In 1963, Charles Dunagin was hired by newspaper publisher Oliver Emmerich to be the editor of the McComb Enterprise-Journal.  He recalls the turbulent summer of 1964 and his paper’s efforts to report the racial violence.
Dunagin also recounts the bombing of civil rights workers that summer and how his own family was threatened with the same fate. Enjoy the extra details in this extended version of the original.

During the Big Band Era, Dances were an important social activity for young people. Frances Joyner of Tupelo recalls her first dance and staying out all night. 

Organized dances had unique customs and vernaculars. Joyner explains the terms Check-In List, Stag Line, No-breaks and Specials. Joyner also remembers dancing on the roof of the Peabody Hotel in Memphis.

Please enjoy this extended version of the original broadcast.

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.

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.

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.

Here is our gift to you, our loyal listeners: 30 minutes of our annual Roots Reunion Show recorded live Saturday, December 3rd at the historic Saenger Theater in downtown Hattiesburg. The show features traditional music from Mississippi and the surrounding area.  This month's show included bluegrass byour house band, The Patchwork String Band, the traditional music of Doug and Rhonda Webb, Irish folk singer Jim Flanagan, Jazz by Heather and the Monkey King, and more bluegrass by Delta Reign.  You can get a CD of the entire show FREE with your paid membership to the Center for Oral History and Cultural Heritage by going to http://www.usm.edu/oral-history/become-member .

Historic Mobile Street in downtown Hattiesburg was for many years the hottest strip for live music outside of Bourbon Street in New Orleans.  It was on Mobile Street in 1947 a young guitarist named Tommie Pruitt began a career that has lasted 64 years and counting.

Pruitt recalls learning to play on a homemade guitar and how his father earned money as a street musician.

Taken from an interview provided by the Mississippi Arts Commission's Folklife Archive.

In the early sixties, NASA decided to construct a rocket engine test facility in Hancock County.  

Lee Paul of Bay St. Louis was part of a team of engineers sent to test how the noise would affect the surrounding area. He recalls the massive horn they used and the community’s reaction to the tests. Paul also recounts how area wildlife inspired the names of some of the roads.

As a boy in Nesbit, Kenny Brown had a hard time learning to play the guitar.  That changed when blues legend, Mississippi Joe Callicott, moved next door.

Years later, Brown befriended another blues legend, R.L. Burnside. Brown recalls playing with Burnside and his first trip to a juke joint.

Brown also demonstrates the difference between the Hill Country blues of North Mississippi and the Delta blues. This interview courtesy of the Mississippi Arts Commission's Folklife Archive.

As a boy, Hattiesburg resident, Jimmy Swan dreamed of performing on the Grand Ole Opry. He tells the story of how he ran away from home at the age of 13 and a young man he met named Hank Williams.

Randy Yates of Oxford is co-owner of the Ajax Diner on the Square.  He recalls growing up in Jackson and the restaurants that influenced his decision to go into food service.  He also details the foods offered at the Ajax Diner and why he feels it's important to have a wide variety.

When Monica Williams flad her home city of New Orleans, after Hurricane Katrina, she decided to make Jackson her new home. Soon, Williams became the cafeteria chef for Saint Therese Catholic School. She discusses adapting her traditional New Orleans dishes to meet the nutritional needs of the children.

Retired Lt. General Russell Honoré lead the recovery operation in his home state of Louisiana and Mississippi following Hurricane Katrina. He discusses his decision to make Camp Shelby his base of operations. Honoré points with pride to the recovery that’s been made in the years following the storm. He has decided to go on a personal crusade to help establish a culture of preparedness in the U.S.

Following WWII, advances in modern farming methods meant fewer jobs for rural Mississippians.  In response, the Tupelo Community Development Foundation was formed to bring industrial jobs to Lee County. Harry Martin of Tupelo explains. Martin also details how the Community Development Foundation unified the efforts and resources of the cities with those of the rural communities.

Before the advent of the self-service filling station in the 1970s, there was the full-service gas station.  Here, uniformed attendants pumped gas, checked your car’s fluids, and even washed the windshield.  

James and Ruby Wentworth of Meadville operated such a station during the 1940s. She recalls the demands of being a working wife and mother.

