This digital story recording was created in conjunction with the Smithsonian's Museum on Main Street program and its Stories from Main Street student documentary initiative, called "Stories: Yes." The project encourages students and their mentors to research and record stories about small-towns and rural neighborhoods, waterways, personal memories, cultural traditions, work histories, as well as thoughts about American democracy. These documentaries are then shared on Smithsonian websites and social media.

Students from the Anderson County School District worked with the Belton Area Museum Association in South Carolina to produce this documentary featuring oral history interviews related to the Smithsonian traveling exhibition "Hometown Teams: How Sports Shape America," which toured South Carolina in 2016 and was on view in Belton.

Ellis Lark (00:00): And as I was going home one day, I noticed that there was machinery moving dirt near the baseball park. And I asked dad, I said, "Daddy, what are they doing?" He said, "They're building a swimming pool." And I said, "What in the world is a swimming pool?" He said, "Well, they'll pour some cement and then they'll fill it up with water and you can go play." And so that was the building of the Honea Path swimming pool.

Speaker 2 (00:52): The Chiquola Mill financed the pool as another form of recreation for its employees and their families. And it has been around for many generations.

Lollis Meyers (01:03): I remember when they was building the pool as a young boy. Daniel Construction Company built the pool and they started building the pool in 1946.

Danny Hawkins (01:12): The mill owned the pool. The mill built the pool for its employees. So if you were employed at Chiquola Mill, you were able to go there and swim.

Speaker 5 (01:12): The pool is an impressive structure.

Lollis Meyers (01:26): The dimensions on that pool is 150 foot long and 50 foot wide. It's the same as an Olympic pool, except for if it didn't have the kiddy part broke in, you would have an Olympic pool. Also that pool holds 350,000 gallons of water.

Danny Hawkins (01:44): It's got the deep end separated from the shallow end by a little concrete walk there, which is very nice to keep the people who cannot swim up here on one end, and the people that can swim down here on the other end.

Speaker 2 (02:00): The pool is now open for all residents of the area, but it wasn't always that way.

Danny Hawkins (02:05): Now as time went along, the mill started giving permission to the town of Honea Path that everyone can come swimming then. So if you lived in Honea Path, you could come. There was no charge for anybody to get in the pool when I was a lifeguard. Now that did change because we started selling a sort of ticket, if you will, or permission to come. It cost you $1 for the entire summer.

Speaker 5 (02:30): Many young people learned to swim at pool.

Lollis Meyers (02:33): A boy pushed me off the 10 foot area of the pool and said, "You're going to have to swim or else." Well, I learned to swim right quick, right there.

Asset ID: 2022.23.03

Find a complete transcription at www.museumonmainstreet.org

This digital story recording was created in conjunction with the Smithsonian's Museum on Main Street program and its Stories from Main Street student documentary initiative, called "Stories: Yes." The project encourages students and their mentors to research and record stories about small-towns and rural neighborhoods, waterways, personal memories, cultural traditions, work histories, as well as thoughts about American democracy. These documentaries are then shared on Smithsonian websites and social media.

Students from the Anderson County School District worked with the Belton Area Museum Association in South Carolina to produce this documentary featuring oral history interviews related to the Smithsonian traveling exhibition "Hometown Teams: How Sports Shape America," which toured South Carolina in 2016 and was on view in Belton.

Speaker 1 (00:18): Textile mill baseball was a source of hometown pride, bragging rights, and wholesome entertainment. Chiquola Mill's owners wanted the best and most talented players available.

Speaker 2 (00:30): To field a winning team, players were recruited from other mill teams and even the minor leagues.

Speaker 1 (00:36): The Chiquola Mill owners found ways to entice and keep the best players.

Joe Atkin (00:42): The mill started checking around, finding players. They'd come there and want a job. Jobs was hard to get back then. They'd give these guys a different town to give them a job, little old light job, messing around toting water, or little nothing to play ball on Wednesday. But they're trying to get the best ball players so they could win.

Ellis Lark (01:06): My understanding that they would go to Florida during spring training, and some of the players that were not going to make it in the majors, the different mill companies went after them to come and play textile baseball for their mill.

