The Great Depression of the 1930s left millions of Americans unable to support themselves or their families. As a teenager, Lillie McLaurin of Hattiesburg remembers the time she encountered a soup line. She relates how the experience changed her priorities.

McLaurin recalls how her father would give some of his shifts at work to others with less seniority and a certain grocer who gave away food to those in need. Please enjoy this extended version of the original broadcast.

For many growing up in Mississippi, cold weather meant that it was hog-killing time. Charles Wright of Natchez remembers sneaking late night snacks from his grandmother's smoke house.

Wright recalls his family's Christmas gatherings as a time filled with a lot of food and a lot of Love.

Happy Holidays from the Mississippi Moments family to your family!

Jessie Turner of Natchez discusses his family's tradition of hunting and cooking wild game and how it evolved from an economic necessity to a sport that fosters friendship and community.

He explains how to cook a wild hog in the field and his two favorite methods for cooking raccoon in this extended version of the broadcast episode.

Songol Arslan of Jackson grew of in Ankara, Turkey.  She describes a traditional Turkish diet and discusses some dishes are served during the holidays.

Of all of the dishes that Arslan prepares for her American friends, they love her carrot salad the most.  She reveals how it's made.

Kenneth York is the Tribal Historian for the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians.  He discusses traditional Choctaw sources of carbohydrates as well as the soups and stews that the Choctaws prepared in clay pots over an open fire. York also describes the wide variety of game that Mississippi Choctaws enjoyed barbequing. 

Delores Ulmer of Jackson is a second generation Lebanese-American. She discusses Kibbeh, a traditional Lebanese meat dish and how to prepare sasuf, which is a wheat salad now known at tabouli.

 According to Ulmer, preparing food together is a Lebanese tradition that makes the work more fun and brings the family closer. Please enjoy this extended version of the original radio broadcast

In the past eight years, the number of Mississippi Farmer’s Markets had doubled from around 30 to over 60.

Andy Prosser with the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce discusses the benefits of supporting local Farmer’s Markets. He explains how his department certifies and supports the formation of Farmer’s Markets.

 Many low income Mississippians have limited access to fresh produce.  Prosser details how the State’s voucher program provides them with healthy food choices.

In books like North Towards Home and My Dog Skip, Willie Morris drew upon memories of growing up in Yazoo City for inspiration. He recalls his family’s long history in Mississippi and how summertime boredom often led to mischief. Morris reflects on the education he received in the Yazoo City Public School system.  He remembers the influence one teacher had on his decision to become a writer. Please enjoy this extended version of the original radio broadcast.

During WWII, items needed for the war effort created shortages of consumer goods. Parnell McKay of Pass Christian recalls a scarcity of paper, fuel, and apartments.

Fearing attack by the Germans or Japanese, civilian observation posts were set up along the Gulf Coast.  As a high school student, McKay volunteered as a spotter. He remembers the day he spotted a U-boat.

McKay also reveals how liquor laws were ignored to “service” the servicemen.

On June 6^th, 1944, Allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy, France.  Cmdr. Rip Bounds of Hattiesburg piloted his Utility Landing Ship onto Utah Beach carrying 25 tons of ammunition.

Bounds remembers endless days of ferrying men and equipment to the beach and carrying the wounded away. He gets emotional when he recounts the efforts of the Red Cross Ladies to give comfort to the wounded warriors.

In this extended version, we hear many more details including his meeting Churchill, Montgomery and Patton.

Dr. Dollye Robinson has had a distinguished career as a Professor of Music Education at Jackson State.  So it was only natural that she would join the Mississippi Arts Commission.

Robinson details the efforts of the Arts Commission to find funding for various programs statewide and presents an eloquent defense for the continued support of the Arts and Humanities in our schools.

In 1947, a Mississippi association of African-American teachers decided to pool their resources and sue the state for pay and benefits equal to that of their white counterparts. After Gladys Noel Bates agreed to be named the plaintiff, her contract was not renewed and she and her husband were unable to find work as teachers anywhere in the South.

In this extended version of last week's radio broadcast, hear details of how the group was able to keep news of the pending suit secret and how she was isolated from her peers after it made national headlines.

Mrs. Bates passed away on Oct. 15th, 2010 in Denver, Colorado where she enjoyed a long and successful career in public education.

Here is a favorite of ours from June 2009, featuring Southern Miss coach and first full-time Athletic Director, Reed Green.

On November 9^th, 1965 a power outage plunged New York City into darkness during rush hour.  Clarksdale native, George Falls was in a helicopter with Holiday Inn founder, Kemmons Wilson when the lights went out.  He recalls the  ride back to New York City in total darkness and the way people made the best of a bad situation. This extended cut gives many more details than the original radio version.

