VondelereScott.txt

-n -n -n Friday, March the 18th, 1994, about 1230 Eastern Standard Time. Interviewing Vandeler Scott, Peelbox 253, Keystone, West Virginia, 24852, phone number 304-862-3322. Now, this being done for the Kentucky Historical Society. >> We'll go ahead, there's some biographical stuff that I asked you to sit here. How long does it take? >> I'm not sitting here. >> I talked for your last. >> Okay. >> Yeah, it's big. It's big. That's what I do. I don't worry about my idea, cuz I know it will get all there. If you could, just tell us about your, where you're, who your parents and grandparents are and how long we've been here and where they came from and, you know, those kinds of things. >> My grandparents all went through Mcdale County. >> So they've been here for how long? >> Well, I guess. >> So they were born here, you're right, grandparents, they're here, so they've been here. So you all, you are a Mcdale County, you've been here forever. And in the same part of the county, pretty much, or? >> You were my mother and father, but did two males like Northrop and Keystone where they was raised. >> Well, let's see if you could give us your- >> My father came from Rocky Mountain, Virginia. >> Okay, give, if you could give us your grandparents and grandmother, grandfather's name. >> Okay, my grandmother's name was Rear Duke Woody, and my grandfather's name was Joe Authority. That's my father's name, and on my daddy's side, it was Sam Wade and Sadaway. That was from Rocky Mountain, Virginia. >> Okay, and your, your mother's name was? >> Jane Woody, Jim. >> Okay, and, and your? >> My daughter was Jim. >> This was father's name. >> Right. >> Okay, and what county were your grandparents? >> My grandfather, they worked in the coal mine, but my father was a mortuary. >> Okay. Hold on, you're not, you're not relating to this holiday, or no different. >> Right. >> Okay, because I knew where I was from. >> Yeah. >> Okay, and, but he was a mortician and different. >> He, he was, he was, my dad was a keystone. >> Oh, okay, and how far was keystone? >> Eighteen miles. >> Okay, so it's, I'll note aside the county, county. >> Yeah. >> Let's see, and when did you mother do it? >> She's just a housewife. >> She's a housewife and raised, how many kids, how many brothers, brothers and sisters? >> Five years, what did you grow? >> I think you could give us their names. Dorothy, a doctor's junior, Chloe, I said Samuel, Lisa, and Colada. >> Okay, now, you grew up in, in Montana, Keystone? >> Keystone. >> And went to school. >> And Keystone and Ophel, and Cal. >> Is Keystone where I was pumped into somebody about getting bussed or when, was that where they had the Black High School? When, when? >> The Black High School was in Kimber. >> Kimber, okay, I'm sorry. So, so. >> I went there for about one year before they integrated the schools. >> Oh, you did, Kimber. How far was that from Keystone? >> About eight miles, so far. >> Okay. So, well, if you could, then we're through with biographical questions. Now, so your, your mother was a housewife, and your father was a mortician, and you could just go ahead and tell us what you growing up was like here in the cold fields, and did you like it? Did you hate it? Did you think it was great that, you know, it wasn't like it? >> I liked it. I mean, we didn't have the best of things, but we still was comfortable with it. We made, our deal was what we ate, so. >> How were you in the birth, or were you the oldest, youngest? >> I was a military. >> Okay. That's, that's supposed to be the best place to be, I think. You know, the oldest was supposed to be, man, because they've had all this responsibility, and the youngest was usually supposed to be worthless. Because they, they've not made them do anything. >> Well, yeah, I had children, so I was like, well, my mom did was to cook in Washington, so it's the house thing that she did and I. >> And you're working your job now that you're working with. Is you doing it? >> Right. >> And? >> At Keystone. It's called the Up on Value for Community. >> Okay. >> It's an organization about, I said three years ago, we met in a church, wanted to know what we could do for our youth, and we decided we needed a youth center, something to take them off the street, you know, and have that too, and other things to do, besides hanging around on the street. >> Mm-hm. And now the kids that you're working with in Elkhorn are these mixed-race or probably other black kids. >> Well, where we are, most is black