April Whittington

April Whittington

Local barber, writer, and activist. Student at Express Cuts Academy.

“I am all about women being liberated and being strong, and I do stand up for myself, but men…..how are they going to be leaders if they don’t even have a good haircut? And that is what I say to them.”

Full Interview

April, tell me about yourself.

I feel that God put me here to share. So currently I do that through being a motivational speaker and a writer. But my biggest passion right now is barbering, cutting hair. I am a learner. I take time to learn. I get to know people for who they really are. I don’t believe in staying stagnate in negative places; that is why I like cutting men’s hair because I enjoy making them look really good while also pouring into them in a positive way. I am a writer and a barber. They are so unrelated but also the same. You wouldn’t believe my story.

You can’t leave me hanging like that…

I am just an animated person. The reason I am animated is because I had a very rough childhood. It is not a pity story; sure, you could feel sorry for me, but that’s not my story. I am bigger than that. I have gone from sleeping in my car with my son when he was one, to now he is 19 and graduating with a diploma after spending his elementary and middle school education in special-ed. In ninth grade when he wanted to go into regular classes, I had him write a two page essay on why. I am not going to raise a man who feels that he needs to do things to make it look a certain way. It took him four days…the heart is all that matters. I am so vocal about the things I am passionate about because there is so much negative. We aren’t going to fix it all in one day, but at some point, someone has got to take a stand.

What led you into the line of work you are in today?

I have been cutting hair for years. I have always been into it and thought it was kind of interesting. I tried to go to barber school when I was nineteen, but I was not able to focus and finish. I just wasn’t ready. When I had my son at 22, I always cut his hair. I was the family and close friend barber. I knew how to do the basic even-cut, a bald-fade, and a blowout-fade. I couldn’t really promote myself to the public because I wasn’t licensed.

When did that change?

So last year, I realized that I needed to make a change from my corporate job. I was a stay-at-home writer for a few years and then took on another job that I ultimately was not happy in. After a negative experience with a manager, I left work that day and immediately went and registered for school that afternoon. That is how I ended up here.

What do you love about being a Barber?

Cutting hair for me is immediate gratification. A haircut can change your life. I am obsessed with men’s fashion: I love men’s clothes. When I look at men I think, the least you can do, for the community, is have a nice haircut. I am all about women being liberated and being strong, and I do stand up for myself, but men…..how are they going to be leaders if they don’t even have a good haircut? And that is what I say to them.

You seem to really care about your customers.

I really take pride in my haircuts, and I’m not going to send someone out of there looking bad. When I am cutting a man’s hair, I am with him for at least twenty to thirty minutes. This is a very intimate time. Obviously we aren’t talking about anything inappropriate, but I am going to have my hands directly on his head for this entire time. That is a transfer of energy. He is going to communicate with me, and it is very important to me that I have the space to receive and give back positively.

Tell me about working in West Greenville.

Everyone just knows that this is the barber school. It used to be on Pleasantburg, and I was there for three months before we moved to the Village. I feel like West Greenville benefits from us being there. I have had people stop me in public— people whose hair I have cut— and thank me for making them feel a certain way. I happen to know how to cut hair, which is good. But I also make people feel great just by being authentic. I am very real all the time and people feel a good feeling from that. Some people don’t like it because some people don’t like the truth. People who know me tend to say I am very difficult to deal with because I am just very firm about boundaries and I don’t believe in being fake.

Tell me about your clientele.

You have people who come in and have no economic standing. You know their situation is rough. That haircut is probably the only eight dollars they have. And then you have those people who come in and only want to spend eight dollars because they only want to spend eight dollars. It is a very interesting industry. Yes, it does make more sense for people who are lower income to come to us if they can get a good cut. We are cheaper, just by the nature of being a school. There are a lot of people in the lower income areas who need help getting a haircut. I’ve cut somebody’s hair before and they cried when I finished and it was because he told me he hadn’t been able to afford one. And most people are about to spend eight dollars on lunch.

What cultivated this desire for service in you?

I like to give to people, because that was an experience I did not have growing up. When I was young, I was often getting into trouble. I would steal, I would lie, I was manipulative. I was in jail briefly before I had my son. But because of that, I was always getting put down. I was never uplifted, and my entire life, everyone focused on my negative. But when I decided to get my life together, that is exactly what it was. I go hard for whatever I do. Whichever side of the fence I am on, that is where I am at.

What helped you turn that corner, to turn your life around?

Having my son, Jamison Alexander Lewis, saved me. He is nineteen. God knows I give to those who need more than me. He knows how hard I give. So no matter how irresponsible I was or how much I was in and out of jail, he knew if he gave me another human….it changed my life.
 

You are a writer and a barber. Tell me about the work you do outside of the barbershop.

I have matured to the point where I can only do things for a purpose. Period. I worked for Sheen magazine as the Associate Managing Editor for several months but ultimately it came down to purpose. I wrote my first book in 2011 and I self-published in 2012. It is titled, It is My Fault. This book came from my Facebook statuses. When I first got the idea of publishing them in the format of a book, I went back and read all my statuses from the past year, and realized that it would be great content for a book. The theme is accepting responsibility for your wrong.

In addition, you are incredible active in the community…

I am part of the after-school cohesion program. I coach students in creative writing. I also do free writing camps for kids called Writing Connections. Writing is just relocating your thoughts, up here, to the paper. I believe that life goes on. I have had friends in high school who used to bully me, reach out because of my writing. It’s so incredible—that can be a reality.

I do Meals on Wheels, because I need to. With my ability and what I know, I need to. I have gone hungry before. You give these people a tray of food- you know what Lean Cuisine is?- That is the portion size of the food they get. You hand these people that tray, and they are about to cry, thanking you. It is unbelievable. It is very humbling. I do a lot.

What is one of your goals or aspirations looking ahead?

I want to have a barber truck one day. I don’t know when they are going to make it officially legal, but I want to have a mobile barber shop. I don’t think I can ever do enough to give. Barbering, for me, is a community service. You have got to give it away.

Elaine Brown

Elaine Brown

West Greenville Community Member. Runs a daycare in her house on Queens Street. Graduated from Parker High School.

"It was hard. Now, I know it was hard, compared to now. When we used to tote coal and kerosene and stuff, that was what you were supposed to do."

