Hairston, Bill, African Americans--Appalachian Region, Appalachian dulcimer and autoharp music, Fiddling, Storytelling, Fiddle tunes, Folk music--West Virginia, Racism, Old-time music, Banjo, Saint Albans (W. Va.), Big Coal River Valley (W. Va.), 4-H clubs, School integration, and Folklore
Folklore, Saint Albans (W. Va.), African Americans--Appalachian Region, Old-time music, Folk music--West Virginia, Walker, John Homer, School integration, Appalachian dulcimer and autoharp music, Fiddle tunes, Banjo, Racism, Fiddling, 4-H clubs, Big Coal River Valley (W. Va.), Hairston, Bill, and Storytelling
Racism, Old-time music, School integration, Hairston, Bill, Appalachian dulcimer and autoharp music, Folk music--West Virginia, 4-H clubs, Storytelling, Folklore, African Americans--Appalachian Region, and Walker, John Homer
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")
![["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. In this interview, Hairston speaks about growing up in one of three Black families in the Lick Skillet area of Saint Albans along the Coal River, his interest in and work with rural West Virginia old-time musicians and 4-H camps, his friendship with Frank and Jane George, experiences with racism in West Virginia, and his work and mission as an Appalachian storyteller."]](/thumb/4224HairstonBillIntTranscript91019 "Transcript of oral history of W.I. Bill Hairston")
![["Levi Phillips, 68 at the time of the interview, is a former basketball player from Charleston, West Virginia. He grew up in public housing in the Triangle District neighborhood and currently lives on Charlestons West Side. Levi was on the first all-Black integrated basketball team at West Virginia University, and played professional basketball with the Baltimore Bullets and the Philadelphia 76ers (his teammates were Wes Unseld and Julius Erving).Justin Phillips, 39, is Levis son, who was also a high school basketball player in West Virginia. He owns Fun Fitness and lives in the South Hills neighborhood of Charleston, WV. Justins son was a high school state champion West Virginia basketball player like his grandfather.Levi and Justin Phillips were interviewed by producer Aaron Henkin with Emily Hilliard 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/Learn more about Levi Phillips career at WVU:https://wvusports.com/news/2020/12/1/mens-basketball-phillips-basket-a-part-of-wvu-coliseums-golden-history.aspxhttps://wvusports.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/levi-phillips/12290"]](/thumb/4224PhillipsJustinPhillipsLeviIntTranscript112219 "Transcript of oral history of Levi Phillips and Justin Phillips")
![["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")