South Bend's Own Words

A Texas native who moved to South Bend in 1948, Paula Gonzalez saw first-hand how our city's Latinx migrant and immigrant community grew.

Paula spent her childhood working day and night in a tomato packing house in Edinburg, Texas. When she moved to South Bend, she followed the path of many migrant workers, first laboring in the fields of the Martin Blad farm. In 1957, she began working in the dining hall at the University of Notre Dame, a position she held until her retirement in 1992.

Settling in a Polish neighborhood on Western Avenue, Paula faced the challenge of learning English "the hard way" while navigating a community that was just beginning to transition into the predominately Latinx neighborhood it is today.

As a dedicated community advocate, in 1979, she led the first celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month in South Bend, ensuring the history of the Latinx community would be recognized.

In 2004, Dr. Les Lamon and David Healey sat down with Ms. Gonzalez to record her life story. They talked about her experiences as a migrant worker, her journey to South Bend, and how she helped establish a sense of community for the city's Latinx residents.

This episode was produced by Caleb Matz from the Ernestine M. Raclin School of the Arts at IU South Bend, and by George Garner from the Civil Rights Heritage Center. 

Full transcript of this episode available here.

Want to learn more about South Bend’s history? View the photographs and documents that helped create it. Visit Michiana Memory at http://michianamemory.sjcpl.org/.

Title music, “History Repeats,” from Josh Woodward, used via CC-BY-4.0-DEED. Visit his website at https://www.joshwoodward.com.

Additional music:

“Lighthouse” by Ocean Bloom, https://freetouse.com/music/ocean-bloom/lighthouse.

“Pida Vida” by u_w2a63gd7ea, https://pixabay.com/music/latin-pista-vida-480813/.

DeAnn Gatto worked as a bouncer at the Seahorse, a center of queer culture in South Bend for decades. It was there that she befriended some legendary male impersonation performers. They encouraged DeAnn, teaching her the art and skill of impersonation and the differences between that and drag performance.

One day, DeAnn was pushed to enter the Mr. South Bend competition, a title that showed to her, and to everyone, that she could be the reigning champion of male impersonators.

In this episode of “South Bend’s Own Words,” DeAnn shares her experiences bouncing at the Seahorse and befriending its owner, Gloria Frankel. Many experiences were great. Some were pretty disgusting. Despite the Seahorse’s place in local LGBTQ+ history, it was a bar, after all. But DeAnn’s years in this storied place in South Bend’s queer history were special to her, to her fellow male impersonators, and to those who saw her pour countless hours (and wardrobe dollars) into her performances. 

This episode was produced by Caleb Matz from the Ernestine M. Raclin School of the Arts at IU South Bend, and by George Garner from the Civil Rights Heritage Center. 

Full transcript of this episode available here.

Want to learn more about South Bend’s history? View the photographs and documents that helped create it. Visit Michiana Memory at http://michianamemory.sjcpl.org/.

Title music, “History Repeats,” from Josh Woodward, used via CC-BY-4.0-DEED. Visit his website at https://www.joshwoodward.com.

Born in Arkansas, Dorothy Smith and her family fled the state in 1937 due to a violent encounter with white men. They found refuge in South Bend. Dorothy fondly remembers her time at Hering House, a community center, and her involvement with the Phyllis Wheatley Girl Reserves. 

She was also the first African American person hired at Wells Electronics company. Despite her hard work, she faced intense harassment including enduring racial slurs and sabotaged workspaces. Dorothy persevered, becoming an expert at her job and holding her position for thirty years. 

Content notice: This episode contains stories of racial violence, as well as two uses of the slur known as the "n-word." You may want to skip this episode if that's too much to hear.

The book by Lisa Swedarsky, A Place With Purpose: Hering House, can be purchased via Wolfson Press or borrowed from the Civil Rights Heritage Center’s library. 

This episode was produced by Caleb Matz from the Ernestine M. Raclin School of the Arts at IU South Bend, and by George Garner from the Civil Rights Heritage Center. 

Full transcript of this episode available here.

Want to learn more about South Bend’s history? View the photographs and documents that helped create it. Visit Michiana Memory at http://michianamemory.sjcpl.org/.

Title music, “History Repeats,” from Josh Woodward, used via CC-BY-4.0-DEED. Visit his website at https://www.joshwoodward.com.

Doris Grady Howell grew up on the east side of South Bend, Indiana, in the shadow of the University of Notre Dame. 

