Eddie Watts interview recording, 1994 June 16

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Stacey Scales	—start out by asking your name and how long you been in Birmingham.	0:01
Eddie Watts	My name Eddie Watts. I been in Birmingham 65 years.	0:06
Stacey Scales	Really?	0:07
Eddie Watts	Yeah.	0:07
Stacey Scales	Born in Birmingham?	0:07
Eddie Watts	Yeah, mm-hmm.	0:18
Stacey Scales	Okay. In this area? Were you born in this area?	0:23
Eddie Watts	Mm-hmm, yeah. Over there, that way down the highway.	0:23
Stacey Scales	All right, do you remember a lot about the community then, when you were growing up? How has it changed?	0:25
Eddie Watts	It done changed a lot.	0:31
Stacey Scales	Yeah? Do you remember your grandparents and your parents?	0:31
Eddie Watts	No, they was dead before I was born.	0:35
Stacey Scales	Really?	0:35
Eddie Watts	Mm-hmm.	0:35
Stacey Scales	How about your parents?	0:35
Eddie Watts	Oh, I remember my dad. I ain't remember my mama.	0:46
Stacey Scales	What do you remember about him?	0:53
Eddie Watts	Smart man, took care of his kids. Worked down at Fairfield Steel and he took care of his family. Was eight of us. Yeah, he tried to do his best for all of us. He didn't do too bad.	0:59
Stacey Scales	How long did he work at the Steel?	1:13
Eddie Watts	He worked down there, let me see. He worked down there about 30 something years. About 33. Then a blood clot got him. You know, might as well say a heart attack, right? That was in '58.	1:17
Stacey Scales	Yeah. Did he ever have any stories about old times during his time growing up? About segregation?	1:32
Eddie Watts	No, [crosstalk 00:01:40] he didn't ever talk about that. He was from Selma, Alabama. He came up here I think when he was a little boy, and got lucky and got a job down here. No, I didn't hear him talk about nothing real rough, you know? He came up here and got a job down there he said time he got here.	1:39
Stacey Scales	You remember when he got here? Do you remember how old he was when he came up here from Selma?	2:01
Eddie Watts	Shit, must had to be in his 20s. Early 20s, because he got 80. Yeah, got to be somewhere along in there. His name was Eddie Watts, my name Eddie Watts, Junior.	2:09
Stacey Scales	Was this a Black neighborhood then, when you were coming up?	2:24
Eddie Watts	Yeah, mostly, but you know, in sections. The sections, the White people's down there. You know, in the bottom there. Close to Gary Avenue. Yeah, and all the Colored people's up this way. I don't know where the people—I didn't see no people in Dolomite. Seen a few up there around the grocery store. That's right here. You hear of Dolomite, haven't you?	2:29
Stacey Scales	Yeah, uh huh. So, did he own his house or was he renting?	2:56
Eddie Watts	He was renting. He wasn't able to buy no house. Not too many people buy no house back in then. Yeah, he was renting. These here just about living free. You know the company had some houses built. They're like a mining camp and they didn't have to hardly pay no rent.	3:02
Stacey Scales	Yeah? So if you worked at the steel mill, you had a house?	3:18
Eddie Watts	And no light bill back in them days. Yeah, mm-hmm.	3:22
Stacey Scales	Is that right?	3:27
Eddie Watts	No light bill, water free. But the rent wasn't quite free. I think about eight bucks. They cut that out of their payroll.	3:31
Stacey Scales	Oh, okay. Was he educated?	3:35
Eddie Watts	Nope! Just like me. I had a chance, but I couldn't learn nothing. Nah, he wasn't educated, but he knows what to do. What you call them? "Other way?"	3:43
Stacey Scales	Yeah, another way.	3:50
Eddie Watts	Yeah, he went up on them jobs down there. Big machine shop, yeah.	3:55
Stacey Scales	Was there any place around here you weren't allowed to go when you was younger?	4:01
Eddie Watts	Huh?	4:05
Stacey Scales	Was there any place in this town that you weren't allowed to go? Places they told you not to go around?	4:06
Eddie Watts	I know better than to go in them places where they had them signs at. Some cafeterias and things like that, but I don't—	4:13
Stacey Scales	So what'd you do for entertainment?	4:22
Eddie Watts	They had, Colored people had their own entertainment. You know, clubs and different things. Cafes around up here.	4:22
Stacey Scales	Oh yeah?	4:24
Eddie Watts	Yeah.	4:24
Stacey Scales	You remember the names of any of them?	4:24
Eddie Watts	Twelve Horsemen. Yeah, mm-hmm. It was a lot. Let me see now. Fine Food Grill, 12th and Fine Food Grill. That's where I used to go. There's some more up there, but I don't know nothing about them.	4:25
Stacey Scales	The Iron Food Grill. What—	4:46
Eddie Watts	Fine! Fine Food Grill down on 54th Street.	4:46
Stacey Scales	Fine?	4:46
Eddie Watts	Yeah, it in operation now. And 12 Horsemen people, I think they moved to Price City about two years ago. Yeah, they had entertainment if you wanted to go, and I went. That's why I ain't got no money today. I boiled it all up.	4:53
Stacey Scales	That's all right. What did you do? What was your first job?	5:12
Eddie Watts	My first job, let me see. I was on construction, could do anything. Utility man, that first one. But next, you know, after a while they transferred me to a blast center would make pig iron, cook oil. Then they sent it over to the old one, make steel out of it. Well, I was working at the blast center and I was pouring slag. Ain't you seen the sky? No, you probably wasn't here when they dumped them hot pots and the sky light up?	5:18
Stacey Scales	Yeah. I think I've seen pictures of it. I haven't seen it—	5:54
Eddie Watts	Yeah, yeah. I used to fill them pots up and they used to take them up there, back at the gravel plant. They make gravel out of them when they cool off. And they go up there and dump them.	5:57
Stacey Scales	Hmm. How much would you make in an hour?	6:09
Eddie Watts	Shoot, man. I making pretty good money then. You know, that was back here in—Let me see. I'd say about $10, $11.	6:16
Stacey Scales	Really? What year was that?	6:28
Eddie Watts	Back here in, let me see. What it is now? '90?	6:28
Stacey Scales	Mm-hmm.	6:28
Eddie Watts	Shit, that was back then in '70 something. '74.	6:28
Stacey Scales	Oh yeah?	6:28
Eddie Watts	Mm-hmm, but they done got a lot of raises back then.	6:28
Stacey Scales	Yeah?	6:28
Eddie Watts	Yeah, but you know.	6:28
Stacey Scales	Did your father ever take you traveling anywhere?	6:56
Eddie Watts	We went hunting. There was eight of us, he wasn't able.	7:01
Stacey Scales	Oh, okay. So there was eight of y'all in that one house? How did that work out?	7:01
