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Check 122, check, check out, you can hear that right. So obviously put a header at the top of the tape, the date, that kind of stuff. Um and then you'll see what happens. It'll be track one if we, if we Oh sorry the right. Yeah. And

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you can see that it's recording and you can see the level and you can notice that the time is passing. And so now it's track two, see it'll automatically advance to a track. So later on, if you want to flip from track to track, you can

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do that. So now push stop a little bit. That is amazing. That is amazing. Started this, this is Miss Beulah Mason and Spencey Love is interviewing her today. We are in Durham, North Carolina and this is part of the Durham Civil Rights Heritage project. Miss Mason

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has come to an event she comes to every year and maybe you could just tell, start by telling a little bit about what you come to and when you started visiting here, I just come uh every year because I always get them letter from uh Miss

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Lottie Hayes. And um telling me about what they're gonna do. And, um, and what does make me get here, the date and everything, everything, of course. Um, it's usually on Martin Luther King birthday anyway though. But we come and we sit around and we have lunch

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and we, um, if there are people here that remember some parts that are marching and demonstrating, they will contribute what they remember. And then we have a speaker or something, then we go, go home. But this year is a lot of Hayes. Uh I've been known

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her all my life. She used to, we used to attend the same church. Um But we don't now. Um So how long has this been going on? I don't know. Really? Uh I've come to, I think I've come to about five ever since I heard about

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it, I come to it because I'm interested in things like that. Um Can you tell a little bit about just like when, when were you born when January 6th, 1936 January 6th January 6th? So we're real close to your birthday. Uh huh. Yeah, it was two

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weeks ago and you were born here in Durham? What part, what part of town was right near where we are right down that street, down at Burlington. Uh Your family, your parents both were from here or? Mm. Were you born in the hospital? No, at home.

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Um She had, my mom had 10 Children and uh we was all born at home. She always had a, what you call him midwife to deliver. She never went in the hospital to have any of us. And where were you in the family? Out of the

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10? Um, are you one of the older ones or younger ones? The older one? And they 3rd, 3rd from the oldest. Now, the 40, what were your parents? What was your mother's name? Carrie Mason. Carrie Mason. So, you grew up and went to schools here in

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Durham? And I believe you were talking earlier about you were, um, at Hillside High School. I went two years of Hillside and then they switch the land to the City County line and we had to go to Mary more because we lived in the county. So

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I went two years at Hillside and two years at memo, I graduated my and I forgot what year it was. Um, it's been a long time ago. Well, let's see. That makes you, you look too young to be born in 1936. You do people tell you

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that? Well, yeah, but I was doing it like that because I was saying I am, I'm 68 68 2 weeks ago. So, so what, what do you remember? I wanna go back to your life but I, you, you were talking earlier to the folks in the

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other room about what you remembered about the movement. What, what are your memories here in Durham? Well, I didn't participate. My parents wouldn't let me participate. They were scared and I was scared too actually because some people are getting shot and beat up and all kind

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of thing. I was in high school and I remember some of the marches and stuff and stuff that showed on TV. But like I said, I didn't participate in it any of it. And I remember the sit down at, at Chris's and I remember something going

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on in Greensboro. I think we would sit down over there to sit in and, and about how they did Martin Luther King and his family and, uh, Alabama that, that's about it. I heard about it but I didn't participate. You were in high school when this

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was going on? You, what do you remember hearing? I mean, what do you remember? How do you remember even knowing because your friends were talking about it? Well, it was on TV. And, and that's all you can hear. Everybody talking back. Everybody. This was a change

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in the history of stuff. And, uh, so then, uh, did you know people who had participated? I mean, any, not really, you, you were maybe younger than, than some that were participating because a lot of them. Well, a lot of your college and the high schools,

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uh, participated, they was in the marches and stuff but not people you knew. No, not that I can remember. It was scary. You know what to expect. And your parents said no, you can't, they didn't say they, we couldn't, but they said don't do it, don't

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participate in it because they were scared for us. And I was scared too actually. Um, but I was interested in it to see what, you know, what would come of it and everything. And I remember when the, when Christmas, uh we boycotted stores and things and

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didn't, uh, shop and stuff. That was amazing cause I didn't think that many people was gonna knock shop, especially Christmas time. And so, but it was amazing. Oh, the numbers that participated in the, in the boycott and you, it sounds like you participated in that. My,

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my parents, I tell you wouldn't let us even go in the area when, where it was happening because they were scared for us. So we didn't, we didn't know, of course, you know, we didn't go to the stores that they have up here. You just

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stay away. What do you remember? Do you have any memory of like when you first heard about the movement the very first time or on TV? Or I, we, you know, they talked about it in the schools and things and on the news they was telling

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me about what was happening with Martin Luther King. Do you remember the Montgomery bus boycott? Uh Yeah, I think I was in my teens doing this whole time. Mhm And I thought those people were really brave to, to walk and stuff and walk to their job

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and not get on the bus. And what's that lady's name? Um, that sat down and wouldn't get up Rosa Parks. I think that, I thought that was very brave of her because she could have gotten killed. And, um, and a lot of people say that she

