Gwendolyn Quezaire-Presutti and Maraea Quezaire

00:05 My name is Gwendolyn quezaire-presutti. And I am 75 years. Young today's date is August 4th, Wednesday, 2021. And I am speaking from East Hartford, Connecticut. And the person that I will be talkin with is Maria is there and she is my granddaughter?

00:34 Outright William. Rick was there. She said, I'm 23. Today is August 4th of 2021. I am speaking from Sacramento, California. And I'm talking to my grandma. So let's just jump right into it. So growing up. What family member were you closest to Buster now? Grandpa is from Kansas City, Missouri. And this man was always Dapper regardless of where he was at. He always had a white striped shirt. Would you call a suspenders? He was just a shoeshine. He brought me my first indoor pair of roller skates. My first bike.

01:26 He bought our first TV for the family of philco TV and the first car that my daddy had my Grandpa bought a bust and he drove all the way from Kansas City, Missouri to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, or he was

01:47 Shows he took us to the drive-in drive-in movies at the theater. That was Grandpa and I was his little princess. Okay, so in what ways do you take after your mother?

02:05 Creativity. My mother was a seamstress and she taught me how to sew. The only difference is that mother could look at a picture and draw.

02:16 And make the outfit. I cannot do that. But I am very good at changing the pattern that I receive. So, I think I'm created to in. My mother did upholstery. I didn't do that either, but my mother would went when she put her mind to something she would do it. And it's the same with me as well.

02:37 Okay, good to know in what ways do you take after your father? My daddy was a man of little words so that I do not. Take after his money. He saved his money and that was the most important thing about daddy, but my daddy

03:01 He had a very soft heart and a very soft heart. When I went to my first divorce. It was my daddy as they gave me Comfort. Mother was at work? And my daddy brought me to his house and he sat me down in his chair in the kitchen, which is only Daddy's chair and he put a pot of water on and brought it. And he took off my shoes and socks and he place my feet in the tub of hot water to soak them and then he went about cooking his dinner.

03:37 Until what? I don't word. My daddy told me how much he loved me. That's a good memory. So, where would you say most of your fond childhood memories took place in Kansas City, Missouri? That's where my mother's from all her people there, in Kansas City, Missouri because every summer we were to get on the Santa Fe Super Chief headed for Kansas City. And that's where we say. We're either on the farm or in the city. We got to visit all our relatives and just riding on the train with a treat. And Grandpa was always there to meet us right along side where the train pulls up.

04:22 And dairy be standing with his cap. On his head is start shirt and suspenders looking good. And then, when I got out of the train, he will put me up on his shoulders and off we go. That was Kansas City was placed my childhood.

04:39 So,

04:41 What was your first job? And what did you learn from it?

04:47 My first job.

04:50 I was still in high school. That was my first job and

04:55 I tend the same John and Tita all-girls school.

05:01 And we had what was called a business education class, something like that. And every summer the top five girls in that class who are good. Typist. We would get the opportunity to work at this Law Firm.

05:21 And so I was one of them and the law firm called me on the phone, gave me the time for the

05:31 For the meet at Law Firm. What time you be there? And I showed up my name was call Gwendolyn, quezaire-presutti, and the staffer who called me looked over me around. Me and everywhere and said and called again, said Gwendolyn. And I said, well, that's me and her whole body changed. She's a wait a minute.

05:55 So she went back in and call me in to take another test and I didn't pass it. So I felt so I went out of there but I I found me a job. My first job was at Learners women's department store. There was a sign in the window. I went in the guy who owned it.

06:16 He hired me on the spot and that was my first job. I ever had at Warner's women. Yeah.

06:23 I didn't give up. I would like my mama.

06:27 We do not give up in our family.

06:32 All right. Well, moving on to Hobbies. Tell me about one of your favorite books and why you enjoy it.

06:43 My favorite. But we're, you know, I I I love history but I have a lot of, I have a lot of history books. So I guess you can call it a history book because it's by Langston Hughes. That is my favorite book. A book of point because it is speaks about the celebrated people, the invisible people and he tells the story.