In 1955, director Elia Kazan came to Beniot, Mississippi to film the Tennessee Williams movie, Babydoll.  Kazan hired several locals to play small parts in the film. Brodie Crump, of Greenville, describes the character he played and his mother’s reaction to his new job.  Crump also recalls some of the actors he met while filming and upsetting a member of the crew.

In December of 1941, with war in the Pacific looming, a series of Naval Construction Battalions were established. Known as Seabees, they were responsible for building the bridges, airstrips, roads and buildings needed by our troops.  Dr. Patrick Gill of Macon, Mississippi explains how he became a Seabee. He remembers the hot and difficult conditions of the Philippines.

Like many blues musicians, Willie Jordan of Rose Hill, was taught how to play by family members. Jordan discusses the impact music has had on his life and the universal truths contained within the blues.

Blues Musician, Melvin Stacks of Picayune, recalls growing up poor and talks about his early influences. He also discusses his vocal techniques and the importance of warming up.

Broadcasting pioneer, Jobie Martin, was discouraged from playing sports as a child by his mother. He recounts the remarkable story of how he began playing football for Jackson State University (then Jackson College) at the age of 40--a feat that earned him a place in the JSU Sports Hall of Fame!

After working in Chicago for twelve years as an assistant pathologist, Jobie Martin came home to Mississippi to help his mother. He details how a job at the Gulfport Airport led to a remarkable career in broadcasting.

For many people, music is a family tradition.  Blues guitarist Vasti Jackson of Hattiesburg recalls how family influenced his decision to play the blues. He also discusses growing up in McComb with neighbors like Wakefield "Big Moody" Coney.

For many years after the repeal of Prohibition, Mississippi remained a ‘dry’ state. Rev. John Perkins of New Hebron recalls how his family made ends meet by selling moonshine whiskey. He explains the difference between ‘homebrew’ and ‘moonshine.’

Retired Mississippi Supreme Court Justice Robert P. Sugg wanted to be a pilot during WWII.  He recalls how a perforated ear drum prevented him from serving. He discusses his early career.

In World War II, all-black combat units such as the Tuskegee Airmen gained widespread recognition for their service. However, most black soldiers served in support units away from the front line. Lee Spearman of Bay Springs describes the frustration of being assigned to such a unit. Spearman details the close proximity of the Pacific island battles and the death of American war correspondent, Ernie Pyle.

Many stories surround the naming of the town of D’Lo.  Long-time resident Chrysteen Flynt attempts to set the record straight. She also shares her memories of growing up there.

Many Italian immigrants settled in the Mississippi Delta bringing their culture and traditions with them.  John Bassie of Cleveland, MS recalls how his family celebrated the 4^th of July, Italian style.

Growing up during World War II, Lynn Cartlidge of Hattiesburg found plenty of ways to earn money as a boy. He talks about his paper route, which ended up taking him to Camp Shelby.

Lee Davis of Hattiesburg shares his memories of growing up in a large and fun-loving family. He recalls practical jokes and holiday moments shared with loved ones.

In 1963, Dr. Gilbert Mason led a group of African-Americans into the waters of Biloxi beach.  This wade-in, to protest the ‘whites only’ rule of the day, was met with violent resistance from white citizens and the police. Ethel Clay remembers how the youth got involved in the wade-ins and the measures taken for their safety. Clay reflects on the cost of standing up for civil rights and the progress that we’ve made as a nation.

This spring marked the 50^th anniversary of the first of the Gulf Coast wade-ins. Back then, most Mississippi beaches were for whites only.  During one of these wade-ins, Dr. Gilbert Mason led a group of African-Americans into the segregated waters of Biloxi beach.  What followed was one of the bloodiest race riots in Mississippi history with 71 arrested and dozens injured.

A small boy at the time, Le’Roy Carney recalls using the railroad tracks to flee the riot.  Carney also explains how the black community in Biloxi organized themselves to boycott those responsible for the violence at the beach.

Earnest Batiste, a US Army veteran and civil rights activist, remembers growing up during hard times. He describes the sacrifices made by his mother to put food on the table. Batiste reflects on the progress we’ve made and the difficulties of explaining that time period to a younger generation.

