Synthia Hoover, Mary Ann Hoover, and Sylvester Hoover

00:05 Good afternoon. My name is Sylvester Hoover and I'm 64 years old and I'm a 100 Mississippi Delta. Noah born in I was raised here in our educated right here in the Mississippi Delta and I lived here my whole entire life and we do history and blues about the Mississippi Delta cuz I like talk about the history of the devil cause we reflect about you. I lied. You're the devil.

00:33 My name is Mary Ann Hoover. I am 63 years old. I am a shell. I love cooking. I have three beautiful children three beautiful granddaughter, and I also helped him with the day of the blue Legend 2.

00:49 My name is Cynthia Hoover. I am 35 years old. Today's date is Thursday, March 11th, 2021. We are in Greenwood Mississippi my conversation. My conversational partners are Sylvester, which is my dad and Mary which is my mother.

01:11 So I guess we're just going to roll with some questions to get it going. Okay, I guess we can start with some current event. Like what do y'all think about Oprah Winfrey's interview with Prince Harry and Meghan feel it, you know, and you know, it's depressing to hear that, you know that this date and time but it's the hundreds of years for them to be racist. If it's not a surprise that they were against black people and Harry didn't want what happened to his mother to happen to his wife. So he left he left everything. He left everything here. It sounds like

02:05 The queen is a lot like what's going on in the family room. You have somebody that's

02:11 Calling the shots and say who they don't like from the beginning but you can't stop loving, you know, they just got to understand and that's why we show love and that race is my deep respect and my family to your choice because I wanted to do it and I did it because I wanted to show that I could do live a normal life here in the Mississippi Delta because I supposedly went to call like the rest of my sibling but I want to stay here in the Mississippi Delta cuz I felt like I could make a difference and I have lived these appear in the Mississippi Delta and I have never seen a black person do that earlier in my life. I now know Road Mall, I just did it because I felt like I could do what I just said. It's not the place. It's the person.

03:11 I want to stay here and do our best to talk about the history of this Talent. Just let people know about the Mississippi 2000 people maybe fifteen thousand but my dad and uncles at one of the uncle that stays here. They really built some very strong this Sylvester has a grocery store had and laundromat also owns a restaurant land on the home and he started all of this like in 1984. So he was doing things that were unheard of rides. So my experience as a child coming up wasn't a lot wasn't a like a lot of my black friends where they first hand felt racism because when we went to the bank they call him mr. Hoover.

04:11 I got to know we could go to Krista Crea. I didn't think they like black people. They're not like we went Sunday but as an adult and I wasn't attached to his help anymore. That's when I started to feel right. They had to know my name before I was received don't come in here and dad because he had a little money. I do the American dream, you know, I want to buy property, you know back in the 8th is when I was making $70,000 a year. I want to buy property and I did buy property, but it's not worth much now as it did when I bought it in 1980s because the red line the probative value of being like

05:11 When I buy on the last buyer value go down. I can borrow money to buy from you but ain't nobody borrow money to buy me and that's the way I look at here in Mississippi Delta. That's kind of yellow back. So because we couldn't get the resources. We really really need to do the things we want to do because it wouldn't dance because of me and it was like that that was this system as I buy property for $60,000 when I pay it off in 5 years I go back to borrow money on it is redlining they don't lend money on that property in a while. I just bought this, you know, but see that's the system that's what we went under and they look at it. They do everything they can to break your back and that's part of being from the south I think about like the early nineties when I was

06:11 Coming up. My mom like she said earlier. She's a chef and we want everybody to know how good she can cook. So not only did my daddy have a grocery store, but they started to cook full course meal in the back of the store and serve lunch plate like chitlins and pinto beans and cornbread. It was a $4 thing you short Waters other stores, even big stores big franchise. We're not doing it and it was such a big hit so many people travel to get those meals and I just don't feel like he got his just due because that was his idea that was his thing and because we're in this small town you can have a huge business that. Just kidding. More money in it and monopolize didn't take it away from what you built because it was his idea became more than just a mom-and-pop thing. It was a it was a big thing.

07:11 We're traveling to come and get these papers and magazines and new cars hunting new call. How did you feel when you first recognize that you be in racing profile?