07:11 A bomb of my people.

07:15 And so Langston Hughes and his, his poems just really, really hit me. And there's one of his points is called The Negro mother. And I have performed that one. I have spoken at 1 at some of my and some of my storytelling are gigs. So it would have to be Langston, Langston Hughes because he covered the female aspect of life and the male aspect life. So that's why I, that's why I love you. For sure. Going to have to read him now.

07:49 All right. So what do you do to relax and enjoy your personal time?

07:57 Well.

08:00 When I was in school.

08:03 I took a bar.

08:05 I have four years of art at the St. John, and Tina. I had three years at the University of wisconsin-milwaukee and had another year at

08:15 I can't think of a Milwaukee Technical College, and my mother was in 30 years as a social worker. But then when the pandemic came, I started drawing again.

08:36 And it gave me a.

08:39 A feeling of total relaxation in in, and I was in control that that was the other thing I was in control of what I did and what and what I painted. So I would say

08:56 When I start drawing.

08:59 That's what relaxes me, that's what relaxes me.

09:05 I guess I get that from you cuz I love to draw as well. Okay, name it. I know, I love that. You reach out to me for that and like, all right. Let's see. Next question is, who was your closest friend growing up? Jimmy Dorsey was her name and that's what we call the Jimmy 32 name.

09:40 I was living in the projects.

09:46 And her and her mother lived in apartment away from ours and Jimmy, Dorsey introduced me to dancing in adult dance halls, so I would spend the night.

10:02 Friday nights, I was allowed to go to Jimmy Dorsey cuz my parents didn't really know what was going on at the time. And so I would get all dressed up. Jimmy Dorsey will put some of her clothes on me or some of her mother's clothes on me. She would do my makeup and my hair.

10:23 And one time she cut off my eyebrows.

10:28 And then we restructured, let me do what I'm going to do the dance looking like a grown up. But I love the dance. I got in there because the men would dance with you. Where's at the social Center where the teenagers went. If you didn't go to the same school or they wouldn't ask you to dance. So I would just be sitting there with Jimmy Dorsey, where the grown-ups when I got to dance, just about everything, but she also taught me to look at the guys that were dancing to see how they were dancing. And if I didn't like, the way that they were dancing.

11:14 Did if he came over to ask me then I could say no.

11:18 But she did teach me at, you know, to learn which, which ones to say yes to him, which ones to say, no to and what's going to stay away from. So Jimmy Dorsey, knew all of that. But when I came home after spending the night, I thought I could redo my eyebrows, but it couldn't. Last time I went.

11:46 Hear of it as but I sure can spend the night with her. She was too fast this month. Mama said she was fast.

11:58 What have you learned from your adult friendships?

12:05 Now.

12:07 I had quite a few.

12:10 Girlfriends going up but they were not I would say close girlfriends.

12:17 But what I learned from them is what my mama or my daddy did not teach me about all warned me about. They warned me and told me about the Necessities but there was some other things in there that they just didn't didn't talk about. So I learned this from my girlfriend's, a lot of information for my girlfriend's. Also.

12:44 I learned that it is it was very important to tell the truth and some of these girls did not tell the truth. They would tell you things that they thought that you were here. And I I didn't like that. I want I wanted to know the truth. Whether is hurt me or not. That's what I prefer is to hear the truth. And so this is what I learned. You have to be wise about the friends, you choose to make sure that you and that person are on the same.

13:19 Same boat as to what you, what you think is right? And what do you think? So that's that's what I learned from girlfriend, but thinking about it and thinking about it. I had a lot more male friends than I had girlfriend.

13:39 I really did a friends or friends. What is the longest-running friendship? You have and how have you maintained it?

13:57 My longest running friendship is with Willa and I thought about it and a to get the the right amount of time that I've been friends with her. That's when I first started working at Milwaukee County department of social welfare. I was in 1971. So I would say fifty years. I have been friends with Will and because Willow was one of the, the women that told the truth, and she didn't tell me what I wanted to hear. And we went on vacations together.