As a sixteen-year-old, Doris's life took a significant turn when she joined Uncle Bill's All Girls Softball league. For the next twelve years, Doris and her teammates toured the Midwest—fierce competitors on the field while making history off it, including meeting and playing on the same diamond as legendary baseball player Satchel Paige.

The team brought together young African American girls and women from different parts of the city who, because of geographic and intra-cultural differences, might not otherwise have known each other. They faced racial discrimination off the field as well, traveling the Midwest at a time of overt racial segregation. Despite this, the bonds they built as players continued onwards long after their moments on the field. 

Today, the University of Notre Dame’s Foundry Field project seeks to resurrect a new community baseball diamond as well as histories of local teams. They learned about Ms. Howell’s story and, at age 100, gave her a phone call to learn about her incredible experience as an under-sung local legend. 

This episode was produced by Caleb Matz from the Ernestine M. Raclin School of the Arts at IU South Bend, and by George Garner from the Civil Rights Heritage Center. 

Full transcript of this episode available here. 

Want to learn more about South Bend’s history? View the photographs and documents that helped create it. Visit Michiana Memory at http://michianamemory.sjcpl.org/. 

Title music, “History Repeats,” from Josh Woodward, used via CC-BY-4.0-DEED. Visit his website at https://www.joshwoodward.com.

Additional music includes:

“Sparks” by Chaël:

http://chael-music.com/ 

https://www.instagram.com/chaelmusic/ 

https://www.tiktok.com/@chael_music 

https://www.facebook.com/chaelmusicofficial

https://www.youtube.com/@chaelofficial

Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/

“Childhood” by Scott Buckley | www.scottbuckley.com.au

Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/

Creative Commons CC BY 4.0

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

As a student athlete in Central High School, Tom Singer saw how his African American teammates had very different experiences than he did. This observation fueled his work as an ally in the 1960s civil rights movement. 

Tom leveraged his law degree to challenge discrimination, filing a case against a local gym that charged African Americans more for memberships, challenged discriminatory treatment against incarcerated Muslims, and many other actions that pushed for real, meaningful change. 

As Tom looked back on the changes from the 1960s into the 21st century, he saw progress. He also saw a need for more. His story reveals the ongoing struggle for racial justice in South Bend.

_____

This episode mentions a 1963 Testimony on Fair Housing held at the University of Notre Dame. Click hereto see text from that. You can also listen to the full oral histories of Audrey and Dr. Bernard Vagner as well as Dr. Roland Chamblee.  

This episode was produced by Jon Watson from the Ernestine M. Raclin School of the Arts at IU South Bend, and by George Garner from the Civil Rights Heritage Center. 

Full transcript of this episode available here.

Want to learn more about South Bend’s history? View the photographs and documents that helped create it. Visit Michiana Memory at http://michianamemory.sjcpl.org/. 

Title music, “History Repeats,” from Josh Woodward, used via CC-BY-4.0-DEED. Visit his website at https://www.joshwoodward.com.

Over fifty years ago, a Notre Dame priest sought to become a literature professor. He ended up on another path, becoming an ally with South Bend's Latinx immigrant community and founding a youth and community service center—La Casa de Amistad.

This episode was produced by Caleb Matz and Jon Watson from the Ernestine M. Raclin School of the Arts at IU South Bend, and by George Garner from the Civil Rights Heritage Center. 

Full transcript of this episode available here.

Learn more about the University of Notre Dame’s Foundry Field project referenced in this episode here. 

Want to learn more about South Bend’s history? View the photographs and documents that helped create it. Visit Michiana Memory at http://michianamemory.sjcpl.org/. 

Title music, “History Repeats,” from Josh Woodward, used via CC-BY-4.0-DEED. Visit his website at https://www.joshwoodward.com.

In the small, midwestern city of South Bend, Indiana, for members of the LGBTQ+ community, having a space for themselves is life changing. And for twenty years, people here have had that space. 

Today, it’s called the LGBTQ Center. As the Center approached its twentieth anniversary, Dr. Jamie Wagman and students from Saint Mary’s College students preserved the history of the Center by conducting oral histories of fourteen people who were foundational to the Center’s evolution. 

For the Center’s anniversary gala in 2025, Dr. Wagman and student Phoenix McClellan pulled clips and organized them into this presentation.

