Q: We’re interviewing Mrs. Pheanie Chapman, who attended Bridger School. Pheanie, what area did you grow up in of Isle of Wight?
A: I growed up in the Muddy Cross area.
Q: How many sisters and brothers did you have?
A: I have three sisters and four brothers.
Q: What school did they attend?
A: They attended the same Bridger School.
Q: As we said, the name of the school was Bridger School. What grades were taught there?
A: We went to Bridger from one through six.
Q: How many classrooms were there?
A: Two.
Q: How many teachers did we have?
A: Two teachers.
Q: Can you tell me the name of the teachers?
A: Miss Maddie, Miss Maddie taught one, two, and three. Maddie V. Jordan and Mrs. Willett K. Parker taught on up to the seventh grade.
Q: Can you remember what year that was?
A: Let me see.
Q: That’s okay. How did you go to school?
A: We had to walk. It was back in 1947 or 1948.
Q: How far was that?
A: About three miles.
Q: Three miles one way?
A: Six miles a day.
Q: Were there other children that walked with you?
A: Yes, lot of kids. In fact, all the black kids walked.
Q: Before you went to school and after school, did you have jobs to do at home?
A: Yes, we had chores to do. My parents were farmers; therefore, we had to work on the farm. We had to pick cotton, corn and plant vegetables, harvest vegetables.
Q. That sounds like a day’s work?
A: Yes and not only that, during the summer when school was out, we had to go and work on other farms; chopping peanuts.
Q: When you got to school, did you have any chores to do at school?
A: Yes, once we got to school we had to go to the coalhouse and get the coal in the winter and make a fire. We also had to get water, pump water and take it in the cloakroom where we would hang our coats and then had a dipper if you wanted water and that’s where we would put our lunch. We would go in the cloakroom and get water.
Q: So there was two rooms and a cloakroom?
A: Yes.
Q: When you got to school, how would your school day begin?
A: Our school day began with; first of all we had to do the golden rule. The golden rule, we would sing a song and then we would do the Lord’s Prayer, then Pledge of Allegiance to the flag.
Q: Can you remember what subjects you were taught?
A: Writing, arithmetic, geography, English.
Q: Is there any textbook that you had, when you were in school, that you can remember that kind of stuck with you in your mind?
A: We had a reading book, it was “More Friends than Neighbors”- Sally, Dick and Jane, Spot.
Q: Jean. I think everybody had one that stuck with them. Where were your books kept?
A: We had chairs and under the bottom of the chairs we would put our books; that was in primary school, but once we got to fourth grade in Miss Parker’s room, we would put them in a desk. We had a compartment behind the back of your desk.
Q: Can you remember how long your school days were?
A: They were about from 7:30 until, maybe, 3:30. We had to go early because in the winter time we would have to make a fire and get the water in. Also in the summer, we would do the water. We like to go to school a little bit early because Miss Maddie would always give us goodies when she gets to school and we would help her take her books in. So we would always get to school a little early so we could get the goodies.
Q: How long was your school year? What month did it start and what month did it end?
A: Started in September and end up in June.
Q: Where did you eat lunch and how long was your lunch?
A: Well, we would eat lunch in the classroom. I guess lunch probably last about an hour.
Q: Now did you have recess, have a recess period?
A: Yes, we had a recess where you could get some water and go to the bathroom. We had outdoor facilities for the bathroom.
Q: If you can remember, how would you describe your classroom?
A: Well, our classroom was a large room, one building divided into two classrooms and all of your classes was in this one room. I remember the teacher, she did a lot of things. We had a blackboard and she taught a lot from the blackboard. I can remember we were mostly obedient to whatever the teacher told us to do. It wasn’t a lot of loud talking or what-not. She would teach one class here then she’d teach another one there, but she would always give us an assignment and while we’d do the assignment, she would go to the other class.
Q: How was your school heated in the wintertime?
A: We use coal.
