Ralph Miles

South Bend's Own Words

#South Bend #IU South Bend Civil Rights Heritage Center #History

7:46

Send us a text On this very funny short Bonus Show, standup comic Mack Dryden shares his story about going to the Dentist...you'll never believe what happens...Hilarious! Look for Mack Dryden's "NEW" Dry Bar Comedy Special... Please Listen, Enjoy, and Share where you can...Thanks!! Support the show Website: Standup Comedy Podcast Network.com www.StandupComedyPodcastNetwork.com Free APP on all Apple & Android phones....check it out, podcast, jokes, blogs, and More! "NEW" Video Podcast: Tag Team Talent Podcast on Spotify & YouTube See your favorite comics and other performers...Fun! Please Write a Review: in-depth walk-through for leaving a review. Interested in Standup Comedy? Check out my books on Amazon... "20 Questions Answered about Being a Standup Comic" "Be a Standup Comic...or just look like one"…

3 years ago 17:30

M4A•Episode home

In 1952, three-year-old Ralph Miles moved with his family to South Bend after an uncle told Ralph's father that the Bendix company was hiring.

Ralph’s special needs school gave him work well beyond his grade level. He left that school to attend Harrison and then Washington. The work was on grade level, and way too easy for him. Bored, and without appropriate emotional and learning spaces, he acted out. By the time he got to Washington High School, he turned to violence, particularly to combat racist white students.

Eventually, Ralph was expelled for bringing a gun into school.

He did not have a positive opinion of local Black leaders or Black organizations. He saw cronyism, colorism, and compliance with white people in power at the expense of people in his west side community.

In 2003, Civil Rights Heritage Center historian David Healey sat down to talk with Ralph Miles. They discussed Ralph’s early years in his special needs school, his perspective as a disaffected high school student, and his critiques of South Bend’s Black elite.

In the interview, both David and Ralph use words like “normal” and “regular” to describe Ralph’s first school—the one for students with special needs. We do not condone the use of those words, as they set a rigid and unacceptable definition of “normal”, and pits those that differ as somehow irregular or abnormal.

This episode was produced by Jweetu Pangani for the Ernestine M. Raclin School of the Arts at Indiana University South bend, and by George Garner for the IU South Bend Civil Rights Heritage Center.

Click here for a full transcript of this episode.

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 Explains Itself,” from Josh Spacek. Visit his page on the Free Music Archive, http://www.freemusicarchive.org/.

61 episodes

Ralph Miles

South Bend's Own Words

published 3 years ago

M4A•Episode home

In 1952, three-year-old Ralph Miles moved with his family to South Bend after an uncle told Ralph's father that the Bendix company was hiring.

Eventually, Ralph was expelled for bringing a gun into school.

Click here for a full transcript of this episode.

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 Explains Itself,” from Josh Spacek. Visit his page on the Free Music Archive, http://www.freemusicarchive.org/.

61 episodes

#South Bend #IU South Bend Civil Rights Heritage Center #History

All episodes

1
Ms. Adeline Wigfall-Jones, legendary west-side barber and community builder 17:41

6 weeks ago17:41

17:41

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 .…

1
John Charles Bryant: African American life and legacy 36:06

10 weeks ago36:06

36:06

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 .…

1
Tom Beatty on local LGBTQ+ spaces like the Seahorse 13:50

22 weeks ago13:50

13:50

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 .…

1
Joaquin Robles on four decades in the Latine community in South Bend 16:01

30 weeks ago16:01

16:01

After growing up in Puerto Rico, Joaquin Robles moved to South Bend, Indiana, and lived forty-plus years here. Joaquin talks about his experiences in this city, and his perspectives on multi-generational discrimination and evolution of the Latine community here. 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 .…

1
Charlotte Huddleston on African Americans in nursing 23:27

39 weeks ago23:27

23:27

As the only African American Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) at South Bend, Indiana’s Memorial Hospital in the late 1960s, Charlotte Huddleston shares her perspective on racism in healthcare, housing, and in education. This episode is the first of a new format for “South Bend’s Own Words,” featuring more of the back story behind the history. We hope you enjoy the switch. This episode was produced by Nathalie Villalobos and by George Garner from the Indiana University South Bend 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 .…

