Almost 80

Bennye
  • 5.0 (8)
  • Personal Journals

Almost 80 is a podcast that features the life of Bennye, starting from rural Texas in the 1940s, to her years of teaching music, singing in musical and opera productions, and her prolific career as a church musician.

Episodes

  1. 1h ago

    The Cost of School Integration: My Brothers' and Sisters' Stories

    Keisha interviews her mother, Bennye, now 81, about the Bethlehem School’s history and what happened after school integration following the 1964 Civil Rights Act. She learned from Kenneth Payne of the Bowie County Historical Society that Bethlehem was a Rosenwald School, part of a 1917–1932 initiative by Sears Roebuck founder Julius Rosenwald and Booker T. Washington that built about 5,000 schools for Black students with community contributions of land and resources. She describes how integration affected her brothers and sisters. Drawing on siblings’ and others’ accounts, she recounts the good and the bad that came from this landmark legislation and its impact on those she loved.

    43 min

  2. May 20

    Dream Deferred, Dream Fulfilled: Completing Bennye’s Educational Journey

    Host Keisha interviews her mother about her path to higher education after an unexpected pregnancy following her college acceptance. Facing that decision, she rejected abortion out of fear and first confided in a trusted figure, Miss Vera, before telling her own mother. Rather than despair, her mother responded with optimism, offering to care for the baby so her daughter could still attend college. Bennye deferred her admission by letter and was welcomed back the following year. She opens up about the church stigma she faced, including being required to make a public apology while the father faced no such accountability. She also shares the experience of a home birth with a midwife, and the meaningful support she received from employers and family as she prepared to head to Bishop College. At Bishop, she hit the ground running, navigating registration, securing loans that were later revealed to be part of a financial aid scandal, and declaring a major in vocal music with a minor in education. She sang in the college choir, developed her operatic technique, studied foreign-language repertoire, and completed her student teaching, though not without some snide supervision along the way. It was also during her college years that she met her future husband, Miles. After graduating in 1968, the couple soon moved to Boston for Miles's graduate program at BU, and it was there in Massachusetts that she launched her teaching career.

    42 min

  3. 12/21/2025

    Bennye's Early Education

    Bennye and Keisha sit down for a conversation about Bennye's primary and secondary education.   Starting with kindgergarten, moving through making her way to a state-wide competition when she was 7, and then learning multiple instruments in high school band, Bennye takes her time to fondly remember the beginnings of her formal education.

    40 min

  4. 04/09/2025

    Everyday Life

    In this episode of Almost 80, hosts Bennye and Keisha sit down with Bennye's  brother Alvin—affectionately called Uncle Flea—to reminisce about their childhood in the Bethlehem community. They discuss growing up on a 50-acre farm without electricity, the daily chores that shaped their early lives, and the communal efforts of butchering, growing food, and canning produce. They also reflect on their simpler, yet imaginative forms of play, highlighting games and activities that bonded the community. The conversation touches on the importance of family roles, the significance of holidays like Juneteenth, and the cultural dynamics of segregation. This heartfelt conversation serves as a rich and vivid oral history of a bygone era, aiming to preserve these memories for future generations.

    44 min

  5. 02/10/2025

    A Turn of Events

    In this episode, Bennye describes how a tragedy in 1947 changed the trajectory of her family's life.    00:00 Welcome and Introduction 00:36 Catching Up After a Long Break 01:33 Family Background and Early Memories 04:00 The Fire 11:42 Coping with Loss and Moving Forward 17:43 Reflections and Gratitude 22:18 Emotional Farewell and Conclusion

    24 min

  6. 09/29/2024

    Those Who Came Before

    In this episode of Almost 80, Bennye and her daughter, Keisha, revisit their family history after a summer-long break. They discuss their past episodes, covering Bennye's childhood experiences in East Texas, including picking cotton and explaining where DeKalb is. The conversation then delves into a rich narrative about Bennye's family, focusing on her parents, Emmitt and Arnese. They discuss Emmitt’s personality, hardships, and medical challenges, as well as Arnese’s resilience and nurturing spirit despite facing colorism and abandonment by her parents.  The episode closes with reflections on generational trauma and resilience which underlie this deeply personal and historical American story.

    40 min

  7. 05/25/2024

    DeKalb, Texas: Growing up in the Bethlehem Community

    This podcast episode features a heartwarming conversation between Bennye and her daughter, Keisha, reminiscing about the mother's upbringing in De Kalb, Texas, and the surrounding Bethlehem community.  Bennye shares vivid memories of her small-town life, detailing the town's demographic composition, local businesses, community dynamics, and racial segregation experiences.  She contrasts the past with the present, noting the decline in population and communal activities.  The discussion also covers personal anecdotes about family, cultural practices, and the impact of their community's socio-economic changes over time.  The episode paints a detailed picture of life in a rural American town from the past to its present-day challenges while highlighting the strength and resilience of community bonds. 00:00 Welcome Back and Catching Up 00:47 Celebrating Milestones and Mother's Day 01:21 A Deep Dive into DeKalb, Texas: Hometown Stories 03:42 Life in De Kalb: Stores, Services, and Segregation 08:39 Community Dynamics and Racial Divides 11:23 Navigating Social Norms and Segregation in Retail 14:29 Exploring Surrounding Communities and Their Connection to DeKalb 16:00 Bethlehem: The Community That Raised Me 18:09 The Heart of Community: Church and Fellowship 18:50 The Tradition of Hymns and Testimonies 19:37 Exploring Gender Roles in Church Leadership 20:12 Musical Expressions and Lost Traditions 20:38 Family Dynamics and Church Attendance 21:51 Community Cooking and Sharing Meals 24:11 The Essence of a Close-Knit Community 28:36 Addressing Crime and Mental Health in the Community 32:00 The Decline of Bethlehem and Reflections on Community Resilience 34:16 Concluding Thoughts on Hope and Community Survival

    35 min

  8. 02/24/2024

    Cotton

    In this episode, host Bennye invites her daughter, Keisha, to discuss Bennye’s childhood experiences working in the cotton fields of DeKalb, Texas.  Born into a large family, Bennye recounts her work in cotton fields from the time she was a tween through her high school graduation.  She describes what their days were like:  the four o'clock wake-up time with the preparation of meals from scratch followed by long hours spent chopping and picking cotton until six in the evening. Despite this challenging work,  Bennye reflects on the importance of speaking the memories of these experiences out loud for future generations, emphasizing the sense of community and togetherness that helped them maintain not only survive, but thrive in challenging, yet loving, circumstances.  00:48 The Story Behind the Cotton Cover 01:11 Early Life and Childhood Memories 02:48 Growing Up in DeKalb, Texas 03:59 The Hardships of Cotton Chopping 10:01 The Intricacies of Cotton Picking 11:43 A Day in the Life of a Cotton Picker 14:31 High School and Early Work Experiences 14:58 Family Struggles and the Need to Work 16:16 Self-Sufficiency and the Perception of Poverty 18:50 Childhood Memories and Community Bonds 22:28 The Reality of Child Labor in Cotton Fields 22:49 The Process of Cotton Picking and Its Challenges 26:45 Life as Migrant Workers and Family Dynamics 29:08 Reflections on the Past and the Importance of Sharing Stories

    31 min
  • 8 Episodes

5
out of 5
8 Ratings

About

Almost 80 is a podcast that features the life of Bennye, starting from rural Texas in the 1940s, to her years of teaching music, singing in musical and opera productions, and her prolific career as a church musician.

Information

  • Creator
    Bennye
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    8
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Almost 80
  • Show Website
    Almost 80