The Mary Queen of Vietnam Community Development Corp. was established in 2006 to assist area Vietnamese-Americans after Hurricane Katrina.  Known as the CDC, they were called on once again to assist the Gulf Coast Vietnamese fishing community after the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill.

Here is our gift to you, our loyal listeners: 30 minutes of our annual Roots Reunion Show recorded live Saturday, December 3rd at the historic Saenger Theater in downtown Hattiesburg. The show features traditional music from Mississippi and the surrounding area.  This month's show included bluegrass byour house band, The Patchwork String Band, the traditional music of Doug and Rhonda Webb, Irish folk singer Jim Flanagan, Jazz by Heather and the Monkey King, and more bluegrass by Delta Reign.  You can get a CD of the entire show FREE with your paid membership to the Center for Oral History and Cultural Heritage by going to http://www.usm.edu/oral-history/become-member .

Historic Mobile Street in downtown Hattiesburg was for many years the hottest strip for live music outside of Bourbon Street in New Orleans.  It was on Mobile Street in 1947 a young guitarist named Tommie Pruitt began a career that has lasted 64 years and counting.

Pruitt recalls learning to play on a homemade guitar and how his father earned money as a street musician.

Taken from an interview provided by the Mississippi Arts Commission's Folklife Archive.

In the early sixties, NASA decided to construct a rocket engine test facility in Hancock County.  

Lee Paul of Bay St. Louis was part of a team of engineers sent to test how the noise would affect the surrounding area. He recalls the massive horn they used and the community’s reaction to the tests. Paul also recounts how area wildlife inspired the names of some of the roads.

As a boy in Nesbit, Kenny Brown had a hard time learning to play the guitar.  That changed when blues legend, Mississippi Joe Callicott, moved next door.

Years later, Brown befriended another blues legend, R.L. Burnside. Brown recalls playing with Burnside and his first trip to a juke joint.

Brown also demonstrates the difference between the Hill Country blues of North Mississippi and the Delta blues. This interview courtesy of the Mississippi Arts Commission's Folklife Archive.

In 1894, a group of African American men from the Bay St Louis area formed the One Hundred Members Benevolent Debating Association. In 1922, the Association constructed a meeting hall as place to conduct fundraising events.  Known as the Hundred Men Hall, it became a regular stop for many of the greatest musical acts of the day.

Walter Biggins and Anna Kline are newly weds from Jackson brought together by a love of Mississippi foods and culture. They detail how an article Kline was writing on ways to prepare watermelon became an annual party. The couple also belong to a "Soup Club", a group of friends that meet regularly to share good food and conversation.

As a boy, Hattiesburg resident, Jimmy Swan dreamed of performing on the Grand Ole Opry. He tells the story of how he ran away from home at the age of 13 and a young man he met named Hank Williams.

Randy Yates of Oxford is co-owner of the Ajax Diner on the Square.  He recalls growing up in Jackson and the restaurants that influenced his decision to go into food service.  He also details the foods offered at the Ajax Diner and why he feels it's important to have a wide variety.

Elsie McWilliams of Meridian loved to write plays for her church's you group, but had never tried to write a song. That changed after she received a phone call from her famous brother-in-law, country singer, Jimmie Rodgers

When Monica Williams flad her home city of New Orleans, after Hurricane Katrina, she decided to make Jackson her new home. Soon, Williams became the cafeteria chef for Saint Therese Catholic School. She discusses adapting her traditional New Orleans dishes to meet the nutritional needs of the children.

After not playing guitar for many years, John Arnold was inspired to by the re-release of Jimmie Rodgers' catalog in the mid-sixties. He began performing Rodgers' music across the state for fairs and other events.

For Greek Americans, traditional foods provide an important link to culture and family. Kris Gianakos recalls a recent family reunion and the role that food played at the gathering. He also details how Greek foods are combined with traditional American foods during the holidays.

As the son of an army officer, Julian Brunt of Biloxi, was exposed to different cultures and foods at a young age. He recalls a dinner party his mother gave for some German friends while in Europe.He also remembers his first Barq’s root beer and soft shell crab poor boy. When writing about food for the Sun Herald or other publications, Brunt likes to include stories that tie a particular dish to its parent culture.

