Barrier Breakers

Shining the Light on the Black Experience

• United Way of Central Maryland

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"It's the way I grew up...shine the light wherever you are". Growing up in the South during segregation, Phylis shares what it was like to be one of the first Black graduates of her high school and the experiences that led her to where she is today - a positive light in her community.

Speaker 1:

What black history month means to me is keeping the dream of Martin Luther King alive. As we still to this day fight for racial equality. One of the things that I look forward to during black history month is discovering small businesses led by black entrepreneurs, black business owners. And it's always really exciting to learn more about them and to patronize their businesses and support the work that they're doing. I am most inspired by the courage that our black leaders, as well as everyday, people displayed so long. Hello and welcome to barrier breakers United way of central Maryland's podcast. To help you be informed, be inspired and be more I'm your host weenie Yon for this special black history month episode. And we'll be

Speaker 2:

Talking with United ways own Phyllis

Speaker 1:

Shelton back before

Speaker 2:

Office is closed for COVID. Phyllis was the first point of contact for our visitors and staff. She has boundless energy enthusiasm, and the pure joy she has for connecting with others, made everyone who came through those doors feel special and appreciated. I do miss walking into the office and chatting with her for a few minutes, and then having her send me off to work with her trademark, have a good day here at the way. She's still busy greeting and helping those who call United way. And we are so fortunate to have her on our team. When we were thinking about guests for this episode, I immediately thought of Phyllis knowing her story. She represents everyday folks, often unsung and unheralded who are breaking barriers and showing resiliency and resolve in the face of unspeakable odds. Phyllis takes the time to learn more about people, but she has a story that probably a lot of people don't know.

Speaker 3:

My name is Phyllis Shelton. I am quite unique. I believe that people are important and it makes a difference how we are all treated. We'll smile. I like to smile. I, to make people smile and know that they're important. I like to even know everybody's name, try to make it a point to learn the names, but I have to ask you five or six times until I get it. So I enjoy being in that God given gifted position,

Speaker 2:

We know that you are originally from down South. Is that correct? North Carolina. That's correct. And, um, you've been in Maryland though for several years. And so Maryland is home more or less, not necessarily

Speaker 3:

Said I must stand by my home, but it has been a larger portion. My hometown is Elizabeth city, North Carolina, which is right on the North East coast of the state of North Carolina.

Speaker 2:

So we really think that our listeners would benefit from hearing your perspective on what it was like growing up in Elizabeth city and North Carolina in particular, during your formative years and what you experienced and some just memorable moments for you.

Speaker 3:

My little hometown is a nice little home town. I was raised by my both of my parents. My parents were two of the wisest people I have ever, ever known. So a lot of my foundation was based on the golden life nuggets that they taught me. No air work well children. They had 12 children, six boys and six boroughs. They also raised one of the grandchildren. So our house was always full I'm number eight, I'm a number nine. There were eight over me and three under me. So I'm from such a large family with all kinds of characters in the family, but it's a good thing I'm afraid for, for that kind of upbringing. And I tell you why, because I had such a solid foundation of, of coming from, from both of my parents. Um, dad had worked, of course, mama did not work outside of the house except on occasions. Now she cooked home cooked meals every, every day. I think about that now. And we had to sit down as a family and we ate together. There was no arguing. You could not order about eight and we could disagree on things, but not necessarily being disagreeable. And I thought that was something that I really, really needed to know.

Speaker 2:

I'm wondering if you experienced, um, outside of the home, um, anything, you know, relating to the sort of racial climate that existed in, uh, North Carolina. How did you interact with that and how did that affect you personally? Yeah.

Speaker 3:

