Linda Grace Morris: Baltimore Boomer Tales from the Hood

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If you were just meeting Dr. Vivian Pinn today, you might think that she was someone of Hollywood fame. She says that at one point in her very young life, she wanted to be a singer or dancer--except for the fact that she could neither sing nor dance. Fortunately for us, she found her calling in the world of medicine. Listen to how this child of rural Halifax County, Virginia, found her way from her doting grandparents' farm to the mighty halls of the world's premier biomedical research establishment, the National Institutes of...

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Serina is the first guest I have interviewed remotely by cell phone. It took a few minutes to get everything working together, but the wait was worth it. Someone referred her to me as having an interesting story, and she certainly does. I'm not just saying that because there are a lot of similarities with our stories. Listen as Serina's story unfolds.

Make every moment count! E-mail me at Lindagracemorris@gmail.com and tell me in 25 words or less why I should interview you.

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Linda Wade and her brother, William, were fortunate enough to grow up in Turner Station, a community in the shadow of the Bethlehem Steel plant in Sparrows Point, Baltimore County. I say fortunate because residents of Sparrows Point and Turner Station had the highest per capita income in the country during the war years into the 1970s. It should be noted that Linda and William's father, Dr. William Wade, Sr., who referred Mrs. Henrietta Lacks, a Turner Station resident and considered the mother of modern biomedical research because of her immortal cell line...

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In this episode, you will hear from another member of the iconic Luck family. Season 1, episodes 10 and 25 featured descendants of a slave in Danville, VA, freed at the end of the Civil War, Jerry Luck. Jerry valued education because the law forbade him from obtaining it. He was determined that all of his children would have a good education. He and his newly freed wife, Luvenia, had six children who became doctors, lawyers, and educators. This truly is an American family saga.

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Kai Jackson is the most down-to-earth television personality that you ever will meet. I should have known this because we have been chatting over the past few years about me helping him with a project on Cherry Hill. A native of Washington, DC, he grew up in the Glen Arden section of Prince George's County. Kai was born in 1964, so he just did make it into the Boomer generation. Listen as he shares his story.

Make every moment count! E-mail me at Lindagracemorris@gmail.com and tell me in 25 words or...

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Betty Baze lives and breathes Cherry Hill. She was born in Cherry Hill, and with the exception of three years when she was traveling with her husband in the military, she has lived in Cherry Hill her entire life. She credits her mother as being her role model for advocacy because her mother was always active in the community. As you listen to this episode, you will see how hard it is to get Betty to talk about herself. For her, everything is about her beloved Cherry Hill.

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Sarah is 90 years old, but she remembers details like it was yesterday. She was a hard-working little girl because she was the oldest of four sisters. She helped with diapers and bottles as soon as her sister Mable was born 2 years after her. She was cooking by the time sisters Helen and Gracie came along when she was 5 years old. She always wanted to be helpful. Maybe that's why she became what used to be called a licensed practical nurse. She graduated from high school, got married a couple of years later, and...

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Helen Harmon Rowley is a loyal daughter of Virginia's Eastern Shore. Born in Nassawadox of Northampton County in 1939, she has always wanted to live there. She had a very colorful journey to becoming a successful career educator despite deficiencies that could have made that impossible. In her early adult years, she desired a government job. However, along the way, she bypassed an interview for a Federal job because of falling in love with teaching. Helen's eagerness to see young people learn and be impacted by her teaching brought her much delight and fond...

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Deborah Butler Johnson is another Cherry Hill success story because of the "village" that affirmed, supported, and loved on us. When Deborah was six-years-old, she was as tall as her Mother. At about that age, she was becoming aware that her Mother was a little person, at the time called a dwarf. Throughout her life, Deborah has learned that her Mother's height was not determinative of the Mother's heart that God provides to everyone He entrusts with the care of His precious children. Listen as Deborah shares her story and how the events...

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Rita Toy-Carr is a 2nd cousin gifted to me by Ancestry.com shortly before COVID hit. The reason I can remember is that I am so grateful that she got to speak with the Speaks family historian, in the oral tradition. Leon was the family's greatest storyteller, possibly because he was the oldest cousin and had seen more relatives than the rest of us. However, it was COVID that took him away from us on Christmas Eve 2020. And while Rita did not get to meet Leon, we had a glorious conversation in my...