Eddie Watts	It had to work out. All of us on the floor, in the bed til we growed up. You know, couldn't do no better. Wasn't but a three room house. Two bedrooms and a kitchen, and all us packed up in one of them rooms. And I got a little, I was the first one out of there. I went in the Marine Corps when I was 18 years old. Went off to North Carolina, Camp Lejeune. Then I stayed in there quite a while and then I came out and got rolled up down here. Been down here ever since. Them straight shots. There's eight of us in one room. About this big, on up.	7:09
Stacey Scales	Oh yeah?	7:51
Eddie Watts	Mm-hmm, but in the winter time it stayed warm. We kept that wood, muck, coal, you know? He kept it comfortable, as far as he could.	7:52
Speaker 1	Y'all, hey!	8:04
Stacey Scales	How you doing?	8:05
Speaker 1	Doing great.	8:06
Stacey Scales	All right.	8:07
Eddie Watts	Yeah, it wasn't too tough with me when I was growing up.	8:08
Stacey Scales	Did he have a car?	8:12
Eddie Watts	Didn't too many people have cars back then, but he had one. He had, you know, couldn't have been nothing but an old man car. Yeah, he got lucky and bought one with eight kids.	8:14
Stacey Scales	What year was that? What kind of car was that?	8:29
Eddie Watts	Let me see. Had to be a 1930 something. Yeah, around about 1930, '39 Chevrolet.	8:34
Stacey Scales	Did any of the neighbors have cars?	8:43
Eddie Watts	Not too many. He had to make the trip with all of them on pay day to get the groceries, you know. All of them asked, he didn't turn none of them down. He was a good man. Besides working here.	8:44
Stacey Scales	They got together—	8:56
Eddie Watts	See, where I lived at, ain't nothing but three rows of houses. What they put up there on the hill. I think he and another guy the only one that had a car. He got one free. He take the people to get groceries then, and had to go to work too, you know. It wasn't hard on him because he was a powerful man. He had a lot of power. Yeah, he wasn't lazy.	8:57
Stacey Scales	So he gave you all your values, yeah?	9:26
Eddie Watts	Values?	9:32
Stacey Scales	Yeah, did you go to church?	9:33
Eddie Watts	The biggest mistake I ever made. I ain't going now.	9:38
Stacey Scales	Yeah?	9:40
Eddie Watts	I tell you, there's eight of us! I got two sisters, one live up about a mile and one live in Homewood. The rest of them away a minute in California, Los Angeles. Beauticians and things, you know. Yeah, we didn't have it too hard. I know what you talking about, back, back then. It's like, get a drink of water, make you stay behind them mules all day. I know what you're talking about, but I didn't see none of that.	9:40
Stacey Scales	No?	10:07
Eddie Watts	But my daddy told me about them. He living on them farms, working up for them people that gave him a little old shack to stay in and farm for them and all that.	10:07
Stacey Scales	You remember a lot he had to say about that?	10:17
Eddie Watts	Nah, he came out now that quick. I told you, he got rolled up down there. Him and his sisters, the other two brothers. His other two brothers got Lucky and got rolled up, they dead. That was back down good—You don't live long. You get in them cigs, you better look out. Get ready. After you pass them cig, you look out anything waiting to happen. That's me. Ain't have a cig in my life. Had nothing but manpower and got weak all at once. Heart trouble. Mm-hmm.	10:22
Eddie Watts	Well, all that I told you was the truth. I don't know you talking about that living on them people's land and all that.	10:52
Stacey Scales	Well, not just that.	10:58
Eddie Watts	That about full as all I know, because you know, where we was, wasn't no White people. Nothing but on that hill up there, back over there in the woods. It done grown up now in weeds. You can tell our trees, you can't even tell the house been up there, but them was company houses. They wasn't that bad shape. They kept them tight, brand new.	10:59
Stacey Scales	So you mentioned your father shopping for everybody's groceries on pay day. Did you—	11:22
Eddie Watts	Oh, yeah.	11:28
Stacey Scales	Did they ever get together?	11:29
Eddie Watts	Man, they had no way. They had to come out this way. See, where they was living at was back in them woods. Back up this way where they done got growed up in the woods. Yeah, he did them that favor. He took many as he could up there after he got off work. You know, back then he was working in that heat down there, making them axles that go on them trains. Beating them out with a steam hammer. Steam hammer beating it out, but he had to keep turning it over and over. Shit, he be right down there on of them things, turning them things all day, he didn't even phase all day. Then you know, you be wore out and overheated, but he took time out and took some of them.	11:30
Eddie Watts	But otherwise, them peoples at that time stuck together up there on that hill. You know what I mean.	12:15
Stacey Scales	Right.	12:18
Eddie Watts	One gets sick, they take them to the hospital. Whoever of them got the car. After a while, quite a few of them got cars. What they call them? A model Fords? Them big old round, skinny wheel. Yeah.	12:20
Stacey Scales	How'd the news get around? How'd you get news?	12:39
Eddie Watts	If you didn't have a radio, you was screwed up because wasn't nobody back up in there but them two rows of houses. That's the only way they got the news was on them radios. You know, maybe like that. You don't know nothing about them kinds. That's the only way you got some news. Who? Joe Louis and all of them, we used to listen to him. Bap, bap, bap, punching all them people's out. That's all they could listen to. They had their ears down to their radio when something like that come on, a fight. Back smelling and all of them dead.	12:42
Stacey Scales	So that was the big thing to do?	13:17
Eddie Watts	Yeah, just like a TV screen. A little old radio. But now, these TVs and VCRs ain't good enough for people. People ain't satisfied. Back in them days, they be satisfied that little radio because they ain't going to see none picture. Yeah, they living now and don't even appreciate it.	13:18
Eddie Watts	Well, that's the truth I told you, but you know, that's all I could do. We didn't have too hard a time, all eight of us. Daddy kept bringing that heat and everything. Took a lunch to work; peanut butter and jelly sandwich to school. Each one of us had a little paper bag. I eat my peanut butter and jelly and ate breakfast before I even got out the door.	13:43
Stacey Scales	Yeah. Was there NAACP in this area?	14:06
