Patrick, Wendel, Henkin, Aaron, and Hilliard, Emily
Subject:
Racism, African American religious leaders, Charleston (W. Va.), African Americans--Appalachian Region, School integration, African Americans--History, Segregation in education, Urban renewal, and Police brutality--United States
Transcript of oral history of Rev. Matthew J. Watts
Date:
2019-11-22
Creator:
Watts, Matthew J.
Contributor:
Henkin, Aaron, Patrick, Wendel, and Hilliard, Emily
Subject:
African Americans--History, African American religious leaders, Racism, Segregation in education, Urban renewal, School integration, Police brutality--United States, Charleston (W. Va.), and African Americans--Appalachian Region
![["W.I. Bill Hairston, 71, is a storyteller, old-time musician, and pastor (Westminster Presbyterian Church) living in Charleston, West Virginia. He was born in Phenix City, Alabama, and his family moved to Saint Albans, West Virginia in 1960 when he was 11. Through his storytelling, Hairston, as he says in the interview, combines the Appalachian culture that he was exposed to on the Coal River, to the African-American culture that he is a part of. For 35 years, he served as music coordinator at the Stonewall Jackson Jubilee, and is currently the coordinator of the Vandalia Gatherings West Virginia Liars Contest. Hairston is an active member of the West Virginia Storytelling Guild, the Kentucky Storytelling Association, and the Ohio Storytelling Network, the National Association of Black Storytellers, and serves as the West Virginia liaison to the National Storytelling Network. He has performed in concerts, festivals, libraries, corporate meetings, conventions and schools throughout the region and the country. This interview is a follow-up to Emily Hilliards September 10, 2019 interview with Hairston. In this interview, Hairston discusses his participation in the last segregated Black 4-H Camp at Camp Washington-Carver, and the first integrated 4-H Camp at Jacksons Mill. He also speaks about his summer job with the Department of Natural Resources and his involvement in the United Methodist Youth Fellowship when he was young."]](/thumb/4224HairstonBillAudioInt121520 "Transcript of oral history of W.I. Bill Hairston")
![["Rev. Matthew J. Watts is the Senior Pastor of Grace Bible Church on Charlestons West Side. He was born outside of Mt. Hope, West Virginia in Fayette County and is an alumni of West Virginia Institute of Technology. In this interview he speaks about the West Sides history as the former site of five slave plantations, his congregation and church neighborhood, the West Side Community Development Plan and Charleston Urban Renewals plans for the West Side, police brutality in Charleston, and the dismantling and destruction of the Triangle District in Charleston. Rev. Watts was interviewed by producer Aaron Henkin with Emily Hilliard and Wendel Patrick as part of the Out of the Blocks podcasts two episodes on Charlestons West Side. Learn more: https://wvfolklife.org/2020/01/17/out-of-the-blocks-podcast-highlights-charlestons-west-side-west-virginia-folklife-hosts-listening-party-february-12/"]](/thumb/4224WattsMatthewIntTranscript112219 "Transcript of oral history of Rev. Matthew J. Watts")