Last week we discussed all that Marsha accomplished as well as her unsolved death and immediate family. In part 2 covering Marsha P. Johnson, we continue the conversation with her nephew Al Michaels and learn more about her parents and ancestors, including her grandmother, a Voodoo priestess..
Read MoreAfter a day of festivities and fun at the Gay Pride Parade in New York City, the body of one of its most notable residents who fought for civil rights for all people, was found floating in the Hudson River on July 6, 1992. Marsha P. Johnson, born Malcolm Michaels, Jr, identified herself as a drag queen and was an outspoken activist for gay rights who first gained prominence during the Stonewall Uprising. We may never know the circumstances of her death, but her work lives on today.
Read MoreIn Part II of our conversation on Dian Fossey, Denise and Zelda finish up their discussion of Fossey’s family tree, starting where they left off in the last Summersode, The Woman That Lives Alone on the Mountain. In this week’s Summersode, they finish their conversation on the family of Fossey’s mother, Hazel Kidd, then explore her father's side.
What else is left to discuss? Well, at least two more murders, a scandalous will, a family history of train deaths, a famous British naval hero, and so much more.
Nynyiramachabelli, the woman that lives alone on the Mountain, is a Rwandan word used to describe gorilla conservationist Dian Fossey on her grave in Rwanda. It was the name given to her by Rwandan’s who lived near her in the Virugan Mountains of Rwanda. In 1963, Fossey first arrived on the continent of Africa. It would soon after become her permanent home until her murdered body was found in the early morning hours of December 27, 1985.
Listen to Part 1 of The Woman That Lives Alone on the Mountain…
In the early morning hours of August 28, 1955, two white men entered the home of Mose Wright armed with a flashlight and a pistol. The men, Roy Bryant and J. W. Milam, came for Wright’s 14-year-old nephew, Emmett Till. With his uncle and aunt pleading the men to stop, they abducted Till into the night. It would be the last time Till’s family would see him alive.
On this summersode, Zelda and Denise discuss the events that led up to the horrific lynching of Chicago-native Emmitt Till as well as what happened next. Then we go further by discussing his family tree, an interesting history of struggle, success, and heartbreak.
On June 12, 1963, at the sound of a gun, Myrlie Evers, wife of Medgar Evers, rushed to her door, fearful that she knew what had just happened. Pregnant with her fourth child, she rushed to the door as her children hid. On the other side, Myrlie found her husband’s blood body collapsed near the door. Myrlie’s worst fear was realized, her husband, a civil rights leader in Jackson, Mississippi, had been shot in the back by an assassin’s bullet. Less than an hour later, he would die in an all-white hospital.
We have exciting episodes coming this summer. Listen to the trailer to learn more about who we will be featuring!
Read MoreIn June 1985, the body of a young woman was found naked, wrapped in a sheet, in the trunk of a car. Upon looking at her body, a police officer told the press that it appeared as if she died of a drug overdose. When the autopsy came back, she had no drugs in her system.
In this episode, we talk about what led up to Catherine Mowrey’s death and how it affected her family. Then we get into her family tree, with the help of her niece Catrina Marshal, where we found a lot of generational tragedy and trauma.
Read MoreBetsy Faria thought she made a good friend at work; one who showed support and love during one of the most trying times in her life. She didn’t realize, until it was too late, that her friendship with Pamela Hupp would be more deadly than her terminal cancer diagnosis…
