Election Day: Savannah, Georgia 1948 - The Moth

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Moth – "Election Day: Savannah, Georgia 1948"

Introduction The Moth, hosted by Dan Kennedy, presents a compelling narrative by Juliette Holmes that intertwines personal legacy with the broader historical context of voting rights in the United States. This episode, titled "Election Day: Savannah, Georgia 1948," was released on November 8, 2016, and offers listeners an intimate glimpse into the struggles and triumphs surrounding the right to vote.

Juliette Holmes: A Legacy of Voting Juliette begins by painting a vivid picture of her upbringing in Savannah, Georgia, emphasizing the deep-rooted traditions shared with her mother. She recounts a poignant moment that underscores the significance of voting in her family's life.

"Every time I go into the bathroom to freshen up and get myself ready for that day, I thank God that I can vote. I can remember when I could not vote." [02:18]

This ritual, symbolized by the peach-shaped "I voted" stickers adorning her mother's medicine cabinet, serves as a daily reminder of the hard-fought right to participate in democracy.

Historical Context: Overcoming Voting Barriers Juliette delves into the discriminatory barriers her parents faced when attempting to vote. Despite being property owners and ostensibly qualified under the poll tax law, they were subjected to rigorous and often arbitrary literacy tests designed to disenfranchise African American voters.

"How many jelly beans are in this jar? How many bubbles was in this bar of soap?" [03:00]

These questions were intentionally convoluted, ensuring that only those with legal expertise could pass, thereby excluding many deserving voters. Her father's initial failure at the poll, followed by the support of W.W. Law and the NAACP, highlights the systemic obstacles prevalent in 1948 Savannah.

The Day of the Election: 1948 Determined to cast their votes, Juliette narrates the harrowing experience her parents endured on Election Day. Multiple trips to the courthouse, encounters with uncooperative clerks, and the relentless supervision by poll watchers mirror the widespread voter suppression tactics of the era.

"A woman looked in the book. And she says, I don't see your name in the book... We moved to the east side." [05:45]

Despite these challenges, the intervention of a poll watcher from the NAACP ultimately facilitated their successful vote, cementing a legacy of perseverance and civic duty within Juliette's family.

Personal Reflections: The 2008 Election Juliette transitions to her own voting experience during the historic 2008 presidential election. Facing personal challenges, her husband Cleve's Parkinson's disease posed significant obstacles to casting his vote. Juliette's determination led them to the polling site, where Cleve confronted a debilitating moment of paralysis.

"What am I going to do? Because he could stand like that five minutes, 10, 15, 20, until he was able to move." [11:15]

In a heartwarming turn, two young African American men assisted Cleve, embodying the same spirit of support and resilience that her parents benefitted from decades earlier.

"Those young men picked my husband up, took him to the machine... and he was able to pull the lever, stayed in, opened it and looked at me, 'Honey, I voted.'" [14:30]

Their efforts ensured that Cleve's vote was counted, allowing Juliette to participate in the election of America's first Black president, a momentous occasion that resonated deeply within her family.

Legacy and Continuation The culmination of Juliette's story emphasizes the intergenerational impact of voting rights. Her mother's instructions to "register to vote" as a fundamental right, not a gift, have been instilled in Juliette and are now being passed down to her granddaughters.

"Voting is not a gift, it's a right. That was a legacy that she gave to me and I'm passing it on to my granddaughters now." [16:00]

The preservation of "I voted" stickers symbolizes the ongoing commitment to civic engagement and the recognition of voting as a cherished privilege earned through struggle and sacrifice.

Conclusion Dan Kennedy wraps up the episode by highlighting Juliette Holmes's contributions as an educator and storyteller. He invites listeners to engage with The Moth community by sharing their own Election Day experiences and continuing the legacy of voter participation.