Speaker 5 (01:22): They got more money than the mill workers. A skilled mill worker, they probably made right at $12 a week. And I've been told some of these baseball players when they came to town, they made $25 a week. And so they didn't do any manual work. They just more or less played baseball. And the mill company looked after these guys because it was a way of life and everybody enjoyed baseball.

Mae Knox (01:55): It just cost 25 cents to get in. And this little boy was standing there looking through a knothole, looking at the ball game. In case a foul ball came over the fence, he could get that foul ball and go into the park to see the ball game.

Speaker 2 (02:13): Inside of each of these houses counted by the ball players, there were numerous fans of all ages.

Joe Atkin (02:20): They had a crowd.

Ellis Lark (02:22): And that was a big way of life for people on the village to go and watch these baseball teams play.

Speaker 1 (02:30): Early players made a great impression on the young boys, inspiring them to pursue baseball.

Speaker 5 (02:36): Shag, who was probably the best ball player that's ever played in Honea Path, hit a home run over the left field fence. He was a little guy in stature, but he hit that one out of the park. And Shag was my hero when he played.

McDavid Carr (02:50): They called mama. Told mama, "Have a place for him, and get somebody to meet him." Course me being a young little boy, that tickled me death. Going to be a ball player.

Speaker 1 (03:06): Shag Knox spent over 40 years in Honea Path influencing the quality and integrity of baseball play.

Asset ID: 2022.23.02

Find a complete transcription at www.museumonmainstreet.org

This digital story recording was created in conjunction with the Smithsonian's Museum on Main Street program and its Stories from Main Street student documentary initiative, called "Stories: Yes." The project encourages students and their mentors to research and record stories about small-towns and rural neighborhoods, waterways, personal memories, cultural traditions, work histories, as well as thoughts about American democracy. These documentaries are then shared on Smithsonian websites and social media.

Students from the Anderson County School District worked with the Belton Area Museum Association in South Carolina to produce this documentary featuring oral history interviews related to the Smithsonian traveling exhibition "Hometown Teams: How Sports Shape America," which toured South Carolina in 2016 and was on view in Belton.

Speaker 1 (00:00): (Silence) The glory days of the Textile Mills Baseball occurred in the 1930s. During the Depression, baseball games provided a diversion from harsh living conditions.

Speaker 2 (00:34): Many fans attended the games. In August of 1934, a crowd of 3000 watched the Chicks, the [inaudible 00:00:43], 11-5, to claim the Anderson County League Championship.

McDavid Carr (00:47): Oh man, they turned out, they filled that stadium up every time I played.

Speaker 1 (00:54): Some of the equipment the teams played with was very different from what we used today.

Ellis Lark (00:58): They had Chiquola wrote across their chest. On the sleeve was a picture of a chick and it was probably made of cotton or maybe a wool mixture, a real hot, real hot uniform. The shoes had steel cleats on the bottom of them, our metals. And when they would slide, first of all, it could injure the player that was trying to tag you out. Another reason it could be dangerous to you is the cleat might hang on the base and make your foot turn the wrong way. Therefore causing an ankle or a leg injury. This is one of the replicas of the old chiquola chick baseball caps. The baseball gloves today are probably three times longer than what the glove was. Had no webbing it was just four fingers and a thumb.

Speaker 2 (01:57): The male owners recruited players and paid them well to play baseball.

Ellis Lark (02:02): He'd go out and hire good baseball players to them and just almost make a job for them.

Joe Atkin (02:09): For me it all started checking around finding players and they'd come there and want a job. Job was hard to get back in. They'd give this guys a different town and give them a job. Little old light job, messing around, toting water or little nothing to play ball on Wednesday.

Ellis Lark (02:30): If they got more money than the mill workers, back in the '40s, a skilled mill worker, they probably made right at $12 a week. And I've been told by Mr. David Carter, that some of these baseball players, when they came to town, they made $25 a week.They would go to Florida during spring training and some of the players that were not going to make it in the majors, the different mill companies went after them to come and play textile baseball for their mill.

McDavid Carr (03:05): All the mills hired several and give jobs in the mill. They had to work in the mill and play ball. Yeah, during the heyday when the ball players was hired and didn't work, they check in and go down there and lay down on bales on cotton and just pulled around till dinner time.

