- You were going to
substitute my class and
before you came in the class,
I told all the kids in the class,
all black children,
all Gullah at St. Helena
Elementary School,
my sister going to be our teacher
today, my sister
going to be our teacher today.
And here come
in this white woman
with the hair
all the way down to her behind.
And they called me a lie.
- You is a lie. - And that's a cuss word
in Gullah. - That's a cuss word.
- You're not supposed to say that.
- You say: you tell them the story?
But they called...
They said: you a lie.
- And what did I tell them?
Yes, she's my sister.
- So I yelled across the class
and I said, Lynn, Lynn,
ain't you my sister?
And I have never acted out
in class like that and yell
disrespectfully because
you'd get your behind cut. - I would have done the same.
I would have done the same thing.
Victoria, if my big sister came in
was a sub.
- I know.
But they didn't believe me
and I was crying,
I don't know if I was crying.
I know I was mad
because they didn't believe me.
And they called me a lie. - Well, I said damn
straight that I was your sister.
- Okay.
What's the best thing
you've learned from
your worst fight?
- That words are more painful
than anything else.
- With words, your tongue can cut.
- The tongue.
and you can't take
those words back and
that I never...
- But I forgot all about it until...
- I never want to be
disconnected from you.
I-
- Yeah, that was, that
was, that was like a
that was like a
- But I- - That was hard.
- I know it was because I was tired,
but I will never like I just pray
that that never happens because...
- It won't.
because we've been
through that one time.
Yeah, I know I can't
go through that again.
Or else you all might as well dig
a grave for me and put me in it
because I can't take that no more.
- Yeah, we won't get there.
We've been through that.
So, that was difficult. - Yeah.
That was difficult.
And
that also, for me,
what I learned was that
I can't take things for granted.
That's always going to be able to
that every gathering, isn't meant for you.
That even though we have this family gathering,
I'm used to all of our
family coming together
all the time and your house,
being open like, like you say,
Grand Central Station.
We're used to your house to be
the gathering
place for our family.
And then when you just wanted
and needed time to your family
because you were exhausted
from all the guests
coming in and out
back to back for two or
three weeks. - And I think it was the last day too.
- And you were exhausted.
- I was exhausted.
- And I didn't understand that.
I couldn't comprehend that
we could not come over
and that we weren't part of it.
- I just remember, like...
- I couldn't comprehend it.
I didn't comprehend it.
It was just like, like,
Oh, she doesn't mean that.
That doesn't apply to me.
Is now applies to
everyone else that
doesn't apply to me.
The Queen Victoria.
- I pray.
I just pray we'd
never had that again.
- We won't because...
- That was too painful.
That was like a death
in the family, almost to me.
Yeah.
Oh,
when do you think others judge us?
And why do you think they do?
You and I.
- I say in any situation
when people judge you,
they don't know you
and they don't really know you
when they judge you.
- I shared with you
about the social media post
when I got the job and a person
said they couldn't
find an authentic
Gullah person, a black full
black person to do this job.
And I felt so
like I just wanted to see who
this person was like.
Oh, first I said, Oh,
they don't know me,
they don't know who I am.
And I was about to say Google me.
And then
I said, I do so much
to uplift the culture,
and I should have never
even responded to that post
because it was something
that was so deep into colorism.
And I have to be,
you know, dark skinned Gullah.
Well my daddy's blue, black, why?
You know,
I was just really feeling kind of
I was allowing that
moment to affect me
in such a way that I should
not have given matter
and I just should
have said Google me.
And... - It's a
learning experience
and it's a growth experience. - Yeah.
So why do you think they do that?
Just because it all...?
- Because everyone has baggage.
We all carry baggage
from our childhood.
A lot of people won't
admit their baggage,
but we all have a baggage.
- Well, this person
actually spelled it out, you know,
white supremacy and
was blaming it on
that, that I'm more
that I am more
acceptable to the world
than a dark person.
And I was like, I don't know.
I don't know about that.
Sometimes that I'm not accepted
into all black world.
I'm not accepted
in the all white world.
And I- there's no place for me
and I have to make my way
and I've made my way.
- That's right.
- I've made my way and
sometimes in, you know,
I can be extremely pro black
as you are extremely pro black.
- Well, I don't calm down.
- Oof.
- Yeah. 'Mama,
I hate white people.'
is what you said. - Yeah.
- 'Mama, I hate white people.'
- I did.
- Yeah. - But you live long enough.
The Lord teaches you. - Yeah.
- And he puts you through
experiences there.
- And you are white, aren't you?
- Well, according to America,
I mean, the world.
But race is a creation.
It's not even a real thing.
When do you come to me
instead of any of our other siblings?
- When do I come to you?
Dealing with a man.
- And why?
- I come to you... Oh, I come to you for everything!
When I'm going to need a ride
to the emergency room
if I have an emergency,
if I need someone
to take care of my child.
I know that Layla loves
being in your space, in your home.
She feels that that is her home.
- Yeah, it is her home. - Um...
- And when I want to talk about
another sibling.
When I want to talk
about another sibling
then I come to you.
You're like our mediator
in the family.
You're a... - Peacekeeper.
