Livin’ Down South in the Land of the Pines

by Jordan Beck

“It was so safe. You never had to worry about crime, and no one thought about child abductors.” As Gayemell Shepherd’s sweet southern draw serenaded my ears, my mind floated back to the early 1960s when she was growing up in Sanford, North Carolina. An idyllic life of happiness, the American Dream, and strong ties to the South hovered in my consciousness like a honey bee over a magnolia flower. Such was the life of the then Gayemell Campbell, born in 1956 and raised in Lee County. The mother of my best friend since the day I moved to West End, NC, from Freehold, New Jersey, in 2004, no other woman besides my own mother ever took such good care of me. In a life defined by strong southern roots, the end of segregation and subsequent integration of African Americans, as well as the evolution of culture, Gayemell’s life paints a picture of what it means to be a Southerner.

The daughter of a farm-boy turned soldier turned chemical salesman, Gayemell Campbell grew up in a comfortable neighborhood. She recalls always being outside, as “there was more play than now where technology’s screwed up so much.” Whether it was spending a quarter for a cone at an ice cream truck, fishing with cane poles, or riding bicycles through clouds of mosquito-killing DDT, Gayemell described a childhood free from worry. “It was a much simpler, helluva lot easier life,” she said with a smile. Of Scottish descent, the Campbell family has deep ties to the land. The farm Gayemell’s father grew up on remains the family’s today. Recipes were passed down by the women, as were china, crystal, and silver. Gayemell still recalls getting her first Mix Master and learning how to make a pound cake. Food was a key component of life, “with extra salt and butter” she said with a grin. Chicken and dumplings, pound cakes, grits, fried chicken, collard greens, biscuits, and potato salad were staples, yet canning was equally important. Without freezers, picking green beans and preserving them was the norm.

Life, however, did not stay so idyllic, especially as segregation ended as the effects of the Civil Rights Movement reached Lee County. When integration began in 1968, her eighth grade year, Gayemell recalls the rioting of both blacks and whites. “It was a very uneasy time,” she said, “Whites didn’t like blacks, but blacks didn’t like being there either.” She remembers the more volatile students sharpening their belt buckles to use should a fight break out. Graffiti was everywhere. It was “scary as a 13 or 14 year old,” she stated. Yet, over time, things started to change. Athletics paved the way and while “tension was always there, it became the exception rather than the rule [to fight]. There were still groups who were volatile, but with athletics, it was better for victory together than victory apart” (Shepherd). The realization that integration was not going to change also moved things along. “You had to get used to things,” mused Shepherd, “but you always looked over your shoulder for those who had an axe to grind.” In truth, it wasn’t the students who had a problem in Shepherd’s experience, but rather the parents. Gaymelle’s husband Dale, also a native North Carolinian, interjected, “As student body president in high school, my vice president was a good friend of mine and an African American. He was a great baseball player, and while we were friends in school we never saw each other outside. It just wasn’t possible.”

After graduating from Greensboro College and working as an exceptional education teacher in Goldsboro, Gayemell Campbell moved to Moore County and married Dale Shepherd, a Wake Forest alumni. They had their first child, my future best friend, Talmadge, a year later in 1994. The changes to life were drastic, most notably with technology. Yet Shepherd mentioned her sadness at a part of life grown increasingly rare as time’s passed: visiting. “Every Sunday after church you’d get in the car and ride without seat belts to a friend’s house. You visited. You made homemade ice cream and sat on the churn while someone cranked.” Gayemell and her family try to keep a similar tradition going, and the Shepherd household continuously buzzes with other people. More changes to life revolve around the church. “There were fewer churches back then, but fewer conflicting activities too. You’d always get together for lunches and parties there with all your friends,” she reminisced, “now there’s so much that gets in the way.”

While the modern world certainly has its differences from Sanford, North Carolina circa 1960, one thing that won’t change anytime soon: the people. In Gayemell’s words, “It’s the people that make the South the South. The hearts of the people. You know your neighbors and you depend on each other.” That’s what it means to be Southern. You can eat all the collard greens, biscuits, and pound cakes you want, but if your heart lies outside the South you aren’t a Southerner. After all, home is where the heart is.

Work Cited

Shepherd, Gayemell. Personal interview. 6 Feb. 2013.

Note: Jordan Beck, who grew up in New Jersey, is pursuing an associate of arts degree at Sandhills Community College. He plans to transfer in fall 2013 to N.C. State or UNC-Chapel Hill.