Speaker 1 (03:35): Several players went professional, but also the game had an impact on their lives.

Asset ID: 2022.23.01

Find a complete transcription at www.museumonmainstreet.org

This digital story recording was created in conjunction with the Smithsonian's Museum on Main Street program and its Stories from Main Street student documentary initiative, called "Stories: Yes." The project encourages students and their mentors to research and record stories about small-towns and rural neighborhoods, waterways, personal memories, cultural traditions, work histories, as well as thoughts about American democracy. These documentaries are then shared on Smithsonian websites and social media.

Student storytellers in Brunswick, Maryland, worked with the Brunswick Railroad Museum and the Brunswick Library in Maryland to produce a long-format oral history with area residents about everything from African American history to Big Band music and downtown retail stores.

This nearly two-hour audio story features many storytellers, including Jim Dixon, The Greenfield Sisters, Estelle Belt, Ruth Staple, Ruth and Ed Waters, James Castle, Lila and Judge Wenner, Robert Moler, Charlie Smith, Karin Tome, Jackie and Claire Ebersole, Wendall Stewart, Walt Stull, and Connie Koenig. A complete transcription of these conversations is available with the media file.

Asset ID: 2022.22.01

Find a complete transcription at www.museumonmainstreet.org

In 2021, a coalition of national museum and library associations awarded the Peale (Baltimore, Maryland) a Communities for Immunity grant. The goal of the project is for trusted, local institutions to engage their communities in order to boost COVID-19 vaccine confidence. Since being awarded the grant, we've been gathering stories from people about their experiences with COVID and getting the vaccine.

In this short series, the Peale's storyteller-in-residence Mama Linda Goss recites her own versions of classic fables that offer key lessons about our collective survival in the COVID era.

Mama Linda Goss (00:07): My soul is singing. Well, oh, well, well. It's storytelling time. (Bells shaking) Gather around my people. Well, well. Gather around my people. Well, well. Gather around my people. Well, well, well, well, well.

Mama Linda Goss (00:39): It's storytelling time. Well, well. It's storytelling time. Well, well. It's storytelling time. Well, well, well, well, well, and indeed it's storytelling time.

Mama Linda Goss (00:56): So friends gather around and listen to the stories. Mmm. When spiders unite deep in the forest, an enclave of spiders lived in an idyllic paradise, bliss and blissfully bliss. Mm. Until one day a herd of elephants came strolling through Baba, big Baba elephant, big mama, elephants, little big baby elephants came bobbing and bouncing through the idyllic kingdom of spiders, which was idyllic no more. The elephant's weight made the ground shake. They blew their trumpet. They flapped their ears knocking over leaves. They swayed their hips from side to side, knocking the spiders homes, their webs far and wide. Now the elephants weren't trying to be destructive. This is who they were. They were elephants. And the biggest of the Baba elephant said, this looks like a nice place to rest and camp out for a day or two where you think big mama.

Mama Linda Goss (02:45): Oh yes. Big Baba. This will do well. We will be swell. Look at all this rich food we can eat here. Good, healthy grasses to eat. Ooh, we got coconuts, bananas and our favorite and they all shouted out. Jack fruit, Jack fruit. We got lots of Jack fruit to eat Jack fruit, Jack fruit. We got lots of Jack fruit. Ooh, Ooh. One of the baby elephants said, Hey mama, Hey Baba, what are those stringy things hanging down? Oh, it looks like some old vine said, Baba, don't worry about them. Yes, said big mama. We'll just tear them down and wash them out. And with their trucks, they washed the spiders homes away. They broke off tree branches and swept leaves from the forest floor so they could have a nice, smooth spot to rest in the shade. They dug into the earth for roots to eat. They ate bamboo shoots and shrubs and twigs, and they ate strips of bark from the trees. They ate bananas, coconuts act, Jack fruit, Jack fruit. We got it. Eat that Jack fruit. Needless to say the spiders were shocked. Stunned. Flabbergast, dismayed bewildered frightened in less than a few minutes. They had been displaced and their community was in disarray. The spiders hid in the crevices of trees, old logs rocks. The earth itself. Spider families had been separated. Mothers separated from children. Fathers separated from their families. They were in such disbelief. Oh my goodness.