Yeah, you're where
everyone comes to to help
work it out. Yeah.
Like when I was pregnant
in college.
- I don't even remember it.
- Oh gosh, I came
straight to your house. - You did?
- You said, Stop lying.
No, you said:
stop telling that story.
Stop story.
And then she's like this:
Pull up your shirt and show me,
and then I wasn't
showing, I was four
and a half months pregnant
and I wasn't showing a lie.
And then you looked over to _______
'She lying, ain't it?'
- I don't remember this.
- And I said: I'm not lying.
And we were just really,
really, really serious.
And then you made me
get on the phone
and call all my brothers
and sisters. - I did?
- Then you called mama over,
you told me to call mama over
and then mama,
I get my mother first
and I'm like: 'Mom, I'm over at Lynn's
house, we're over at Lynn's.
Can you come over?
I got to talk to you
about something.'
She's like,
You're not getting married.
You're too young to get married.
And I'm like: oh, yeah, just make it worse
because she knew something serious
if we were coming to your
house to meet.
Oh, so yeah, you're the you're.
The...
You're the peacemaker,
the mediator,
the person we bring
all our troubles to
before we have to
take them elsewhere.
- Interesting. - Yeah.
- Okay.
It's just a nice question.
When you think of us as kids,
what's the first thing
that comes to mind?
- Taking care of you.
- Taking care of me in what way?
- Exposing you to things,
taking you to the beach
and turning you into ballet.
Taking you to ballet class
on Saturday mornings.
- But you were much older than I was,
like, another,
you know, another generation.
- So, y'all be playing and I'll be cooking and cleaning.
- Yeah. - Yeah.
You'll be playing, having fun.
- Because you like 14
years older than me? - Yeah, yeah.
- Wow.
And then, too Victoria,
people always would look at me
with grimace as
I'm walking downtown
with y'all on Bay Street.
Because I was a teenager
and I had four small
biracial children with me.
And they look at me like,
those are my children.
They would give me some
very little nasty looks
Not that I cared.
- No, you didn't care.
You was never...
So when I was a follower,
you didn't care. No, I know.
- No? But it did still hurt?
For a second? - Not really.
And you. Know.
I just ignore ignorance.
I put it that way.
- Wow. I forgot about that.
About you walking
with us in this stigma.
Oh, not the stigma,
but what people,
how people look at you.
- But people do stuff like that.
- So you're number what
in the family, you're number...?
- Good question.
- Because I'm number 13 of 14. - 9.
- You're number nine.
OK, so it's your turn.
- Oh, it's my turn? - If you're ready.
- All right. Now, this fun.
If I for some reason
lost my memory,
yes, I'm halfway gone.
Oh, what's the first
thing you'd tell me about us?
- Wow, so that hits home
because our mother lost her memory
with Alzheimer's,
dementia and Alzheimer's.
So that's real personal for us.
And that's something
you joke about all the time.
Like, I'm going to have
Alzheimer's.
Yeah.
And I'm just like, No, you not.
Don't claim that.
Don't speak that into existence.
Don't put Mount on yourself.
- Victoria.
- I'm just saying: no.
To the first thing I would say
to you is that.
Lynn, Lynn, ain't you my sister?
That's what I'd say. - Yeah, and I'm proud.
I'm proud to be your sister girl.
- Yeah. - I used to be...
I used to be:
'I'm Lynn's younger sister.'
Now- - I'm your older sister.
Yeah, like, no, I'm
Victoria's sister.
- I know.
Isn't that neat when things
change? - They shift.
- I'm Victoria's sister.
- Yeah, yeah, I like that.
- But like being like,
a semi mother figure,
like a big sister semi mother. - You are.
- And since mom is not here. - Yeah.
She here.
- Yeah, she is. - Yeah.
- I'm proud of you.
- Yeah.
- Even though you didn't
need the degree,
but to knock out your degree. - Yeah.
- In spite of all hell
that was breaking loose, I'm like- - What hell?
- Like going through
surgery and stuff
and working full time.
Everything you did, it was like... - Losing my job.
- Losing your job.
And I'm like, You taken 18 hours
in one semester.
You got two major surgeries.
You're dealing with,
you'tr working full time,
you got a student
athlete in the house
and I'm like,
I can't even wrap
my mind around it.
- Yeah. - So like, Victoria...
- Yeah. - You're my hero.
- Aw, wow! - And so... every time
- Wow. - That you've got a position,
different positions,
like director of history
and culture here at Penn Center.
Yeah,
When you got your position
with the National Park Service
and now as executive
director of the
Geechee Gullah corridor,
I'm immensely proud of you and you...
You've done it all on your own.
No one gave you nothing.
And so
- Wow.
- As your big sister and on behalf of your mama,
we are immensely
proud of you. Yes, you
trail blazer like you just-
Okay, that's all I'll say. It's your turn. - Wow.
- Okay, wow. Lynn, thank you.
Well, I just want to say,
I love you, Lynn. - I love you too.
- Yeah.
- And everything that I do or say... - You do with love.
- Yeah, don't- just know that
I love you immensely.
I know. I know. I know.
Thank you.
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