Full Interview

Elaine! Tell me about yourself.

I grew up just two streets from here. I had a Momma and four brothers. My Momma’s sister got killed, in 1960, so she took her four kids in. I was about six. All I know about that is that a man shot her. But my mom was a single parent: she went to school, graduated from Washington High School and then had us. My siblings were a bit older than me. We stayed on Queen street for, I say, 6 years. Then we moved onto Doe Street. Bigger house. I was about ten. My Momma worked at the hospital and then got a job at Southern Weaving, (it’s there along Woodside) and they made seat belts. She worked there for 35 years, until she retired.

What was your childhood like?

In the winter, our parents went to work, we went to school, we got home from school, did our homework, went out to play, and all the children played together. Christmas time we decided what we wanted to get. We wanted to get skates—everybody got skates. We wanted to get bikes—everybody got bikes. We’d be on Christmas vacation and our parents had to go to work and they would say, “You better have that house clean”, and “put some beans on” and “don’t let them burn!” All us kids would get together and go down Burne Street here…riding them skates and them bikes and we didn’t have watches, but we’d know what time to get back and get that house cleaned up before our parents came.

This sounds like a really close community.

Everybody in the community knew everybody and cared for everybody. We would go to their houses and eat, and they would come to our houses and eat. And it was just good. We looked out for one another. If we did something wrong… the lady next door? If she’d seen it, she’d pop us, and when Momma came home, she’d pop us. We took care of each other.

Everybody knew everybody?

Yeah, but now it’s changed because everybody don’t know everybody in their community. I’ve been living in this house, here about 22 years. I moved in when my Momma had cancer, in ’99, and I moved in and took care of her, and she passed away in 2001, and I continued to stay here because she wanted me to. She worked too hard for me to give up her house. So I paid the house off and we stayed.

The store on Doe Street. A family used to own it. First it was a man named Mr. Cason. He used to own it. And then a black family, the Hunts family. I remember you used to buy the cookies, two for a penny. We got Coca Cola bottles and take them back. Either we got a dime for them or a nickel. On Saturdays we used to get the Coca Cola tops and go to the movies, the Fox Theatre. Over by Scott Tower. We used to walk all together. It was fun, we didn’t know about cars and stuff.

What were some other important parts of you community life, growing up?

Growing up I went to Antioch Baptist Church. My brothers started to go too. I got one that is a pastor. Donnie lives in Columbia and he has got a church in Gaston, SC. Reverend Ware was a big part of him becoming a pastor. He lived right across the street from us. He pastored at Golden Grove Baptist Church as well as Antioch.

Was the city of Greenville really involved at all in this neighborhood? Was there a police presence at all?

Growing up, I didn’t see any police. I didn’t know what they were. We never had them come to our house or our neighbors. But one time a man got shot and the police came. But just arrived like they do now.

We were all together, the children played together, we took care of each other. If folks were sick, we’d take them something to eat and go check on them. But now, everyone keeps to themselves. Like today, I know the man to my left, (I know him, but don’t speak to him) the man across from me, the lady across from me, but I don’t know a whole lot of people like I did.

Why is that?

People are fearful. They might want to be friendly, but they are scared. They don’t know who to trust.

What were some lessons you learned from your Mom?

You have to work for what you want. She walked to work everyday, I don’t care if it was freezing cold. Until she got her car she would have to walk everywhere. She just taught us to work hard for what you want. You can’t think you can go out there and get a handout. You have to work. She also told me, “You take care of your brothers and sisters. They are all you got so take care of each other.”

Looking back, what were some of the challenges you faced?

I remember we used to tote kerosene. And we used to tote coal. We had a coal yard down here off of Mayberry Park. We had a wood stove and kerosene heaters in that house on Doe Street.

It was hard. Now, I know it was hard, compared to now. When we used to tote coal and kerosene and stuff, that was what you were supposed to do. They were called shotgun houses. Because it would be cold. There was no central heat. We would have to shut the doors and heat the rooms we wanted to sleep in.

Where did you go to High School?

I went to Parker High School, graduated from there. I did all the sports. I was a cheerleader. I did everything a girl could do. I ran track, I played basketball, volleyball. Just not football. I would have if I had the chance. We did play powder puff against the seniors. My ladies, Atavia, Linda Kidd Simpson, Jacklyn Moore, Janice Randwick all played sports with me. We used to all walk to school together. I go to church with three of them now and see them different places. One runs the center in Nickoltown. Italia Jones runs that center.

Did many of your peers stay in this neighborhood?

Freetown, Perry Ave, Pendleton St…. A lot of them didn’t move out of town but just away from this neighborhood. About 45% have stayed in this area.

What did you do after high school?

I played community ball after high school. I played softball from the time I was 14 till I was 36. I went to North Greenville for a semester, and I got pregnant. Had my first child at 20 and I got a job. Ursula, Innikka, and Robert. I’ve got three kids, but that is the eldest. Then I worked, never did go back to school but I worked for Greenville News. Then I got a second job at the Hyatt Hotel. Then I had my second baby. After her, I got married, and then I had a third baby.

What was that like?

I would work at Greenville News all day till five p.m. and then I would get to the Hyatt at six p.m. I started being a Turn Down. I would turn the covers back, put the little mints and the card on the pillow. I did that for about a year or two then they hired me for a housekeeping job. So I quit Greenville News and started working there for about five years. I was doing all the housekeeping. I left there and went to American Spinning and worked there until they closed. Then I went to Neutral. It used to be GMB. It is a vitamin plant. I went there in 1996 and stayed until 2010. I hurt my back, so I am on disability. I picked up a bin the wrong way and hurt my back.

So when did you meet your husband.

I met him in 1984. I met him at the Hyatt, where I used to work. I enjoyed working there, but just had to leave for more money.

My husband passed away in 2012. Passed away from a drug overdose. I didn’t know he was on drugs at first and then found out, and the next thing we know they found him in a house dead. It was ongoing. He wasn’t in my life that whole time. I had to leave him because he was on drugs. So we were married all that time but weren’t together all of the time. I left with my kids, and we went from Shoreside to another apartment.

Out of these jobs, what did you enjoy the most?