07:34 The first time I really felt racially profiled is

07:39 Later in life. I was like 30 years old, you know, I wouldn't say anything but I thought working at a museum here and I was the first black professional ever hired at this place. Everybody else there that had been black or janitors. So I was the first black professional and I will talk to all these people on the phone book an event and just talked about going to the country club and hanging out and that was wonderful and when they walk in the room was like, oh my God, you are black on black what happened it I mean,

08:31 You a person hurt my feelings and then I liked it. I love being a unicorn in the wrong. Yes. I am the black girl that said you have to call my office would it whatever y'all like to have the copy? But see that's the way they do here in the Delta really giving me to do it all over the world, you know, cuz I do I was doing the Silver Rights tours in this rich guy million-dollar guy. He was doing it too and we got it in a piss me off, but that's true. You know, you don't need to be on hand and I got really busy but I am you know, I am what I am. You can't change that, you know, not too. Well. I am the first time

09:30 Racing profile is went out for my own people. I was in school a little girl talk about.

09:38 Baby, all Williams house in the 12th grade. They will never ever. Let me sit in the front seat in the front of it in front of the teachers. They always put me back there to the back of the Wonder wallet. She was coming down there was always take it in the classroom when they were always takes the lights in the girls and set them all up to the front. So I don't know this color is a understand that now to this day but I got to tell you tell two of my teeth before they passed on to God. I had a lot of nowhere but I told him about that that's colorism and we may be the only race that doesn't suck agree. I know that some Chinese that a Dockers stolid Hispanic, but I think black people are the only people that publicly use colorism because if you go to a fancy restaurant the light of girl.

10:38 I'll be your waitress has either even as a family as soon as a baby is born with what we call Life skinny good hair with automatic. Stay there pretty but a lot of time does not sure if that's not true. Not at all. This is what it is. I don't know if you have a butt to Delta itself to death is good place to have a good place because out of there. I raised my family here in my kids did way out here and we did way out here and I tell people all the time the delta Mississippi Delta. It is not all bad. Now. I mean Blues is from here to start of the Civil Rights Movement.

11:38 It was all bad. We will not be here. So it's not bad now and I loved the world we go to Congress we go to DC with New York and Ice. I can't wait to get to Mississippi to smell like dirt because I do a lot of my classmates went to college and moved away but I chose to stay because my family already had a strong Foundation here when you hear that name who but you know, some doors are you so I was able to do things that everybody wouldn't be able to do and plus we don't have that many job. So it's about who you know and not what you know, I am the director of the local Boys & Girls Club here. So I've had the opportunity to hire some of my classmates and allow them to work so that they can build their resume.

12:38 I am move on and do other things but it's not a lot of careers that are here in Greenwood most people that Thrive and make their own job their own businesses. And that's what they do in a mostly family on you just can't

12:56 Go somewhere. You can't move to Greenwood. I automatically think you have a career just cuz you haven't because that job maybe already and this person has been in this is who you know, it's who you know, not what you know.

13:15 Nice looks really Town Berry, you know everybody get along really everybody get along but you have time on both side ignorant. Now, let's talk about the covid-19. We can't do it every way. I'll talk about a situation. How did we all feel?

13:37 About Kobe and him being in the house and not being able to gather we are to me I felt real sad. I could have my grandkids. I can have you my tutor at the house on Sunday dinner, you know, the other side number one thing ever ate dinner yet Easter ever Holiday Inn holiday, and then when the people start dying all around, you know, that was really real estate and you have to go to a graveyard grave. Are you serious? You can go in the church in Spain and shouting crying stomach get to stand there and take care of all your emotion and just

14:20 Put in your heart and your mind and don't talk about it. We didn't know what to do, We'd we will talk. We had some lost through the universal District of Columbia and they cut it off because of the covid-19 DC was having some cases and we didn't know what to do and what we could out too often. We stayed in the house for two days. We are not being short with you make any money for about a month and it kind of got up messed up you like I know, you know, we never been in this situation before and I'm a mother of an only child that is 8 years old. So she was really really lonely, but I think

15:11 Stan state it was easy for me to do cuz I'm kind of OCD and I don't like people buy me much anyway, but the biggest thing for me I remember doing a pandemic was still going on is my cousin Jessica her mama passed away when she was 5 years old. So my mama kind of took her under her wing and she became my little sister.