there. >> Uh-huh. >> But we do have, like, some white that comes and plays basketball and gets some activities, but the majority is black. >> Okay. >> Because Keystone is, like, maybe 75% black. >> Mm-hm. When you grew up, did you, and went to school, you say you went one year to segregated school, and then was that like a six-year-old? >> No, I went to, I went to Black School up until I was about the 10th grade, and it was integrated schools. >> And then you graduated from Welch High School? >> No, Norfolk High School. >> Norfolk High School, what year was that? >> 16. >> Okay, well, that's your high-ranking work. Class of '68. >> Yeah. >> Well, congratulations. And so what happened to you after that? >> Well, I got married and had a child. >> Okay, you got married in, what, 16, eight or nine? >> Nine. >> And, uh, a son of eight children, do you have all of them? >> Four. >> And their names are? >> Harold, Jeremy, which is 25. >> Man, you're all-- >> We have each one. >> Uh, Javiel, just 16, Jared, nine, Christian, six. >> Um, nine and six are your youngest. >> Right. >> You gotta spread out. >> Yeah, I got four fans. >> I got a 42-year-old, 16-year-old daughter. >> Oh, yeah. >> And a 12-year-old, 30-year-old son. Who knows all of that? You've been through it all. >> I got a son of eight, he's at the Dallas School of Contemporary. >> Really? >> Yeah, yeah. >> And I'm in medical school with him. And what's his name? >> Harold. >> That's wonderful. So, and your husband's name is? >> Harold St. >> Harold St. And you're still married to the same person that you've ever--you know, I've noticed as we've done the interviews that it's not at all uncommon for people to have been married at least twice. >> I was not married. >> Usually twice. >> But the idea that we're dramatically different from the rest of the country, that's pretty common everywhere. >> Yeah. >> And yeah, I'm like, I've been married 16 years, that's sufficient for me. >> He would get a co-wife about two years to the shit down. >> Your husband did. And what's he do now? >> He does the thesis. He starts with the--he does the research. >> So, when was it that you started getting--when did you guys get to say three years ago that you got together in the church? >> Right. >> At which church was it? >> Well, it was my freshman--Witticoe, Presbyterian Church. >> Witticoe, Presbyterian Church. You all gathered and decided you wanted to do something at the kids' all street corners. >> Right. >> Keep them out of trouble. >> Yeah. >> And you came up with the idea of the Elkhorn? >> About a hypocrite. >> That's right. >> That's where it takes in the whole--for Mayberg, that's called the Elkhorn Valley District. >> Uh-huh. >> So, we just made the Elkhorn Valley Youth Commence Center to accommodate all of it. >> Just maybe 20 miles, I was calling it. >> And you work under the auspices of the--or do you work with the-- >> Well, it's a program that's doing JJGP, Humanized Justice Delingual Program. >> Provincials program. >> Provincial program. They hired me as a youth director. >> And-- >> Most other people there has volunteer. I'm the only paying person right now. >> Mm-hmm. >> But we're looking to follow the grants where we get right. Now, we do have a basketball instructor that gets paid not doing that. >> Uh-huh. Do you have a gym, or did you take--? >> We have. The whole school was given a high school. The elementary school did close to last year. But we've been working on a double-wide trail of that church in Amadea, April. So, we do a lot of that. But they did us use the schools that was open to different things until we got into the school. >> Uh-huh. Did the--so the school that you've gotten out of the old elementary school, are you all fixing it up? >> Yeah, we're going to continue to have crafts, so recreation room, the gym, and--it's the biggest meeting place between New Field and Whip, so-- >> Oh. >> --the African-captured eight-years. They have home nursing now right now. >> G.D. classes, right? >> Yeah. We don't make it until big months of summer, where it accommodates, you know, you know, both-- >> Uh-huh. >> --and all of that. >> Uh, now, are some of the--are a lot of the kids that you're working with, are they, from welfare families, and you're trying to--? >> Yes, it's that--I guess I'm mixed up, because we don't discriminate-- >> Right. >> --regard not if they want to come or they come. >> They don't have to. >> Like, we do a two-day after-school program, a two-day program, and we do it, like, from K to 6th grade, and