Juliette Holmes's narrative is a powerful testament to the enduring fight for voting rights and the personal sacrifices made to ensure that every vote counts. Her story not only honors her parents' resilience but also serves as an inspiration for future generations to uphold and cherish their democratic rights.

Key Takeaways:

Historical Struggles: The significant obstacles faced by African American voters in the mid-20th century, including literacy tests and poll taxes.
Personal Resilience: The unwavering determination of Juliette's parents to exercise their right to vote despite systemic barriers.
Community Support: The essential role of activists and community members in safeguarding voting rights.
Intergenerational Legacy: The importance of passing down the value of voting as a fundamental right to future generations.

Notable Quotes:

"I can remember when I could not vote." – Juliette Holmes [02:18]
"How many jelly beans are in this jar? How many bubbles was in this bar of soap?" – Juliette Holmes [03:00]
"What am I going to do? Because he could stand like that five minutes, 10, 15, 20, until he was able to move." – Juliette Holmes [11:15]
"Voting is not a gift, it's a right." – Juliette Holmes [16:00]

Further Engagement: Listeners are encouraged to visit themoth.org to view photos of Juliette at member shows and to explore her collection of "I Voted" stickers. The Moth also invites audience participation through social media platforms, fostering a community dedicated to sharing and preserving personal stories.

This summary encapsulates the essence of Juliette Holmes's story on The Moth podcast, highlighting the historical context, personal anecdotes, and enduring message of the importance of voting rights.

Transcript

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Dan Kennedy (1:31)

Welcome to the Moth podcast. I'm Dan Kennedy and it's not very often that we hear a story told on stage and then rush the very next week to get it on the podcast, but that's actually exactly what we're gonna do today. Juliet Holmes told this story at a special Moth member show with the theme Fever Pitch. And we loved it so much. And with the election falling on today's episode, we just couldn't resist sharing it with you. So we first met Juliette when she won the very first open mic story slam that we had in Queens. She then went on to become a New York City Grand Slam champion. So here to take U.S. back to 1948 Savannah, Georgia is Juliette Holmes.

Juliet Holmes (2:18)