15:35 She did the right thing. She went to school Success store. She graduated from nursing school. And as soon as she finished nursing school and start working the pandemic and within the first month, she catches cold bed, and she's so sick. She's in ICU twice three times and she's 25 years old. She survived and she's doing well. She's a traveling nurse now or no lasting effect, but that was the toughest thing that we went through internally in this family because right before she was diagnosed. She would come come by our house. She came by and brought my pants off then she sat outside and drink wine with me and then a week later. She said that she had called me and we couldn't be

16:27 Selfless and just think about her. We were being selfish to come look like wait a minute. We might have I don't know what to do. So that's the biggest thing for me in the pandemic. That was there was a very scary touchy gold moment and really doing this interview was probably the first time I have had International people in over a year and I don't think my two word ever get back to normal. I know it won't International people's like we had we had the international people and now we see zero crying and we had a couple of weeks a month ago. We had this huge snow and ice on it. So nobody

17:27 Ride, the numbers went down tremendously to like 60 Active cases, whereas it was 404 but last weekend everybody went to Atlanta to all-star weekend. So I'm guarantee. It's going to be a spike again when we're getting ready to go back to school for I was thinking about open the Boys & Girls Club backup know it's going to be a spike because everybody into Atlanta Custom work for Walmart on you know, I mean nurses. I mean every time a customer walk in that store. I kind of hold my breath, you know, I got a glass don't know but you know, it's, you know, the nurse uniforms, you know, I get gunshot you know that but I kind of talent you know much

18:27 Because they need me as much as I need them. So it's kind of a hand and a situation but so far, it's been pretty well. I'm still here. I'm not doing much at all in the winter store to cook even with the mad song even with the gloves for somebody and being with boys and girls club. We have up to 80 kids every day. So we have not been able to let them in the building. So we're doing everything personally and a lot of the members have been many things that I have 10 year old boys that have reached 300 lb, why are there severe diabetic but this is all due to the club to get extra exercise, you know, we serve the meals so they have proper meals and snacks to eat there just at home doing whatever because their parents are working.

19:27 The teachers babysit during the day on Virtual learning to get in Greenwood. We are still all virtual. Nobody has returned to school. So they doing all virtual all day. They get off birth with school and then get on Virtual with me at the Boys & Girls Clubs are already doing is just sitting and talk where you got some of the Boys & Girls Club in Los a lot of weight because we all these packages and stuff. They get the most of them qualify for free or reduced lunch. So the buses bring them lunches for the school every day. And the what do you call it? The SNAP benefits have been increased so they get more stupid get more SNAP benefits to feed and then also, you know, I passed out meals and snacks and candy they get they get food. They're getting food. They're getting food from all revenue.

20:27 Because they give too much food. Okay, let's go with another question.

20:35 Do you have any regrets?

20:39 Where you want me to start? I did my best. You know what I gave it my all Lynn and I did was right not trying to do the right thing, you know, so I don't have any regrets. I would do it again, very proud and vain time. No regrets I have regret, but I haven't read I have one. I just hate I didn't have about three more kids. You also want to know.

21:24 I regret I have a lot a lot a lot of natural talent. I have The Gift of Gab. I think I can sell fish water utility and I wish that I would have went to college and had those accolades to back this Gift of Gab cuz I I don't really know what are y'all should go in but if we're talking and I need to convince you or something I can convince you or something easily. I have the gift for gab when I talk people listen.

22:18 What are you proudest of in your life?

22:24 I'm just proud just being here to Mississippi Delta. And right now Mississippi Delta is Ground Zero for civil rights Georgia floor. Every time they mention Joe White floor at 9. They mention it to your last job and I do my chores and right now they doing the women's of the blooming and that's all they do it up six. Emmett Till movie here right now, and I'm part of that. It mirrors part of that. I'm just proud to be here in the Mississippi Delta try to educate people of the history of the Mississippi Delta College mean a lot

23:13 Well what I'm most proud of that I wear Sarah's hat now. I also babysit premature babies. Also. I also teach people how to cook. So clean dance, you know, I can dance to I can do that. I am very proud. I wear several hats.

23:38 I am proud of I guess my growth just growing into adulthood adulthood and enjoying life. I'm proud of learning impatient by cuz I didn't have that but I'm proud.

23:58 Can you tell me about one of your most difficult memories?

24:04 When I lost my brother the one next to me.

24:09 Mitchell is not a J Mitchell Edwards on the Tallahatchie bridge on the Tallahatchie bridge. I lost four other brother, but they were my blood brother and that was a bad tragedy to me and that was in 1976 76th, and they all died. Yes, why people are random off the bridge. I heard stories about how the man Shop on Harper and it was mistaken identity. They were looking for somebody else and mistaking that it was him and his friends all the lawyers all the judge all that distilling people supposed to be doing something about it. They just they don't want nothing to do with that. That's what my house

25:09 Are the deaths got a lot of dark spots on the Delta is the Delta. We just got we just got to try to teach about to get rid of, Mississippi Delta causes.