it's about it that it's supposed to be in community. And I got, like, four peer-to-views and three adult to-years. And myself, and we have one man that does reparation for. Like, we maybe do a high-out of tutoring, and do we do reparations to make it feel like a snack or something? >> Why do you feel like you're having a tutor these kids? Is the school not doing its job, or are they just not catching on, or, you know, why are they having a hard time catching on? >> Well, yeah, I found out at a kids' school, they had more kids, and the kids were really getting one-on-one help. >> Too many kids in the classroom. >> Right. >> That's--you see, that is the problem. >> Over-loaded class. >> Overloaded class. >> Then we got some kids that has problem in them, and if you ever want to one, their grades have come, maybe, from a half up to a C or B or something. >> Which is great. >> Right. >> Yeah. >> So, if we had them in the school to give us a list of kids that needed to be tutored, and they had, like, 209 kids, and nine that needed to be tutored. >> So, you're working with the schools to identify kids. >> Right, yeah. >> And after you identify them, you try to go out and encourage them to provide services. >> Yeah. >> Of those 90, how many have you been able to draw in? >> About 25. >> What--what--it's good that you've done the 25, but what's keeping the others from coming in? >> Well, maybe it's transportation or something, but we opened it up to, you know, the first. It might be transportation or-- >> I mean, the--the-- >> That kind of curve and support, or-- >> Okay. >> -- to be allowed to-- >> Do you think you ran a bus in hell? >> I don't have that pick of my children, so, you know, it's this--maybe they--the parents, it's not--sometimes you try to encourage, it's not easy to-- >> And they're not supportive? >> They're not supportive of other things. >> Have you noticed--has it been--has it been difficult with you because you're a woman working in--in--maybe some of the male parents don't like the idea of that, or that's not a problem? >> No. >> Okay. >> So, well, just you pretty much told us what--what goes--and your position there is--is the director? >> Yeah. >> Youth director? >> Yeah. >> Youth director. >> Right. >> Yes. >> We do parenting classes. >> Uh-huh. >> We have these in the teen leadership work programs and self-exchange programs. We do--we do other awareness and AIDS awareness, different programs like that. We also educate the size of the children and the children up in the education programs, because I have one lady and I'm out there to aid some in this year program. >> Mm-hmm. >> Where we can do that, purging school classes and stuff like that. >> Uh, as--have you noticed, has AIDS been a problem here since starting to be a problem or--? >> Well, I think more. >> Mm-hmm. >> Drugs are a part of our genes. >> Uh-huh. >> They focus on AIDS, but right now, I believe AIDS is dying down. >> And it's more into-- >> Drugs, what kind of drug uses do you think, marijuana or cocaine or--? >> Probably good ol'-- >> -- some of all, but you don't see one particular drug as being a problem. So, when you talk about self-esteem, how do you go about creating better self-esteem? And what causes it to be low to begin with, you think, and then how do you go about--? >> Well, I just see kids who have a negative attitude about anything. We'll talk to them and do different camps and things where you deal with--like, we get a safe camp. And if all had to be drug-free, we did different things. Ask them what they thought was a safe house, you know, like you don't get to your house. And what you thought was safe about it, what's the safe about it, and stuff like that. >> What kind of things did they identify? What did they see as being safe and what did they see as being unsafe? >> Well, they didn't do any of those things like unsafe, but I mean, the catacombs we had was the good kids anyway. It wasn't them. They really was having problems in the house. >> The ones you really tried to get to. >> It's kind of obvious, like, that you know we're gonna need you. But they-- >> Is there a lot of abuse? Do you see lots of abuse situations? >> No, really. >> Not more neglect than abuse? >> Well-- >> You know, when you say kids-- >> It's a-- >> Yeah, kids having a hard time. It's like you're saying more than abusive. It's just--they're just kind of raising themselves. >> Well, the parents is not educated enough to get to you. So it's still them going out trying to get hip. So what I can