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From the moment you hear Patricia introduce herself, you can tell she is a take charge person. Her childhood and adolescence in Cherry Hill prepared her to make her way in the world. And no wonder. As it turns out, she has no-nonsense ancestors who have left documentation of their contributions to American history. Listen as Patricia shares her journey.

Make every moment count! E-mail me at Lindagracemorris@gmail.com and tell me in 25 words or less why I should interview you.

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Donald Jones did not set out to be a minister. He took a very circuitous route. However, he got there, he's there. His family migrated to Baltimore in the early 1940s like so many black families searching for better lives. They moved to Baltimore before he was born which makes him the only member of his family born in Turner Station. Listen as Pastor Jones shares his Boomer path.

Make every moment count! E-mail me at Lindagracemorris@gmail.com and tell me in 25 words or less why I should interview you.<...

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Alvin Lee shares with us his family's journey from Nova Scotia to Washington, DC, to Cherry Hill. The son of a schoolteacher and ship's waiter, this young man was destined to chart an out-of-the-ordinary course for himself, and that he did. He tells us how he navigated the waters of segregation coming of age in the 1960s to accomplish breaking barriers in the world of advertising. The picture above, left to right, Alvin's older brother, Michael, Alvin's mother, Alvin's sister-in-law, and Alvin is on the right.

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When Leon Bailey won first place for his wrestling division weighing 136 ½ pounds at the Quonset Point Navy Base in Rhode Island in 1964, he became the first African American to win a Navy wrestling championship in New England. Leon had been preparing to box and wrestle all his life in the recreation centers and gyms of East Baltimore. When he found out that he could execute those skills for the Navy, he signed up for active duty during the Vietnam era and continued honing his craft. Wrestling for the Navy became his dream. It t...

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After ending Michael's first episode because of time constraints, I felt uneasy because there was more that needed to be said to give you the full view of Michael's journey. I had planned to publish this the following week. However, I think it better serves you, the listener, to have it immediately. 

Make every moment count! E-mail me at Lindagracemorris@gmail.com and tell me in 25 words or less why I should interview you.

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This is a story of so many twists and turns that I had to do it in two episodes because every detail was essential. Cherry Hill is the launching point for the life that Michael has navigated so well with his faith at the core of his being. As we are told in James 2:26, "For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also." Michael not only put the work in, but he also went a step further and asked for help--something many are afraid to do...

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Salima "Dolly" Siler Marriott describes herself as a feminist activist. That seed was planted by her maternal great-grandmother, Eliza Finney Fosque, who was born in 1874 in Exmore, a small town in Accomack County on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. She was a midwife in the town until 1940. Salima's activism has changed the landscape of the lives of women all over the world. Listen to her passionate account of her life's work and be inspired to answer the call yourself. 

Salima is the author of "Bringing Into Being Our Legacy", mini portraits o...

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No, they are not twins like Tia and Tamera Mowry, but they do love their hats. Sisters are special. They are our first girlfriends. They protect us and lead the way if we are little sisters. They are a pain--sometimes--if we are big sisters. Even still, blood is thicker than water. Sidney is one of my dearest friends from my Cherry Hill childhood. She was a year ahead of me at School 159. However, I caught up to her at Edmondson High School after I completed the accelerated curriculum at Garrison Junior High. I...

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Dreaming big is something we all should do. In Stephanie's case, she worked for a non-profit called Dream Big in Cherry Hill before exploring her dream in fashion. I met my Millennial friend when I was registering voters at the Cherry Hill Shopping Center for the 2020 Baltimore City Mayoral election. She is a beautiful young woman with a very striking presence, but yet so approachable and down-to-earth. This episode was recorded at her retail space in the Bowie Town Center, the MWBC Shop Local on the street approaching Macy*s. Stephanie shares the...

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Ella Gross is another friend from my childhood. We were children in the same church, and we later met up in high school. We have maintained our friendship through the years just hanging out occasionally and fellowshipping over Ella's cooking. She makes a mean kidney stew and waffles and bakes great cakes for all occasions. 

Make every moment count! E-mail me at Lindagracemorris@gmail.com and tell me in 25 words or less why I should interview you.