14:36 And we stayed in touch. We were work. Maids. And she always had my back. She always at because, I guess, you said I was a little bit slow when it came to real life. So she had she had to teach me something, but it was 50 years. Now. I really have three close girlfriends. The other one is, will let and she lives in Milwaukee to. I've been friends with her for 35 years.

15:14 And she's the same way very truthful honest person. Tell you what is right. And what is wrong or like some, some friends good on you right now, just passing out, right for you, either. They just not working for you. You need. So we make our own clothes. We made our own clothes all the time. We will go shopping for material and stuff like that. My other friend, loopy.

15:58 Guadalupe is your full name Guadalupe. She lives in Texas. She lives in Texas and we've been 20, we've been friends for 25 years. Now. This is a different type of relationship because she's in the herbs and stuff. So she's a homeopathic. She's a or biologist and she can tell you what you need to do, to take care of this, and take care of that. She's really good with it. And she's also the type of person that knows how to help people in their relationship. She knows the right words to say and she just, and she's always said, she always takes that I can call her anytime of the day and go over something with her and chill and she said she'll be there. That's amazing. Your friendships are great and they lasted longer than I've been alive. That's pretty cool like that.

16:54 Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Weather in Rolette loopy about one of your closest friends.

17:07 Well, since I've always been truthful with me and I I want to be the same way. I always want to be truthful when I talked with someone, you know, and do the right thing. That's what I admire the truthfulness is very important.

17:25 Quality to have honesty.

17:29 All right. So next question is what women do you look up to?

17:36 Now.

17:39 I have to say, even though I have these these girlfriends, these friends of mine, the first

17:47 Two people. I really look up to is my mother who has passed away.

17:53 But my sister, who is still alive, because I look at my sister as

17:58 The smartest woman I've ever met in my life. She knows the answer to everything my sister your eye. She is, but she's very modest now.

18:14 She was the director for the United Negro College Fund for about 30 years. Okay?

18:23 And she could talk to a c e. O she could talk to anyone in their vocabulary using their words for she's a Wordsmith. She is.

18:35 But because she did not graduate from University of wisconsin-milwaukee. She was short, like, five credits, because she got married.

18:46 They would not pay her the rate. They would pay someone that had graduated yet. She was a number one in the district of raising money for the United Negro College. Yeah, but she would not.

19:07 What's the word she stayed at it, you know, cuz she loved her job. She loved helping people.

19:16 And that's how she and she still like that. She always, she still like that. That is very admirable. Feel up my mom. Yeah, I definitely the people I look up to 2. So, yeah, it is not a very fun one. But your question. I'd like to hear an answer to where you ever treated unfairly for being a black woman.

19:42 Yes, I had touched on a little bit with that first job. Did he did I heard that too?

19:49 Yeah, and

19:52 It was.

19:55 My first real experience that I realized what was happening.

20:01 What was happening? You see? Because when they called me on the phone because I went to an all-girls school, 400 girls and only five blocks. So I took their dialect, I took on their thinking is. So I sounded like. I was a white girl. So when I got you the firm and I stood there she looked all around me. She was looking for someone white and plus my name. My name is Gwendolyn and my last name is Isaiah, which is French expecting. Me. And so and they took me to the back room. They put me in front of some kind of Gadget. There was a mathematics on it and I was supposed charts and stuff and I was supposed to do these trucks. Why I didn't know anything about that. So course I feel

20:59 And I didn't get that job. I was only one out of five that were supposed to get that job that you can get that job. There's no one else had to take that test and see the nuns didn't tell him that I was glad but I thought that was the first time. The second time. I was working at a title insurance company.

21:19 And I got high in the file room and I learned their new filesystem. I was very good at it. But whenever someone didn't show up in the typing pool, I will go out there and I was, I would type, and I was very good. So, when one of the women left,

21:41 I was asked to I gave they gave me a promotion. I was asked to come up front and be in there, so I can poo poo and, and do the the titles, well, a month or so later. They hired someone for the

21:57 For the filing. As a matter of fact, when work was down in front, I would still be doing some filing. And so, I went to lunch with her and we were talking on just like women with tarnishes up. I love the way they're giving me as you told me her pay. And I almost choked.