do is--can you help me so I can help my kids and I'll do that. And just stay back in the back room. >> Right. When you say you see drugs as a part, you see is there a lot of alcohol abuse? Is that a problem in a lot of the homes that were the kids-- >> Yeah, alcohol was a problem. >> Alcohol isn't probably--so if you had that--going back to our other question, if you had to identify drugs that's creating problems, it would be alcohol would be your number one creator of problems. >> Yeah, because most of them couldn't afford to house them. >> Yeah. >> I could house them. >> They've got--they had to just go to the liquor store and get them. So, okay, well, it was really interesting when you were talking about doing these camps and things. What are the kinds of things that you do besides the camps and subject you have seminars and-- >> Well, I got four or five kids at the Winter Barrier. They were doing Woodson College--I said Woodson College, but they had to go back to the community service. But in return, they go to like four, eight leadership programs. They help with the tutoring. And like, we give drug-free dances. And they have to be the one that helps secure the dance and do the clean-ups and stuff. >> Each has some responsibility. >> Right, yeah. And they have to understand it's beginning days. If anything break out, that means the whole dance, shut down, and nobody gets to do two dolls back in the year. And they have dances that they can have almost. So, they work for the group. But, on the last one, we had 180 kids. Like, from eight to twelve o'clock, the name was real good. >> This was at the old school, the community center? >> Yeah, I understand this. Once they leave their school, they get off the street because it's a non-fop here for you. At the police, there are eight patrols outside of the dance boat, and we have to take care of the inside. But we still have volunteers that stand on the outside because you have some kids that, for me, got used to smoking. You can't smoke in the school, so they have to go outside to smoke. >> Okay. >> Kids, is that a major? >> Not too much because you have to sell it online with two smoke. So, that's one thing. Nobody's going to have to smoke. And I open it up like six days a week most of the time. And you got some that just come around on the play spade. And we got TV, and the ones with the children, we all like cooked on fire, cooked on fire. And we got a lot of reading programs. And we even took the literacy program. So, they might be able to do the literacy program. >> I tell you what we may want to do. You know, John Fleek likes to shoot people in their environment. He may want to go out to the school and shoot you there at the school. So, you know what you're, I don't know. >> He could have too many kids, isn't it? >> He couldn't possibly need another kid. >> You know, yeah. >> Well, let's see. How was your, I like the idea that you're, now, you were saying that your grandfather was a-- >> Co-minor. >> Co-minor, your father was a mortician. >> Right. >> Now, that's kind of unusual, you know, for somebody to grow up. It's not for you. It was usual for you. But one of my best friends at home, our graduating, our vice president, our graduating class, right by hand, is grandfather, been a mortician, his father, now Frank's, and he's got a tremendous sense of humor. You know, people think of morticians as being real solid. >> My dad also worked in the state that was mortitious. >> Uh-huh. >> He had two jobs. >> Yeah. >> And, um-- >> We always say he sold them to the Mandiant's Bureau. >> He did, boy, man? >> He had sold them to alcohol and killed them in Mandiant's Bureau. [laughter] >> That's funny. He sold them alcohol and killed them, then he had to bury them. >> Yeah. >> Um, that's funny. Uh, did you, uh, the funeral home, did you guys live at the funeral home? >> No. >> He just worked for them. >> Oh, okay. >> He didn't know that he worked for them. >> I understand that. >> He worked there and he worked-- >> Uh-huh. >> He did their mortician work there and he worked at the state office. >> Okay. Um, so '68, you know, the interesting, you know, when we grew up, when I grew up in Tennessee, you know, of course everything was just the Vietnam War, was that what was going on here? And, you know, when you graduated and everybody trying to figure out how to go or how to not go or how to-- >> I remember when they got my brother, he was in college and they dressed as him and my mom got mad. She wanted to cut some brothers in and