Almost 80

Bennye and Keisha explore the various jobs that Bennye worked over the course of her working life.   She delves into how she was able to use these jobs and then career to mold so much about her life.   Take a listen.

Keisha interviews her mother, Bennye, now 81, about the Bethlehem School’s history and what happened after school integration following the 1964 Civil Rights Act. She learned from Kenneth Payne of the Bowie County Historical Society that Bethlehem was a Rosenwald School, part of a 1917–1932 initiative by Sears Roebuck founder Julius Rosenwald and Booker T. Washington that built about 5,000 schools...

Host Keisha interviews her mother about her path to higher education after an unexpected pregnancy following her college acceptance. Facing that decision, she rejected abortion out of fear and first confided in a trusted figure, Miss Vera, before telling her own mother. Rather than despair, her mother responded with optimism, offering to care for the baby so her daughter could still attend college...

Bennye and Keisha sit down for a conversation about Bennye's primary and secondary education.   Starting with kindgergarten, moving through making her way to a state-wide competition when she was 7, and then learning multiple instruments in high school band, Bennye takes her time to fondly remember the beginnings of her formal education.   

In this episode of Almost 80, hosts Bennye and Keisha sit down with Bennye's  brother Alvin—affectionately called Uncle Flea—to reminisce about their childhood in the Bethlehem community. They discuss growing up on a 50-acre farm without electricity, the daily chores that shaped their early lives, and the communal efforts of butchering, growing food, and canning produce. They also reflect on...

In this episode, Bennye describes how a tragedy in 1947 changed the trajectory of her family's life.    00:00 Welcome and Introduction 00:36 Catching Up After a Long Break 01:33 Family Background and Early Memories 04:00 The Fire 11:42 Coping with Loss and Moving Forward 17:43 Reflections and Gratitude 22:18 Emotional Farewell and Conclusion

In this episode of Almost 80, Bennye and her daughter, Keisha, revisit their family history after a summer-long break. They discuss their past episodes, covering Bennye's childhood experiences in East Texas, including picking cotton and explaining where DeKalb is. The conversation then delves into a rich narrative about Bennye's family, focusing on her parents, Emmitt and Arnese. They di...

This podcast episode features a heartwarming conversation between Bennye and her daughter, Keisha, reminiscing about the mother's upbringing in De Kalb, Texas, and the surrounding Bethlehem community.  Bennye shares vivid memories of her small-town life, detailing the town's demographic composition, local businesses, community dynamics, and racial segregation experiences.  She contrasts...

In this episode, host Bennye invites her daughter, Keisha, to discuss Bennye’s childhood experiences working in the cotton fields of DeKalb, Texas.  Born into a large family, Bennye recounts her work in cotton fields from the time she was a tween through her high school graduation.  She describes what their days were like:  the four o'clock wake-up time with the preparation of meals from scra...