Yes. Um, in, in neighborhoods we print the, the, okay, let me use this term. Um, colored was used and wives I experienced, um, I experienced seeing the color signs for colored only signs that were for white. We weren't allowed to blacks. Weren't allowed to go to the theaters, had our own theater as well. Um, you know, swimming pool, everything was pretty much, you know, segregated in terms of height. So, uh, as time progressed, we were in school, all the, there was the black elementary school, the white elementary school, uh, uh, I school, well, I guess junior high after whites, everybody everything's still separate until of course the law change for desegregation of public schools became unconstitutional. Now that trickle down to us, to me rather around sick 1965. At that time, there was a decision made at the schools and there was a black hospital DW, more high, and there was a white high school. This is how they were identified, uh, Elizabeth city high. So some of the students from the black high school asked to go to the white high school and several agree. And I was one of them. However, when the time came, I don't know what happened to the other, but I ended up walking to the byte high school by myself, where I would have been catching the bus with my friends, but I ended up going by myself. That particular school was much closer to my house. There was some pros and cons, but nothing. That was, well, let me just describe being there. So I, uh, ended up, you know, walking back home of course, but let me share this. Even with the pros and cons, there were two students that I got to sort of be closer to a boy and a girl. And they used to walk me home from school every day. Now I don't know whether they were instructed to, I don't know. All I know is just happened and we got to be pretty close. Um, I remember her as a matter of fact, she had come from, um, Chicago. And so she was used to blacks and whites mingling. And that was not necessarily the case in, um, our home and in my hometown, we used to walk from school sometime and just end up going downtown. Some of the stores were still segregated. Jean would say, her name was Jamie. And she would say, yeah, let's go in here. And without even blinking an eye, wherever she went, I went now people will look, but nobody ever said anything out of the way or did anything. So that was just natural for her, but I made it natural for me too. So that worked out well. Now what they shared with me when we were on our way home from school, uh, um, is that this was important. They said, Phyllis, we are not prejudice. Our parents teach us to be that's it. Okay. That was interesting. That was interesting to me because you would just normally assume that no, just blacks and whites are just separate period, but that was not the case ever. You know? Um, I wasn't, I was not mistreated that much, but in a couple of incidents, I did have a couple of experiences where somebody, a student would walk behind me at school and said, and, um, I still chose to stay focused on my purpose for being there. So I didn't even turn around. I just kept on walking until I got to where I needed to be. Now, another situation was with one of my teachers at Elizabeth city high. I joined the future teachers of America association and for the school year book, it took the Hector. Everybody was in there and I was the only black in that club. Now, when the year book came out, there was a picture of the future teachers of America in the year book. But my picture was not there. I was not in that picture somewhere along the way. They had taken a picture without informing me. So that, that could be the one to go in the yearbook.

Speaker 2:

So I would love to hear just, um, two points, one sort of reaching graduation. So reflecting on what you experienced once you made it to graduation, um, how, and then how that influenced your journey as an adult.

Speaker 3:

Now, I was one of five blacks in that first integrated, um, high school graduation class. And there really weren't a lot of problems. I just went to school. I did my work and let me say this. Also, my father was very well known in our hometown for intestines. It was very well known. My brothers, my six, others were all, and my sisters, we, it was, there were so many of us. And, and so there was a connection even with the white community, with some of the siblings as well. So when at graduation time, um, it was everything of course was peaceful. It was pretty much peaceful. Um, but the, the impact is, is, is that, um, uh, I learned, as I learned as the state, Oh, boost, I did my best, which I learned from home always be respectful. You know, you care about people and you're re representing the family. And, um, that's the kind of attitude and spirit always had a spirit of, of love and joy to things.

Speaker 2:

You know, as you know, we're in this sort of moment of celebration, um, I'm wondering if you can, um, give us a sense of, um, how you feel your story sort of fits into the larger narrative of where we are as a people today, particularly as an adult having, uh, you know, having had a chance to experience what you've experienced and, you know, knowing who Phyllis Shelton is today. I'm wondering if you could just reflect on, on that moment for us,

Speaker 3:

My parents left a great legacy of love, not just for certain people, but for, for everyone and a great legacy of teaching, what is right? So regardless, and our race was a human race. So that's the way we kind of saw things. And I'm grateful for that. Daddy's say you can disagree, but you don't have to be disagreeable. Mama would say, regardless of what happens in life, world is big enough to hold every bite. And I got that even as a young, what you want to do is help people help lift people up, never tear people down. So that foundation, that solid foundation of loving and caring about people in a genuine way will take you far love, never fails.

Speaker 2:

We would love to hear how music has impacted your journey. And if there are any songs from your childhood that you've turned to in times when you needed comfort, or if there are any, now that you lean on, when you need inspiration

Speaker 3:

Singing, one of the songs was that I really liked as a kid was seeing his smile and pray. That's the only way in a sense to be happy. That was, that was the one of the childhood song saying new smile and pray. That's the only way, uh, I don't remember all of the words, but to be happy and Jesus just sing and smile and pray. And of course that's one of them and Oh, how great God is, how great he is. Uh, so those things are lasting. Those things are lasting and they make the difference in the life lives of his job by my father being a, uh, uh, kind of a prankster. And he had a smile. I think I have the kind of smile that he had and he had making people happy. I'm helping people. I saw all of this, it being of front desk receptionist. It's a natural gift. It's a natural thing. It's not hard for me to do that. It's just natural. It's the way

Speaker 1:

I home life. My instructor about Natalie in everybody comes in, you speak and tell a joke. You just enjoy what I got from, from, um, from our family, from the family legacy of caring, knowing that people are important, help me to make a difference, shine and make a difference in somebody's life. Positive Blake, Phyllis, you can make a positive difference in someone's life. United way's equity and social justice fund is one way to do that and visit uwc.org backslash equity fund. To learn more. Thank you for listening. Be sure to catch our next episodes. Share a black history tied to blood, sweat tears. This past year has also shown I can be a better ally to people of color. For me, what's important is that people outside the black community race, despite culture, black history is something that belongs to them too. We want you to embrace it because it's American history and it has meaning for people outside the black community today's episode was developed by the United way of central Maryland Morgan team music was creating[inaudible]. You can find our under podcasts wcn.org/podcasts, or wherever you listen to hold every bite.