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Whenever Towson's black students need anything done, Kenny Abrams is the go-to man. This Generation X leader has been influential in the University reckoning with its racial slights of the past. From the naming of a dormitory in honor of Towson's two first black graduates or coordinating support for a bust of the first Dean of Minority Affairs, Kenny was involved. In this episode, Kenny discusses August being Black Philanthropy Month and how to use fundraising promotions offered on Friday, August 8, strategically for maximum impact. 

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Terry Banks is the nephew of Cherry Hill's Dr. Jerry Luck. He grew up as the only child, and was the son of Dr. Luck's oldest sister, Theresa, and William Banks.  His parents were educators, and his mother taught at several Baltimore schools, including Northern High School from which she retired as a counselor. Terry says that Jerry, Jr., and his brother, Larry, were more like brothers than cousins. Terry discusses the Luck family's education ethic and his path to becoming an attorney.

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Baltimore's Billy Murphy truly is a man of the people. Ironically, Billy is a member of the Silent Generation. However, silent he has never been. Everyone knows of his legal prowess from him winning some of the most prominent cases of our time. He is a crusader for the underrepresented and the downtrodden. The only thing he is missing is his superhero's cape. However, he is too modest to even accept the notion that he is one. Hear a side of Billy that you might not have heard before. 

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I first met Rethia Roach in my early years at Cherry Hill Elementary School #159. She lived right in front of the school. How neat! I caught up with her as she was visiting with Jacqueline Sewell Thomas, the subject of Episode 17. We had a wonderful time discussing our life in Cherry Hill.

Make every moment count! E-mail me at Lindagracemorris@gmail.com and tell me in 25 words or less why I should interview you.

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It is hard to imagine that Dr. Nicole Fabricant, Associate Professor of Anthropology, Sociology, and Criminal Justice at Towson University, takes time to eat and sleep. She is a ball of energy modeling passionate involvement for her students with causes that impact their lives. I met Nicole, a member of Generation X, when I was introduced to the community garden that used to be in Cherry Hill. There, her students were documenting garden social dynamics. They were very energized by the campaign to save the site that the garden occupied, but the garden...

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As pictured above from left to right, Juanita and Anita are identical twins. When I booked this interview, my assumption was that they would talk about how similar they are. However, to my surprise, they expressed their differences. Listen to their journey as twins and hear how each has traveled through time as a twin, but also individual women. As noted in the interview, Anita is the wife of former Harlem Globetrotter, Dave Nash, the subject of Episode 6.

Make every moment count! E-mail me at Lindagracemorris@gmail.com and tell me...

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Rose Backus Davis Hamm is the wife of Leonard Hamm, the subject of Episode 16. Rose began her professional life with the Baltimore Public School System doing crisis intervention teaching. She ended as principal of the Frederick Douglass High School. Rose shares with us the story of her life and her innovative career in education. 

Make every moment count! E-mail me at Lindagracemorris@gmail.com and tell me in 25 words or less why I should interview you.

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Although this podcast is not necessarily about Cherry Hill, Cherry Hill is a recurring theme because that was my home for my elementary school years, and I have made a lot of contacts since writing the Cherry Hill book. Rev. Braxton contributed a piece to the book about neighbors loading up their cars on Sunday morning--way before seat belts--with the neighborhood kids and dropping them off to Sunday School. You know the adage that it takes a village, well Cherry Hill was our village, and all the adults took care of the children...

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When my cousins and I get together, it's like a pajama party. We always find some morsel of information about the family that we did not know. When my grandparents, Alfred Louis and Mary Ann Kellam Speaks, got married, they had 9 children of 12 that survived to adulthood--8 girls and 1 boy. They were, in order, Rosina Speaks Wiggins, Mary Speaks Harmon McGuire, Margaret Speaks Russell, Julia Speaks Young, Dorothy Speaks Henson Mayes, Alfred Louis Speaks, Jr., Armenella Speaks Morris, Thelma Speaks White, and Hilda Grace Speaks. Aunt Mary was the last surviving sibling, and...

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In 1948, 16-year-old Harriet Eleanor Taylor found herself struggling to be a mother to two children, one a year old and the other 4-months-old. Her prominent black middle-class family shunned poor Harriet as they tried to take her babies away from her. They found an aunt in Cleveland who was willing to take the older child, but Harriet was so fearful of losing the child she had known for more than a year, that she decided to give up the 4-month-old, Jacqueline, for a local adoption with the Family and Children's Society in Baltimore...