Asset ID: 2022.05.17.c

Find a complete transcription on the Peale website.

In 2021, a coalition of national museum and library associations awarded the Peale (Baltimore, Maryland) a Communities for Immunity grant. The goal of the project is for trusted, local institutions to engage their communities in order to boost COVID-19 vaccine confidence. Since being awarded the grant, we've been gathering stories from people about their experiences with COVID and getting the vaccine.

In this short series, the Peale's storyteller-in-residence Mama Linda Goss recites her own versions of classic fables that offer key lessons about our collective survival in the COVID era.

Mama Linda Goss (00:07): My soul is singing, well, oh, well, well. It's storytelling time. (Bells ringing). Gather around my people. Well, well. Gather around my people. Well, well. Gather around my people. Well, well, well, well, well. (Bells ringing)

Mama Linda Goss (00:39): It's storytelling time. Well, well, it's storytelling time, well, well. It's storytelling time. Well, well, well, well, well, and indeed it's storytelling time. So friends gather around and listen to the stories.

Mama Linda Goss (01:00): The welcome table of peace. (Singing) Let's come together side by side, my people side by side, my people side by side. Let's come together side by side, come on and pull together now. Let's come together side by side, my people side by side, my people side by side. Let's come together side by side, come on and pull together now.

Mama Linda Goss (01:33): The rainforest was in turmoil. Chaos confusion was everywhere. King lion and queen lioness were very, very concerned. They called a meeting of their advisors, the giraffe, the eagle, and the turtle came forward to discuss the matter. The eagles suggested that a meeting be called inviting all the animals together and the big clearing in the middle of the forest.

Mama Linda Goss (02:05): And there, he would ask them a very important question. The king, the queen and the advisors agreed to eagle's idea. The bird were summon and sent as messengers flying throughout the forest, inviting all to come to the meeting. The almost came, but before the meeting began leopard growled at hyena. The monkey threw a banana at the zebra and zebra kicked the wildebeest. The animals began fussing at one another together king line and queen lioness roared at the crowd. ROAR! Silence, silence, order orders that the king, the queen then said, one of our advisors, the Eagle has a question to ask you the Eagle flew before the group greetings my friends. The question I have for each of you is which one of you is willing to stop, stop doing. The one thing that you know is bringing harm to someone else, the animals mumbled and grumbled among themselves. The cheetah said the panther needs to leave me alone. The panther said the jackal needs leave me alone. The jackal said, and you eagle, you need to leave me alone. The animals laughed at the eagle. Who does that eagle think he is? The animals begin arguing again.

Asset ID: 2022.05.17.b

Find a complete transcription on the Peale's website

In 2021, a coalition of national museum and library associations awarded the Peale (Baltimore, Maryland) a Communities for Immunity grant. The goal of the project is for trusted, local institutions to engage their communities in order to boost COVID-19 vaccine confidence. Since being awarded the grant, we've been gathering stories from people about their experiences with COVID and getting the vaccine.

In this short series, the Peale's storyteller-in-residence Mama Linda Goss recites her own versions of classic fables that offer key lessons about our collective survival in the COVID era.

Mama Linda Goss (00:07): My soul is singing. Well, oh, well, well. It's storytelling time. Gather around my people. Well, well. Gather around my people. Well, well. Gather around my people. Well, well, well, well, well.

Mama Linda Goss (00:39): It's storytelling time. Well, well. It's storytelling time. Well, well. It's storytelling time. Well, well, well, well, well, and indeed it is storytelling time, so friends gather around and listen to the stories.

Mama Linda Goss (01:00): The Ant and the Grasshopper. (Singing) La. La. La. La. La. La. La. La. La. La. La. La. La. La. La. La. La. La. La. La. La. La. La. La. La. La. Once upon a time, when it was the end of springtime and the beginning of summertime, Ant and Grasshopper loved hanging out together. Oh, they love running and ripping singing and skipping Grasshopper would fly all around and circles and circles in the air. And Ant danced around and circles with dandelions in the grasses. However, Ant would take a time out from playing and work in her garden, but Grasshopper kept dancing. While Ant worked Grasshopper, she asked him, do you want a tomato from my garden?