1
New format coming to SBOW 2:03

40 weeks ago2:03

2:03

Since 2017, for 54 episodes, you’ve been with us as we’ve gone back into South Bend’s history. And next week, we’re presenting a new format for “South Bend’s Own Words.” It still shares stories of people who worked to make this city change—real stories told by them, in their own voices. Look for the first of the new episodes to arrive in this same podcast feed on June 12, 2024. And please, tell a friend to subscribe. We’d love more people to hear our city’s history told in “South Bend’s Own Words.”…

1
Elmer Joseph, on west side Black owned businesses 19:04

48 weeks ago19:04

19:04

A Mississippi native who moved to South Bend in 1944 speaks about Black businesses on the west side. Elmer Joseph came to South Bend from a resort community in Mississippi. His family was financially well off, yet still deeply impacted by Jim Crow segregation. He attended an all-Black school—and experienced a huge culture shock when he moved to South Bend to attend Central High. Elmer remembers some of the many west side Black businesses around Linden Avenue.* He even opened up a business of his own, running a tavern on Chapin and Western. In 2003, Civil Rights Heritage Center historian David Healey sat down with Mr. Joseph. They talked about his experiences growing up on the west side, and what life was like for a Black business owner here in the mid-twentieth century. * Quick note: During the recording, the host says Linden Street instead of Avenue. He must have had the last episode with Odie Mae Streets on the brain and got his wires crossed. 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 Explains Itself,” from Josh Spacek. Visit his page on the Free Music Archive, http://www.freemusicarchive.org/.…

1
Odie Mae Streets, on passing in the early 20th century 21:38

1 year ago21:38

21:38

A 1931 graduate of South Bend’s Central High School talks about her experiences growing up in a resort town of Kentucky, and the discrimination she experienced as a white-passing African American woman both in the south and in South Bend. Odie Mae Johnson Streets was born in Chicago before moving with her family to Dawson Springs, Kentucky. In the 1920s, she moved to South Bend both so her father could find work at Studebaker and so she could go to school beyond the sixth grade—a common end point in formal education provided to most Black students in Dawson Springs. In 1996, Odie Mae sat down with her niece to record her life’s story. She spoke about growing up in Kentucky and Indiana, challenging racial discrimination at Central High School by joining the swim team, seeing South Bend’s Birdsell Street evolve into a multi-racial neighborhood, and how her four children lived their own lives in South Bend and beyond. This episode was produced by Nathalie Villalobos and by George Garner from the Indiana University South Bend 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 Explains Itself,” from Josh Spacek. Visit his page on the Free Music Archive, http://www.freemusicarchive.org/.…

1
Gail Brodie, west side community organizer 16:34

1 year ago16:34

16:34

Gail Brodie lived her entire life in her beloved west side community. She even has an honorary street named after her. Her mother, Annette Brodie, was a long-time community activist during the late 1960s. Annette pushed city leaders to provide basic services, like paving their dusty, dirt streets. Gail took on her mother’s community work and became as trusted, and as vital a resource. As a generational homeowner, Gail had a privilege and a perspective of the west side of South Bend, Indiana different than some of her neighbors. In 2007, Doctors Les Lamon and Monica Tetzlaff, along with student Derek Webb, sat down with Gail. They talked about her upbringing in the shadows of her mother’s community leadership, her unique perspectives on the community’s evolution, and how she answered her own call to community service. This episode was produced by Nathalie Villalobos by George Garner from the Indiana University South Bend 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 Explains Itself,” from Josh Spacek. Visit his page on the Free Music Archive, http://www.freemusicarchive.org/.…

1
Andre Buchanan 17:56

1 year ago17:56

17:56

Andre Buchanan grew up in South Bend’s east side African American community in a house that, today, is threatened by the rampant construction of the Eddy Street shopping areas right by the Trader Joe’s. During the mid-1940s, when he was in the fourth grade, Andre was one of the first students of color to attend Saint Joseph Catholic grade school. Despite living and going to school on the east side of town, his family worshipped on the west side at the multi-racial Saint Augustine’s Church. Andre’s father even helped build Saint Augustine’s. In 2007, Indiana University South Bend student Imani Ingram and professor Les Lamon sat down with Andre. They talked about his different treatments between predominately white and Black South Bend schools, his experiences with discrimination at the Natatorium, and his perspective as part of the east side African American community. 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 Explains Itself,” from Josh Spacek. Visit his page on the Free Music Archive, http://www.freemusicarchive.org/.…

