“I did my very best cuz that’s what my parents taught me” -Malinda Brown(1)

The Journey

                   

Things that my parents did made me a strong believer

My parents’ influence on me—well, I think that happened maybe around age, as far as I remember, age 11, and at that point you know I began to notice how hard they worked. Before that, it was just play time for me pretty much. I mean, I had chores growing up. There was a total of seven siblings in my family, so we always had chores, but once chores were done, it was mostly play. I didn’t consider how hard they were truly working to be good providers; we had a wonderful home, a family full of love, and great support from my parents. We had everything we needed—everything I wanted, it seemed like I had it. I’m sure it may have been a struggle for them to provide all these things, but they did it.

I began to kinda want to chip in a little bit in more ways than I ever had before. I kinda wanted to just become a more mature young lady, and I did. I began babysitting at age 12. My oldest sister had a child and, so I was a babysitter. My parents taught me to be very responsible, and I did my very best cuz that’s what my parents taught me: whatever you do, do the best job at it. No half stepping; not half doing the job. They taught us, our mother especially—she worked outside the home, but she also gave us chores to do in the home. If we half way did a job, it is gonna be done over. So you do it right the first time, right?

I look at some of my photos and I’m always… arms are folded, like I’m the boss. It’s just strange. I really thought I was the boss at a young age, and I still like being the boss. I do. [laughter] Those [are the] kind of influences my parents had on me: hard work, responsibility, [and] love of God. We were strictly raised in the church. Every Sunday we were there. Twice a day. So, we also had that strong foundational piece.

Some of the things my father did to teach responsibilities is that he had a car, and then he bought a new car. So he gave me one of the cars he had, and he made me buy it. “Buy” it. [It] was only $50. It was just the idea of my having a job [and] needing a car. That was a gift. Just teaching me those kind of things: things you want you have to pay for, work hard for and so forth.

My mother worked outside the home, but she always worked in the home as well. We often had guests over, especially on Sundays. She would invite the pastors and other church members on Sundays, and share dinner and fellowship together. So that was kind of what our home environment was: a lot of caring [and] giving back.

My father was a mason, so he believed in helping others greatly. In fact, the first home we had was a five bedroom house: one bedroom downstairs, four upstairs. He changed of the bedrooms into a kitchen because he decided to give back and help others strongly. So there were four of his siblings that came to Wisconsin. He made that just for them, and as they came, [he] helped them out til they got on their feet, and then they move on. So there were four of his siblings there who lived above us for some years. Different ones. One family came, [father] got them established on their feet, got a job and so forth, find they own house, and another family would come.

My parents met in Mississippi, so they married at a pretty young age—going back to how they met, going back to Mississippi—they met there. They were actually working on sharecropping, which is like a step from being… slavery. They worked their way out of that system. They tried to keep people in it [sharecropping] for as long as possible, but my father refused to stay in that position. So, he got away and he moved to Chicago, and he found a job. He stayed there for about a couple of years, then he went to Wisconsin, found a job in Wisconsin, and then he sent for my mother to come to Wisconsin. So she rode the train along with one of his siblings. She and one of his female siblings came to Wisconsin together on the train, and they established their life there, raised a family there. When I found out the story, I was like “Wow! So you can do anything.” [If] You work hard, circumstances and conditions can change. If your mind is set on it, you can do it. Things that my parents did made me a strong believer, and [I] have strong faith in the possibilities that are out there.'

North Shore Milwaukee Railroad Interurban Train

I tried to live a long life that would be pleasing to my parents.  

Back then it was like the neighborhood family system. Everybody was your mother. [They] watched over the children, and reported what the children were doing, and scolded and spanked. Oh yeah, that was something that could happen, but it was all positive, and good. There wasn’t anything negative about it. Most days we spent playing baseball. There was a high school nearby, so we would go over to the high school field, and daily we would have a game of baseball with the neighborhood kids. And they were all different... mostly black. Well, the town was mostly white, but there were enough African American people, but it didn’t matter. So, we played baseball, and had a good time.