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would, you know, uh, sit there because, you know, she was, she was, well, that was the beginning of the city and the stuff. But actually I saw her in person at North Atlanta Central a few years back and she said the reason why she said it

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because she was tired and it was a seat available and she, she didn't understand but didn't see where she needed to get up to let somebody else sit down when she was tired and worked all day and was tired. And so she sat there and then

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they put her through all these changes and stuff. I think she was a brave lady. I would have been scared. Well, I, I gather that when they asked her to move, she said no, she said no. And she said she said no because she was tired

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and she couldn't understand why she had to get up and give somebody else a seat. Do you remember the buses like that? Segregated buses? There you go, sit in the bed. I don't remember any incidents happening from that though because I guess we just knew that

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we were supposed to go in the back or whatever until somebody decided not to go in the back. You know? So, do you remember a lot of other things about segregation? That, that's, I, I'm talking about the ones I do remember and that was it. I

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remember, um, the bus station that was downtown. What? Yeah, downtown. Oh. How did they get one side for the white and one side for the black? And I never understood that. Matter of fact, I never understood any desegregation. It makes sense to me. All the rules

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are just stupid. What did your parents say about it? Like what I mean? Did they, did they try to, did they teach you, you gotta obey this stuff because you'll be in trouble if you don't. Not really because we were used to going in the back,

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going in the side or going in where for safe, for color and we just go there. That's what I grew up doing. But then when the movement came along didn't, I guess that made you think about it differently and, and it's like this is real stupid.

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I mean, it, like this lady said, is there a difference in the taste of the water or what? You know, you got your white water and you got your black water. But what's the difference just that, you know, you've been put in that place to, to

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participate with the black water and not in the black seating area? And stuff like that. It didn't make no sense. Um, so, and then of course, that was a really formative age for you being a teenager having it all happening right then. So you, you finished

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school? When, when, when did you get out of school? I don't forget it's been so long. I think it was in the sixties. Do you remember? No, not late sixties, early, late fifties, late fifties. I don't think, I think it was in the fifties. I don't

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forget it so low. The sits. That was mostly, well, I might have been, I might have had graduated best your time. But I, I know, I remember marches and I was in high school then at Hillside. I remember that and I remember the marches that was

00:14:07.679 - 00:14:31.429

taking place because they was, when they were organizing the march and I was in high school and I got the information and stuff. A lot of hills in the whole school participated. Faculty and everybody parents too if they wanted to. Yeah. Anybody that wanted to. But,

00:14:31.440 - 00:14:53.570

uh, Hillside was just one of the schools that, that, uh, I remember being in it but anybody could march. They wanted to. Oh, young. But you, you say you didn't at the time because you were scared or, and your parents said not to, I didn't participate

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because my parents chose not to. Were they pretty strict? Well, I didn't think they were too strict. What they did was for our own good. I don't think they were strict or mean or anything like that and we, we respected her. Their wishes didn't say nothing

00:15:15.780 - 00:15:42.049

wrong with it. Um, but they both said no, we don't want you. My mom mostly then a few years ago, two when he did. And what was his name? Paul Mason. And what did your parents do? What, what kind of work did they do? My dad

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worked in the factory. That's been so long ago. I forgot where he was at. Both of them were in the factor for a while now. And what kind of work have you done? What do you do? I've done lots of work. Mostly getting education. I, I

00:16:06.669 - 00:16:32.700

spend a lot of time educating myself right now. I'm in a computer class for the seniors and I just moved from one thing to the other, whatever I think I can benefit from. I'm retired. Um, when you worked. What did you do? Mhm. What did I

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do? I don't even remember. Did you have Children? Mhm. How many Children? I got three kids. How are they around in this area? They've moved to different places. They're grown, they're grown. Uh huh. I got three kids and three grandkids. So I wanna hear more about

00:17:08.250 - 00:17:26.828

your music. You're singing? Well, I, I'm not a professional singer, you know, I tell you, I just bought that book in case Marsh needs some ideas on what to say. And stuff. Now. Now, is he the choir leader or? I think a lot of put him

00:17:26.838 - 00:17:44.500

in charge of the music for this, for this, this occasion because he use it here when we have the uh reunion. Did you grow up going to church? Did you sing? Do you remember singing these songs? No, we didn't sing them. That's just a book of

00:17:44.510 - 00:18:04.599

songs that I get that I bought that I wanted to have, but I don't sing out of it. I don't sing music. I just some songs I like and, and can play them and now, you know, people not really. No, it ain't, it ain't that professional.

00:18:05.989 - 00:18:52.670

Oh, I can play anything, you know, all my life. And what church did you, did you go to? It's a big, it's a big, a little rock. It's not all that big compared to white rock. Bigger than like, it's very well funded church really well organized.