1
Listening to Pandemic Narratives 2 29:21

1 year ago29:21

29:21

Over the past two years, doctors Jamie Wagman and Julia Dauer from Saint Mary’s College collected local stories of those impacted by the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. Last year, they gave a public presentation with clips from some of the narrators who graciously shared their stories. They did it again this past September at the Saint Joseph County Public Library with new narrators sharing a different set of stories. We shared the first presentation as a special on this feed last year, and we’re doing so again now. The full versions of these oral histories are preserved and accessible through the Civil Rights Heritage Center’s archives , and today we share the most recent public presentation. This episode was produced by Jamie Wagman and Julia Dauer from Saint Mary’s College, and Nathalie Villalobos and George Garner from the Indiana University South Bend 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 Explains Itself,” from Josh Spacek. Visit his page on the Free Music Archive, http://www.freemusicarchive.org/.…

1
Ruperto Guedea 19:54

1 year ago19:54

19:54

Ruperto Guedea lived the majority of his life in the United States straddling multiple cultures. Born into a small mining community in northern Mexico during the late 1930s, his mother and father brought their family across the border just after World War II. His first school was openly hostile towards Spanish speakers yet did not teach him English. After moving to Chicago, he fit right in with the Polish and other European immigrant families who also knew no English. He met and married a woman whose Mennonite faith traditions were significantly different than his. Together, they got involved with the new influx of Mexican and Central American immigrants that transformed the Elkhart and Goshen area into a multi-lingual and multi-cultural community. For Ruperto, it meant reflecting on his personal transformation between his Mexican, American, and Mennonite cultural identities. In 2007, Indiana University South Bend’s Cynthia Murphy sat down with Ruperto. They talked about his parents, his youth in Mexico, and his incredible journey over six decades in the United States. This episode was produced by Nathalie Villalobos and George Garner from the Indiana University South Bend 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 Explains Itself,” from Josh Spacek. Visit his page on the Free Music Archive, http://www.freemusicarchive.org/.…

1
Alma Powell 20:23

2 years ago20:23

20:23

Alma Powell left her hometown of Memphis, Tennessee, when she was two years old. Her father worked for Studebaker by day, and with his family, ran Nesbitt’s Club and Casino by night. Despite the name, it was a music and a social hall, holding local political rallies and community conversations as well as nationally known musicians. There were, as Alma said, few career paths for an educated young Black woman. Teaching was one of them, and Alma’s career as an educator and administrator is distinguished. She is the first African American woman to serve as principal of a South Bend school, and in 1980, she was chosen to lead the South Bend School Corporation’s desegregation efforts. Additionally, she served in leadership roles in her beloved Olivet A.M.E. church, in the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, and during the formative years of the transformation of the Engman Natatorium into the IU South Bend Civil Rights Heritage Center. In 2012, Dr. Monica Tetzlaff sat down with Alma Powell. They talked about her growing up, her family’s business on the west side—specifically, the Lake—as well as her years of leadership, especially as an education administrator. This episode was produced by Nathalie Villalobos and George Garner from the Indiana University South Bend 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 Explains Itself,” from Josh Spacek. Visit his page on the Free Music Archive, http://www.freemusicarchive.org/.…

1
African American Landmarks 36:29

2 years ago36:29

36:29

We’re releasing a new book. Placing History: An African American Landmark Tour of South Bend, Indiana , features South Bend’s African American history as told through some of the many landmarks where that history was made. The book is available for free in print while supplies last, and always available as an e-book by visiting http://aalt.iusb.edu/ . The oral histories we’ve archived deeply informed the writing. Today, we hear longer versions of the oral histories quoted in Placing History —just some of the many people who lived, worked, or organized for change within some of these landmarks. This episode was produced by Nathalie Villalobos and George Garner from the Indiana University South Bend 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 Explains Itself,” from Josh Spacek. Visit his page on the Free Music Archive, http://www.freemusicarchive.org/.…

1
Rebecca Ruvalcaba 21:57

2 years ago21:57