At Neutral Vitamin Plant, I was a Trayer. The pills would come out of this machine into a hopper and they would go into a bin and you would have to inspect them to make sure they weren’t leaking, because they were jell. Then you would put them all on a skid. It was good; I liked it. We used to have family picnics, and used to have Christmas dinners for us, and give us cards and stuff for Thanksgiving. It was a good place to work. Right down from Woodruff Road.

Do you think people still have that work ethic that your Mom had, or that you exhibited, working multiple jobs to support your family?

Nowadays, they will quit a job if you look at them wrong. They won’t go to work. They won't stay at work, you know? Able-bodied people and they are standing around. I mean smart. They be smart. But they just don’t want to work.

Shakir Robinson

Shakir Robinson

Head Coach of Greenville Boxing Club. Center for Educational Equality. Graduate from Southernside High School.

“If you can give seven weeks of your time to a strict program like this, you are going to be serious about advancing your education. Even though we will work with students, we will not lower our standards. In many ways that is what makes our program so successful.”

Full Interview

How did the Center for Educational Equality begin?

We starting the Saturday Success School, with a goal of engaging all grade levels,1st-12th, in extracurricular educational opportunities. All kids that were playing on teams were required to go to these Saturday schools in the morning from 10am-12pm. The majority of kids were coming from the City Heights area near Cherrydale.

How did this expand?

The program expanded from being athlete-centric to being open to all students as the benefits of this program started to become clear to parents and administrators. This began in 2000. The Greenville boxing club operates out of the CEE and is just one component. You see these trophies over here, that is probably just a third of the ones we have won. We have had some kids just really reform and excel in both sports and academics. A lot of them graduated, have gone on to college and have come back to the area and are now enrolling their kids in the program.

How does your programs work?

The success of the Saturday Schools has been transformed into the after school program that is run underneath DJJ (Department of Juvenile Justice) which runs during the school calendar year and then during the summer. We have an academics fitness boot camp (a 7 week camp) and so we are able to work with kids year round and it functions as an avenue for community development. No matter what, our main focus is on academics and fitness. To be academically and physically fit and sound, we try to train our students to become master students. A master students is a student that can learn anything. This gets the kids thinking less about “I like this subject or that subject” and really focused on excelling in everything.

How many kids do you serve and what is your funding situation?

Our after school has about 30-40 kids. Periodic attendance is normal. As a non-profit, we do accept donations. Our goal is to work with students who don’t have the resources to pay tuition. We have community sponsorships, and have a partnership with United Way, but we really work on a shoestring budget. We are dedicated to the mission. When I get here at 8 o’clock, there are already 10 kids waiting outside to get in.

What has added to the success of this program?

Most summer camps operate with government funding and might have resources to go swimming or skating, go watch movies, but our focus is going to be on work ethic, academic drills, fitness drills; we have a football camp and we keep them moving in a more disciplined manner. We are training them to be better students by giving them fewer opportunities to cut up. If you can give seven weeks of your time to a strict program like this, you are going to be serious about advancing your education. We do not lower our standards to accommodate students who can not meet our expectations and rules for behavior. Even though we will work with students, we will not lower our standards. In many ways that is what making our program more successful.

Tell me how you came to occupy this location.

We were looking for locations. We looked at Happy Hearts Park and then we found this building which was oriented in a community which we found really needed student engagement programs. At first we were thinking we were going to get a lot of support from the community but really it was the opposite. We moved over here in 2006-7. What we found was that the initial investment which parents had to make, to get their kids in the program was too much for them to make at that point in time. As we continued, a lot of the neighborhood kids began to pay attention to the students who were a part of the program and began noticing muscle definition- the shape these kids were in. They started hearing about the traveling these kids were doing through the traveling boxing team. The opportunities to see and go to places they never would have been able to. The focus and discipline that became apparent. The seed, planted, as these kids are developed through this program have dividends when they return to school. Parents began to share the transformation of their students with others and as news of them has spread through word of mouth, we started seeing more kids.

At this point how many of your students are from West Greenville?

About 25% of the students are from West Greenville while about 75% from the rest of Greenville.

Did you have a lot of renovations to do on this building?

The condition of the building: We did all of the modifications. We had to add an exit, adding the steps on the side, and an additional exit downstairs. A lot of the funds we had to start the program went into these modifications for the building. We had to get the roof fixed and then over the 7 year period we have been in the building, we had to get it replaced again. We had to get the lights, the walls painted, the floors redone. We made sure to keep the building up to code because that is a top priority to have a safe environment.

There is a really lovely mural on the building. Tell us about that.

This mural is on vinyl. It was a project organized by David Guaraurd a Furman professor at the time. Initially he came to teach some classes, and then he initiated this collaborative piece with the students. He was referred to us by my mom, actually to help with summer camp sessions. During that time there was a contest with DJJ for the SC TASC logo. This logo competition was won by one of our students. The whole state got our logo, learning some of the skills from David. Poetry, sketching, these kids are learning to become Master Students.

What are you hoping for as you look at the future of this organization?

At the end of the day, you can tell kids that they can grow up to be whatever they want to be but sometimes it’s nice just to have better things- like this football team we have ragtag equipment, and you know, we are still going to go out and win championships, but it would be better if these kids had better things. That is when dreams really can come true. Sometimes you have to show these kids what can be achieved, and that is what we try to do. With the resources to give kids opportunities and equipment and experiences that they wouldn’t ordinarily have access to, we grow their horizons. What is what keeps them inspired. Keeps them pushing. Pride. Focus. Discipline. If we had more we could represent it in a better way. For Greenville to be a great city, a great community, it is going to take everything to make it great, and we are just trying to do our part.

Speaking of which, what do you think about the change and growth that is happening in West Greenville, specifically?

I see it as Greenville becoming a better Greenville. As growth comes in, it is going to be more people coming in getting access to better services, we are going to start extending our gym hours because we offer great services. It’s going to benefit us too.

Tell us about one of your champs.

We have a 10 year old kid who we are projecting to be one of the best fights of this generation. He already has 6 belts.

Wes Whitesell

Wes Whitesell
Director of the Village Wrench
 

Interview forthcoming.

Kwadjo Campbell

Kwadjo Campbell

Poe Mill Resident. CEO of JC & Associates. Activist, entrepreneur, teacher.

“Gentrification. It is the spatial expression of our inequality in America.”

Full Interview

Kwadjo, where did you grow up?