Eddie Watts	No! Wasn't nothing down here. Nah. If it did, I didn't know nothing about it. Back here, nah. I think they was all up in New York some type of way. Didn't come—They couldn't make it this way then, but after they got down here, they straightened out a lot of issues down there in the plant and everywhere.	14:06
Stacey Scales	Oh yeah?	14:27
Eddie Watts	Yeah. Straightened that out. Then the government straightened out some, a lot of it. Basically with the economy. If they didn't treat you right, God damn it, the government shut it down or something like that. If they didn't cooperate? Shut it down.	14:29
Stacey Scales	Did you get married?	14:45
Eddie Watts	I done had five wives. The last one over there at the Woods Cemetery. Three left me.	14:47
Stacey Scales	Yeah?	14:50
Eddie Watts	Mm-hmm. I couldn't hold them. They want to go, I let them go. Yeah, but I had a big house. This thing, I just moved up here. Shit, the house over there in West End, I been there 18 years. My old lady—	14:57
Stacey Scales	What's the address to that house?	15:09
Eddie Watts	I told you my mind gone. 225th—I think it was 225, right off Pearson Avenue. Right up from them people's apartment there.	15:16
Stacey Scales	Oh, okay.	15:28
Eddie Watts	See, I told you my mind got messed up when I was sick. I went in a coma. I ain't been long got out. I told you that before you started interviewing me, but I tell you everything I know. 225. Right off Pearson Avenue. Mm-hmm, I been over here about a year. Me and my old lady went to court and she got the field I was at. I had been there 18 years, they gave her all that and gave me about five, six months. You know, they can't put you right out. Then they give you the chance to get it back, but I wasn't making enough money to get it back. I wasn't going to pay all my money to no house. I ain't got nothing in my house. I had did that long enough. You know.	15:29
Eddie Watts	Lot of people go out of their way, want to be stylish and ain't nothing in their house about. You have to do that the rest of your life. I was going to get out. I'm glad I had to get out of there now because the whole time I was there, I didn't have nothing left in my pocket after payday. There's a lot of people around here now in these split levels back over at Glen Oak, they're well paid and they won't have no money. Ain't no end to them. I'm talking about young folks. I was kind of old when I did it, but I'm talking about young folks will be owing them thousands over there.	16:08
Stacey Scales	At what age—	16:41
Eddie Watts	And over there at that Smithfield Estate, a lot of them been living over there. They kind of older. See, I don't want to work nowhere and ain't nothing in my ice box. See, they used to pay off every two weeks. Shit, on the fourth day you ain't got a nickel. The real estate man got your money. Got to pay the air conditioning bill. Some people bite off more than they making, and a lot of people's doing that now. Young folk.	16:43
Stacey Scales	Was the steel mill different from your father to yourself? You said he worked there and you worked there.	17:11
Eddie Watts	Yeah, he worked.	17:17
Stacey Scales	Was it different at the times? Situations?	17:18
Eddie Watts	No, I got rolled up down here, remember I got discharged in '53. Out of the Marine Corps, and I got rolled up down there. And one of my buddies was in the Marines with me. We got rolled up down there. We started down there in '53, at Allwood. I don't remember the date, but I know it was in '53. They rolled me up time I got in there. See me in them God damn, them uniforms on, I guess. They didn't care.	17:22
Stacey Scales	So they didn't care if you was Black if you had the uniform?	17:49
Eddie Watts	I ain't never seen them hold back on nobody. Not down there. But you know, we just had the money to buy the clothes, but we piled it up, you know? Had a bunch of khakis, six pair of khakis, two sets of greens, two sets of blues. You know how it go, so we done stayed in them khakis until we got a payday and went and stocked up on some civilian clothes.	17:53
Eddie Watts	We could've bought clothes, but we balled it up. Remember when I say I balled up everything I had. And ain't no use talking about it. It's over there.	18:21
Stacey Scales	You balled it up. What does that mean?	18:24
Eddie Watts	Balled it up, clubbed it up.	18:31
Stacey Scales	Oh yeah?	18:31
Eddie Watts	Women, different women. Oh, yeah! You know. Oh, you probably don't know nothing about all that kind. You wouldn't do nothing like that. Did it for years. Bought that little house over that end. I could've been paid for the house if I had moved in all the money I done blowed. Yeah, so I'm right here now. Three little acres, God's little acres. Three room shack. You tell me to get out of here, go and rent another one. Somewhere, because they got plenty of them now.	18:36
Eddie Watts	You see all these houses with sales on them?	19:05
Stacey Scales	Right.	19:07
Eddie Watts	People's got out of work. They had to let them go, they couldn't hold them no more longer. I ain't talking about round here nowhere. I'm talking about over there in the west end and Smithfield Estate, Glen Oaks. These split levels and things, right across the street from where you were driving. Some houses you never will pay for them. Now that the White folks got them, they wasn't going to pay for them. Got something smaller. They went to the woods and built them a medium sized house, something they can have left in their pocket. Sold all them back to the—Let them went to the real estate man. I know they gave them some money out of them houses.	19:09
Eddie Watts	A Colored person start moving them out because like that neighbor I had over there in west end. I moved over there, "Ah! Look like all of them moving out of here!" Those trucks, he was a [indistinct 00:19:54]. "I ain't going nowhere." Next time I seen him with that truck over there, loading up. For sale sign on the house. The other young Colored guy moving in there about three weeks. I'm telling you now, when he come out there on my driveway, I was out there, working on my truck. I usually be out in that driveway every day doing something before I go to work.	19:42
Eddie Watts	"Yeah, all of them going, just about. I ain't going nowhere." Don't you believe that crap. I'm telling you the truth.	20:14
Stacey Scales	So you've been here 65 years. What changes have you seen this place go through?	20:27
Eddie Watts	Let's see. A lot of changes. The streets, sidewalks. They used to have no sidewalk. Nothing but dirt roads round up through here. You got street lights, all that. They fully equipped now, but they done did a lot of improving. I don't know if you was around here or not. My next door neighbor, all these big old holes in the road. Going up Avenue B there. All these roads, nothing but dirt roads. All of them. Supposed to be [indistinct 00:21:10] over there.	20:35