Mama Linda Goss (01:58): Okay. Thanks. My dear friend, Ant. Grasshopper, do you have a go garden? A garden, said Grasshopper? Why on earth do I need a garden? So you will be prepared, said Ant. I can show you how to plant one. I can show you how to take care of it, water it, weed it. I can even make sure the worms and rabbits don't eat too much of it. The sun will help you too. And I can show you how to harvest it. Harvest, shouted Grasshopper. Yes, you have to pick them, clean them, dry them, cook them. Can some and store some. Hey, Hey, Hey, stop a minute. Wait, wait. That's too much work said, Grasshopper. Well, I have some canning to do so. I may not see you tomorrow. What, what is canning as Grasshopper? Well, that is when I put some of the fruits and vegetables.

Mama Linda Goss (02:50): I have grown and I put them in a jar with an airtight lid on it. I am preserving them so they can last me all during the winter. I can show you how to can some food. Grasshopper. Oh, no said Grasshopper. Do you see all this food lying around here? I have leaves. Flowers, stems, seeds, grasses, mushrooms, weeds, corn. All at my disposal. Corn said aunt corn is one of the crops so I can. Let me show you. And Ant took Grasshopper down to the basement, into her tiny little cottage. Down there was she with rows of jars of canned goods. Look Grasshopper. I have tomatoes, peaches, apples, plums, blueberries, strawberries, pickles, olives cha chow, corn. And my favorite Blackberry jelly. Do you wanna taste Grasshopper? Oh yes. Thank you. Grasshopper tasted it. Mm. This tastes so fresh. It tastes so good. See, I told you, let me show you how to do some canning. Grasshopper for what? What for, said Grasshopper. So you will be ready when winter comes, said Ant. Winter is a long way off, my dear friend Ant. Summer just got here. Grasshopper flew back outside, laughing and dancing.

Asset ID: 2022.05.17.a

Find a complete transcription on the Peale's website.

In 2021, a coalition of national museum and library associations awarded the Peale (Baltimore, Maryland) a Communities for Immunity grant. The goal of the project is for trusted, local institutions to engage their communities in order to boost COVID-19 vaccine confidence. Since being awarded the grant, we've been gathering stories from people about their experiences with COVID and getting the vaccine.

Whitney Frazier (00:00): What do you say to people to convince them to get vaccinated? What are your one-liners?

Joy Ross (00:16): I just walk up to them and I'm like, "Did you get the COVID shot?"

Whitney Frazier (00:17): Okay.

Joy Ross (00:17): They like, "oh no."

Whitney Frazier (00:17): You just like, you don't even say hi or like, did you get the COVID shot?

Joy Ross (00:20): They like "no," and I like, you serious and we just start a conversation from there. Cause "hi" is like a weakness for, I know Baltimoreans, like saying hi is a way of saying, oh, she ain't from the city. So I have learned to negate that hi sometimes, I'm always saying hi to people, but if you just come out, what you got to say in Baltimore, it seemed like it's more effective than... Cause they get shocked by when you say hi.

Whitney Frazier (00:54): They don't want to, people don't like small talk. They just want to get right at it.

Joy Ross (00:57): Right.

Whitney Frazier (00:58): Like what you want. Okay. So you just straight up ask them, and then if they say, no, I haven't. You're like...

Joy Ross (01:07): What are you waiting for?

Whitney Frazier (01:09): Yeah. What are you waiting for?

Joy Ross (01:12): If you need help? Can I, you know what I mean? Like I tell them I'm a nurse. I can help you get it, if that's what you wanted. Like, "no, no, I don't want it," and then I'm like, "why, you allergic to it?" Like tell me, like you don't want, and then if they go into that story about, they killing us, then I use that as an educational forum because I'm always educating health wise on the streets.

Whitney Frazier (01:38): Right.

Joy Ross (01:38): So it's just easier for me to jump in there behind it's like the little drug boys around here. You know none of them have been vaccinated, and I wanted to know I'm like, you know what? You are at a high risk occupation here.

