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Mississippi Moments Podcast

After fifty years, we've heard it all. From the horrors of war to the struggle for civil rights, Mississippians have shared their stories with us. The writers, the soldiers, the activists, the musicians, the politicians, the comedians, the teachers, the farmers, the sharecroppers, the survivors, the winners, the losers, the haves, and the have-nots. They've all entrusted us with their memories, by the thousands. You like stories? We've got stories. After fifty years, we've heard it all.
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Now displaying: Category: podcasts
Jun 25, 2012

   From the beginning, seafood fueled the growth of the Gulf Coast economy. Retired fisherman Walter Ross discusses the early days of the seafood industry.

   Oyster processing plants in Biloxi used steam to make shucking the oysters easier.  Ross recalls fondly the smell of the steam coming from the many large factories.

   When he was thirteen, Ross began working part time in the factory where his mother worked.  He remembers being much too slow to keep up with the women.

Jun 19, 2012

   William Thiroux (pronounced T-rue), of Ocean Springs, has been catching crabs for over thirty years.  He recalls a thriving industry and a plentiful supply.

   In an effort to protect the crab population, Mississippi made it illegal to catch female sponge crabs, a move Thiroux says has decimated the state’s crab industry. He feels that by allowing the harvest of only male crabs, the law has had a negative impact on the crab population. 

Jun 14, 2012

    In 1967, Chris Ethridge, of Meridian, was twenty years old and working as a bass guitar player in Los Angeles.  He recalls how a mutual friend put him in contact with country rock legend, Gram Parsons. Ethridge and Parsons, together with Chris Hillman of The Byrds, went on to found country rock band, The Flying Burrito Brothers. 

 

    Four years later, in 1973, Gram Parsons died of a drug overdose in Joshua Tree, California. Ethridge explains how the final wishes of Parsons led to one of the most bizarre incidents in the history of Rock-n-Roll. Ethridge discusses the legacy of the Burrito Brothers and the legend of Gram Parsons.

   Chris Ethridge passed away on April 23rd, 2012, at the age of 65.

 

Jun 7, 2012

Prior to the advent of the modern supermarket, people had their produce delivered by

local grocers and street vendors. Helen Rayne of Natchez recalls how her grandmother would shop for food.

Rayne details how her grandmother would buy whole milk and use it to make other dairy products.

She also remembers the fun her grandparents had on wine bottling day.

Jun 7, 2012

From an early age, Chris Ethridge of Meridian was interested in music.  He recalls how his father’s job affected that interest and how his love of Hank Williams’ music eventually led him to the bass guitar. 

In a career spanning close to five decades, Ethridge performed and recorded with Willie Nelson, Jackson Brown, Linda Ronstadt and was a member of the Flying Buritto Brothers along with Gram Parsons and Chris Hillman. Chris Ethridge passed away on April 23rd, 2012, at the age of 65.

May 24, 2012

Jai Johanny Johanson (pronounced Jay Johnny) learned to play the drums while growing up in Ocean Springs. He remembers playing clubs in Gulfport while still in high school.

Through contacts made while playing around Jackson State, Jai Johanny landed a job as drummer for Otis Redding. He explains how that led to a spot in Percy Sledge’s band.

By 1969, Jai Johanny had a new stage name. That year, Jaimoe (Jay Moe) would help

form a new band with an unknown guitar player named Duane Allman.

May 24, 2012

After Hurricane Katrina, the decision was made not to re-open the Gulfport harbor to commercial fishermen. William Stewart discusses the impact this has had on the fishing industry.

 According to Stewart, being able to sell directly to consumers is vital to many fishermen’s survival. He expresses his frustration on this and on the outlawing of gill nets. Stewart feels that the truth about gill nets has been obscured. He explains why gill nets are actually superior to other types of fishing.

 

May 24, 2012

Eugene Stork of Pecan, Mississippi, spent many years as a commercial fisherman. He recalls the pleasure of harvesting oysters, and how his wife would help him process his catch.  He also describes the proper way to shuck an oyster. 

 

May 17, 2012

Betty McGehee of Natchez recalls growing up on several plantations in Louisiana that were managed by her father.

She details the difference between tenant farmers and day hands.  McGehee also explains how the lack of transportation made tenant farmers dependent on the plantation store for supplies.

Apr 20, 2012

    Jackson County resident Wesley Stork learned to fish from his father during the 1930s. He recalls the back-breaking work and how his father caught and sold terrapins to make ends meet.

   In 1948 Stork began working for Clark Seafood. He recounts his 39 years with the company and how changing laws affected the industry.

Apr 16, 2012

    Growing up in Jamaica, Raymond Brown learned to cook traditional island foods from his mother.  He recalls his decision to open a Caribbean-style restaurant in Biloxi.

    Offering a wide variety of Caribbean foods in his restaurant, Brown explains how he combines traditional island recipes with Southern style. He uses fresh ingredients and traditional cooking techniques to assure his customers guilt-free dining.

   

Mar 30, 2012

Father Peter Quinn was the priest of Hattiesburg’s only black Catholic Church, Holy Rosary, during the Civil Rights movement.  Taking a leadership position in the movement made him a frequent target. He was protected by a group called the Deacons of Defense.

