Another View's Selected Short Stories

It’s been 90 years since Oliver Moore, a 29-year-old North Carolina man was abducted at midnight from the Edgecomb County Jail. Moore had been accused of sexual improprieties with two young white girls. He didn’t fight as he was hosted up a tree by dozens of angry white men, tortured, and some accounts say, shot as many as 200 times. No one was ever convicted of his murder. Now, almost a century later, that very tree has been cut down, and the wood sold. Artist and guitar maker, Freeman Vines, purchased some of the wood, and talks to our Lisa Godley about the haunting images that surfaced as he carved the ‘Hanging Tree Guitars.’ The exhibit is on display now through September 12th at the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. And they will be on display at the Portsmouth Art and Cultural Center, starting in the spring of 2022.

It's been almost 50 years since Father's Day became a nationwide holiday in the United States. But the practice of recognizing our dads for their love and influence doesn't always get the same celebration as that which is showered on moms in May. Well, Shayla Egelston wants to change that. Our Lisa Godley spoke with this up and coming author about her new children's book "My Daddy Says."

Whether he’s playing, composing, or teaching, Dr. Harvey Stokes is all about the music! The Hampton University professor has had his pieces performed all over the world. And he sat down with our Lisa Godley to share how music has impacted his life and subsequently, the lives of his students.

It would start on May 31st 1921 and last for 18 hours. During that time, the people who called Tulsa’s Greenwood Community home would witness the murders of friends and loved ones… and their thriving, prosperous neighborhood reduced to ruins. It’s been 100 years since the area known as “Black Wall Street” became the backdrop for the single worst incident of racial violence in American history. Our Lisa Godley spoke with Dr. Eric Claville about this very real and long-overlooked piece of our country’s past.

Synnika Lofton is an award-winning poet, educator, producer and radio show host. And in each of these areas he shares insightful words that make us think. Our Lisa Godley spoke with Lofton, who not only shared his skill and talent as a master of written and spoken word, but gave us an inside look at his latest venture… a podcast.

It’s been almost 60 years since Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in his iconic "I Have A Dream" speech spoke these words: "We can never be satisfied as long as the negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality." These Horrors date back to the beginning of America. Our Lisa Godley gives us an abbreviated but candid look at the history of policing.

Voting for the Tony Awards started March 1ST. Among those nominated? Hampton Roads own Adrienne Warren for her performance as “Tina” in The Tina Turner Musical. Our Lisa Godley spoke with this talented actress about her role, her influences and her goals as a performer.

Remember the excitement that accompanied bringing a newborn into the world? What does the future hold for this precious life? Will my child be a musician? A professional athlete? Or president of the United States? Now imagine your dreams of this great future being turned upside down when you learn your child has special needs. Well, this happened to Mark and Dawn Lawrence, not once but twice. And they’ve written a book in hopes of helping other parents with special needs children maneuver through the challenges. The Lawrence’s recently spoke with our Lisa Godley about “Raising Them Special.”

COVID-19 has changed the way we do just about everything: from how we work to how our children learn. Another area that has been transformed is how we are entertained. And the wild world of sports is definitely no exception. So far this year we have witnessed everything from quarantined players to empty arenas to rescheduled games. Our Lisa Godley recently sat down with a sports reporter for the Boston Globe who graciously shared a little of what he witnesses each and every day. Gary Washburn gives us an inside look at the impact the pandemic is having on sports, the athletes and the fans who cheer them on.

There are very few Virginia schools named after an African American, and the number of those buildings dedicated to black women is even smaller. But right here in Hampton Roads… on Burns Drive in Newport News… sits Watkins Early Childhood Center, named after educator and activist Dorothy Watkins. Our Lisa Godley takes a look at her life and legacy.