22:14 Because they gave her a higher pay in the typing area. I mean in the filing area, then they gave me in the typing area at the promotion. So I can I stay there but of course I look for some other jobs and and then when I did find another job then I quit that one and I ended up at the University of Wisconsin working in one of their their projects off-campus project projects as a girl Friday, and you know who found me my sister.

22:53 I should have guessed.

22:55 Do you know you deserve better go and kind of on that same topic with the biggest difference. You notice about the way women are treated and the roles they play in today's society from when you were a child.

23:17 But I really thought about this since the first time I I got this question from you.

23:27 Is true that women have made some advancements, their independent there, more in the workplace. And even some of them have jobs that were strictly man. Jobs one example, when my mother first went to work for American Motors. She was in the power sign division, then she got promoted to the lie, and that meant. She was holding a 15 lb Hammer doing, whatever it was that she needed to do something to eat. They put women on the line. So that was one thing. But still

24:10 Women are not equal. They can be CEOs. They can be the president of a company, but they're still not equal. So, I don't think they spend that much changed once women become equal. Same as the man, then. That's probably not in this time, but hopefully sooner than we think it's better question, but I'm worth money.

24:44 Where would you say your top three favorite places are?

24:50 That I have been to or been to Italy. Italy is number.

24:59 Oh, I love you. I spent a whole month in Italy with an Italian family.

25:05 So, you know, I got a place that tourist do not see.

25:12 The house is just beautiful. There was no air conditioning because of the way they built their homes.

25:19 And so I learned about that, that, that their culture, I learned about the real Italian food and I got to go to

25:31 It's this highway on the Adriatic side of Italy is called silento Highway and then I was in a mafia on the Alafia Coast. Oh my goodness. Ellie was just beautiful. So I got to walk the Great Wall of China. I sure did and got to see the Terracotta soldiers Tunes, all that was fascinating, just passed me. And plus where I was at. I got so many Chinese people coming up to me cuz they never seen anyone black at all my hair.

26:13 Yeah, they would just

26:19 The it was 5 hours in Shanghai, Hong Kong and and China and the Philippines. So we got Italy China. What's the third one? Is it going to be the Philippines?

26:39 It comes in there with with the Hong Kong and in China, different cultures, but they're both so rich in their own culture and language and Foods.

26:57 I just thought of something something in the Philippines. Made me really sad, though, because we went, when we had to travel from my hotel, to the Opera theater, to see this performance. We had to pass through the area where the people were very bored and I saw mother and her children, laying out on the sidewalk eating from garbage cans and stuff. That really that really depressed me. I didn't see that in China, but I did see it in Philippines when I went. So that was very depressed.

27:34 As only I can imagine. So, but even still having seen that you still loved being in the pool.

27:47 This is unbelievable. How friendly folks were, that's great. Tell me about a memorable time. You ate something new.

27:59 In the Philippines.

28:05 I ever got sick off of food in another land was when I was in the Philippines and I think it has something to do with the cleanliness and some other than that. Now, because I never remember what it was.

28:36 When I was in Tiananmen Square and I had just came from the Great Wall of China, and one of the traitors up there. I bought a boat from them. And so I wore this coat and then my new tour guy when he saw me or get on the, on the buses. And where'd you get your crew from? I said, when I was on the great while he said, you know what you want. I said, he says no, that's a general's coat because of the buttons were the type of brass buttons. And when I was in Tiananmen Square, everybody was coming around me. And it was for two reasons because I was black, and I have this generals cold and I still got that truck over there.

29:24 Jasmine.

29:32 Where are we?

29:36 Respond travel questions. Do you dream of?

29:45 You're on my bucket list, Australia, and Amsterdam.

29:51 I have got to get to Australia and Amsterdam.

29:55 Why? Yeah, we're about ready to go. But and then Kobe came and came on and that that was I had the hotels and I had the mass that had everything. Tell me about a time you were in all of your surroundings.

