Hot Fudge Experience

by Biminii (B.J.) Heard

A wise man once said, “If you don’t know where you came from, you can never understand where you are going.” With this in mind, the interview of one of my grandmother’s younger sisters became even more meaningful. When I asked my great aunt, Emma Gillis (also known as Fudge), about the period of history best described as the Civil Rights Movement, I learned about differences in today’s society as compared to when she grew up: her memories concerning the Civil Rights Movement as well as differences in politics, world views, and family traditions.

Auntie Fudge, when asked if she seen a major difference in today’s society compared to when she was an adolescent, replied, “There is a whole heap of difference in today’s society compared to my younger days. For one we have a black president. We still see racism, but not nearly as much or as bad as when I was a young lady. I recall babysitting for a young white couple’s five-year-old son who actually called her the N-word. In my day whites and blacks didn’t live in the same neighborhoods under any circumstances.”

I asked Fudge about the Civil Rights Movement and her activity involving the movement, and her response was, “I definitely backed them in what they did with the sit-ins, the marches, and the soapbox speeches on the corners and supermarkets. I personally did not march or anything like that because I worked for and with whites. I wanted to save money so I could move away and had no idea how my boss and co-workers would react, but I do regret that I didn’t because my siblings were actively part of the movement.”

My next question was, what was the most memorable moment in civil rights history from your experience? She replied, “Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., being on the radio, speaking of racial equity and unification, was the most memorable moment for me. Then one day I heard on the same radio about the good doctor’s assassination; my stomach immediately dropped like a stone in a lake. I was at work around the same people that I felt wouldn’t understand my wanting to march for my people’s equal treatment.”

To the question of whether she can see a major difference in family values and traditions now in comparison to when she was growing up, “Yes, of course I do. Boy, what are you talking about? We had regular family reunions every other year, and y’all haven’t carried that on at all. We had big reunions where every branch of the tree was represented. Even add-ons, like if a member of our family got married, their household came and their in-laws would also attend, and this was so with everyone considered part of this family.”

Do you think that people today are more deeply rooted in traditions versus generations ago? “Nah,” my great aunt said laughing, “When we were coming up, we did everything together. I mean every detail of everyday was a family event. By my father being a minister, it was days and nights that we were the only ones at church preparing for the next service or just receiving the word itself. I even remember growing up and praying before opening Christmas presents. How’s that for traditions that you all don’t do?”

When asked about the differences between foods and the methods in which they were cooked and prepared, her response was, “Yes, there is a big difference between foods today because my father slaughtered our cows, chickens, and pigs. We caught our own fish in our lake on our property. We grew vegetables and fruits without pesticides, no hormones, all natural homegrown. We pickled a lot of our foods to preserve them. Cooking methods were different as well. We used an old cast-iron potbelly stove that my brothers had to chop wood for us to heat it with, no just walking in the kitchen when you’re hungry and whipping something up; we had to prepare ahead of time.”

Doing this assignment has reminded me of something I hadn’t thought of since my grandmother’s passing, the fact that we were from different worlds even though I am her descendent, lion of her lions, offspring of her offspring. I learned things about my great aunt that my thirty years on earth hadn’t taught me. Aunt Emma Gillis was a great candidate for my interview because her experience is priceless. She agreed to this interview only under one condition; it was, “I hope that me answering these questions can help you get a good mark on this paper.”

Work Cited

Gillis, Emma. Personal interview. 12 Sept. 2010.

Note: B.J. Heard lives in Southern Pines, NC, and is majoring in business administration at Sandshills Community College.