25:25 You can see a lot of stuff happened in the world and having the right here to Mississippi Delta on the Jim Crow that's happening. Now that I've been everywhere and if you don't we just got to get ahold of him. We got to teach the issue we can teach the kids. Probably not my kids lifetime. So we got to work on the grandkids now try to teach them the issue so they are understanding them and see if the right

26:02 Prospective, you know, nothing about Greenwood his date people want to be racist, but they can't because anything that the white people do we can do because it's a compliment is a constable. They have a million-dollar home. Yeah, we could get a loan to get a million-dollar house too. Because if no houses over $1000000 here, it's not if you want to go get a $250,000 house. We can go to beach restaurants and Dave built. Yeah, I can save my coins and come eat here once a month so you can't be racist because I am where you are and you can separate. Yeah, you build a private school. That's $500 a month. We going to have to eat noodles & Sandwiches and paper to go to the store so you can't separate.

26:53 You can't push us away because we're there were very prevalent to the situation. We're here, but it's better. If a lot better that it were.

27:16 But it's not all bad either. You know it keep nobody For What You artist you I just do what I do and do the best attitude, you know, I don't care about the next party. You don't really don't mind the people that come in your stove love and get along with everybody wise enough to understand when you got to keep walking. I don't know about that. What are some of the most important lessons you've learned in life.

28:03 Is the most important lesson is, just because you know, you do that. Normally it works out now. I want to do it now. I got to do it right now. I need to do it right now. It must be driving right now, but it's take your time to have money. You got the look like money. So if I'm going to the bank and I'm asking for a loan, I'm putting on my Sunday's best if I'm going to a job and I want a pay raise my salary raise or another position on walking in that everyday like I own the place and I'm running the show. So if you want to make money

29:03 Everyday, I do that anyway, but I'm just Sunday Best everyday cuz you can't go to the bank and ask to borrow money and you close to my work.

29:33 Is there anything you never told me but with want to tell me now.

29:47 I know but I'm so glad you said you were going to rain in last long. We're going to last on your mind.

30:20 Are you afraid to die a year old child? I don't want to leave but you can't wear by because nobody know their time. I worry about that already.

30:52 Think about that.

31:02 But I got 50, you know, you hate somebody.

31:13 Life expectancy is shorter than their pants. So I worry about having to do the things that I need to do to prepare her for life. She's only child to have any other siblings, but my husband ID number work y'all to Old what you mean too old.

31:41 Take care of everybody. Okay. Can you tell me about the person who who's been the kindest to you and your life?

32:03 My mom and my day with Mom Dad, I appreciate that. I had twin sisters and brother to me because the only way she charge my parents is because

32:32 I'm a mom and she don't care what she don't care if I stink she don't care if I look bad. She don't care if I'm in a bad mood. She just think I'm the best part.

33:03 Cell

33:06 Do you do you or have you had Kobe? What is it? And what is your experience like for you and your family ever contracted Kobe? If we did we were all asymptomatic we broke the rules for Thanksgiving and we all went and got tested in line. I can have symptoms so we can get together and nobody was positive. So we are especially being safe and we spend more time without CORE family than you know out with everybody else. We try to do things socially and spread out in the last 2 weeks.

33:55 What's the next step by step just Enlighten the world let the world see Mississippi and see if it's real true, Mississippi College Mississippi is a place that got ties to everybody but it did a lot a lot of stuff started right here in the Mississippi Delta and I just want to show the world Mississippi. I want to sale Greenwood next to me from the coronavirus with my hug everybody everybody. I said, I'm going to teach the Young Generation down. Like I said, but what's next for me is doing the pandemic. I've been in the house and afraid to eat at fast-food restaurant often as often as I was before so fortunately I've

34:55 46 Pounds. I'm about to pop out of some new jeans from me.

35:04 Madison new jeans and dresses and I'm going to wave at hey, hey. Hey.

35:16 All right. We want to thanks. Thank you.

35:27 What do I what do you want to say to each other?

35:32 We will. I love you. I love you. Thanks for the opportunity for building the structure that y'all built for me and laid out the platform do that. I could be able to thrive and

35:48 Pass some of these things on to Phoenix. I love the child have that nice house that one day will be mine that I can have in the second home. We made it supposed supposed to do stuff that you said but a lot of people know what they supposed to do and don't do it.

36:21 I want you to know that you are smart. Thank you. You can do whatever that you want to do.

36:31 I think you should stop cuz that's what I do. I think they can start cooking at the back door won't go out.

36:56 I don't want to go out. You know, like some people stay there today can't cook.

37:09 That's it.

37:19 Is it something you want?