In August of 1954, the first franchised Holiday Inn opened for business in Clarksdale, MS. George Falls, then a senior in high school, recalls the excitment and feelings of pride shared by the entire town.

After college, Falls went to work for the fledgling company. As a member of the Franchise Department, he witnessed Holiday Inns' metamorphosis from a small southern chain into an industry giant. Please enjoy the bonus material in this extended cut.

Margaret Loesch, of Pass Christian, earned her degree from The University of Southern Mississippi in political science, but it was in children's television that she made her career. Starting as a typing clerk at ABC in 1971, Loesch quickly rose through the ranks to become head of children's programmnig at NBC. She developed many classic kid's shows including The Smurfs, GI Joe, Transformers, Power Rangers, and Muppet Babies. This is the first MS Mo podcast episode that has been extended from the original broadcast length of 4 1/2 minutes. We hope you enjoy the bonus material!

Jimmy Havard played football for Southern Miss from 1958 to 1962. He recalls making the freshman cut in the summer of ’58.

 In 1961, Havard set a record for the longest punt return in Southern Miss history. He remembers that play and Roman Gabriel, the famous North Carolina State quarterback who tried to stop him.

Years later as the coach for Petal High School, Havard kept a pre-game superstition he got from Coach Vann.

During WWII, Mississippi Southern College (Southern Miss) discontinued its football program. After the war, Coach Thad “Pie” Vann combed the South looking for new players.

  Vann recalls the decision to leave the Gulf States Conference and how an undefeated season in 1958 led to national recognition.

   Vann served as head football for Southern Miss from 1947 to 1968.  He notes how the growth of the program matched the growth of the school.

   Pie Vann was inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 1971 and into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1987.  He passed away in September 1982.

Growing up in Greenville, Deloris Franklin developed a love of the Blues at an early age.

  After college, Franklin would often go see live music. She reminisces about the best venues in Greenville and of sitting next to a young singer named Tina Turner.

  Working with the Mississippi Action for Community Education, or MACE, allowed Franklin to put her love of the Blues to good use. She remembers one project called the Blues Mobile.

   Patty Carr Black began designing exhibits for the Old Capitol Museum in Jackson in 1970.  She recalls the decision to focus on Mississippi’s cultural heritage.

   In 1974, the Smithsonian Institute asked Mississippi to be the featured state for that year’s Folk Life Festival. Black explains how that experience brought positive national attention to the state and a new pair of friends for her.

   Black details some of the Folk Life exhibits and events that have been produced by the museum and why they are important to all of us.

As a college student in North Carolina, Ann Abadie grew to love the writings of William Faulkner.  She discusses her decision to move to Faulkner’s home town of Oxford.

Visitors to Oxford frequently requested tours of Faulkner’s home and other sites of interest.  Abadie explains how this led to the first William Faulkner Conference in 1974.

That first conference was planned as an intimate gathering of a few Faulkner faithful.  Abadie says that no one expected such a huge response or that it would become an annual event.

   Lt. General Mickey Walker of Jackson was awarded a Silver Star during WWII and later served in the Far East Command during the Korean War. He recalls rising through the ranks to become chief of the National Guard Bureau during the Reagan administration.

   After retiring, Walker became president of the Camp Shelby Military Museum. He explains how the museum got its start.

   Mickey Walker passed away in 2007, at the age of 83.

General Emmet H. "Mickey" Walker of Jackson served as a platoon leader with the 95th Infantry Division during the battle for the French city of Metz as well as several other major battles in the European Theater during WWII. He received Bronze and Silver Stars and went on to serve with distinction as Chief of the National Guard Bureau under President Reagan. He recalls the Battle for Metz and a young man from McComb who played the piano.

Happy Fourth of July from your friends at MPB and the Center for Oral History & Cultural Heritage!

   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.

   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. 

    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.

Did you know that all of your favorite MSMO episodes are available for download for free through iTunes? If you have an iPhone or iPad, it's easy peasy to take us with you.  Just open your music player, select 'more', then 'podcasts' and search for Mississippi Moments. And while you're there, please take a moment and write a review! Thanks and happy listening!

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.

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 23^rd, 2012, at the age of 65.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

    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.

    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.

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.

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.

    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.

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

    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.

    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.

   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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Jerome Myles of Natchez began working in radio at a young age.  He recalls how a job shadowing program in high school led to a 30+ year career in broadcasting. He discusses the importance of “being yourself” on the air.

For over 27 years, Leo Welch has hosted a Gospel music TV show on WO7BN in Bruce, MS. He discusses his early career as a Blues musician and the switch to Gospel.