out. She said he's one of them that's trying to make something out of himself and they take him and send him to Vietnam. >> Using for target practice. >> And then here's someone who just walked the street that need to be in Vietnam. >> Yeah. >> 'Cause they're fighting on the street that didn't take them. >> Yeah. Well, how did your brother do? Okay. >> Yeah, he came out being a military police. But he went to Vietnam for a year. >> My husband's been--no, he's gonna send him to Vietnam. He had like two months so he got out of the army. But he went to career. >> Uh-huh. There's coal over there. That's what they say. But so you've--you grew up here and you've had that experience and you've raised-- >> Well, after his study, you're gonna come work out. >> Where'd you go? >> Washington, D.C. I didn't like him. >> What'd you go--you mean after school? After high school? >> I said-- >> Why were you--why did you do that? Why did you go? >> Well, I just wanted to get out of them. >> See what was on the other side of the hill? >> I found out where Virginia was better. >> See what was on the other side of the hill? Washington, D.C. is a strange place, isn't it? >> Well, one of my sisters said I'm gonna stay with her and work as cashier for GSI government service and things. It was just like working at home. I never did want to go anywhere. And I didn't feel free to mess up here and not to work in needed doors or anything. >> Oh, you didn't feel free there because of the crime? >> Yeah. I was just scared to go into an opposite. My kids to bus go to work, kids to bus and go back home. >> Yeah, that's what I did. I worked there for a year. >> I didn't--I really didn't like it. >> I didn't care for you. And everybody's always looking over their shoulder. >> Yeah. >> So, you know, two or three times--one time I was there. The people who stayed over top of us, the man just knocked on doing the key of the man. So, you know, I can't stay here. >> Uh-huh. >> Uh-huh. >> Uh-huh. >> Um, violence, that's something we've not talked about much in your work with the youth. Has that something that you noticed is increasing or decreasing more? >> Yeah, it's about the same. Most times when they have violence, it's the outsiders coming here doing violence to ones here. It's not the ones here fighting with each other. It's just like a place of birth called Son of Honor. It's a group came from Ohio here selling dope and maybe they got these hooked to your own cell and they end up being, you know, couple shooting at them. Like, somebody can get killed, you know. And it's where outsiders come in and try--I guess try to take over, I say. But for violence, I mean, you have fights and things, but to fight one day and next day, it's for you. So, it's a thing to do. >> Because everybody's going to live together. >> Right. >> You can fight all day long, but everybody's still going to go down to Hardee's and get a hamburger. >> Right, yeah. >> Uh, well, I tell you, that's--you've told us what to do at the center. And, uh, other day, you've got any other activities you're involved in that you want to share with us that are development activities or church activities or community activities or dreams, hopes and aspirations? You know, what would you like? What do you see happening here for the future? >> We have changed the attitudes of a lot of people. You know, finishing Black and White to, you know, be what you are and be what you are. >> Do you see that as a problem here? >> No, it's not really a problem, but it still needs to be a change in it. You know, we got a lot of kids, you know, and something going on with the Black thing or the White thing. That's something--like, we had a town election here. The town election before the government was mostly Black, and this time it was just the opposite. But the town needed a change. I was wanting to help make the change, so, you know, I got talked about, but I didn't care. It needed to be a change. I mean, you see it, it features nothing going on in town. Tanners keep going down and down and down. >> Yeah. >> You need to get somebody to get through something. >> Or at least try to turn things around. At least somebody says they've got an idea whether they have or not. >> Well, the new ones went in. I believe it will be a change. >> Uh-huh. >> The other ones, if we benefit them, let's do it. If we don't get through this, let's put it off, you know. >> Mm-hmm. >> So it's been a -- so you see some changes in attitudes more than you don't see it as like a major problem. It