The American South: A Sense of Community

by Mary Lamb

The South is not simply a geographical region; it is an animated history lesson with roots deeper than the wild fig. The culture is one of honor and pride. Most importantly, the sense of community in the South has created a unique region that has not been replicated, based on the travels of my new friend, Adrian Harper. To gain a deeper understanding of the culture in the South, I need look no further than across the table at lunch to receive first-hand accounts that explicitly articulate the uniqueness of the region. My history lesson was portrayed through the life of Adrian. Listening to the stories of his life was pure music to my ears that gave me a confirmation of why I am raising my own children in the South.

Blue Ridge Mountains

Adrian was born and raised in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. As he recounted stories of his life, I got an entirely new perspective of life in a community. After serving in the United States Navy for twenty years, it was the purity of the people that called Adrian back to the American South. He and his wife, Odessa, chose to spend their retirement years in North Carolina. The South is saturated with small towns and neighborhoods that emulate the stereotypical idea of a close-knit culture. The pride of being a Southerner is a unique trait, and the melody of his words filled my heart like the sugar in sweet tea. Adrian explained that “with people in the South, they’ll tell you what they think to your face, but in the North and the West, they will be all smiles until you turn your back” At first I took offense, until I realized that he wasn’t putting down my Northern heritage, but rather attempting to educate me on his love for the Southern culture and a love for the sense of community.

Emancipation Proclamation

The sense of community is shown in large gatherings and intimate family affairs. It is a sense of oneness that radiates through the entire Southern region. When Adrian told me the story of his great grandfather becoming a free man after the Emancipation Proclamation, the fact that he took on his master’s name and remained employed by him was a great example of the sense of oneness and unity in this culture. Adrian did not speak with any negativity or animosity when recounting the events of his past. Instead, he tenderly shared information with dignity, in spite of the hardships created by slavery and segregation. I recognized his optimistic attitude as another illustration of a Southern gentleman.

In the foothills of North Carolina where Adrian and Odessa grew up, a certain tone was used in rearing children. The idea of “it takes a village to raise a child” could have been the motto in Southern neighborhoods, as the people easily bonded in a unique manner. Adrian illustrated this by saying, “It didn’t matter whose parents caught you doing something wrong. They would take it upon themselves to grab a switch and teach you a lesson.” This same principle held true with mealtime for when food was on the table; whoever was around was welcome to eat. Hospitality of the South was exactly as portrayed in the saying “Come a stranger, leave as family.”

The best cooks include a little fatback
to add flavor.

In the South Sundays were special days for social and family gatherings. After attending church services, people would congregate on the lawn and make plans for afternoon activities. Adrian explained that church members took turns hosting the pastor and his wife for Sunday dinner. Delicious fried food is a staple in Southern gatherings. In the North, much cooking is done with vegetable oil, but in the South food is fried in “fatback.” My Northern roots left me stunned as Odessa explained that “fatback” gives the food its flavor. She said, “I loved just frying it up until it was crispy.” Although the Southern tradition of frying “fatback” until it was crispy may sound foreign to some Northerners, it was not foreign to me. During my father’s childhood, he would fry the fat from bacon, sop the grease up with a slice of Wonder Bread, and fry the bread until it was crispy. Some styles of preparing and eating food overlap from region to region. However, when gathering together to eat a meal, one must be in the South if livermush, black-eyed peas, cornbread, and fatback-fried chicken are the main entrees.

Meals are more than eating food in the South. Meals are opportunities for deeper lessons about life. The Southern culture holds respect in highest regard. The concept of respect is more significant that “yes, sir” and ‘no, ma’am.” Respect is preached to children from birth and children are taught to respect one another. Adrian told me of the times when the pastor and his wife came to Sunday dinner. The children were expected to show respect toward the adults and the parents showed respect toward the children. Adrian’s father expected the children to eat what was prepared for their guests. “It doesn’t matter if it’s the President of the United States at the table; my children will eat at the table next to him,” explained Adrian. This example illustrates a beautiful sense of honor that his father had for his children. This story emphasized both the idea of respect and equality for all people. Possibly, this concept dates back to the freedom of slaves in the South, as Adrian mentioned, several times, the idea of separate, but equal. The people of the South have been deeply affected by this concept. It is as if a slow, melodic rhythm beats within their soul and perpetuates the values of each person rooted in the South.

Respect, equality, and a close sense of community truly portray the special qualities of Southern culture that remains alive today. The deep historical roots of the region have created an area of the United States that deserves to hear songs of praise. Whether it is clans of neighbors who watch out for one another or folks gathered around the Sunday table, the people of the South have formed a culture of purity and unconditional support for one another that can be recognized throughout the world. I am honored to raise my children as true Southern people.

Works Cited

Harper, Adrian. Personal interview. 1 Feb. 2013.

Harper, Odessa. Personal interview. 1 Feb. 2013.



Note: Mary Lamb, who grew up in Michigan within French-Canadian and Polish cultural connections, is pursuing a nursing degree at Sandhills Community College.