It’s a long story. I was born in Los Angeles. We lived in LA, and then in Hawaii. We moved back and lived in San Diego a little bit, the military [lifestyle] of my grandfather and my father. My father was in the Marine Corps. But my grandmother and my aunt lived in Charleston. So we came over here. Then we moved to Key West, Florida, back to Charleston, to Virginia, then back to Charleston.

What was growing up like for you?

I was always having these questions. I used to be rebellious against authority, plus my grandmother was not scared of white people, of NObody. If they stepped out of line she would straighten them out. She owned three restaurants, one in Connecticut, one in California, and one in South Carolina. She was this strong and independent woman. My grandfather was in the military: independent and a big dude. He wasn’t scared of anything. He would knock them out, but he was humble. So that was my growing up. When I read the autobiography of Malcolm X, I was already obsessed. I kept finding more and more like that to stoke the fire.

What happened?

My senior year of high school was when I was really exposed to Black history. All my life I was always asking these questions. For example, in Norfolk, we used to catch the bus. We used to ride a bus with all these white kids, but the way they used to do the route, it would make sense to pick them up and then pick us up. But it was the opposite. We used to always be able to see their community, but they would never ever see ours.

I graduated from Burke High School in Charleston. I went into the Marine Corps Reserves and ended up in Saudi Arabia for active duty. I came back and went to the College of Charleston when I recognized that I really missed my family. The rest is history.

What initially drew you to West Greenville?

Actually I wasn’t. It was my wife. So I’ll tell you what attracted her to it. Its proximity to downtown; we could ride our bikes downtown. Its proximity to the Swamp Rabbit Trail. The character of the neighborhood. It was a lived-in neighborhood. We could afford to buy in. We both grew up in lived-in communities. We came here because of Clemson’s Urban Planning Program. My wife is an urban planner and she wanted to go to the graduate program there at Clemson. And her best friend is from Clemson. So we had that connection. But the main thing was the Urban Planning Program.

What have you observed about West Greenville? What do you hope for this community?

That’s a loaded question. What I see, is potential. I don’t want to get into the neglect. I’ll leave that for everybody else to talk about. So I’ll talk about potential. I see a lot of people around here with skills that could be further developed. I see a big disconnect between the programs that exist and the people that are here. There is a lot of relationship building that needs to happen for programs that are out there to connect to the people. That is where we come in. I see potential in West Greenville. Mountain View Baptist Church for example. That’s potential. It doesn’t look like that now, but that is what we see with the church, the community building it. I see this community developing itself.

I was watching a video yesterday about gentrification; that is a serious issue here in Greenville. But we can get ahead of the game by giving people resources, to have the capacity to be a part of the game. That’s the potential I see.

What prevents people from connecting to resources?

The county is a big place and these non-profits have limited resources, so if you don’t make an effort to find these resources you are going to miss them. It’s not that organizations are trying to neglect those communities, but it is because they have limited budgets. Limited staffing budgets. And every year people give less and less. So as a community we have to build those relationships and make sure people connect.

Will you describe gentrification, in your own words?

Gentrification. It is the spatial expression of inequality in America. You have direct and indirect displacement. Direct displacement is rent going up and then you have indirect displacement: when you have people in their own neighborhoods feeling like strangers. When you’ve got new shops coming up, but they don’t cater to them. That is how I see gentrification. The big mistake that people like to make with gentrification is in saying that it is the same as revitalization. When people talk about the revitalization of Greenville and use the term gentrification, they think it is a quasi-good thing and it is not. If you eliminate the culture, the people who have lived the history are eliminated…Revitalization is bottom up. That is revitalization when we try to work from the bottom up. For example, my firm’s work with Mountain View Baptist Church to purchase their own land, to develop and be a part of the growth, that is the difference in revitalization.

How do you want to guide positive change?

I am a very busy individual. I have a firm, JC Associates and I do a lot of activism here in Greenville. We have the Mountain View project. We are working with them to develop the area around the church. But also, we are about to— here in the third quarter— put an offer on a piece of property here off Cornwallis, right in front here. And we are going to do a market rig housing development with a volunteer 20% affordable housing. It takes more people doing that, but it is what will create the resources around that church (near the Amtrak Station). We have got a project in Charleston; I’ll be driving there tomorrow to begin talking to the school board. So this is Archers School. An old historic school in downtown Charleston. Our group works with non-profit organizations to do these projects. We also do African American tourism. We’ve got a caucus we go every year: September 30th is our date this year. We also do Urban planning studies. We work with the city of Spartanburg. Their affordable housing/community building department doesn’t have the capacity that Greenville county and city do, so they subcontract services and so we do some of that work with them. We did an economic impact study with the University of SC, AA tourism…A lot of my activism is through my firm, but I also teach at Legacy Charter School which is a big part of what’s going on in West Greenville. I am the head of the English department for the middle school and am a mentor teacher there. I help set up the curriculum and am a big part of the disciplinary part of the piece. I’m living that mission. I’m president of the neighborhood association. We have the skate park, and are doing a lot of other things around here to revitalize this area. I have great team. Starting with my wife, who is the president of our company.

How will this help to direct West Greenville?

All I can hope for, and pray for, is that if I can do my part to help affect the lives of the people I touch with these programs and such; that is what I hope for. I’m not sure how it is going to impact the overall piece, but it is a part. The economic, political pendulum has swung in a very hard and heavy direction, so it is a significant shift. But I do know, if JC can become a significant player in the development of that area, people are going to take notice and it will become a precedence for growth in other areas. Other communities will begin to see that and start to hope. If communities don’t believe they can do it, it isn’t going to happen. Freetown: It used to look like all the other mill/liquor house communities in Charleston. But if those residents didn’t rise up and work with the county to revitalize, it wouldn’t have happened. So that is what has to take place. This community has a powerful history and lots of resources, we just have to pull them together to do what we can do.

When you look at that community now, seeing the things have come and gone, what do you think needs to happen?

I do think the City of Greenville is being very proactive: looking at policy, setting policy, taking recommendations, and things like that. But of course there is a lot more that can be done, but that is for the academics to work out through politics. I think they are being proactive. I think the County Council, especially, is very different from the City. They control their community development stuff and they have a separate agency that does that. County Council controls all this money and resources and handles about forty miles. They are the one who handles transportation. It is the county that is hurting in regards to both of those issues.