Eddie Watts	You know, when it rains, washing them trash in them. Wash holes in the road and that thing when it gets through raining, he came back and scrape over it again. They tried to keep it smooth as possible, but you talking about dust. And people was getting plenty cars then. Especially this, I'm talking about over here in Fairfield. I ain't talking about up here. See, I moved from over yonder. My daddy moved from over yonder, moved to Fairfield.	21:12
Stacey Scales	Was there a lot of people that was cleaning them clothes for people? You said there was a lot of dust. Was there any—	21:37
Eddie Watts	Well, yeah. They had some cleaners.	21:44
Stacey Scales	They had some Black people?	21:46
Eddie Watts	Yeah, they had plenty.	21:49
Stacey Scales	You remember the names of any?	21:51
Eddie Watts	I known the one, Hill Cleaner out there in Westville.	21:51
Stacey Scales	Hill Cleaners?	21:58
Eddie Watts	Yeah, Willie Hill. Let me see. It been so long, man. I forgot, and I know he was a Hill. Yeah, they had quite a few cleaners then. You know, what you call it? Patch them up, leg them up, measure them up. He did all that. He was a pro. Yeah, he left there and went to Mobile, somewhere. Went into business and after while, he died. He was up in age before I was. He had got here way before me, but he had a head on him. Well educated, college, had finished college and everything. So he went to college for that kind of stuff. Other words, he was a tailor. Tailor, whatever you call it.	22:05
Stacey Scales	Did you notice a lot of people leaving this place, going up north?	22:41
Eddie Watts	I remember back there at the end, yeah. Some of my buddies left and went up there. Most of them died. All of them I know, you know, might be one or two left. A bunch of them went backup there. The US Steel transport some of them up there to Pittsburgh. When they started cutting back, they transferred some of them up there. Because I think all them, you know, they went out of business just about completely in Pittsburgh now.	22:46
Eddie Watts	And a lot of men left from right down here and they sent them to Pittsburgh, and they families.	23:13
Stacey Scales	About what time? You remember what year that was when all them took off?	23:18
Eddie Watts	Shit, that was back there in the early 60s. Old Seahorse and all of them. Gary, Indiana. Sending some of them to Gary.	23:25
Stacey Scales	That's where I'm from.	23:33
Eddie Watts	That's where you're from? Gary, Indiana?	23:34
Stacey Scales	Mm-hmm.	23:34
Eddie Watts	Well, that's where old Seahorse got transferred to. I don't know if he dead or not. He used to come back down to see us, his home folks, every summer. He might come down this summer if he ain't gone under. Because everybody I know just about gone, buddy. Some of them wasn't old either. Yeah, wasn't old and they gone.	23:36
Eddie Watts	Where you from? Gary?	23:56
Stacey Scales	Yes, sir.	23:57
Eddie Watts	Well, that's where they transferred a lot of them mens and up there to Pittsburgh.	23:58
Stacey Scales	To the steel?	24:01
Eddie Watts	That's when they was in full bloom. They started getting weak around there somewhere, but you couldn't tell it. There's some people used to work down there, man.	24:03
Stacey Scales	They didn't have segregation in there?	24:10
Eddie Watts	It be your job. You work where your job at. I don't give a damn. If you was any young body, you work right there. Work together.	24:13
Stacey Scales	Make the same wages?	24:18
Eddie Watts	I don't think they make the same wages. I think they had to pay them guys some back money down through the years for that. Their integration money.	24:19
Stacey Scales	Oh, they paid them for integration money?	24:30
Eddie Watts	Yeah, I think so. A guy got a lump of money after the government knocked all that crap out. They had to give them guys some back pay. Sure did. I remember that. That ain't been so long ago, either.	24:31
Stacey Scales	So, other than the steel mill, did they have Black jobs and White jobs? What was it that you could do other than—	24:49
Eddie Watts	Yeah, they had them old skilled jobs mostly for them White guys. Operator, open them handles and pushing buttons. And all of them else down there, but after the integration shit come in, they had to start training them Colored guys and they mixed them up. You talk about putting out some steel, them guys there putting it out. They went over the White guys.	24:56
Stacey Scales	Really?	25:18
Eddie Watts	They had more seniority than they did, after they learned the job. They went over them. That's why they didn't want them up there. All of them in department, if you got more seniority and you learn that job? Shit, you go over them guys. I think it was within a year. Sure do. They all dead.	25:19
Stacey Scales	All right.	25:34
Eddie Watts	I think that happened everywhere, not only around the steel plant. When the government, you know, knocked all that crap off. You had to go by it or they'd shut t plant down. Whatever kind of mill they had or whatever. They had to close it down.	25:47
Stacey Scales	You said you been married five times?	26:02
Eddie Watts	I been married four times.	26:03
Stacey Scales	Four times. What did your wives do?	26:06
Eddie Watts	One's a lab technician and I can't spell my name. I met some well off women. One's a lab technician, work over there at Princeton Hospital and work at the hospital before they closed it down over in there. What's the name of that? Community Hospital. How long you been around here?	26:09
Stacey Scales	Not long.	26:26
Eddie Watts	I figure that. Yeah, she's a lab. That's where she first started and they closed it down, but she was working over there at night, over here at Princeton. Over here at West End. And that's where one of them at now. Working straight midnight and got a nice home right round there, by the way. I don't blame her. That was young, yeah, younger than me. Her daddy wouldn't let us marry. We slipped off and got married.	26:28
Eddie Watts	That been years ago when I got the house in Westville, West End. Shit, that been 18 years ago, but that one was crazy about my old, ugly butt. Because I was working down at that end. Don't matter what she made, I still gave her money. She put it in the bank, but she bought her a new car every year she was able. Because she was making good money and I was taking care of the house. She was paying the utility bill, telephone bill. I said, "Go ahead."	26:52
