aright you [don't get] to tell me anymore stories.   You were telling' me about music cause music has to be in there somewhere.  Somebody had to be able to be a better player than Mr. Happy apparently if Mr. Happy [intelligible]

JB I don' know. I don' know who that was.  They didn’t' play if it was. 

GB I just' recall.

JB Oh what was so funny the preachers come and we had a a piano so they say Gail was lit he say hey baby she say hey and he say can you play uh-huh Gail what was that?

GB You telling' that story.  [laughter]

JB Wait now let me think of [unintelligible]  If anybody ever wanted to get up under the table I did.  He say can you play baby uh huh what can you play oh I can play baby shake that thing.  I never.  They looked at me and I looked at them. oohh see all Who taught you that Gail?  One of [Brett's] grandchildren?  

GB Nieces?  

JB Yeah nieces.  But she could play it and he said baby can you play it. Uh huh.  He said play me a piece and she lit out with that baby shake that thing.  I never mmmmmmmmmmmmmm an 'she 

GB [Can we please stop the ] [laughter]

JB and she sang and grinned thought she had done something.  

GB. I did finally come out with Jesus keeping me at that cross. [laughter] I had to play my best' piece first.  

BC The show stopper.

GB Oh momma would not come out of that kitchen.  I just knew I was going to get a beat down, because she told me not to play but I had to show the preachers what I could do.  

BC Had to show them your talent

SL Now that's a good story

GB Even if it is on me.

Mail voice:  I learned so much today

[All speak:  I bet you have]

SL Well that was wonderful I appreciate that.  And thank you for coming and joining in there.  Alright we need to document that.  That was speaker eight.