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Celedonia "Cal" Jones grew up in Harlem during the 1930s. When he was 9 years old, his family moved to a new block. And, as Celedonia recently told his friend Robert Harris, being the new kid wasn't easy.
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Related Pieces
Piece Description
Celedonia "Cal" Jones grew up in Harlem during the 1930s. When he was 9 years old, his family moved to a new block. And, as Celedonia recently told his friend Robert Harris, being the new kid wasn't easy.
Broadcast History
NPR's "Morning Edition" - June 13, 2008
Transcript
Cal: I remember moving to 143rd street between Lennox and 7th. That was probably one of the toughest blocks in the city. The first day I came out to play and this fella comes up and he says, "Hey."
So I says, "Well I'm Cal," and I put my hand out to shake, and he, BANG, he hits me in the eye. I said all I wanted to do is be friends, he says, "And that's how we start friends in this block." So that was the kind of reception I got moving in to this block.
Cal: I remember this day, it was like 95 degrees, we were out on the sidewalk, and we were about nine and eleven years old. So I said let's play boxball and that was like hitting the ball you know ran the bases and all, and it was hot, so we said it's too hot to play. And we were talking and my brother said, "I guess it would really be something if someone tried to run around this court in this weather and so this fella Gordon said, "Ahh...
Read the full transcript
Intro and Outro
INTRO:Time now for StoryCorps.
This project is criss-crossing the country recording everyday people telling their OWN stories.
Celedonia [sell-DOAN-yuh] "Cal" Jones came by with a friend ...
... to talk about growing up.
His family lived in Harlem during the 1930s.
When he was nine years old, they moved to a new block... -- and Cal quickly learned how the neighborhood worked.
OUTRO:Related Website