A: Pump, outdoor pump. You would have to go out and put some water in the pump to get it started and then we would pump water. It was located right beside the coal house.
Q: How would you describe your teacher’s desk?
A: My teacher’s desk was just a plain desk, plain wide desk, stacked with a lot of papers.
Q: Were chalkboards used at that time, blackboards, as you called them then?
A: Yes, blackboards, yes, we used blackboards and on top of the blackboards they had all the alphabet, capital and plain; and you had an eraser and chalk.
Q: Now, your supplies, your pencils and paper that you used for school, was it furnished or you had buy it?
A: We had to use our own; books, we had to rent our books.
Q: Now can you remember about the lighting, was it electricity, lamp lighting or natural light through the windows?
A: What we had was natural light.
Q: Can you describe punishment or discipline in the school, at that time in the classrooms?
A: Well, most of Miss Maddie, Miss Maddie would talk to you. Miss Maddie didn’t believe in too much discipline. She would just make you stay in your room on your break; but Miss Parker would take you in the cloakroom and she would use a switch on you.
Q: That’s a whole lot different than it is now, Now can you think of any other school experience that you would like to tell us about? You know, I think, we all went through some experiences in school that kinda sticks in our minds?
A: Umm. I was happy when we left Bridger School from walking to school. I thought once, you know, we started to go to high school, we would be riding the bus, but for a while we continued to walk. There was a bus coming right through there with nothing but the white kids. So I was really excited when I could walk that three miles per day and get on the bus, ride to Smithfield and then ride back.
Q: Now, do you have any fond memories that you recall about growing up?
A: I just remember, although we had to walk to school and we were without, as I look back now, we were without transportation. There was still a lot of love because you really didn’t need a time clock to get up by because we could hear the other kids coming before they got to where we lived. We would just join in with them and then we would go down the road a little farther and there’d be another group. We had a lot of fun and we loved each other and we did a lot for each other. It taught me, today, no matter whatever condition you find yourself in, don’t give up; you got to just continue on fighting on and things will be better in the end.
Q: So it was like, people were concerned about each other?
A: Each other, yes.
Q: Now, thinking back after attending school, jobs and so forth, what can you recall; a change from then to now in the county?
A: Well, I see a big change, although we have public transportation going in all the directions picking up the children. It seems like now- they don’t have that love for each other- and it also seem like it’s just so many activities that the kids are getting into. When we were going to school, our parents taught us to be obedient to all people, anybody that was grown to be obedient, but today kids are disrespectful. They don’t mind anybody, hardly. I see a big change, in that they have all the facilities and we were not even aloud to bring any F’s or U’s home. Although we had to do what we had to do to make it, we were not allowed to bring any low grades home. So I see these kids having cars, phones and everything and they just doing what they want to do.
Q: Is there anything else you like to tell us about? Sometimes some things will come to you about school that you might remember?
A: I’m just, you know, I’m really thankful that maybe the way that I grew up, I think it made me a better person today. It has given me some working assets. It has taught me to love when there is hate and as I grow older, since I’ve grown older, I always wanted my grandkids to know how I came along so they can do better than what I did.
Q: So your grandkids and great grandkids can always come to the museum and listen at your story and maybe catch a little glimpse of hope from it.
A: Yes, not only that, I take them down there to where we used to live; to see our church. I even took them where we was baptized and I just told them we didn’t have electricity and we didn’t have transportation, but we still made it. You have all of this and you know what, you don’t have nothing to stop you. You can be whatever you want to be.
Q: Is there anything else you want to say before we end this interview, cause, I have enjoyed interviewing you?
A: I think children should be raised by the village; everybody corrected us. I think if the grownups in the village could correct me then, I think they ought to be able to correct your children today and parents shouldn’t get upset; even the teachers or anyone else tell you what your kids are doing wrong. You should accept it and try to do the best that you can do, rather than rejection.
Q: Thanks for your statements. Your interview has been enlightening and I’m sure we will enjoy having it in the museum.
A. Thank you.