I grew up in Savannah, Georgia. Savannah is a beautiful city. When I go home to visit, my mama and me always have a ritual, a tea ritual. Well, my mama was in the kitchen getting the tea ready and I went into the bathroom to freshen up. When I walked into the bathroom, I looked. Something was so different on the medicine cabinet. There were all of these stickers in the shape of peaches that said I voted MMM, 26 stickers around the mirror. I called out, mama, Mama, why do you have these peach stickers around the medicine cabinet? Is that your new Hobby? She didn't answer. By this time, I was in the kitchen, and she. She was looking out of the window. And when she turned, I knew I had hit a nerve. You know the kind of look that your mama give you, that you know that you're in deep trouble? She looked at me and she said, no, that's not a hobby. Those stickers mean so much to me. They are very special. Oh, Mama. Well, why are those stickers so special? She said, because every time I go to vote, they pass out the stickers. Now, and I'm not like some of the other people who throw their stickers away. I have saved all of my stickers. So I said, I will place them around the mirror on the medicine cabinet. Because every time I go into the bathroom to freshen up and get myself ready for that day, I thank God that I can vote. I can remember when I could not vote. Well, when she said that, that made me feel kind of bad because I was really teasing her about the stickers. And I kind of dropped my head. I said, yeah, this is special. My mama and daddy had a hard time voting. They were property owners. They owned a house, and they were qualified to. To vote under the poll tax law. Now, that wasn't a guarantee because you had to pass a test. My parents went down to the courthouse, but they did not pass the test, although they were very smart. But in Georgia, they had a literacy test, and if you could not pass the literary test with all of the trick questions, you could not vote. Some of the questions were so hard, only a lawyer could answer them. Questions like, how many jelly beans are in this jar? How many bubbles was in this bar of soap? My daddy was upset because he didn't pass the test the first time he was in the barbershop, and he heard that Mr. W. W. Law was going to have a class, and W.W. law was the head of the NAACP and my mama and daddy signed up for the course. They went every session and they learned. Mr. Law told them, we are going down to the courthouse and we're going to take the test. But we're not going in as a group. We're going in two by two. Well, everyone in that class passed the test. However, they never learned how many bubbles were in a bar of soap. My mom and daddy one morning got up and they said, we're going to vote. We'll be back in a few minutes. They went down to St Thomas Church in their green Chevrolet, and they waited on line. And when they went to the desk, the woman looked in the book. And she says, I don't see your name in the book. Where did you move from? We moved from the east side. Well, maybe you have to go back to Paulson Street School and see if your name is over there, because it's not here. And they drove to the east side. This happened all day. Now, mind you, they left home about 9:00 that morning. They went back and forth, back and forth. A man came up to them and said, I have been watching and I am a poll watcher from the national headquarters of the NAACP, the fence league. You go back to St. Thomas Church and let's see what happens. Sure enough, they did. This was late in the afternoon. That man was a way shower, just like WW Law was a way shower to help my people. When they got to St. Thomas Church to the same desk with the same woman, and she looked and she said, oh, I must have overlooked here. Your name is right here in the book. And they were able to vote on a paper ballot. When they got home, it was like 6:00 in the afternoon. We were so glad to see them because they had been gone all day. My parents were building a legacy, a voting legacy for me. When I graduated from college, I was coming to New York. And my parents said to me, when you get to New York, you make sure you register to vote, because that is not a gift, that is your right. I have voted in school board elections, city elections, state elections and national elections. But the biggest one of all was the election of 2008. But I had an obstacle, just like my parents had an obstacle. At that time, my husband of 52 years was sick. He had Parkinson's. Now I knew I wanted to vote. And I suggested to Cleave, Cleve, you know, maybe you could vote absentee ballot. And he looked at me, he said, no, I'm not going to vote. No absentee ballot. I'm going to the poll, to the site with my cane, and I'm a walk in and I'm going to vote. Well, that closed that down. That was a, huh moment. The day of the election, we got dressed and I said, would you like to take the wheelchair just in case? No, I'm going to use my cane and I'm going to the pole. Fine. We got in the car and we drove to the site. Everything was fine. We walked into the building, we got in the auditorium, and there he froze. He could not move. And I'm saying to myself, what am I going to do? Because he could stand like that five minutes, 10:15, 20, until he was able to move. As I'm standing there, he's standing there, these two young, strong black young men came over and they said, pops, you having trouble here? He said, yeah. They said, what's the matter? He says, I have Parkinson's. I have Parkinson's like Muhammad Ali and Michael J. Fox. And this is what happens. My body closed down. I can't move. And they started to whisper. They said, we got you. They picked my husband up and they took him into the cafeteria to the desk where the woman was sitting. The clerk, he tried to write his name and his name did not match the signature in the book. So I asked her, could I please initial it? And she said, yes, that was another way shower. Those young men picked him up, took him over to the machine and placed him there. And he was able to pull the lever, stayed in, opened it and looked at me, Honey, I voted. Then I went in and I voted. That was a wonderful moment. Those young men picked my husband up, took him to the car and wanted to know, were we going to be all right? That was another way show that night. We sat up and we listened to the results and it was just awesome. And when they said that Barack Obama had won, my neighbor, my block went up. People were out in the street singing and clapping. And we went out on the porch and we stood there. And then the phone started to ring. Calls from Detroit, Virginia, South Carolina, North Carolina. But the biggest one of all, when I picked up the phone from Savannah, Georgia, and It was my 89 year old mother crying, I lived to see the first black president of these United States. I was crying and she was crying. She says, remember, voting is not a gift, it's a right. That was a legacy that she gave to me and I'm passing it on to my granddaughters now. I am saving my stickers that they give that says nyc. I voted with the Statue of Liberty on it. Thank you.