Jack and the Beanstalk

We would think about entrepreneurship at an early age, too. My sisters and I, we would create skits in the backyard on our porch, and we’d invite the neighbors over. [It] cost a dime *laughing* to come see our play. They would sit in the grass, and we would sit on the porch. The back porch was our stage. I remember my favorite was Jack and the Beanstalk. So, we put my brother as Jack, and we put on these funny socks and so forth. He didn’t like it, *laughs* but we made him do it. We were trying to make a little money. We would cook popcorn and have the neighborhood kids buy popcorn from us. With our money, we would go right to the candy store, which was like two houses over. Mr. and Mrs. Allen had a store in their front porch of their home: Penny Candy. We would buy tons of candy, and then it cost my mom tons of money cuz we had cavities.

My mother sometimes would work days, sometimes she would work nights. My older siblings would be in charge and we would get away with doing some things when my mother and father weren’t there! That’s just how it was. My older sister used to have a few little parties in the house when my parents both worked nights! She was like the one who was most active, the boldest one. See, I would’ve never had the nerve—no way—would I have had the nerve to do some of the things she did! I was pretty obedient cuz my mother was very strict. She was one that disciplined more than my father. My father was a nice, easy-go-lucky kind of man. He actually got us out of situations when we got in trouble. We’d run to him like, “Save us!” and he would. He was real kind and gentle. I appreciate [the] balance with them being so different like they were. I tried to live a long life that would be pleasing to my parents.  

Here in Minnesota, I would say “hi,” and people would be snobbish.

The small town I grew up in had been approximately 37,000 people.  Here in this small town at the age of 19, I started getting bored. So [when] I was 21 I moved to Minnesota on the fourth of July. My sister and I came, and I had a cousins here. I decided to stay. I kinda came prepared to stay. I brought my luggage and found my way around Minnesota cuz my cousin was an airline stewardess. She was out of the city often. So I just kinda had to find my way again, independence, it was a part of who I was. I knew I could do it. I came here and I’ve raised three children—four children here and everybody’s doing well! That winter I moved here was so cold, I almost went back to Wisconsin. It was ‘[the] winter of ‘78-’79—freezing! Cuz in Wisconsin we rarely hit zero degrees. But in Minnesota, it was like 30, 20 below! But I hung in there, layered up, [and] put my thermal on. Then spring came, and I was like, “what’s up? This is great!”

I did a lot of stuff around the lake cuz I’m a nature lover and I got that from my parents. We grew up with a big garden in the country, so we grew up eating fresh vegetables most of the time.

Lake Calhoun

My dad had a smaller garden when we became older that he still keeps in the backyard. I went to spend a lot of time outdoors when spring came here in Minnesota. It was so beautiful and I enjoyed it. So that’s kinda what’s kept me here. I go home three times a year cuz all my other sibling are still in Wisconsin. My parents are both deceased now unfortunately. My mother just passed away in July and my father passed away in 2012. I’ll still go home often cuz I have my siblings there.  

My children are doing well, they went through their trials and tribulations of life, so that make me feel good. I had a son and eight years later a daughter. Then about a year and a half another daughter, [and] then ten years later, my youngest. It’s been a life time of raising children. There are big gaps between them. I taught them the same thing my parents taught me. They’re all adults now. My youngest daughter is in college. Now I’m an empty nester cuz she left, but she’ll be back! I’m very proud of her. She went to North Carolina. She loves it, and I’m actually happy that she’s handling it.

So life has been okay in Minnesota. I remember when I first moved here though, I thought people were so funny. So standoff-ish. I would go to Lake Calhoun a lot and I would just speak to people cuz my parents taught me that; Speak to everyone in a kind and caring attitude that you have. Here in Minnesota, I would say “hi,” and people would be snobbish and [I would] think, “What is this?” But it got better when different people begin migrating here. It made the environment better for me. I still didn’t adapt to the attitude that a lot of people had. I still remain who I am naturally cuz this is just the kind of person I am. 

Minnesota changed a lot! Especially in term of being an African American women. When I first moved here there weren’t many African Americans. I would speak to anybody of any culture, it doesn’t matter, but particularly African American. I had a strange feeling when I initially got here. When I came here I was like “wow! What is this?” But now there is a lot more different people from various cultures, [and] from various places of the world. It’s totally different from what it was when I moved here. I’ve been here for about 35 years, so I’ve seen a drastic change in the makeup of people who reside here now. And I like it. I think in any part of the world you go now it’s very diverse, and I think it’s beautiful. I think it’s a better place now. Through the years, I began to be more fond of Minnesota.

Footnotes:
(1) Malinda Brown: pseudonym for our interviewee because she did not feel comfortable giving out her identity.


Story Facilitators:
Leh Leh, Fadumo, and Jon