Stacey Scales	Who made the decisions in your marriages?	27:21
Eddie Watts	Huh? Who made decisions?	27:27
Stacey Scales	Who made the decisions?	27:27
Eddie Watts	Well, me and them.	27:30
Stacey Scales	Oh, okay.	27:32
Eddie Watts	I ain't going to be henpecked now. Wasn't going to move in the house with you. She had two of them already. I done seen that happen. See, you don't know nothing about all that. Eat supper at the same table, working at the same meal. I seen all of that years ago. Lady got two husbands, got papers on one. The other one sleep on the front porch. You could sleep on the front porch with that screen all the way around it. You ain't got to worry about nobody coming in, killing you then.	27:34
Eddie Watts	I ain't lying. All of us used to sleep on the front porch out there in Westfield. You sleep on the front porch now, I don't care if you ain't got nothing but a dime, they going to cut you half in two or shoot you for nothing. Be walking down the street late at night. It ain't got to be late. Pow! You done heard that happen around here enough times, man.	28:02
Stacey Scales	Mm-hmm.	28:16
Eddie Watts	Well, them days gone. But that mayor down there, what his name? Langford? Man, it used to be rough around here and have a lot more police. He said he going to get it back so them old people can sit on they front porch in the summertime at night. He just about got it, too. It used to be rough around here.	28:16
Eddie Watts	I guess before you got here. It used to be tough. About used to come through here and shoot. Look at all them holes up there. He hired all them police. That's all out here, most of the block. "We got it made now." That's what some of them talking about, them dope dealers. "We got it made now." Look, we got the police. Them people like, "Clean this place up." You know them guys going to do their job, ain't they? When they start hiring them guys, "Yeah, we going to have it made."	28:34
Eddie Watts	Yeah, them police don't let none of them slide when they disobey order. I swear. I heard some of them say that, but them cops surprised them. See how they improving this place around here? I ain't been here that long. That mayor there, whoever he is down there, doing a good job. Putting that money to use. She done rode you around, let you look at these parts? See the remodel, redid?	29:06
Stacey Scales	Mm-hmm, I was up there—	29:36
Eddie Watts	Shit, them parts up there used to look like a gravel plant. Look at them now, all that where he done built them up and planted flowers. Rubbish. Whatever they called. Benches, barbecue pits, tennis courts. Yeah, they done came a long way since he been there, Langford, whatever his name. He done did it.	29:36
Eddie Watts	Then I seen it. I went to the post office one day to mail a letter down in Fairfield. They was planting them little old hedges and things, them little out there in front of the post office, across the street from the post office. He had his white sleeves rolled up. I said, "Look at that," and it was hot. And they was digging in, White and Colored. Colored women, mens, White men. They all worked together, it looked like. Yeah, they worked good together. Got a mix of them.	29:58
Eddie Watts	They got more women down there now than I ever seen. Ain't never had no one or two, but once them women's got their rights, I seen one of them women pushing one of them daggone fire trucks, man. Coming up this way. I looked up, I said, "What?" Shit.	30:27
Stacey Scales	When you saved your money, where did you bank it when you was coming up? Like, or did you put your money in the bank?	30:44
Eddie Watts	I went for broke every pay day. Yeah, I went for broke. After I paid the bills and the light bills and bought a backseat full of groceries, overstocked the deep freeze. Bought a deep freezer. Old lady never had to worry about nothing. Every wife I had, took care of them. That's why they say I was a nice provider. I ain't going round the streets, walking around homeless, none of my people. Not if I can help it. Wake up in the morning and got nothing to eat, or at night.	30:53
Stacey Scales	You remember any Black banks?	31:22
Eddie Watts	Smith and Gaston, the Gaston Bank. That's the only one. I think it's Cityfield. That's the only one around now.	31:26
Stacey Scales	Mm-hmm, Gaston.	31:29
Eddie Watts	That's the only one, so they well up in the millions. Say, "Come on." They'll build you a house, anything now.	31:31
Stacey Scales	Right. AG Gaston.	31:43
Eddie Watts	AG Gaston. Well, you got me. That's about all I know, mister.	31:51
Stacey Scales	That's about all you know—	31:53
Eddie Watts	Unless you want to rob me. I ain't got but two dollars in my pocket, get you a rock. (laughs)	31:54
Stacey Scales	No, I don't want—	31:59
Eddie Watts	You know this rock country, though. Everywhere in the United States, overseas too, but it dangerous around here. It's all in the Birmingham area. Them niggers gone, like I said, them people gone crazy. And all of them look like they dying. And still won't get off of that crap. You know, some of them lose their professional job. Yeah, you know that, don't you?	32:00
Stacey Scales	Right.	32:22
Eddie Watts	Had them good jobs, well educated. They don't care. Figured they can go back and lay at their mama's house, but mama done cut that stuff out, especially you a rock smoker. They love you, but I get all them people be running their mama's house right now. They don't, they won't even have a two figure now.	32:22
Stacey Scales	What I got here is the biographical information you told me about your family and we got some forms to be filled out because this is going to be used in a library. Some students, they listen to your experiences and write a paper or something off of them. And I just need to get some of your technical information, I guess.	32:35
Eddie Watts	I don't know. That's a big word to me. You better break it down. Uh-oh!	33:00
Stacey Scales	You all right.	33:04
Eddie Watts	Hey, look inside that door there and push that light. You ain't got no eyes on you. Right in here, so you can see what you're doing.	33:08
Stacey Scales	All right.	33:13
Eddie Watts	See how they shot all over the top of that wall? Turn that other light on, see how they shot all in here. Look up here.	33:16
Stacey Scales	Oh, this right here?	33:21
Eddie Watts	Look right at the top of that house right there. That room. Turn that light on, the other light. If I had been in position, I was laying prone with that shotgun. I got right down in prone position and returned them back. That one up on the house, returned them back. You don't never know when they coming.	33:21
