Almost 80

Bennye

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. 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
  2. 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
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.