Greenville is blowing up. Every space has a new apartment building, but those apartments aren’t affordable. I don’t think anybody in this room can afford them. I mean, maybe some people could afford it, but you are forced to give up so much quality of life. Here is an example of the County and the City of Greenville being pitted against each other. Transportation is one of those issues. Let’s just talk about that for a minute. You have transportation from the County putting in a little bit of money. And then public transportation in the City putting in a lot of money. And it is the county residents that can't get jobs. It is just backwards thinking by County Council. They tax us, tax us, tax us. I could run for County office. But that is a whole other thing. I mean, I shouldn’t say that, if I have to, I have to.

What has been a guide for you, as you have thought through these issues?

Joseph Neil. He was a state representative. He passed away recently. When I say he was serious, he was by far one of the best human beings I have ever met. You look at his issues and how he fought for poor people…I don’t know if ya’ll have been to the state house but it is a mean, evil place. Those guys passed horrible legislation that was hurting people all the time. He stopped a whole lot of stuff. It could have been a whole lot worse than it was. He told me one time (because I was very anti-running for office, seeing that I like my private life) when I was on City Council for the city of Charleston and not but two weeks in, it was my worst enemy. They were talking about that resolution to do a racial bias study for City Council and the votes came down racial lines with one African American at the reigns and I said, “I don’t want to be on this Council anymore.” I said, “Hell no.” But Neil, he told me, “Alright, you have a responsibility to go in there and take care of your business.” He talked to me like I was a child. I said, “Yes sir.”

What do you recommend to individuals who want to get involved in their communities?

I was twenty-three when I ran for Council, and twenty-four when I started serving. I would love to see young people on boards, pushing for policy, advocating for their neighborhoods. Step out and get involved.

Reverend Vardrey Fleming

Vardrey Fleming

West Greenville Community Member. Pastor of Bethel Bible Missionary Church. President of West Greenville Neighborhood Association

“I say, jump right in! We have a lot of young people buying into the neighborhood. If there are problems, we will address it, any problems that you have. But it is a two-way street. Everyone has to be a part.”

Full Interview

Tell me about your first encounter with West Greenville.

The City loves for me to tell this part of the story. We have people coming in from all over the place. I think a few weeks ago we had a group coming in from Gastonia, NC, and so the City wanted me to tell the story of West Greenville. So about fifty years ago, I used to be a bus driver for the elementary school, (it was an elementary school at that time... now its used for disciplinary purposes), but I drove the city route so I had all the bad areas. I had what was Parker Street, Southernside, and all these, and I had West Greenville. I was here everyday. I picked the kids up and then dropped them off and not one time do I ever remember turning my engine off. And I would always come into West Greenville, unload, and I would get out of here as quick as I could.

Why was that?

This was like Dodge City. All of the social ills that you can think of existed here in West Greenville. So, some years later, I had no intention of coming back to this area, because I left Greenville. I actually became the first black president of the College I attended in Atlanta, so I was really focusing on my trip every week back and forth from Atlanta two or three times. African Americans, generally, when they move up education wise, move out of the area they grew up in, like West Greenville, and they don’t come back. It was my intention to never come back to West Greenville.

What changed that?

At that time I taught at Tri-County Technical College, however as our church grew because of our educational background, naturally it grew with educators. We may have had as many as ten to twelve engineers here at one time. But it was growing and we were looking for a new location. I had a man tell me one day, have you considered the property over in West Greenville? And my first reaction was that, no, I have no intention of considering that. But I didn’t tell him that. Because I knew what West Greenville was like— as I said, I never did turn my engine off. I came in and left out. But I came around, out of respect for him. At that time this building was a four-family complex. I found out later that seven people had been killed in this complex. That is just how bad it was. But when he showed me the property, it was just an alley going through the parking lot. And my thoughts were, “You do not expect me to move my folks to— or for my folks to agree to move— over here.” Many people in our congregation lived in, quote-unquote, “mixed neighborhoods,” white neighborhoods predominantly. And they were professional people, successful people, and at one point somebody in this neighborhood said, “We can’t attend that church because everyone drives new cars.” So this was a mentality that they had. The idea of us actually buying property and going down here in West Greenville was kind of farfetched. But my folks were nice enough that we came in and I said, “The property is available and what do you guys want to do?” And they said, “Well, we just need to raise the money.” I think we needed seven thousand dollars at the time. So we went and bought it. I did not find out until fifteen years later that some of my members didn’t like what I was doing. But they said they trusted me.

Did you have a vision for how you were going to impact West Greenville?

We had no idea that it would come to this. Over the years we came in and bought the different substandard houses, right in this surrounding area. In some cases we built, we tore down, and built around. In other cases we brought the city in, and in other cases, Habitat for Humanity, BGU, and that kind of thing. If we were going to change the community, this was my thing. I have some pictures that you might find quite interesting. So, over the years we worked hard to eliminate all the substandard housing. And so now, it looks like a totally different place. We worked with the city, while I have also bought a lot of the houses personally and the church bought a house of two.

When did this all begin?

Oh Mercy. That had to be 1990, that we started. So over the years we were able to deal with substandard housing and the social ills that existed, drugs and alcohol and all that. I have a little bit of an advantage over some community developers in that I worked for the Sheriff’s Department. I think that has been a platitude. People feel like the closer we can get to the church, the safer we will feel. We have a lot of renters and people buying houses right here because they feel safer. And it is my goal that a senior citizen, if they want to take a stroll at one o'clock at night, then they can walk this area without any problems whatsoever. I am trying to lobby not only for senior citizens but also for a mixed neighborhood. It is my opinion that you cannot build a strong neighborhood with all of the same people. You have to have a mix to have a strong neighborhood that sustains itself. Personally, I have recruited blacks and whites, and we have a few Hispanics. But we have more blacks and whites than anything else. It has proven to be an asset.

So you and the church began to purchase houses to create more livable spaces? Did you raise money to do that?

With my investment I am still suffering the result of that, because I did like a lot of investors and entrepreneurs and mortgaged the house and kept turning things over. But the city of Greenville was coming in with BMW and I challenged them—people were coming in and buying— “You give people incentives to move to this city but what incentive are you giving me? What incentive are you giving your current residents?” At that point they said ok, and they started hedging funds and so on. Homes of Hope and Habitat for Humanity worked with us because I felt like if we were going to get this thing done in a reasonable amount of time we would need partners. No one group would be close to raising the funds.