Whitney Frazier (01:55): You're interacting with a lot of people.

Joy Ross (01:56): Why [inaudible 00:01:57] vaccinating? You know, they're like, "no, Miss Joy I don't contact with people" and this and that. So I had to hit home when I said about your kids and your family. When you go there, it's like a wakeup call. So they've been vaccinated now they made a point to tell me they've been vaccinated.

Whitney Frazier (02:18): Wow.

Joy Ross (02:19): You know? Yeah. I told one, I call him the lead ring and he claim he isn't. But I think he is. I says, "the guys out front haven't been vaccinated." He says, "what's wrong with them?" I said, "I don't know." I said, "you've been in vaccinated." He said, "oh yeah." I said, "you need to go talk to them." So it's so casual, it's funny because they feel like they're always on guard anyway, because I used to call the police on them so much.

Whitney Frazier (02:53): Yeah.

Joy Ross (02:53): So now I realize I put them in harms way in so many ways.

Whitney Frazier (02:57): Oh, but you now have like a relationship where you can talk to them.

Joy Ross (03:02): Mm-hmm (affirmative)

Whitney Frazier (03:02): Yeah. That's powerful.

Joy Ross (03:06): Yeah. They're not so open with doing their drugs. They're discreet about it. If I see some strange people out here or lingering, so I let them know. They'll make sure that there's no one out here because I'm like, it's not safe.

Whitney Frazier (03:28): Yeah.

Asset ID: 2022.05.16

Find a complete transcription on the Peale's website.

In 2021, a coalition of national museum and library associations awarded the Peale (Baltimore, Maryland) a Communities for Immunity grant. The goal of the project is for trusted, local institutions to engage their communities in order to boost COVID-19 vaccine confidence. Since being awarded the grant, we've been gathering stories from people about their experiences with COVID and getting the vaccine.

Whitney Frazier (00:00): All right, I'm here with Kaden and Adi. And we're going to talk about their experiences with COVID. All right, Kaden, can you tell us a little bit about you, introduce yourself?

Kaden Pile-Riley (00:15): My name is Kaden Pile-Riley, and I'm 12 years old. I turned 12 in January, and I also go to Friends School, which is a cool school, I guess. I'm an artist. I love making art, and I also love making music, singing and drumming is probably my favorite thing to do. I plan to do it all more.

Whitney Frazier (00:49): Alright, Addie?

Adelaide Fisher (00:51): Hello, I am Adelaide Fisher, or Adi. I'm 11 years old. I go to Friends School, Baltimore. I really like to play soccer, and make art, and yeah.

Whitney Frazier (01:10): All right, so just a general question, when I say the word COVID what comes to mind?

Kaden Pile-Riley (01:19): Destruction, depression, isolation, and everything between, I guess. Very sad time for a lot of us, including me.

Adelaide Fisher (01:35): Pandemic, vaccine, when I had COVID, over Christmas.

Whitney Frazier (01:49): Yeah, you want to talk about that first?

Kaden Pile-Riley (01:50): That's terrible.

Adelaide Fisher (01:52): Yeah, luckily it wasn't that bad, and luckily it wasn't during school time. But it did kind of suck being-

Kaden Pile-Riley (02:02): Christmas?

Adelaide Fisher (02:02): ... up in my room for the whole Christmas. On zooms with my family opening gifts.

Kaden Pile-Riley (02:12): To be honest, I would rather have COVID during school, because well, I wouldn't have to go to school. But you would have to have the best break ever having COVID. I think I would be devastated, Christmas though. That's just-

Adelaide Fisher (02:29): But-

Kaden Pile-Riley (02:30): ... it sucks.

Adelaide Fisher (02:30): Yeah, I also just miss hanging out with certain friends.

Kaden Pile-Riley (02:35): Agreed.

Adelaide Fisher (02:37): That are not allowed to hang out, or somewhere else, or we're separated, because yeah.

Whitney Frazier (02:44): What was going through your mind when you found out you had COVID?

Adelaide Fisher (02:52): I was sick, I had a stuffy nose, I had a sore throat, I was like headaches, stuff like that. But I wasn't even focusing as much on the symptoms, it was just this thing in my head, like, "Oh my God, I have this virus that has been like circling around the world." Then, as I think about it now, it's like, that's something that happened. I hope it doesn't happen again, but I got it and yeah.

