The Freedom Riders and Me: Barbara Collins Bowie - The Moth

Summary

Summary of "The Freedom Riders and Me: Barbara Collins Bowie" – The Moth Podcast

Introduction

In the episode titled "The Freedom Riders and Me: Barbara Collins Bowie," featured on August 22, 2017, The Moth presents a poignant and personal narrative that intertwines personal loss with the broader struggle for civil rights in America. Hosted by CJ Hunt, the episode delves into Barbara Collins Bowie's experiences growing up in Jackson, Mississippi, during the Jim Crow era, and how these experiences shaped her understanding of the Civil Rights Movement.

Early Life and Jim Crow in Jackson, Mississippi

Barbara Collins Bowie begins her story by setting the stage of her upbringing in a deeply segregated Jackson, Mississippi. Born in 1947, Barbara was only 13 years old in 1961 when her older brother became actively involved with Martin Luther King Jr. and the Freedom Riders—a group challenging segregation in interstate transportation.

"During Jim Crow in 1961, my brother got involved with Martin Luther King and the civil rights movement, he became a freedom rider." ([02:41])

Despite her young age, Barbara was acutely aware of the injustices around her. She recalls the rigid segregation signs—“colored only” and “whites only”—that dictated every aspect of daily life, from dining to using public restrooms.

Experiences with Segregation and Early Activism

Barbara shares vivid memories of the segregated establishments she frequented. One such memory involves a local restaurant divided into two sections based on race:

"On one side it said colored only, on the other side it said whites only... the white side was big with lots of tables, white tablecloths, and white people were seated and being served dinner. So this was wrong. This was how we were treated." ([03:30])

These experiences instilled in Barbara a sense of injustice and a desire to emulate her brother's activism. Although she was eager to participate, she initially did not fully grasp what being a Freedom Rider entailed.

Personal Story: The Hospital Incident

A turning point in Barbara's understanding of the Civil Rights Movement came through a personal tragedy involving her mother. She recounts a harrowing experience when her mother fell ill and was taken to the hospital:

"I ran up to the hospital, and when I got there, Mama was sitting in the waiting room... she had vomited a wash pan full of blood." ([08:10])

Barbara describes the systemic racism she encountered within the healthcare system. Despite her mother's dire condition, she faced continual barriers to receiving timely medical care:

"The young lady said very rudely, we don't have a bed for your mother... everyone else who needed to see the doctor before your mother." ([10:05])

As hours passed with no improvement, Barbara’s frustration and helplessness culminated when the hospital staff continued to prioritize white patients, ultimately leading to her mother's death:

"The doctor came out and he said, I'm sorry your mother didn't make it. And I just burst into tears." ([14:00])

Realization of the Civil Rights Movement's True Meaning

In the wake of her mother's death, Barbara experienced a profound awakening regarding the significance of the Civil Rights Movement. She connects her personal loss to the broader fight for equality and justice:

"I realized what that civil rights movement was all about. I realized why those Freedom Riders were challenging the colored only White only signs... This movement was about our lives. This movement was about equality. This movement was about our life and death." ([14:17])

This realization underscored for Barbara that the Civil Rights Movement was not just about societal changes but was intrinsically linked to the very survival and dignity of African Americans.

Conclusion and Reflections by CJ Hunt

CJ Hunt wraps up the episode by reflecting on Barbara's story and its contemporary relevance. He emphasizes that segregation is not just a relic of the past but a reminder that the fight for civil rights is ongoing:

"Barbara's story and the recent events in Charlottesville remind us that the struggle for civil rights never ended. That just like Barbara, we all have to keep fighting." ([15:20])

CJ Hunt also shares a personal connection, recalling how Barbara's narrative challenged his perception of segregation as ancient history, highlighting the necessity for continued vigilance and activism to preserve civil rights gains.

Notable Quotes

Barbara Collins Bowie on understanding segregation:

"This was wrong. So because when my mother would take us shopping…" ([03:45])
Barbara Collins Bowie on the essence of the Civil Rights Movement:

"This movement was about our lives. This movement was about equality. This movement was about our life and death." ([14:17])

Aftermath and Continuing Legacy

Barbara Collins Bowie continues her dedication to civil rights through various roles, including being a licensed vocational nurse, a published poet, and the founder of the Dr. Bowie Foundation Freedom Passing the Torch. Her election as the first black city councilwoman of Kirby, Texas, marks another chapter in her lifelong commitment to justice and equality.

In sharing her story, Barbara aims to remind listeners of the sacrifices made by Freedom Riders and civil rights activists, urging current and future generations to uphold and advance the progress achieved through relentless struggle.

Final Thoughts

"The Freedom Riders and Me: Barbara Collins Bowie" serves as a powerful testament to the enduring impact of the Civil Rights Movement on individual lives. Through Barbara's heartfelt storytelling, listeners gain a deeper appreciation of the personal costs and the collective efforts required to fight for equality and justice. The episode underscores the message that the legacy of the Freedom Riders continues to inspire and necessitate ongoing commitment to civil rights.

Transcript

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CJ Hunt (2:10)

Welcome to the Moth podcast. I'm CJ Hunt. At our live events we open up the stage for people to share stories about their life experiences. Equality, tolerance and a deep respect for humanity are among the Moth's deepest values. And today we wanted to share a recent story that's reflective of those values. We're going to hear from Barbara Collins Bowie. Barbara shared this just a couple of months ago at a Main Stage show I hosted in New York City. The theme of the night was Give Me Liberty.

