Siblings Ed and Henryetta talk about attending DeSales High School as two of the few Black students and about their father Henry McDonald, known for playing professional baseball and football in the early 20th century and coaching both sports in Geneva.
The Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church Choir performs at a dedication ceremony for the Geneva General Hospital. At this time, the choir was led by Jim Richmond.
Cora Williams Wells discusses living at the old Dixon Homes tract, a former prisoner of war camp, and then in Chartres Homes, a housing project which replaced Dixon.
Charles Kenney discusses the segregated congregation of black families in Trinity Church, known as St. Philip’s Mission.
NAACP and African American Men’s Association leader McKinley Flowers discusses the segregated military, racism in the south versus the north, and protesting discrimination.
Al Dion Robinson talks about how he became the first Black postal worker in the Geneva Post Office.
Jim and Beth Henderson discuss how they were pushed out of their first Geneva neighborhood when the city displaced them to build senior citizens’ housing on Elm Street with federal grant money. They also discuss further discrimination during their subsequent search for housing in Geneva.
Bishop Harry Gramling talks about working various jobs as a young man and about how he welcomes people into his congregation at First Love Church of God’s Revealed Truth.
Rosa Blue discusses protesting discrimination in Geneva with the Geneva Chapter NAACP.
In this clip, James Richmond discusses discrimination in the workplace, and becoming the second Black manager of a Firestone store in the United States.
A conversation with Festival founders Geoffrey Herd, Hannah Collins, and Eliot Heaton.
David Brent Johnson, jazz director at WFIU public radio in Bloomington and musician Gap Mangione discuss jazz bassist Scott LaFaro.
A piece from a family piano provides a glimpse into Geneva’s past
Sample recordings of famous musicians who performed in Geneva in the early 20th Century.
Sample recordings of famous musicians who performed in Geneva in the early 20th Century.
Discussion of the the recent Appleknockers reunion and memories from Junior Appleknockers.
A discussion with Mike George about Area Records and Music in Geneva.
A discussion with the Tuesday Piano Quartette about the group’s history in Geneva.