So that was initiated because you went in and had a conversation with the city?

Yes. I tried to make them feel bad. It worked.

Your first priority was livable spaces around the church. Then did it grow from there?

Yes. Pretty much, but we didn’t just limit it to here. We also moved around the corner and so forth. So in a sense, we didn’t just start here and then move out, but were working around.

How did the people feel when the Village began to be revitalized?

To some degree they felt threatened, okay, because there was that fear that gentrification would revive itself. Which it has. Now to some degree I have a different take than what some people would take. I think it is bad if people are forced out of their homes, because we need to secure them in their homes. But we are in a capitalistic society; we are free to invest and all that stuff. But I think that also you have to consider the have-nots. There was some concern. And there is still some concern because one of the things that the Village has done is put in high cost apartments. On Pendleton. And the people knew that there was no way for the people to afford that. That is a little concerning. That is where I come in and there are some cases when we just totally object, but we try to balance the situation out and live and let live.

What is an example of something to which you might object?

The Village is really promoting studio housing. Studio on the first floor, etc. The biggest concern with that is that it is pushing the value of the property up around here. The people who do own their homes are going to be taxed out, price wise. Now there are some provisions that the city has made, supposedly, but we are talking about politics, so you might look in one direction and see where it's safe, and then look at another area and ask how did it happen there. But it is the American way.

As the President of the Neighborhood Association, what is your role in this?

So normally when something is going to happen in the Village, I am generally contacted, the city will have them contact me, and I’ll sit down and talk with them and see where their interests are. I’ll hear how they are going to benefit the community, and I am constantly in touch with them. So, the Village has worked. They have done a lot in many ways to accommodate us.

Who runs the Village, per se?

It’s really a townshare of Greenville. But there are still people who run the Village. Sherrington. She is a mover and shaker in that area.

What contributes to the success of West Greenville, and why is it getting so much attention?

I’d say, it’s relationships. That’s true with anything. I am the most unpaid person to stand outside of City Hall, nothing for it. I remind them every once in awhile: you need to put me on the payroll as much as you guys have me up here for meetings and so forth. They owe me a lot of money and so do a lot of other folks. Our community meetings are advantageous to the community. And I try to get people who have the power to make things happen come to these meetings. The mayor, the city manager, the fire department, the police department- we try to bring all of these people in so they can build relationships. This has been really helpful for the Village, because, while it is art and so on, they have opened to the community and so on.

There seems to be synthesis between these two groups.

The community association meetings have been going on for fifteen years. At least, that’s how long I’ve been the president!

Historically, there wasn’t always this cohesion. What was it like in this area during the civil rights movement, for example.

Greenville did not have some of the major problems that other cities had. I’m sixty-four. Some of the kids around here say that I am as old as dirt. I’m not old as dirt, but in the 60’s, I left here to go to Atlanta, and that was really when everything was at its peak. As a matter of fact, I was one block away from, what do you call it, SCLC, which was part of their civil rights organization. I could probably see them from the college dorm. We had some problems. Some tension with the integration of schools. But what contributed to this smoother transition was that the Bible belt, while it may not be all that it should be, it did have some influence.

I heard someone refer to Bob Jones [University] as the buckle of the Bible belt.

Well, since you said it, let it go on the record that she said it. With Bob Jones, some of the things you heard was just them trying to make it sound juicy. They wanted the story to look good, and so therefore, they did what they always do to movies and everything else. They kind of doctored it up a little bit. But some of it was true. I grew up in the Cherrydale area which is where they have their radio now. It is called Piney Mountain. I had to go 150 miles away to go to another school at the time. With the grandson coming in, things changed a lot. There were times that I had to marry mixed couples from Bob Jones, but also our music pastor is from there and they run our kids’ church, so, no- this is a new day. Even back then in the sixties we had white kids come down and mingle because they didn’t know any differently. Things have changed. In many cases the Village is a welcome addition.

How do you encourage young people to get involved?

I say, jump right in! We have a lot of young people buying into the neighborhood. If there are problems, we will address it, any problems that you have. But it is a two-way street. Everyone has to be a part.

This community is so lucky to have a champion like you!

This is a big commitment, but it is worth it. Because it is not just adults we are talking about. It’s the kids too. We are doing a lot of programing right now for kids. Our goal is to try and cover the whole spectrum.

Lillian Brock Flemming

Lillian Brock Flemming
Resident of the Southernside Community. Councilwoman since 1981.
 

Being the first never appeared to be much of an obstacle. Not for her. Even as she stepped onto the Greenville City Council as the first African American woman to do so, being the first didn’t slow her down. By that point she had already joined two other students as the first African American women to attend Furman University. She was already a mathematics teacher with a masters in the subject. She had already become teacher of the year at Southside High School. She would never define herself by her ever expanding list of accolades, rather she’s found a greater desire to be known as a constant servant to those around her. Even those she serves might not know about her pedigree of awards. They don’t need to. They can identify her by her smile. They can identify her by her consistency. They can identify her by her heart for everyone around her. If they need to they can of course identify her by her name: Councilwoman Lillian Brock-Flemming.

Born July 27, 1949 Lillian Brock-Flemming has spent her life in service to the people around her. The highlights mentioned above only begin to capture the way she has engaged with her community. As Lillian grew up her empathy for the city around her wasn’t a hard learned skill, it was a way of life that pushed her to become a “professional servant.” Why did she first run for city council in 1981? Her community of West Greenville was being underserved by the city and Lillian saw an opportunity to remedy the issue by becoming a firm voice. The second district of Greenville had been kept too silent for too long and Lillian decided to speak up.