Stacey Scales	No?	33:40
Eddie Watts	They got Bazookas, machine guns. But them police has got them under control. Boy, you used to see—This street now? This time of evening? Up there on that porch, walking from here, up there, up there. You know, with that stuff.	33:42
Stacey Scales	All right, what's your—	33:57
Eddie Watts	And them police have carved this man down. You talking about a happy man. I was supposed to be a leatherneck, brave, but them niggers had me scared.	33:59
Stacey Scales	What's your first, last and middle name?	34:08
Eddie Watts	My last name is Watts, W-A-T-T-S. I ain't got no middle name.	34:10
Stacey Scales	And that first name again?	34:16
Eddie Watts	Eddie, E-D-D-I-E. You got it. You well educated. If you didn't, you wouldn't be an interviewer.	34:17
Stacey Scales	5621, right?	34:24
Eddie Watts	Terrance Avenue. I'm going to be out there, I doubt a real estate man run the—	34:28
Stacey Scales	Terrance Avenue?	34:34
Eddie Watts	Yeah. Real estate man run away from half these kids. I can't stand the God damn noise. I didn't know I was running into all this.	34:35
Stacey Scales	And this is Fairfield, right?	34:44
Eddie Watts	Mm-hmm. See, I can't stand too much noise. I'm shell-shocked, man. I ain't know all these kids was around here, but I hate to move. It look like I'm going to have to get out mine now.	34:46
Stacey Scales	Shell-shocked?	34:53
Eddie Watts	I'm fucked up, man.	34:54
Stacey Scales	Which war was you in?	34:54
Eddie Watts	I was both in them. Number one in Korea, too. I was a Lu-Lu. They ain't scared of nobody, but I got old and scared right now.	35:01
Stacey Scales	Right. What's your home telephone number?	35:07
Eddie Watts	Let me see. 781-2572.	35:09
Stacey Scales	25?	35:09
Eddie Watts	72. Hell, I couldn't remember that before I come down that hill. I didn't even know my name.	35:17
Stacey Scales	Did you have a nickname ever?	35:21
Eddie Watts	Man, my mind left me. I told you. That's what I tried to tell that lady. I ain't right yet, but I done came a long ways. I done been out here about two weeks. I done been in two hospitals. [indistinct 00:35:34]. Shit, I'm just now—Hell, I didn't even know my way home. If my sister and then didn't bring me, I get a cab. I was messed up bad. Doctors thought they going to lose me twice. Two of them.	35:23
Stacey Scales	Really?	35:45
Eddie Watts	Yeah. I used to be talking about strongest man in the world. You can get weak all they want. I'm out here talking about—Judo. I don't even hardly come up them steps the next day. My strength done left me all at once. So take care of yourself. I took care of myself for years, but I made a slip. I drunk some liquor on some medicine. Down at American Legion. Down there partying. I liked to party to the graveyard.	35:48
Stacey Scales	This is just a few more forms. This one has your birthdate on it.	36:11
Eddie Watts	August the 23rd, 1928. I tell a girl that, she run from me now. You too old. I say, "I'm glad to be here and just keep living." Reach it. Pray to the Lord you reach it.	36:23
Stacey Scales	Do you remember your parents' name?	36:39
Eddie Watts	Yeah, Sarah Watts, that's my mother's name. Eddie Watts, he like me so he named me and my sister after him. Eddie Watts Senior, Eddie Watts Junior, and Eddie Mae Watts. My sister live over by Miles. Eddie Mae Watts. He named all of us, all five. You know there's three of us and five on the other side.	36:41
Stacey Scales	Do you remember your parents' birthday?	37:05
Eddie Watts	Oh, Lordy!	37:05
Stacey Scales	You don't have to give it to me if you don't remember.	37:05
Eddie Watts	There ain't no way!	37:13
Stacey Scales	They were born here in Birmingham?	37:15
Eddie Watts	Who, my daddy?	37:17
Stacey Scales	And your mama.	37:18
Eddie Watts	Selma, Alabama. Yeah, see you trying to say I suddenly had forgot about that.	37:23
Stacey Scales	No, your mom and dad were Selma—	37:33
Eddie Watts	Yeah. He was schooled down there and he came down here and got that job. Then they got married.	37:33
Stacey Scales	What did your mom do? She a housewife?	37:37
Eddie Watts	Housewife. And she could go—You know they didn't have nothing, but them tubs and rowboats then. You know that, don't you?	37:43
Stacey Scales	Right.	37:46
Eddie Watts	She kept all us clean. If I ain't telling the truth, my name ain't Eddie Watts. Dry them buckets all day and changing the clear water into something else. She had us clean in that water, though. If you could walk, you going to get that water. Better go up to the house, right down in the yard. Fill it up, dump it on the [indistinct 00:38:09].	37:47
Stacey Scales	Could you tell me your brother's and sister's names? Eddie Mae—	38:09
Eddie Watts	Eddie Mae Watts, Bernice Watts.	38:11
Stacey Scales	Bernice?	38:14
Eddie Watts	Yeah. Willie Jane Watts.	38:15
Stacey Scales	That's it?	38:23
Eddie Watts	Watts. No, Johnny Watts, George Watts, LC Watts. He passed, he next to me.	38:24
Stacey Scales	LC?	38:34
Eddie Watts	Yeah, he next to me. Had heart trouble, got him. He died back in—	38:35
Stacey Scales	You got any children?	38:44
Eddie Watts	Yeah, I got one boy. My sister got him over there in Homewood. She raised him when he was just like that. A lady gave him to me, "Get on out of here!" And put me out. And I got, "You can have the baby too!" Went out looking, wrapped him up in a blanket, my sister was glad to get him. Now he big, look like Hulk Hogan.	38:44
Stacey Scales	Yeah?	39:01
Eddie Watts	Living over there in Homewood. About an hour in there.	39:01
Stacey Scales	What's his name?	39:02
Eddie Watts	Darrel Watts. He a weight lifter now.	39:08
Stacey Scales	And you remember his birthday? How old is he?	39:09
Eddie Watts	He about 21. I don't remember birthday. I can't think of it. Just estimate, you know. I was over there yesterday morning. I go over there, be about 6:00 in the morning. I get tired of laying down since I been sick. I cut out.	39:15
Stacey Scales	Where did you go in the Army? What places did you go?	39:27
Eddie Watts	Man! Hawaii, the first place.	39:31
Stacey Scales	You remember when?	39:39
Eddie Watts	Hawaii?	39:49
Stacey Scales	Yeah.	39:49
Eddie Watts	'60. When I say I got rolled up down yonder? '66? I got discharged in '54, no. Let me see. That had to be in the '60s I was over there in Guam. I been on Guam. Yeah. Hawaii and Guam, and Saipan and Tokyo.	39:49
Stacey Scales	Saipan?	40:04
Eddie Watts	Yeah, that's an island. Guam, Saipan, and Tokyo. You know about Tokyo, don't you?	40:19
Stacey Scales	Yeah.	40:21
Eddie Watts	You all doing all that trading with them and they going to get you again. Son, you turn that light on. You see all them bugs wrapped around here? Light bugs.	40:22