Whitney Frazier (03:27): Yeah. Kaden, you didn't get it yet?

Kaden Pile-Riley (03:33): Thank God, yeah. I've been cautious, and I'm going stay cautious even when COVID is not a big thing anymore. I'm going to have a mask on me if I need to. That six foot rule definitely going to stick, and everything else. I mean, I hope this is probably going to happen in quite a bit of years again, so, I'm just going to have to stay prepared for of that. Yep.

Laurel Stewart (04:05): Why do you think you want to stay prepared for that? If people are saying it's safe now, COVID is just like the cold, you've done everything you can, you're vaccinated. Why do you think you are going to still carry masks, stay away from people, and take the precautions that you are now, while the pandemic is still bad?

Asset ID: 2022.05.15

Find a complete transcription on the Peale's website.

Artwork in this story by Kaden Pile-Riley.

In 2021, a coalition of national museum and library associations awarded the Peale (Baltimore, Maryland) a Communities for Immunity grant. The goal of the project is for trusted, local institutions to engage their communities in order to boost COVID-19 vaccine confidence. Since being awarded the grant, we've been gathering stories from people about their experiences with COVID and getting the vaccine.

Cherring Spence (00:00): Hello, my name is Cherring Spence. I'm from Elizabeth City, North Carolina originally, but I've lived in Baltimore now for almost 50 years.

Whitney Frazier (00:11): And what part of Baltimore?

Cherring Spence (00:13): I live in Northwest Baltimore.

Whitney Frazier (00:15): And anything else about yourself that we should know? How many grandkids do you have?

Cherring Spence (00:21): Oh, now, don't get me talking about the grandkids now. We'll be up here forever. I have both grandchildren and great-grands. I have eight grandchildren and I have six great-grands with two on the way.

Whitney Frazier (00:45): Okay. We'll leave it at that. So in the past couple years, we've all been through it, but we want to hear a little bit about your experience with dealing with COVID and how you've handled it and how your family and you have worked together to get through this hard time.

Cherring Spence (01:09): Well, COVID has... I don't even know how to start with COVID. Thankfully, I personally have not contracted COVID, but it certainly hit many people that I know. Many people that I know have died from COVID. I've had nephews and cousins and my son, his wife, and all that, have had COVID. Thankfully they have survived. My immediate family, thankfully, they have survived.

Cherring Spence (01:51): When COVID hit, of course, we, like others, had never heard of it. We knew nothing of COVID. My mother died January 29th, 2020, and at the time my mom died, we didn't know anything about COVID. My mom's funeral was very large. My mom was organized, as she'd worked in the community and all for years, and so her funeral was very well-attended.

Cherring Spence (02:28): But what ended up happening when we all returned to Baltimore in different areas from the funeral, we found that quite a few were sick. My son came back sick. My granddaughters' mom and sister came back sick. And there were quite a few other family members, almost 20 all together, that were sick, and we had no idea what was wrong with them. And I called, because the only thing we all had in common was the fact that we had attended my mom's funeral. And some made the funeral, but didn't make the repass. Some made the viewing, but didn't make the funeral. So the only thing we had in common was that one thing, that one gathering.

Cherring Spence (03:26): And so I called my sister, who happens to be a nurse in North Carolina, and I asked her if there was any kind of virus, anything that was going on there. And she told me no, that they had some people that had come in with the flu, but no more than usual. And I asked her again, "Are you sure there's nothing? You all haven't had a big influx of people at the hospital?" And she said, "No. No, not at all." I said, "Well, something is happening." I said, "Something is going on, because there are about 20 of us that are back here and sick." And I said, "And you know we've been going to North Carolina for 30 years now for my mom's birthday, which would've been the following week. So we would've been going to North Carolina that weekend anyway."

Asset ID: 2022.05.14

Find a complete transcription on the Peale's website. Photo of Cherring Spence by Kirby Griffin.

The views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in the recordings for this project do not necessarily represent those of the Peale or the Institute of Museum and Library Services.