00:18:54.560 - 00:19:20.660

No comment. How long have you been? You struggling? Uh, all my life? I mean, the building looks pretty new is what I'm saying. Oh, yeah. In the back, the uh Family Life Center is, it's just, well, it's not really completed inside but it's the newest, it's

00:19:20.670 - 00:19:43.599

newer than the, than the saint J. So, do you remember any of the leaders during that time? I mean, hearing people speak or, you know, during the boycotts and the marches. But uh, the lady I was talking about to sit down. I heard her, she came

00:19:43.609 - 00:20:06.109

and spoke to us and Rosa Park. I can it do. That was way after all the movement and stuff because she was an old lady. She could barely get around. I'm trying to remember if she's still alive. She was the last I heard she was but

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she was old. Mhm. I haven't heard anything about it. I think her husband. Uh, do you remember, what do you remember about Martin Luther King? Do you remember seeing him on TV? Speaking? Do you remember? I remember when he got killed that sh, um, probably in

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school, whatever. I don't know. A lot of this stuff is, you know, I forget, but I remember when he got shot, I remember the day he got shot. I remember when, um, the president got shot to Canada. That's both of those times or are times that

00:21:01.300 - 00:21:29.439

people sometimes will say, well, I remember I was in my, I forgot where I was in. I remember hearing it though. Mhm. Because Kennedy, Kennedy was Kennedy the first, the first one that shot her named Martin Luther King. And that was horrible. I said, wow, they

00:21:29.449 - 00:21:57.349

shot the president, uh, November 22nd, 1963. And Martin Luther King, they said he would have been to, uh, 70 I think they said 78 I believe if he was alive. And then I said, well, he's 10 years older than me. So that's how, you know, keep

00:21:57.359 - 00:22:30.150

up with him. Yeah. So, how do we keep all this alive now? Mhm. W whi which part are you talking about? Keep the movement, how we keep it alive? I have no idea this. Do you think that, um, I don't see a need to keep it

00:22:30.160 - 00:22:51.630

alive. Are you talking about the history of it keeping that alive? Oh, ok. Mhm. Yeah. I think it's the need to keep it alive. Oh, I wish you know what I really wish is you could just tell me which songs you like on here. Just tell

00:22:51.640 - 00:23:36.650

me the ones if he can, I'm not gonna bring this, take you later. You say that. Yeah, you can put me. Mhm. That, which ones do you like those songs? Do you know which ones? Not too many of them? Do you remember when you first heard?

00:23:36.660 - 00:24:04.359

These? Couldn't hear nobody pray. My version of it. Which one couldn't hear? Nobody pray. I haven't heard that one and Deep River. And every time I feel the spirit, nobody knows the trouble I've seen sometimes I feel like a motherless child. You know, all those were

00:24:04.369 - 00:24:20.619

you there? Those are the ones I know. But, uh, he's gotta get, he's gotta get you to sing today. He'll do it if he, you know, he, uh, uh, he usually is here. Sometimes he had to leave before the program is over. So he rushes through

00:24:21.319 - 00:24:44.520

and get on out of here. But, um, lady, uh, with your, with your grandchildren and Children coming along young. What would you want to tell them about segregation and about the movement? I'm glad it's over. You're segregation. Uh, yeah, I'm glad it's over. I'm glad it

00:24:44.530 - 00:25:05.839

ended. Have you ever, I mean, is it something you'd want them to know about or not want them to know about? Yeah. Really? Because what we was trying to accomplish, we've accomplished most of it and, um, they can benefit from it. They won't have to go

00:25:05.849 - 00:25:33.479

through that. But, oh. Mm-hmm. So, what would you want them to know about the movement? Mhm. Like, what, what it was like, I mean, what do you think it's important to pass on that history? I haven't even given a thought. Like I said, I'm just glad

00:25:33.489 - 00:25:57.439

it is over and that things are better from it because I find these young people, they don't believe that a lot of that stuff that's being said really happened anyway. I don't think they believe it. They said no, it couldn't have been like that. Couldn't have

00:25:57.449 - 00:26:21.380

been like that. It's possible for impossible somebody to treat somebody like that. I've heard some say that and then they would say, well, why did y'all do it, you know, if that was the case, then why did you do it? That's a good question. Why was

00:26:21.390 - 00:26:50.410

it like that? And why, and why did we do do those things? But see, they don't understand that I'm getting tired and I ain't turn it off. I want you to just finish your sentence. What do they not understand? What would you want them to understand

00:26:51.170 - 00:27:13.640

that? Really? But like I said, it's over and we can just move on and forget about it. But I, I think what you all are doing is good. Put it in the history book. Yeah. Yeah. I think that's good but nothing in particular though, you know,

00:27:14.770 - 00:27:30.579

and if they read it and then they'll know it's, you know, it's for real that it did happen, you know, and, and not dwell on it, just go on and live your life and stuff and be happy about it. Thank you so much. So, I think

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this is a beautiful thing, y'all know to get this into the history. Thank you. I'm so glad that you came with, with these and I hope you all gonna take that with me. No, I don't know what Owen has. He might have some plan already. I

00:27:51.910 - 00:28:05.699

don't know. And he's coming at 1130 about an hour from now. Ok. I reckon he'll be here at 1130. We have lunch at 1130. He may get here earlier. You might talk to him before the