Perhaps the strongest piece of encouragement for Lillian came from her mother Lila Brock who set a tone of loving and caring for people early on in Lillian’s life. After a full career caring for student by way of being a cafeteria operator at East North Elementary School, Lila retired and become set on improving the Southernside community. Growing up around this, Lillian undoubtedly learned an ability to see need and grow a desire to address issues. When Lillian ran for office her mother encouraged her to do so because of growing pain in West Greenville and because her mother believed that she had the ability and the voice to take on these issues.
Near her neighborhood plans were being made to tear down over a thousand houses to develop a road for a hospital. Why were they going to tear down these houses? Because in the 1980’s the neighborhoods of West Greenville were seen as expendable for the expansion of other parts of Greenville which had stronger voices. Lillian’s response? “I told them no.” Lillian stepped onto the council to be the voice she felt the community needed. “We’re people, you don’t tear down houses to build roads, but you find that’s what happening in America, particularly in african-american communities.” Lillian Brock-Flemming’s resume has always been strong enough that if she had strong desire to do so she could have moved to bigger positions with more illustrious cooler titles, but that’s not why she wanted to join the city council. “I go to a lot of neighborhood meetings. I mean I got to a lot. Because I still believe what I felt when I ran 35 years ago. Whatever it is that people need, they need to be heard, they need to have a voice.” She wanted to stand with her community and give them a voice because she is a part of her community and her community is ingrained into her.

Lillian’s upbringing on Echol’s Street in West-Greenville allowed her to watch the city grow before her. Like most people in West-Greenville she grew up in a tight knit community where her family wasn’t just her parents and siblings; her neighbors were family. “We we’re all neighbors and everyone did shared group events like graduation or going to the prom, that was a community event. They came out, walked down the street and everyone took pictures. When a young man went off to war and they came home in their uniforms, it was a sense of pride.” This sense of community was imprinted on her from an early age, it’s why her desire to create a better Greenville has never been about herself rather it has been about her love for her city, specifically the people around her. When she stepped into the role of councilwoman she accepted a responsibility to care for her community at a higher level, even though the circumstances when she ran were far from normal. “I was encouraged to run because I was 8 months pregnant.”

Lillian Brock-Flemming was encouraged to run even while eight months pregnant because everyone around her could see that she had a fire inside of her for her community. Her own doubts were put to rest by the people closest to her. “My mom said to me ‘Let me ask you a question sweetie; so you’re pregnant, so you won’t be able to talk? I said no I’ll be able to talk. She said ‘You won't be able to read documents?’ I said ‘Yes ma’am I’ll be able to read documents.’ She said ‘so you won't be able to go to meetings?’ I said ‘yes ma’am I’ll be able to go.’ She said ‘now tell me again why you’re not running?’” Point taken.
Lillian began her service as an elected member of the Greenville City Council as a new mother. Early on it was clear that Lillian was ambitious, but not in the typical way of looking to climb some political ladder or prove herself. She was ambitious for people around her, ambitious for the city of Greenville to develop into an outstanding environment for community within and as an attractive place for businesses without. The platform she ran on wasn’t some expansive list of complicated tasks. It was simple enough. The community of West-Greenville had a representative but Lillian felt that the people were not being heard and she wanted to change that. Like her mother Lila, Lillian decided to change her community by loving well.

Lila Brock is known throughout West Greenville for how she has brought people in and looked out for them. Not just handing them a sandwich and sending them on their way or stopping by once or twice a year to say hello; Lila would dive into life with people. “My mom, when she retired, began fixing sandwiches in the kitchen in the daytime, so she would go out and feed the people who were just sitting out there because they were hungry.” Lila recognized that the people around her needed help and she could give it to them, so she did. It wasn’t just a stale handout though, it was trade. She let them work for their food. “She said ‘now I will give this sandwich, but all this trash around you, clean it up, put it in this bag and throw it away. I'll feed you everyday if you keep this area clean.’” Lila began to act strongly upon her dream of finding better ways to look after the people around her after she retired. This eventually manifested itself into the Southernside Community Center. This monument to Lila’s character only partially tells the many ways in which Lila changed the world around her. She also had a desire to help create better low-income housing in West-Greenville and played a major role in bringing in the Brockwood Apartments, a housing area for senior citizens and people with disabilities who are less likely to be able to afford full rent.

Lila would give constantly. Most often it was time and care, but it would be food and other things that people needed too. As Lillian was able to watch this, her mother became her inspiration for how she wanted to live her life as a public servant as well. There is a long and expansive list of the things that Lillian has done since becoming a councilwoman, most of which I will likely add in further drafts to this story, but she’s not proud of the list so I don’t want to get to hung up on it. Instead, I’d rather re emphasize her dedication of her life to the people around her.  Lillian Brock-Flemming has had as much of an impact in changing the culture and lifestyle of Greenville as anyone else and has no intentions of slowing down anytime soon. Like her mother, Lillian Brock-Flemming has a genuine love for people.

Kate Furman

Kate Furman

West Greenville artist and entrepreneur. Graduated from RISD in 2012.

"I never thought I would move back to Greenville. But when I did move back and things started falling into place, and I was able to be a part of the growth happening in Greenville, I recognized there was real opportunity here."

Full Interview

Kate, tell me about your life.

I grew up here [in Greenville], went to the Fine Arts Center and Greenville High and started studying jewelry and really fell in love with it. My mom is a painter and my Dad does commercial real estate. So I have his business side and my mom’s artistic side.

Art and business-what a great combination.

Yeah, I remember starting jewelry thinking, “I can make this a business.” So I ended up going to the University of Georgia and declaring jewelry as my major and I never changed it. I might have been the only person in college that knew what I was doing before I started and stuck with it! I graduated with a BFA in jewelry and metalworking, and then moved to Jackson, Wyoming. I knew I was going to apply to graduate school, so I took a break and worked as a rafting guide and worked at a ski resort. I also ended up teaching at the art center there.

What happened, after this gap year?

I went to graduate school at RISD. I remember visiting with my sister who lived in Boston and driving down there and she was like, “You HAVE TO go here.” When I had my interview via skype, and the interviewer said, “We would like to offer you the position,” I didn’t even need time to think about it. She actually wanted to know when I would be able to confirm, and I said, “Oh no. I’m coming.” This was my dream come true. It was the only thing that made my leaving Wyoming worthwhile (Wyoming is such an incredible place). So I moved to Rhode Island!

What made your experience at RISD so incredible?

The RISD MFA program is two years—crazy hard, crazy stressful. But I met all the people I had studied, all the people I wanted to know, and they were my teachers! We had a teacher who would fly in from Seattle, literally just to teach our class.

Tell me about your studio.

They could fit up to 12 artists in our working space, but the graduate class above us was 4-5 students at that time and my class was between 4-5 students. It was tough. If you weren’t pulling your weight, you wouldn't graduate. I was one of four in my class, as we dropped two as the term progressed.