Retired Lt. General Russell Honoré lead the recovery operation in his home state of Louisiana and Mississippi following Hurricane Katrina. He discusses his decision to make Camp Shelby his base of operations. Honoré points with pride to the recovery that’s been made in the years following the storm. He has decided to go on a personal crusade to help establish a culture of preparedness in the U.S.

Born in 1900, LeGrand “Doc” Capers witnessed many changes to his home town of Vicksburg. These included changes in technology, commerce and transportation. Capers recalls the first phonograph and the fire station next door.

Capers also describes a visit to the Vicksburg Cotton Exchange.

Sarah Carter of Greenville, was 10 years old during the great flood of 1927. She remembers watching the waters rise as people searched for a place to keep their livestock.

Carter recalls the decision to remain at home during the flood as boats became the only means of transportation.

Following WWII, advances in modern farming methods meant fewer jobs for rural Mississippians.  In response, the Tupelo Community Development Foundation was formed to bring industrial jobs to Lee County. Harry Martin of Tupelo explains. Martin also details how the Community Development Foundation unified the efforts and resources of the cities with those of the rural communities.

Before the advent of the self-service filling station in the 1970s, there was the full-service gas station.  Here, uniformed attendants pumped gas, checked your car’s fluids, and even washed the windshield.  

James and Ruby Wentworth of Meadville operated such a station during the 1940s. She recalls the demands of being a working wife and mother.

In 1955, director Elia Kazan came to Beniot, Mississippi to film the Tennessee Williams movie, Babydoll.  Kazan hired several locals to play small parts in the film. Brodie Crump, of Greenville, describes the character he played and his mother’s reaction to his new job.  Crump also recalls some of the actors he met while filming and upsetting a member of the crew.

During WWII, Japanese-Americans were forced to live in “relocation” camps by the government.  Despite this harsh treatment, many of them served with distinction in the armed forces. Herbert Sasaki recalls coming to Camp Shelby to join an all Japanese-American combat unit. Sasaki explains the purpose of the 442^nd Regimental Combat Team and reflects on the heavy cost the 442^nd paid in becoming on of the Army’s most decorated combat units.

In December of 1941, with war in the Pacific looming, a series of Naval Construction Battalions were established. Known as Seabees, they were responsible for building the bridges, airstrips, roads and buildings needed by our troops.  Dr. Patrick Gill of Macon, Mississippi explains how he became a Seabee. He remembers the hot and difficult conditions of the Philippines.

Like many blues musicians, Willie Jordan of Rose Hill, was taught how to play by family members. Jordan discusses the impact music has had on his life and the universal truths contained within the blues.

Blues Musician, Melvin Stacks of Picayune, recalls growing up poor and talks about his early influences. He also discusses his vocal techniques and the importance of warming up.

Broadcasting pioneer, Jobie Martin, was discouraged from playing sports as a child by his mother. He recounts the remarkable story of how he began playing football for Jackson State University (then Jackson College) at the age of 40--a feat that earned him a place in the JSU Sports Hall of Fame!

After working in Chicago for twelve years as an assistant pathologist, Jobie Martin came home to Mississippi to help his mother. He details how a job at the Gulfport Airport led to a remarkable career in broadcasting.

In 1976, Dorothy Moore of Jackson hit #1 on the R&B charts with the song Misty Blue, two years after it was recorded. She discusses her upbringing and how it affected her career.

For many people, music is a family tradition.  Blues guitarist Vasti Jackson of Hattiesburg recalls how family influenced his decision to play the blues. He also discusses growing up in McComb with neighbors like Wakefield "Big Moody" Coney.

In this final look at Jerry Clower's 1973 interview with the Center for Oral History, Clower discusses the difference his step father made in his life. He also talks about having fun without a lot of money.

Before the advent of refrigeration, farmers relied on a variety of innovative methods for preserving meat.  Boe McClure of Marshall County describes how they used to smoke hams in their smoke house. McClure also recalls how his mother preserved sausage using fertilizer bags and home canning.