Stacey Scales	They like the light. So you worked at the steel mill. This is US Steel?	40:27
Eddie Watts	ESX now. They changed the name since I been down there. I came out of down there in '84. If you had 30 something years and what? 50 something years old, you could go. And I was the first one in line.	40:37
Stacey Scales	You worked from '54 to '84?	40:52
Eddie Watts	What?	40:53
Stacey Scales	In the steel mill down there.	40:58
Eddie Watts	Yeah, yeah. Wait a minute. They made us that offer—What it is now?	40:59
Stacey Scales	'94.	41:11
Eddie Watts	'94. In '84, they made us that offer. That's when all of us, early retirement. If you got 25 or 27 years, over 25 years, and been down there and got 30 something years with them, you could retire. So that's what happened.	41:14
Stacey Scales	Did you go to school any years?	41:33
Eddie Watts	Hmm-mm (negative).	41:35
Stacey Scales	No? Not at all?	41:37
Eddie Watts	You talking about grammar school?	41:40
Stacey Scales	Yeah, grammar school.	41:42
Eddie Watts	yeah, I went to eighth grade. If I didn't, I couldn't count my money when I got paid off.	41:43
Stacey Scales	You know the name of the school?	41:46
Eddie Watts	Westfield Grammar School. They got a Westfield High School. I didn't make it that long. Other people went all the way through it.	41:49
Stacey Scales	Okay.	42:04
Eddie Watts	Where you work at? Miles?	42:04
Stacey Scales	I'm living at Miles right now. I'm staying over there, but—	42:06
Eddie Watts	Well, my sisters don't live too far from where you at.	42:09
Stacey Scales	Oh no?	42:11
Eddie Watts	I swear she don't.	42:11
Stacey Scales	Can I talk to her?	42:11
Eddie Watts	She came down—Huh?	42:11
Stacey Scales	You think she would mind talking to me?	42:11
Eddie Watts	Yeah. No! What time is it? When, you talking about another day?	42:19
Stacey Scales	Another day.	42:20
Eddie Watts	Sure, she'll be glad for you to talk to her.	42:21
Stacey Scales	Okay.	42:25
Eddie Watts	I show you where you live up there, you go up yourself and introduce you.	42:26
Stacey Scales	Okay, you—	42:27
Eddie Watts	One day you be down there, I take you up there in the car. That'll keep her company. She the oldest, but she get around, you know. She a—	42:29
Stacey Scales	What's her name?	42:37
Eddie Watts	Eddie Mae Watts.	42:37
Stacey Scales	Eddie Mae, and do you remember her phone number?	42:39
Eddie Watts	Lord, I got it on paper. When you get ready, you just come down there. I don't go nowhere. I'm still on the doctor's advice, under the doctor I wouldn't go nowhere. And I'll take you up there and she'll be glad to ride with you. She a religious lady.	42:44
Stacey Scales	Because I have a car and I could come get you.	42:54
Eddie Watts	Yeah, you could trail me. We'll park and then I take you in there, introduce you.	42:57
Stacey Scales	Okay.	43:02
Eddie Watts	All right.	43:02
Stacey Scales	Have you ever received any awards or honors, like military or anything?	43:05
Eddie Watts	Yeah, I ain't never seen nothing but a conduct medal. I don't even think I had it. It got away. And I got an honorable discharge. A lot of them guys got them bad discharges years ago. You can't do nothing in the United States. Dishonorable and all that. They didn't want to do right, obey orders. Some of them got discharged and things, put them out.	43:09
Stacey Scales	Mm-hmm. Do you belong to any organizations?	43:36
Eddie Watts	Hmm-mm (negative).	43:41
Stacey Scales	No? You believe to the fireman's—	43:41
Eddie Watts	You ain't still taping me.	43:44
Stacey Scales	It's about to go off right now.	43:46
Eddie Watts	You done taped all that I said that while ago?	43:48
Stacey Scales	Mm-hmm.	43:50
Eddie Watts	Just then?	43:50
Stacey Scales	Yeah, it's just, I just let it run.	43:56
Eddie Watts	Oh! Now, Peewee, Eddie Mae can give you more information than I can about the family.	44:01
Stacey Scales	Okay, I'll talk to her.	44:06
Eddie Watts	And Bernice Watts. They can give you anything you want to know because they ain't forgetful and they know more about it than I do.	44:06
Stacey Scales	I'm going to have to talk to them then.	44:06
Eddie Watts	See, I left and I went in the Marine Corps.	44:06
Stacey Scales	You got any pictures that you'd be interested in sharing? Or anything like that?	44:06
Eddie Watts	Nah, I had some. They got away.	44:06
Stacey Scales	Your sisters?	44:06
Eddie Watts	No, I ain't got none of my sisters.	44:06
Stacey Scales	Maybe I'll ask—	44:06
Eddie Watts	She'll give you one when you go up there. She got them all over the dresser. Ask her for one. She'll treat you lady. She ain't like that.	44:06
Stacey Scales	All right, this is a sheet that you can sign. What it does is just saying that students can—	44:07
Eddie Watts	It ain't going to get me put in AGMO is it?	44:08
Stacey Scales	No. It's just saying students could use your—	44:10
Eddie Watts	Well, you could go up there and interview. You can't interview her because you interviewing me.	44:42
Stacey Scales	Just sign right here.	44:42
Eddie Watts	Right here?	44:42
Stacey Scales	Yes.	44:42
Eddie Watts	Look at that. That done got me nervous. I guess some kids can read that. E-D-D-I-E.	44:42
Stacey Scales	You mind if I take a picture of you?	45:06
Eddie Watts	No! They call me Pretty Boy Floyd. What, you going to put that on a bulletin board?	45:10
Stacey Scales	Yeah, you might be on TV or something.	45:19
Eddie Watts	Hey. I used to work at Channel Six.	45:20
Stacey Scales	Okay, here we go. All right.	45:20
Eddie Watts	I used to work at Channel Six.	45:20
Stacey Scales	Oh yeah?	45:20
Eddie Watts	'60 and '61. That man ain't want me to leave. I was a chauffer then. I got laid off down there. About a year and a half they wrote me up and I went up there. The unemployment office sent my benefit. Guys say, "I can't find no job." He can find a job. Get off these front porches and stop breaking in people's houses before some of them get a shotgun blast in their chest. Then they—	45:29
Stacey Scales	So you worked at Channel Six?	45:49
Eddie Watts	Yeah!	45:52
Stacey Scales	Where else did you work, other than the mill?	45:53
Eddie Watts	Let me see. Channel Six. That's about the only place I worked when I was laid off. Laid off just about two years. Got lucky and got up there with that uniform on and that cap and all them tips. [indistinct 00:46:08], rawhide. Man, I done had it. Them big get togethers they had on, you know, holidays, Christmas, New Year. I done been in some.	46:00
Eddie Watts	No, I had another job over here at—Ain't been long got off of that. I got sick.	46:18