After that pretty life-changing opportunity, what did you do?

That was amazing. I went back to Wyoming after that to see if that could be my permanent space, but I felt like I had grown out of it once I had finished grad school. I had the opportunity to show in international exhibitions, meet incredible makers.… It just didn’t feel the same. So then I briefly moved to New York, and worked with a woman there named Emanuela Duca who makes really beautiful handmade jewelry. I did all of her administrative work. At the time she was in the NYC Fashion Incubator Program which is two years of free space and free mentorship. She was the only jeweler on the floor and it was in the fashion district! People who had been on fashion runway and big deal people.. I was only there for several months but it was really cool. It was pretty short. I was living with a boyfriend and we had a pretty terrible breakup. So I came back here to sort of regroup.

What were some of your plans at that time?

I was thinking I was going to go back up to NYC. But things just sort of fell into place here. My parents definitely wanted me to stay (obviously). I was hired by Llyn Strong. She is in downtown Greenville and has been there for a long time. She is really well respected downtown and I worked for her full-time for two years.

What was it like working for Llyn Strong?

Great! I did everything from customer service, to sales, to social media, to inventory, to pricing, to merchandising, to the casting and polishing, and pearl restringing. I was one of a team of five. Then I would come home and sell through my website and sell through her store. She knew when I started, I was planning to go out on my own.

What was your next step?

When I was ready to make that jump, I got a part-time job at Hales, a family-owned jewelry store that has been in operation for 160 years. It is on Haywood Road, in Greenville. It was where my parents bought their wedding rings. So I worked part -time for 2 years while also working in my studio at GCCA (Greenville Center for the Creative Arts) and at home. And then when we found this new studio, and began the renovations, I decreased my hours with Hales and would work there maybe one day a month.

What was the process like to renovate your current studio space?

Since it is in the city limits, all the permits and things took a lot longer than anticipated. So a metalsmith—a welder— used to live in the adjacent house and used this (garage) as his studio space. Because of its proximity to Pendelton Street— for First Fridays, foot traffic—I thought, “What a fabulous space!” I needed my own space because of the noise and soldering. And so when it came on the market, several people told me about it, and then a realtor actually called me and said, “This is it!” My parents thought it was a shot in the dark but were willing to help me out, so here we are. And eventually I will take over the whole property-expand over there, or rent it out.

So, it sounds like you were getting pulled back into the Greenville scene!

I never thought I would move back to Greenville. But when I did move back and things started falling into place, and I was able to be a part of the growth happening in Greenville, I recognized there was real opportunity here. From the time I was growing up until now, there was so much more to do, much more appreciation for the arts, and lot more opportunities to help it grow.

What makes your art-making practice unique?

I am one of the very few fine art jewelers here. There are a lot of people who make handmade jewelry but what I do has a much more conceptual look, so it has been fun to start educating and help dissolving the stigmas around conceptual art. Some people are scared by it, you know? You get the same comments a lot, like, “How do you wear this?”

Explain the concepts behind your art a bit.

In graduate school they force you to write along with your making. So concepts for my work are very important. I don’t like to start with a blank piece of metal, or a blank piece of paper. Everything I make I think of as a souvenir and they are usually personal moments, yet general enough that people can relate. Like for example— wood, forest, shells. The wood pieces are all about gathering. When I am alone or with someone, when I am my happiest, at my most peaceful place, this is when I am outside, when I am whitewater kayaking or hiking. Interacting with nature and highlighting it, taking these objects with me as souvenirs and then wanting to interact with them, not only to make something with them, but then to actually want to create that desire to put them on the body… This is where jewelry is different than sculpture, because you have to make someone want to put it on. Take something like a piece of wood, off the side of a trail, and to put it on their body: that is the challenge. I want people to notice the subtle and small lines and the details in it. I use a lot of drawings. I use line to connect the pieces together whether it is a chain, or sewn element, and I also use line as a way to connect it to the body- with how it is hanging with you, on you. Even the smaller pieces are more sellable versions of that. I am still thinking about that picking up- the desire to take something with you. That wanting to hold that moment. My more simple pieces, with gemstones, are still about responding to that item.

What are some of the places and themes that have inspired your work?

I spent quite a bit of time in school researching Native American jewelry and it was all about the symbols and souvenirs. It took me two years to get back to that: the travel, the memory, those small moments.

Did you do any research on this area?

The wood I started collecting in Wyoming and now from the rivers around here. Most of the shells have been cast from SC beaches. Hiking, in neighborhoods, and wood that friends send me from abroad.

Who is your clientele, generally?

Outdoorsy people. Edgy, confident women. Young professionals. Established career women. By far the most sells are people coming to find me directly. I do sell through other stores and my website. People like to buy handmade items from the maker and sometimes I do wholesale, but it is mostly consignment. I sell in Augusta 20, Art and Light Gallery, my big wooden pieces are through a dealer in NYC, Chattanooga, McClain Made, and The Gallery at Flat Rock.

How are you involved in the West Greenville community?

My parents are some of the founders of GCCA and I teach a jewelry class there. I curated a wearable art show two months ago and we had international artists join us. From gemstones to painted fabric, and everything in between. I have been able to meet a lot of people through the teaching: young professionals, men and women, baby boomers. Our classes have really evolved into a working, talking, communal space. Which is what Greenville needs— a place for technical, conceptual, and critical engagement. We are going to be moving to the cotton warehouse eventually which we hope will house a massive jewelry facility. GCCA is in the fundraising stage currently.

What is the arts community like in West Greenville?

While there are moments of healthy competitiveness, there is a strong sense of community, in our art world here, and this is because everyone has the common goal of bringing one another up. It is fun to be a part. I have been in situations where artist will cover their work when they leave their space, or won’t share knowledge or skills or processes. That is so unlike the Village art district which is engaging, connected, and caring about the bigger picture.

At the end of the day, why does this work matter?

For me, being a maker, a jeweler, it is such a personal thing. From building the concepts through drawings out my ideas, to making the art pieces, to my involvement in the Arts Center; to be able to say that I had a full career and supported myself as a maker: this, for me, is a full life. I want to be proud of myself at the end of the day and be happy with what I have created, knowing that what I have made helps others to be happier throughout their own lives.