Betty Brown-Chappell and Ben Brown
Recorded
July 29, 2023
Archived
July 29, 2023
38:43 minutes
0:00 / 0:00
Id:
mby022937
Description
Siblings Betty Brown-Chappell (76) and Ben Brown (68) share memories from growing up on their family farm in the 1950s and 1960s outside of Bangor, Michigan. The two reflect on the collaboration between Black farmers in their community and the significance of food in their lives.Subject Log / Time Code
Betty Brown-Chappell (BC) remembers the fun she and her sisters had playing with Ben Brown (BB) once he was born.
BB shares his first memory, eating purple plums on their family farm. BC shares her memories of the farm's strawberries, selling some to buy herself a wading pool.
BB talks about how different Black farmers in the area would trade food and seeds with their family, engaging in a barter economy.
BC and BB describe the food they grew on their family farm.
BB emphasizes how Black farmers pulled together as a community to share their food and resources, and how the value in farming was a community effort.
BC reflects on the legacy of slavery influencing collaboration among people who had been enslaved and displaced, that collaboration being passed down through generations.
BB and BC tell stories about slopping the hogs growing up.
BB remembers when he started getting school meals growing up and the lack of nutrition in these meals compared to what they ate on their farm.
BC and BB talk about the significance of food in their lives now and the power of having agency in how one feeds themselves.
Participants
- Betty Brown-Chappell
- Ben Brown