Riley describes meeting his father's politically-connected friends, including Congressman Mendel Rivers, and Senator and Governors James F. Byrnes, and Fritz Hollings. All close associates of his father. He also recounts his efforts to recruit Ken Burns to support the International African American Museum. Riley compares his father's and J.C. Long's careers in real estate development and civic affairs in Charleston and reveals that his father once considered running for mayor. Riley also explains the problems Charleston faced in the last years of the administration of mayor J. Palmer Gaillard Jr. Riley describes having Citadel President General Mark Clark visit the family home. Riley explains his decision to attend The Citadel and recounts his first year.
Beth Schaffer grew up in Goose Creek, South Carolina, where she stills resides. She has worked in the food and beverage industry since she was in high school. In 2014, Schaffer met Emily Ricards, a Fight for $15 organizer, and participated in her first march. Since then, she has been an activist for workers’ rights. In the interview, she reflects on her involvement in the movement demanding better wages and a union as well as on the impact that COVID has in the organizing efforts.
Brandon Chapman was born in Charleston, South Carolina in 1993. After graduating from the College of Charleston, he joined Charleston Area Justice Ministry (CAJM) as an associate organizer in January 2017. He worked with the organization for three years coordinating the demand for affordable housing in Charleston. In the interview, Chapman reflects on growing up in the Lowcountry, developing an interest in social justice, and the work and challenges involved in organizing and building people’s power in Charleston. He remembers the resistance CAJM faced when demanding a Charleston Police Department racial bias audit. Finally, he talks about his decision to move to Washington, DC and his job at the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights.
Robert “Rabbit” Lockwood grew up on the South Battery in Charleston, South Carolina. In his interview, Lockwood describes his long and rich family history, which dates back to the earliest Europeans in South Carolina, including two family members who were blockade runners for the Confederacy during the Civil War. Lockwood’s family tradition of seafarers includes his grandfather and great-uncle who were harbor pilots in Charleston. During his early years, he attended Gaud School for Boys and Charleston High before majoring in Civil Engineering at The Citadel. After graduation, Lockwood became an apprentice harbor pilot, working at the Charleston Harbor until he retired at the age of seventy. In his reflections, Lockwood considers himself lucky to have been able to keep this job and avoid the fate of many of his classmates, who served in Vietnam. He also shares some of his more memorable experiences as a harbor pilot.
Librarian and educator Kim Williams Odom was born in Charleston, South Carolina in 1970. Her family moved to the Jacksonville Military Base in North Carolina when she was in elementary school. Years later, she returned to Charleston as a single mother looking for a better life for herself and her child. She started taking her young daughter to the J.L. Dart Public Library and there she met Cynthia Graham Hurd who became her boss, her mentor, and her best friend. In the interview, Williams Odom tells about her family's deep roots in Charleston and takes pride in her relatives' achievements and contributions to the community. She remembers her struggles to overcome discrimination and succeed in a hostile school environment in North Carolina and tells about her dreams to become a cultural worker. She also talks about her extended career as a public librarian, including her role in the celebration of the J.L. Dart Public Library 85th anniversary and her experience as a manager at the St. Paul's library in Hollywood. She asserts her family's and Graham Hurd's values and ideas shaped her approach to community work. Finally, Williams Odom remembers the day her friend, along with the other eight church members, was killed at Mother Emanuel AME Church. She explains her refusal to let her friend's story to be reduced and defined by the hate and racism that took her life. Instead, she chose to honor Graham Hurd's life and legacy by keeping her work alive and committing her time and energy to several local projects that accomplished that goal. Finally, she states she is taking time to privately mourn her beloved friend.
William Dudley Gregorie was born and raised in downtown Charleston, South Carolina. In 1967 he graduated from Burke High School. In the interview, Gregorie remembers his experiences at Burke High School, including running for student body president, and affirms they prepared him for the positions he held later in life, including running for mayor of Charleston. He discusses his efforts as a City of Charleston council member to honor Septima Clark’s legacy by naming a highway that runs through the city the Septima Clark Parkway.
Taylor Allred was born in Charleston, South Carolina. He was inspired to join Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) by the Bernie Sanders’ campaign of 2016. In 2018, he joined the Charleston group and was a co-facilitator in applying for the chapter status. He has held several offices, including the chair of the eco-socialist group. Allred states that Charleston DSA members are key players in several relevant regional political issues. Among them challenging the 287(g) agreement between the Charleston Sheriff Office and ICE, Medicaid for all, the relief effort in response to COVID, the Mutual Aid Fund, and housing and environmental justice. He reflects on the impact DSA members are having in the PRO Act campaign. Finally, he discusses the future of DSA and socialist organizing in the South.
Nick Rubin was born in Anderson, South Carolina, and moved to Charleston, South Carolina in 2005 to attend the College of Charleston. This interview focuses on his political work, particularly his experiences with Occupy Charleston in 2012. Rubin remembers his early experiences with politics opposing the war in Iraq while in high school and later in college with Food Not Bombs. He talks in detail about the Occupy Charleston actions: the 99 hours occupation at Brittlebank Park, the disruption of the campaign events of Michelle Bachmann at the York Town and Rick Santorum at The Citadel, the marches in downtown Charleston, and the occupation of Marion Square that ended with police repression and detention of the activists. Finally, Rubin reflects on the limitations of Occupy's strategies and the legacy of the movement to the current Charleston political landscape.
Erin McKee was born in Brooklyn, New York. Right after college, Mckee started her career as a flight attendant with National Airlines. When this company went bankrupt she joined Tower Air. In this interview, Mckee recalls some of the most dangerous, most difficult, and most satisfying moments she experienced working on international flights. In the ‘80s when she started working with the airline industry, flight attendants were expected to look attractive, they have to be slim, have their nails done, and their her hair up. It took time and work to change the requirements for applicants to meet the real focus of the position ‘the main reason that a flight attendant is on the airplane is if there's an emergency, to get you out of that airplane safely. It's not to look good. It's not to serve you meals really. You're there by law, federal regulations, to get people out of a plane in a certain amount of time if there's an emergency." At the end of '80s early '90s McKee and her coworkers organized a union to demand better regulations regarding the scheduling and number of hours they were forced to work. She became the secretary/treasurer of her union and was part of the negotiating committee. Because of her experience, she went to Washington, D. C. to testify before a legislative subcommittee about duty time legislation. Mckee moved to Charleston in 1996 and around 1998 Tower Air closed and she was out of work. She thought that her vast experience with unions would help her to find a job quickly but her background was not seen as an asset in a right to work state. She finally started working with American Income Life Insurance and then with Electrical Workers' Building Trades Local IBEW776. In 2013 she became the President of the State Labor Council (AFL- CIO).
The Mayor of Charleston discusses the Making Cities Livable International Conference in Charleston in February 2000. He emphasizes the importance of farmers and farmers' markets in Charleston. Riley explains the implementation of an urban growth boundary on John?s Island, which prevents any urban or suburban type developments beyond the boundary. Riley suggests that the urban growth boundary protects farmers from the infringement of developers.