Eddie Watts	We were right behind each other.	0:01
Stacey Scales	She was born three years before you—	0:02
Eddie Watts	Yeah, and the other one, Bernice. Two year.	0:05
Tywanna Whorley	I need to get the keys from you. I forgot to get the forms out.	0:07
Stacey Scales	Oh, okay.	0:07
Eddie Watts	Well, you come back when you see me. Get these electric wires off of me before I start smoking.	0:13
Stacey Scales	It'll be all right. Thank you. I appreciate it.	0:13
Eddie Watts	Alrighty.	0:21
Stacey Scales	Take care, and I'm come by here Wednesday. We talk to your sister.	0:23
Eddie Watts	I be—	0:26

Item Info

Title:

Eddie Watts interview recording, 1994 June 16

Date:

June 16, 1994

Creator:

Watts, Eddie

Contributor:

Scales, Mausiki Stacey

Description:

Name: Eddie Watts; Date of birth: 1928-08-23; Place of birth: Birmingham, AL; Occupation(s): steel worker; manufacturing; laborer; Residence: Fairfield, AL
Informant ID: 758; Interviewed by: Stacey Scales.

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Location:

Format:

Language:

English

Digital Collection:

Behind the Veil

Source Collection:

Behind the Veil: Documenting African American Life in the Jim Crow South interviews, photographs, and project records, circa 1864-2011, bulk 1990-2004

Series:

Related Resources:

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Provenance:

The David M. Rubenstein Rare Book and Manuscript Library acquired the Records of the Behind the Veil Oral History Project from the Duke University Center for Documentary Studies in 1997, 1998, 2000, and 2002.

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Limited Re-Use

CC BY-NC 4.0

Rights Note:

Copyright for content created by the Behind the Veil project is held by Duke University and made available to the public using a Creative Commons Attribution / Non-commercial (CC-BY-NC) license.

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RL00170-CS-0382
38bac4de-d001-4722-8b88-4ac51c75d948
behindtheveil
a9ced890-f011-49fd-a498-dbb4ad36e310
ark:/87924/r4sj1p07r
a9ced890-f011-49fd-a498-dbb4ad36e310

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Eddie Watts interview recording, 1994 June 16

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1. Eddie Watts administrative file, 1994

John Hope Franklin Research Center

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Eddie Watts interview recording, 1994 June 16

Transcript

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John Hope Franklin Research Center

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