Barbara Collins Bowie (2:41)

My brother and I were born and raised in Jackson, Mississippi. During Jim Crow in 1961, my brother got involved with Martin Luther King and the civil rights movement, he became a freedom rider. Well, I loved my brother and I always wanted to do everything he did, but I did not know what a freedom rider was. But my brother was 19 and I was only 13. So this actually became a very serious movement for him because the freedom riders were challenging segregation in interstate transportation across the South. And so they were the colored only, white only signs and the, the separation and bathrooms and restaurants and water fountains and all of that. And so my. This was very dangerous for them as well, because the Ku Klux Klan did not want this to happen. So they were getting beat up and arrested and all of that. Well, my young friends and I heard about the protest and the sit ins, so we thought, oh, okay, we can do this and could have fun doing it, because there were. It wasn't that we didn't understand what was going on, but there we would be able to go into restaurants and shops that said whites only. So for instance, there was a restaurant in our neighborhood that we used to go to almost every day after school. But on one side it said colored only, on the other side it said whites only. Well, the colored side was kind of small. It had a couple of booths, a jukebox. We could put a nickel in there here, or music and a counter. And if we wanted to get something to eat, there was a window there with a doorbell. So we'd go up to that window, we could order hot dogs, french fries and sodas on paper plates and cups. But as you stand in there at that window, you could see the other side. And the other side was big with lots of tables, white tablecloths and sett. And white people were seated and being served dinner. So this was wrong. This was how we were treated. And we understood that. So because when my mother would take us shopping for school clothes, the first thing she'd say to me is, barbara, go use the bathroom. And I'm like, mama, I already used. Go use the bathroom again. And. And I didn't understand that. So until we were downtown one day in the store and she had picked out a few items and I had to use the bathroom. And she got very upset with me because we had. She had to put those things back. She. We had to leave that store and go to a feeder street where there were colored businesses, use the bathroom, go back to the store and start over again. And while we were in the store, she had to know my sizes because they would not allow us to try on clothes or shoes. And so. And you know, if you bought something that was too small or too big, they would not allow us to bring it back. So when we would leave the the store, Mama would grab my hand and I said, mama, I'm a big girl. You don't have. Shut up, gal. And when a white person would approach us, we had to get off the sidewalk and let them by. Well, Mama had to pull me off the sidewalk. And so I did understand what was going on, how we were being treated and that it was wrong. I just didn't understand what the Civil Rights Movement or what the Freedom Riders could do about it, because this was our lives. This was how we were raised. This was how it was. This was what we accepted. And I didn't think that there was anything that could be done about it until several years later. One day I was coming home from downtown with my friends, and I was going up my street. My house was on the corner. So as I was walking up, everybody was saying, bobby, Bobby, you need to get home. Your mom got sick. And she was taken to the hospital. And so first of all, I'm like, hospital? We never went to the hospital. Mama always had home remedies. So, you know, I ran home and I tried to find someone to take me, and I couldn't. And so I ran up to the hospital, and when I got there, Mama was sitting in the waiting room, the emergency room, with a friend who had brought her there. And she was very distraught. She looked like she was going to pass out. And she was sweaty, clammy, and she had a cold paper towel on her head. And she said, I'm trying to keep from vomiting again. And her friend told me, you know, she had vomited a wash pan full of blood. And I'm like, I didn't believe that this is a wash pan. And, you know, so I said, well, how long have you guys been here? And he said, we've been here since about 2:00. And I looked and it was about 5:30. So I went up to the desk and I said, you know, my mama's been here since 2. She needs to see the doctor. She needs to lie down. And the young lady said very rudely, we don't have a bed for your mother. And there are other people here who need to see the doctor before your mother. So all I could do was go and sit down and wait with them. And as I'm sitting there, I'm seeing people being called up to see the doctor. Now, some of them might have been there before me, but most of them were coming in After. And they were being called. They were all white. So about 9:30 or so, they called Mama. And I said, wow, I was glad. I said, she can lie down. She'll see the doctor taken in the treatment room. So we're waiting for the doctor. And the nurse came in with the wheelchair, and she said, I'm sorry, we're going to have to put your mother outside the door for a while because we have someone else who needs to see the doctor. And I was like, no, my mama's been here since 2:00. She needs to see the doctor. Well, I'm a teenager, so they ignored me. And so when they went to get her up, she vomited, and she almost filled that room with blood. So now nurses and doctors are coming from everywhere, and she needs blood transfusions and all of that. And they took her up to the fifth floor. So my brother came and we went up to the fifth floor looking for Mama. And as I was passing by this treatment room, I heard a burst of laughter coming out. And I looked through the little crack and doctors and nurses, and I said, that's where Mama is. Because no matter what was going on or whether she was sick or whatever, Mama always had something funny to say or do to make you laugh. And so they took her to 501. And we're waiting outside the room to go in to see her. I wanted to hug Mama. I wanted to say I love you. The doctor came out and he said, it's very late. We're trying to get her admitted. Why don't y'all go home and come back the next day? I don't want to leave. I want to see Mama. I want to say I love you. Because we were a family who never said that to one another. I never remembered saying that to my mama. But he wouldn't let us in, so we left. And the very next morning, we came back. She was critical. So we were waiting outside her room again and waiting to go in and see her. Wanted to say I love you. And the doctor came out and he said, we're preparing your mother for surgery. And so we couldn't go in again. And so when they were rolling her out on the stretcher, I could see just a glimpse of her face between their bodies. And her eyes were swollen and red, and she had tears. And I just got this big hard ball right in the middle of my chest. And we went down to the second floor waiting for her to come out of surgery. And we waited and waited and waited. And finally the doctor came out. And he said, I'm sorry your mother didn't make it. And I just burst into tears. And I cried and I cried and I cried. I cried for days. But it was at that moment that I realized what that civil rights movement was all about. I realized why those Freedom Riders were challenging the colored only White only signs and going to restaurants. And I even realized why we went in to do sit ins and protest. This movement was about our lives. This movement was about equality. This movement was about our life and death.