30:13 Italy on a mafia coastway looking at that beautiful water that blew all kinds of using intense and blue. That was magnificent. Absolutely. Magnificent water is always a breathtaking sight back in time and relive an event or particular day from your childhood. What day would you pick?

30:46 What day would I pick?

30:50 That would be in Kansas City win.

30:54 My grandfather would take us to the movies. Take us to visit all the different, the relatives. Take us out to the farm, to see our relatives and ride the horses, and go to the pond and fish. I mean, it was just

31:16 It would have to be Kansas City. What advice would you give twenty-three-year-old you?

31:25 Love yourself. First. Love yourself first because I was crazy when I was 22, okay?

31:33 So, accepting yourself for who you are.

31:38 Even if you're different than the other people. Accepting yourself for who you are putting your mental well-being. First, and that I did not do.

31:48 That's what I would tell myself. I'm alright, so final questions. Why do you enjoy telling stories?

32:00 Because I'm the boss. I can say what I want. I could tell lies. I can get the audience going. I didn't get them to participate and I have the everybody looking at me.

32:15 Telling stories. I'm definitely get that you enjoy it from the way you tell them. Do. You have a favorite character? You like telling stories of?

32:30 Brer Rabbit. Got to be smart and he always gets his way. Is there a historical figure or fictional character you wish to impersonate?

32:46 Ida B. Wells will be well, strong woman, a journalist, a researcher.

32:57 Entrepreneur.

33:00 Activist.

33:02 When she made up her mind to do something, she did. And she didn't care. She did. What was necessary. Very strong woman, but I'm too old now, too much for me to put up in my basement.

33:20 Yeah, yeah, if you could go back in time and being invisible witness to an event or time. When and where would you pick?

33:32 1869, the Transcontinental Railroad came together.

33:39 And I would like to be there to talk to the individuals that were the labors. That put the rail down the, put the spikes in that blasted the mountains. I want to talk with them, not the people that are in the picture with the two trains there because they didn't do any hard work. Laid out the plan. It might have had the money but they didn't do the work. So I would love to be there to talk to those people that actually did Glenda people. You have a chinese-american with a hole.

34:24 If you could sit down and speak with anyone alive or dead about their life, who would you pick?

34:38 I would say my grandmother because I was not really that.

34:43 House with my grandmother, even though she lived with us. She was living with us when she passed away. I think I would really love to sit down and talk with her to see what was in her mind. She was a very quiet woman, but she was a very hard-working woman and she was extremely religious woman. So, I would love to sit down and eat and talk with her. I really do.

35:11 My grandmother Grandmother Had. She was a no-nonsense woman. She was a herbalist to

35:17 And and that's what she. She had that growing out in her backyard and she had drawers filled with herbs and in-stock, fascinating woman, but I don't think she had any education. Just like my grandpa said, he didn't have any education either but he was a very smart man, and my grandmother was very smart to, they just didn't have the education to go with it, but they are very smart. They own their own home in, Kansas City, Missouri away, before my parents on their own home. So I love grandpa.

35:59 That you pick someone from your own family like out of all the activist glass of Firs and great leader. Anyone alive or dead? Nude pics, your grandmother, all the questions I had.

36:20 Really? Alright, that sounds that sounds good. I really didn't interview. You going to be like, what's your name?

36:48 I don't know about. Those are some big shoes to fill or you have. What's the name of that ABC? She was just on Jeopardy as a host.

37:03 I don't know her name.

37:10 A broadcaster for the for sports.

37:18 Yeah, she's a good interview or two.

37:23 Why do women?

37:26 Came into the field of like journalism and being an interviewer or hosting shows.

37:34 Come up in the world.

37:38 You're a good writer to write an essay.

37:46 Grilling Wings better in written word then match. So early on when I needed to do a resume or state statement or anything. It was my Iowa, go to my sister and she or did she do the correction? Oh my goodness. Because you know, she took four years.

38:23 My sister took four years. Like that's why she's so good with words. She can bring down a word or yeah. Yeah, I hear if you know.

