History Podcasts
Chatting with Ben Watford, an 88 year old black man who grew up in rural North Carolina. Listen as Ben reveals his humble beginnings and how he overcame being 'dirt poor' as one of a family of fifteen.
11 Retirement and Jim Crow
Our final episode! Ben Watford talks about retiring back to NC. It's 1986 and Ben soon throws himself into numerous causes. no restful retirement and watching TV for this man...
10 Integration and Jim Crow
What did Ben get up to outside the classroom when he lived and worked on Long Island? A black man in the midst of a nearly all white community, Ben set about bringing some long overdue changes to his community and beyond. We find out about it in this episode.
09 College, Teaching and Jim Crow
Ben graduates high school and leaves Winton NC to take up a place at Howard University. But how does a poor black boy get himself through college? And how does he land a plum teaching job at a traditional all white school on Long Island?
08 Childhood Stories and Jim Crow
More stories from Ben Watford. He talks about growing up in rural NC under segregation in the 1930s and 40s.
07 Police, KKK and Jim Crow
Ben and I chat about his encounters with the police and the KKK. His mom would sit him and his brothers down regularly and give them "the talk". This was her warning about encounters with the police in and around Winton.
06 "Light, Bright, and Damn Near White" and Jim Crow
Ben and I chat about 'shade'. Back in Winton NC in the 1930s and 40s there were light skinned blacks, and there were dark skinned blacks. Discrimination? You betcha....