Rev. John M. Perkins became involved in the civil rights movement after returning to Mississippi in 1960. He recalls being arrested in Mendenhall in 1969. After the arrest of Perkins and his young parishioners, people from around the county converged on the jail. Perkins marks this incident as the beginning of the civil rights movement in Simpson County.

The Civil Rights movement forced many Mississippians to rethink some long held attitudes. Humorist Jerry Clower speaks candidly about how his experiences and faith altered his views on race. 

You can now enjoy Mississippi Moments on the go with our new Android App. It is available for download through Google's Android App Store for the low one-time price of $1.99. With over 260 episodes and counting, you can enjoy hours of entertaining and educational audio clips from The Center for Oral History's enormous collection. We will be including additional content exclusively for the MS Moments App, so don't miss out. Download it today!

For many years, farmers and share croppers relied on credit supplied by furnish merchants.  Humorist Jerry Clower of Liberty, Mississippi explains how this early lending system functioned and the history of the expression "making groceries."

In the early 20^th Century, Mississippi’s fledgling cattle industry was plagued with tick fever. By 1929, it was obvious that something must be done to fight the state’s tick infestation. McComb newspaper publisher John O. Emmerich recalls how this new program was met with violent opposition.

Long time newspaper publisher G.O. Parker of Magee reflects on his early career and on the colorful history of politics in Simpson County.

For many years after the repeal of Prohibition, Mississippi remained a ‘dry’ state. Rev. John Perkins of New Hebron recalls how his family made ends meet by selling moonshine whiskey. He explains the difference between ‘homebrew’ and ‘moonshine.’

Hundreds of volunteers travelled to Mississippi in 1964 to teach basic literacy to African Americans during the Civil Rights Movement. One of those volunteers, Sandra Adickes, shares her initial impressions of Hattiesburg.

Adickes also recalls a trip to the Hattiesburg Public library with six African American students in the first attempt to integrate the city’s library.

Dorothy Nunnery of Brandon worked as a nurse at the VA Hospital in Jackson for 32 years. She recalls her time at the Jackson Infirmary Nursing School during WWII. She also recounts her first encounter with bed bugs.

Built in 1918 between Mendenhall and Magee, the Mississippi State Tuberculosis Sanatorium provided care and isolation for those afflicted with this terrible disease.  Dorothy Nunnery of Brandon recalls living on the grounds of the Sanatorium during the 1930s. Nunnery also explains the purpose of the Preventorium and remembers a family who came to stay.

Former Mississippi Supreme Court, Armis E. Hawkins, served as a district attorney in Chickasaw County in the early 1950s. He looks back on his early career.

Mississippi Supreme Court Justice, Armis E. Hawkins, joined the service in June 1942 with ambitions of becoming an officer.  The Marine Corps had other plans. Hawkins recalls his service during WWII.

The first African American Mississippi Supreme Court Justice, Reuben Anderson, remembers the racial climate of 1960s Mississippi. At Tougaloo College, he was inspired by the activism around him. He looks back on his career and his beginnings as a civil rights lawyer.

Senator Thad Cochran nominated Mississippi Supreme Court Justice Michael Mills for a Federal Judgeship in 2001. Mills recounts a getting phone call from the Oval Office. Justice Mills’ confirmation hearing before the Senate was just two days after 9/11. Mills remembers the patriotism and resolve of Americans to overcome the tragedy in the immediate aftermath.

One of Justice Michael P. Mills’ fondest memories from his tenure on the Mississippi Supreme Court was his friend and colleague Justice Michael Sullivan. He shares some of his favorite memories of his friend.

Retired Mississippi Supreme Court Justice Robert Sugg has fond memories of his days on the bench.  He remembers of some of his fellow judges. Sugg also recounts a fishing trip with fellow justice Francis Bowling.

Retired Mississippi Supreme Court Justice Robert P. Sugg wanted to be a pilot during WWII.  He recalls how a perforated ear drum prevented him from serving. He discusses his early career.