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"The Hill" will always be in Leonard Hamm's heart--as with many of us first generation Cherry Hill kids. It may sound trite to many of you, but you just had to be there. The brand new Cherry Hill Homes community had the greenest grass, the bluest skies, and the freshest air, fragranced with honeysuckle--when you weren't smelling the trash from the dump. All of this of course through a child's eyes and nose. Leonard serves and protects Cherry Hill, to the extent that he can, today. Listen as he reminisces about this love...

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Ever since Rick Nelson and Jenny Wilson met in the quadrangle on the Poly/Western High School campus in the 1970s, they have been sailing through life together--literally. They kept the relationship alive through college and graduate school by telephone, and the rest is history. These Baltimore Boomers share their love for each other and the sailing life.

Make every moment count! E-mail me at Lindagracemorris@gmail.com and tell me in 25 words or less why I should interview you.

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There are times when you meet people who are called to do what it is they do. Marcy Rachamim Jackson is one such person. Her paternal grandmother, Martha Anderson, modeled advocacy for people with special needs early in Marcy's life. Marcy shared, "My grandmother took care of people with special needs in her home, and we considered them family." When Marcy had a child with special needs, she did the work necessary to find him the services he needed. After 30 years of formally honing her advocacy skills, she has consolidated her knowledge and...

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Each week I will have commentary on where the podcast stands or is going. In this episode, I have also provided my thinking on the contributions of the author, Antero Pietila, the former Baltimore Sun reporter, and William Lloyd Adams, known to many Baltimoreans as Little Willie Adams. 

Make every moment count! E-mail me at Lindagracemorris@gmail.com and tell me in 25 words or less why I should interview you.

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Boomers range in age from 79 to 61. Kevin and Mary were not aware they were Baby Boomers until this interview. I chose to interview them because whenever I see them, they seem like newlyweds. Hear their advice for staying together and enjoying the journey.

Make every moment count! E-mail me at Lindagracemorris@gmail.com and tell me in 25 words or less why I should interview you.

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Dr. Jerry Luck, Sr., was another iconic member of the Cherry Hill community. Rain or shine, night or day, he was there for us and only charged $ 3 per visit into the late 1960s. According to his daughter-in-law, Kathy Kyper Luck, Dr. and Mrs. Gertrude Luck lived in public housing when they first moved to Cherry Hill in 1945 because the houses on Swale Avenue were not completed yet. Since the first houses in the project to be completed were on Spelman Road, that is likely where they first lived. Dr. Luck practiced there using...

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Wayne and Debbie are my cousins. They have a delightful story of life as a career military family. High school sweethearts, they married at 18, and the rest is history. They have travelled internationally and at one time, considered staying in Europe.  Their children were raised multiculturally, which prompted one of them to ask--when in an inner-city McDonald's--where are the white people? Out of the mouths of babes!

I apologize for the sound quality, as I did not set the volume correctly on the track recording Debbie. I sent it to a s...

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Each week on Wednesday as I publish new episodes, I will give you some thoughts that I have collected since the previous week. These thoughts can pertain to something that happened over the course of the week, or they could be totally random. This week I am discussing feedback I have received from friends about the podcast. It would probably be helpful for you to listen to Boomer Thoughts on a weekly basis to give you insight as to where we are and possibly where we are going. This is more work than...

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Linda G, Morris is the author of Cherry Hill: Raising Successful Black Children in Jim Crow Baltimore. She learned so much about Baltimore writing the book, she wants to share Baltimore and her fellow Boomers with the world. In this inaugural episode, Linda free flows about her life and times. She invites listeners to contact her to share their experiences and life lessons growing up in the 1950s and 1960s. Join her as she learns the technology of podcasting while taking you back to what were fun times for her, and she hopes...

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Bob Wallace and Carolyn Green Wallace are two of the nicest, most genuine people I've ever met. While I had Bob in my Cherry Hill book as a Cherry Hill success story, I was not previously aware of him. I relied heavily on my very dear friend, Sidney Rauls Ellis, to give me information about the people in Cherry Hill since she lived there much longer than I did. I was just closing up the chapter on success stories when Sidney mentioned that Deborah Curry's cousin had a computer business. I contacted him...