38:34 So I didn't they threw me out of French class at St. John indeed. They told me don't come back the next.

38:45 No, you don't need to come by.

38:54 Not a problem. They just didn't want to have the money. That's all they could have. Got to go. They have to go catch a bus or a car to go home. They didn't, you know, or whatever. During go to the, to the nunnery.

39:16 Right there.

39:20 Or maybe they're upset with me because when we had that snowstorm, I wouldn't stay overnight at the nunnery. I walked home girl. I walked home that was like 10 miles. I walked home from down there. And yes, in the district. Now all the way to 9th Street. I sure did miss snow was up to my knees. I was not staying at a nunnery.

39:45 Bring It On blizzards, I don't care. I'm getting home.

39:52 That's right. I got a small jacket and tennis shoes, but I got home. I stopped at the laundromat and the coins and put them in there and dry them. And then kept on going.

40:04 Ministers, tell you, when I see you a girl. I got a whole bunch of stuff getting ready to you. Told me everything.

40:15 Put your daddy on the side, you know where there's a story. He don't want me to tell them when I bought them in his mouth.

40:36 Show me a few of us stories to and I'm like,

40:47 But that's my baby. That's my baby. Boy. May always be my baby boy.

40:53 And your uncle? Yeah, they're both my boys.

40:58 Yeah, but either of them of the shades of it or anything, they both. Love you to death.

41:06 I love them to. Yeah, they're good boys.

41:13 Where honey bun?

41:16 As Brer Rabbit with say, I got my eyes on you.

41:23 Ebony Eyes On You.

41:36 Oh, you did. You don't want to talk in school now?

41:44 Text Mark, Harriet Tubman and only judge now that those folks I got up in my head.

42:04 No, I have them look at my hair cuz I will be performing those next month in Massachusetts, and I have a call to go to Kansas City, but I don't think I'm going to make it to Kansas City.

42:18 Inside a red area, so I don't think I'll make it to Kansas City. We'll see. But that Massachusetts. I have one in New Hampshire and I have one in Massachusetts if you're doing in Kansas, Missouri.

42:33 Oh my goodness.

42:35 10 years ago when we had our last family reunions in Kansas City. We had over 300 people. That's my mother's side of the family. 300 people. Then in Louisiana, Louisiana, spent about five 56 years that they had a reunions are just been a minute since I went to one.

43:02 Yeah, I miss the family reunions. I do too.

43:07 Family.

43:10 Will you have to start your own?

43:13 You have to start your own reunions, you know, so I don't get a hold of all your cousins and you got so many cousins.

43:22 On both sides. You got you have tons of cousins. Got those Harden's. I mean, there's a city in in Missouri. That has a hard name. Okay. Yeah, you look at Miss right there. You look up. Put down hard in Missouri. It'll come up at your house like a plantation that family owns in, Louisiana.

43:46 I want to go visit that and one of the tourists, tourists and then be like

43:57 Yep, that's right. That's right. So yeah, it's been awhile, but I'm leaving for Virginia this month next week.

44:07 Fry and anniversary. John, and I and memory. You remember, when we took you guys to Williamsburg, Virginia. I remember singing in the car and I was real quick. She was like one more night cuz I had headphones in and I was just screaming the lyrics in the backseat.

44:26 I didn't your sister Rick. She would always do that. We still do that. Honestly. I'm like super fun maybe with it. Brings us back.

44:45 Yeah, that was a great sign. Oh my goodness.

44:52 20 years.

44:55 20 years. It is the best one.

45:02 It is the best one cuz you know, I was married twice before.

45:11 No, I started loving myself.

45:16 And pick out the right man.

45:22 I said the love of myself and I picked out the right man.

45:26 Yeah, he's not here here right now. He really wanted to be here, but I should know you be somewhere else.

45:34 Cuz, you know, he talks more than I do.

45:43 Yeah.

45:46 It's been so good seeing you and talking with you. I got to see you in person. I need to hug you. I need to hug you and your sister and your brother.

46:00 Soon soon soon.