An army requires daily deliveries of food, ammunition and other supplies.  Mark Whitney of Natchez recalls working as a naval supply supervisor in Vietnam.  As a supply supervisor, Whitney learned that the locals were much smarter than the Americans assumed they were.

Former Mississippi Supreme Court Justice Roy Noble Lee was interested in the law from an early age. Lee reflects on this and the courtroom atmosphere of 1920s Brandon, Mississippi. Justice Lee also recounts getting the opportunity to try his first criminal case, at the age of 19.

Today’s Tree farmers like Charles Barge of Noxubee County must always look to the future.  Barge tells how he began investing in the future by planting new trees and why it is important to do so. He recounts how the Conservation Reserve Act has led to greater opportunities for hunting and recreation.

Tree Farmers are landowners who voluntarily manage their woodlands for the continuing growth of forest crops.  Charles Barge of Noxubee County discusses how things have changed since his father began tree farming in 1941. He explains how poor forestry practices led to disease and infestations in the past like the Southern pine beetle invasion of the 1960s.

In 1935, Sam Alman Jr. moved from Arkansas to Gulfport to start his own soda bottling company.  His son, Sam Alman III recounts the story and discusses the early days of his family's soda business.

Sun Herald columnist Kat Bergeron has spent decades researching the history and folk lore of the Mississippi Gulf Coast. She debunks three popular myths about the Gulf Coast.

With the end of the Vietnam War came an influx of Vietnamese refugees to the United States.  Biloxi businessman Richard Gollott discusses the impact these refugees had on the Gulf Coast seafood industry. A story made even more poignant by the pending Gulf oil spill disaster.

The Civil War left many on both sides emotionally scarred.  Libby Hollingsworth of Port Gibson recalls the hardships endured by her great grandfather, Kell Shaifer as a rebel soldier. 

Hollingsworth recalls how a letter from a Yankee soldier after the war changed Kell Shaifer’s life.  She also reflects on the healing effect an unlikely friendship had on many.

After cotton is picked, the cotton fibers, called lint, must be separated from the seeds in a process known as “ginning.”  James Gray went to work for the Torrey Cotton Gin in Port Gibson as a young man. He explains the cotton ginning process and the importance of doing it correctly.

Ethel Patton D’Anjou of Alcorn recounts the story of her grandparents’ decision to leave the family farm in Carlisle in the late 1800s and journey to the newly opened Alcorn College.

In the early days of automobiles, learning to drive was an adventure.  As the son of the local Ford dealer, James Allen of Port Gibson learned to drive at a young age. Allen recalls how different the Model T was from other cars. He also remembers how his father taught a local rancher to drive his first car.

By the 1960s, railroads had lost much of their freight hauling business to trucks. Ray Ward of McComb recalls how track maintenance suffered as a result. As a car man, Ward’s job was to re-track derailed cars and locomotives. He explains how he was able to do this with a crew of only two men.

As World War Two raged on, women helped keep the trains rolling back home.  Bonnie Stedman of McComb remembers the work as difficult and dangerous.

The advent of Diesel-electric locomotives was a vast improvement over the steam engines they replaced.  John Balser worked as a machinist at the McComb Railroad repair shop. He recalls the pride that the steam engineers took in their locomotives. Balser also details how much more efficient the new Diesel engines were than their steam predecessors.

Working on the railroad was always been hard, dangerous work.  Woodrow Addison of McComb recalls the frequent derailments he experienced during his 38 years with Illinois Central.

Woodrow Addison worked for the Illinois Central Railroad shop in McComb for 38 years.  He worked first as a brakeman and then, a conductor.  Addison contrasts the duties of the two jobs.  He also discusses the advantages of diesel over steam power.

Growing up on a farm, Natchez resident Alonzo “Duck” Irving learned many things from his mother.  He discusses the food they grew and how he has benefited from his mother's wisdom. 

For thousands of troops during World War II, their journey began with a trip to Mississippi for training.  Ruth Colter of Natchez remembers helping to entertain those young men. As a member of the service group Military Maids, Colter helped to organize local dances for the troops.