By: Ty’Kiria Johnson, Contribution Writer
The city of Woodruff has been around for over one hundred and forty-nine years. The city of Woodruff itself was conceived in 1874. My interviewee has not been present for all of Woodruff’s history, but being the oldest person on the maternal side of my family makes her a very interesting person to talk about our city with. Janie Rice, an 82-year-old woman who has lived in Woodruff all her life, is not only my aunt but my next-door neighbor. I tend to visit her husband and her almost every other week, and we have a very fulfilling relationship. I go up there to make them laugh and keep them company. And in exchange, they provide me with laughter as well, alongside wise words and advice. So, when I went to her house to ask her if I could interview her for this paper, she responded with booming laughter. Not only did she think that I was up to my usual antics, but she felt as though her voice was not important enough to be interviewed. I quickly corrected her and told her that her voice was not only necessary, but it was the first voice that I wanted to hear when I began formulating interview questions. Here is how our interview went.
A Lifetime in Woodruff:
How long have you been in Woodruff? Janie Rice: “I’m not sure. We have always been around Woodruff- at least for as long as I can remember. I think the earliest I can remember is 11, when we moved to Pine Ridge.
Family Ties and Woodruff’s Legacy:
How many children/grandchildren do you have, and how many of them still remain in Woodruff? Janie Rice: “Lord, have mercy. Let me see. There is Nip, Cricket, Tot, Nicey, and Gwen. And all of them together have seven kids, and those kids have six kids. Gwen and Cricket are the only ones who are still here. (I then asked her if she would like all of them to still live here) Janie Rice: “Child, yes! I don’t know why I am the way I am about that. But yes.”
Opinions on Woodruff Today:
Do you like the current state of Woodruff? If not, what changes would you make? Janie Rice: “We just need more stores. It don’t make no sense that we have to go all the way into Spartanburg to get clothes and food and stuff. All our clothing stores here are second-hand. We just need more stores, that’s all.”
Changing Landscapes:
What do you think about all of the new building developments? Especially the one on top of our road? Janie Rice: “I think they are all just too close. Just too close. Everything feels cramped. It used to not be that bad.”
Nostalgia and Economic Realities:
Were there better times in Woodruff? Or have recent years been its peak?
Janie Rice: “I think it was better back in the day. Yeah, it was. But money-wise, it wasn’t. (At this moment, her husband, Ulysses Rice (my Uncle Burt), chimes in)
Ulysses Rice: “Yeah, they did not pay us good back then. At work.” Janie Rice: “They didn’t pay yall good, Burt?” Ulysses Rice: “Mhm. Mhm.”
Conclusion:
I asked the two a plethora of other questions. But I do not have the space to put them all. However, I thoroughly enjoyed asking them about Woodruff’s past and getting their opinions. As black people, our history has been filled with pain and humiliation. Even though most of the questions I asked were light-hearted, My Aunt Janie and other people her age (like my grandfather) have seen the ugly parts of Woodruff’s past as well. Like being chased by Klan members or not being allowed into certain places. So, to be able to thoroughly hear her take on the status of Woodruff and to not only hear it but document it for all to see is especially poignant and deserving to me. I cannot wait to do more interviews like these and give more voiceless people their voices back.
Author: Tracy Sanders