seems like, just from these interviews that I'm hearing, that the people in the Black community here have been here a long time. They've been well, they've been accepted, they've been successful, if you know. Before I stated, we had like two or three white families, but we had the same table. My mom took the same rake and wiped the dirt off my end and wiped it off my ass, too. So just color that's been a problem. >> Mm-hmm. >> And you go somewhere else, you know. It's like when we go to Berea, we talk about the different things we do. It's black and white doing it. You go there, blacks maybe doing it, some whites doing that. Most things we do, they both involved in. >> When you were talking about Berea, did you go and -- did you do any college? >> No, my father was a college teacher, and I got in with the brush-y-fork Institute. They can't go on time looking to do a workshop for people from out there, and moving down there to do a six-month project. Guess where the tutoring got started. And it's been going on for five years now, so. >> Miss Powers, I know of, and I spoke with her up at Berea. The president's wife up there, she runs some kind of a program where she brings women in. >> Okay, Miss Thieson. >> That's it, James. That's it. >> They do a women opportunity school. >> Right, have you done them? >> No, I haven't been able to leave my kids at all. I don't think my husband -- >> Was it only two weeks? >> No, it was three weeks. >> Oh, was it three weeks? >> Yeah, my husband and my husband, my girlfriend. Two or three days, yes, but not three weeks. >> He gets tired of fixing his own supper, but he -- >> He's the best cook. >> I know every time my wife goes to the bathroom. >> I mean, last time, the little girl especially, I feel that one or two days into the bathroom. >> Well, really, in reality, though, what they're trying to get women to do is already what you're doing. >> Yeah. >> So you've already achieved on your own what they -- >> And what I do now, being a huge director, I can take my kids with me and stuff like that. And my husband has time, he gets up, so this is really -- >> How does he feel about you working and your job and your -- is he supportive? >> Yeah, he's the most supportive. He comes out and he helps with the tutoring. He -- anytime we need security, he might have a bunch of -- he helps on a lot. >> And you -- >> He might want to do an interweather. He might as well join. >> He's going to do -- you're going to do an interweather, right? >> He might as well be a joining partner. >> Well, I'll tell you what. We'll do -- we're about through with the interview. This is a good interview. All we need to do is just what your hopes or dreams for the future are. >> I bet the kids can educate and be able to stay here and work, you know, good jobs here. And be on that kind of like you used to be years ago. Jobs and decent homes, big cities and stuff like that. >> Thrive and community. >> Yeah, strive and community. And it's -- after now I'm trying to work, do we make a difference now? >> Okay, and the last thing -- >> And we don't want us to make a difference getting another old mistake. >> And leave everybody else a little bit. >> Yeah, that's the one that's doing it. >> What is it if you're not going to help -- what if something about land, if you're not one of the dogs on the porch, get out of the way? >> If you can't hang with the dogs on the porch, get off. >> Yeah, yeah. >> After that, just when that guy had a pretty wet mind, and he tells us to, well, put the pretty out of the church door, so you know what that's going to do. >> Yeah. If you've got one comment, I guess, anything that you're happy, sad about, angry about, glad about, this is your one last thing. >> That makes me -- >> One big mistake. >> You do have prayers that's not supportive of the things you do, and really the things that your kids do. We need the prayers to be more involved and do what they can. You know, don't take much to do it. Maybe I hear an ad, but I don't need to be supportive of kids. And I like to see the kids -- >> And do what they can. >> Yeah. And I like to see the kids be able to say, well, I'm going to be this, and I'm not -- say I ain't nothing, and I never will be nothing. But I am somebody. >> Doesn't it change everything? Nothing. I said, well, you explain what nothing is. >> That's great. Okay, that's it. We're done. >> I see it wasn't too painful, was it? >> No. >> We didn't use the -- >> I was a patient taking -- >> We didn't use the -- >> -- taking --