 Quinn recalls being shot at as he left Vernon Dahmer’s house one evening. He also recounts when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. took a nap at his home ten days before his assassination.

Mar 30, 2012

In 1966, Father Peter Quinn was a young priest at Hattiesburg’s Sacred Heart Church. When he was asked to become the priest for the community's black parish, he soon found himself involved in the Civil Rights movement. Quinn explains how as spiritual leader, he was called on to calm the community’s young people after Dr. King’s assassination.

 

Mar 30, 2012

    Having the right mixture of fresh water and salt water is crucial for growing oysters. Clyde Brown recalls how community leaders in Jackson County increased oyster production.

    It is not flooding but pollution that has affected the oyster reefs in Jackson County. For that reason Brown fears that they will not receive assistance like other coastal counties. He also explains the differences in harvesting techniques.

Mar 30, 2012

Reecy Dickson decided to run for Superintendent of Education of Noxubee County in 1975.  She recalls her decision to run for a position that had only been held by white males.

 Dickson was eight months pregnant when she was campaigning for the office of Superintendent.  But, that didn’t stop her from going door to door or registering new voters

Mar 20, 2012

    Our coastal wetlands are an important natural resource for a variety of reasons.  Jennifer Buchanan of the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources discusses how they affect the seafood industry. Buchanan explains why the waters of the Mississippi Sound are brown, and why that’s a good thing.

 

Mar 20, 2012

    For many Mississippians, family recipes are cherished keepsakes. Lisa Burnett of Ruleville remembers cooking with her family and a favorite cookbook. Burnett recalls both her grandparents, George and Tina Burnett, were excellent cooks.  She describes a typical Friday night growing up in Ruleville and her Papaw’s unusual smoker.

    In 2009, Burnett published her own cookbook of family recipes called Cooking on the Quiver River.  She explains how the project came about.

Feb 13, 2012

   After building the first four Holiday Inns in Memphis, Kemmons Wilson teamed up with Mississippians Wallace Johnson and Bill Walton to begin selling franchises.

   Mike Sturdivant, of Glendora, was a recent Harvard graduate in 1956.  He recalls meeting Wilson and opening his first Holiday Inn in Meridian. Soon Sturdivant and his former college roommate, Earle Jones, began opening Holiday Inns across the state.  He remembers how the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 affected their business.

   By 1976, when Studivant sat down to reflect on twenty years in the business, their company, Mississippi Management was operating over 2000 hotel rooms.

   Today, MMI of Flowood. operates over 100 properties throughout the southeast.

Feb 13, 2012

Over the years, commercial fishermen and conservationists have often viewed each other as adversaries.

 

Peter Floyd of Pascagoula has worked as a commercial fisherman and a turtle researcher.  In a recent interview, he explains how he sees things differently.

 

Floyd explains how a life-long interest in herpetology, the study of reptiles and amphibians, led to a second career as a turtle researcher.

 

Floyd sees in the Gulf, an abundant variety of marine life. He feels that over-regulation of the fishing industry is costing the state millions in lost income.

Feb 13, 2012

Founded in 1876, P&J Oyster Company of New Orleans was the oldest continually-operating oyster business in the United States.  In June of 2010, owners Al, Sal, and Blake Sunseri were forced to close after the B.P. oil spill.

 Blake Sunseri describes how the French Quarter would awaken to the sounds of oyster shucking.

Al Sunseri explains that oyster shucking has always been done by immigrants.  He laments having to lay off long-time employees. He marvels at the out-pouring of support for their company as they look to the future.

P&J Oysters can be found online at Oysterlovers.com.

Feb 13, 2012

After the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010, British Petroleum established a program to compensate those affected.  Roscoe Liebig, a shrimper from Pas Christian, says that program was poorly administered and rife with fraudulent claims.

Liebig has noticed that young people are no longer choosing a career in the shrimping industry.  He wonders about the future of the industry.

Jan 30, 2012

By the 1950s, the Catholic Church was actively supporting racial equality and integration.  The Honorable Gerald Blessey, former Mayor of Biloxi recalls how growing up Catholic influenced his decision to become politically active in college.

While attending Ole’ Miss as an undergrad, Blessey witnessed the riot sparked by the enrollment of the school’s first black student, James Meredith. Later, as a law student, he assisted Civil Rights activists during the 1964 Freedom Summer.

Jan 30, 2012

For Frank Parker of Biloxi, fishing is a family tradition.  He discusses the importance of the seafood industry to the Gulf Coast way of life. Due to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill of 2010, Mississippi shrimpers have had to travel farther from home to catch shrimp. Parker details how he has turned this to his advantage.

Jan 13, 2012

Norman Yandell of Long Beach has been fishing all of his life using the skills he learned from his step dad.

He recounts how he started making and selling his own brand of fishing lures called “Norm Bait.”

Yandell can be found most Saturdays at the Biloxi Maritime and Seafood Museum teaching folks how to make fishing nets. He recalls how the local firemen used to spend their spare time making nets.

Dec 8, 2011

The Mary Queen of Vietnam Community Development Corp. was established in 2006 to assist area Vietnamese-Americans after Hurricane Katrina.  Known as the CDC, they were called on once again to assist the Gulf Coast Vietnamese fishing community after the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill.

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