Featuring the voices of some of the many people whose time and dedication have shaped the LGBTQ Center throughout its two decades, including Rhonda Redman, Hank Mascotte, Phillip Schatz, Meghan Buell, Eli Williams, Drew Gardner, Nancy Mascotte, H.R. Jung, Michael McMillion, Krista Cox, Angela Hankins, Kathryn Kirk, J.D. Schock, Jamie Morgan, Derek McDowell, and Rhiannon Carlson.

This episode was produced by Dr. Jamie Wagman and Phoenix McClellan from Saint Mary’s College, by Jon Watson and Caleb Matz from the Ernestine M. Raclin School of the Arts at IU South Bend, and by George Garner from the Civil Rights Heritage Center. 

Full transcript of this episode available here.

Want to learn more about South Bend’s history? View the photographs and documents that helped create it. Visit Michiana Memory at http://michianamemory.sjcpl.org/. 

Title music, “History Repeats,” from Josh Woodward, used via CC-BY-4.0-DEED. Visit his website at https://www.joshwoodward.com.

Ms. Adeline Wigfall-Jones’ west side barber shop has brought safety and built community for generations. Now in her 90s, Ms. Adeline shares her life’s journey from a small farm in rural Georgia, to the rigorous studies she undertook to get her barber’s license, to opening her famous shop in South Bend, Indiana. 

This episode was produced by Jon Watson from the Ernestine M. Raclin School of the Arts at IU South Bend, and by George Garner from the Civil Rights Heritage Center. 

Full transcript of this episode available here.

Want to learn more about South Bend’s history? View the photographs and documents that helped create it. Visit Michiana Memory at http://michianamemory.sjcpl.org/. 

Title music, “History Repeats,” from Josh Woodward, used via CC-BY-4.0-DEED. Visit his website at https://www.joshwoodward.com.

John Charles Bryant was a lifelong historian of South Bend's African American community. 

In 2021, after a colorful life of nearly 84 years, he reached out to us to record a series of four oral history interviews. Each would cover 20-year chunks, talking about the people who inspired him, and some of the many figures in local African American history that he spent so much of his life learning about and sharing. 

In this episode of "South Bend’s Own Words," we feature parts of that heartfelt conversation. With stories from over a century and a half, John Charles shares his rich family history and personal experiences. He takes us back to the 1850s, recounting his family’s journey from North Carolina to South Bend and the legacy of his ancestors, Rebecca and Farrow Powell, who were pivotal in establishing the first African American church. 

Topics include: 

Childhood Memories: John Charles reminisces about growing up on Main Street, attending Olivet A.M.E. Church where his mother was an organist, and his cherished relationship with his parents.

Cultural Identity: He shares personal experiences of racial identity, discussing his light skin tone and the societal dynamics he navigated in both majority Black and white communities.

Career and Challenges: He shares candid stories about his professional life, including facing discrimination at the University of Notre Dame, as well as the life lessons he learned from family and friends.

Multigenerational Impact: Reflecting on the changing landscape of South Bend, John Charles speaks on the cultural shifts and the loss of Black businesses post-desegregation, while highlighting his efforts to give back through scholarships.

This episode was produced by Jon Watson from the Ernestine M. Raclin School of the Arts at IU South Bend, and by George Garner from the Civil Rights Heritage Center. 

Full transcript of this episode available here.

Want to learn more about South Bend’s history? View the photographs and documents that helped create it. Visit Michiana Memory at http://michianamemory.sjcpl.org/. 

Title music, “History Repeats,” from Josh Woodward, used via CC-BY-4.0-DEED. Visit his website at https://www.joshwoodward.com.

With makeshift decor and a boom box for music, the original Seahorse was totally undistinguished, but it became a sanctuary for South Bend’s LGBTQ+ community seeking a place where they could be their whole selves. Tom Beatty was a frequent patron, and he shares his personal experiences of coming out, his family’s reactions, the challenges he lived through, and some of the other LGBTQ+ spaces that the community in the 1990s and beyond called their second home. 

This episode was produced by Jon Watson from the Ernestine M. Raclin School of the Arts at IU South Bend, and by George Garner from the Civil Rights Heritage Center. 

Full transcript of this episode available here.

Want to learn more about South Bend’s history? View the photographs and documents that helped create it. Visit Michiana Memory at http://michianamemory.sjcpl.org/. 

Title music, “History Repeats,” from Josh Woodward, used via CC-BY-4.0-DEED. Visit his website at https://www.joshwoodward.com.