Simply put, toilet paper is not considered much of a keepsake. Yet within the archives of the Wisconsin Historical Society in Madison, rests a carefully-preserved six-foot swatch of toilet paper. Its relevance in chronicling the civil rights struggle can best be told by Miriam Real, who used it as stationery while incarcerated in a Port Allen, Louisiana Jail, in September 1963.
Real -- then Miriam Feingold -- was one of hundreds of people arrested during a voter registration drive coordinated by the Congress of Racial Equality, or CORE. In this feature, Real describes her fateful assignment.
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Piece Description
Simply put, toilet paper is not considered much of a keepsake. Yet within the archives of the Wisconsin Historical Society in Madison, rests a carefully-preserved six-foot swatch of toilet paper. Its relevance in chronicling the civil rights struggle can best be told by Miriam Real, who used it as stationery while incarcerated in a Port Allen, Louisiana Jail, in September 1963. Real -- then Miriam Feingold -- was one of hundreds of people arrested during a voter registration drive coordinated by the Congress of Racial Equality, or CORE. In this feature, Real describes her fateful assignment.
2 Comments
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Review of Toilet Paper Scrap Chronicles Civil Rights OrdealVery well done historical piece done in first person storytelling with archival material and a reading. From the first tease of how toilet paper made history, this is a compelling short piece about one of the episodes the civil rights movement. The story is told through one of the hundreds of people arrested during a voter reistration drive. She wrote a letter chronicling this effort while jailed in Louisiana. Producer Brian Bull has done an outstanding job producing a textured and intriguing piece. I highly recommend it for airplay during Black History Month. |
Broadcast History
This aired on Sept. 6th on Wisconsin Public Radio. A similar, shorter version aired Sept. 28th on NPR's News and Notes.
Transcript
TOILET PAPER LETTER
09/06/05
BBULL
LENGTH 6:58 + :26 music tail = 7:24
***NOTE HOST OUTRO AT END***
Host:
Simply put, toilet paper is not considered much of a keepsake. Yet within the archives of the Wisconsin Historical Society in Madison, rests a carefully-preserved six-foot swathe of toilet paper. Its relevance in chronicling the civil rights struggle can best be told by Miriam Real, who used it as stationery while incarcerated in a Port Allen, Louisiana Jail, in September 1963.
Real -- then Miriam Feingold -- was one of hundreds of people arrested during a voter registration drive coordinated by the Congress of Racial Equality, or CORE. In today's feature, Real describes her fateful assignment.
Listeners should note that this story contains some recreated audio elements -- and some descriptions of violence:
==========================
"Plaquemine was o...
Read the full transcript
Timing and Cues
6:58 plus :26 music tail.
TOILET PAPER LETTER
09/06/05
BBULL
LENGTH 6:58 + :26 music tail = 7:24
***NOTE HOST OUTRO AT END***
Host:
Simply put, toilet paper is not considered much of a keepsake. Yet within the archives of the Wisconsin Historical Society in Madison, rests a carefully-preserved six-foot swathe of toilet paper. Its relevance in chronicling the civil rights struggle can best be told by Miriam Real, who used it as stationery while incarcerated in a Port Allen, Louisiana Jail, in September 1963.
Real -- then Miriam Feingold -- was one of hundreds of people arrested during a voter registration drive coordinated by the Congress of Racial Equality, or CORE. In today's feature produced by Brian Bull, Real describes her fateful assignment.
Listeners should note that this story contains some recreated audio elements -- and some descriptions of violence:
==========================
OUTRO:
Miriam Real, discussing her toilet-paper letter which is preserved at the Wisconsin Historical Society of Madison. The document chronicles a 1963 clash between civil rights activists and police in the town of Plaquemine [PLAHK-uh-muhn], Louisiana. This story was produced by Brian Bull.]
Musical Works
:26 CLIP OF "WOKE UP THIS MORNING WITH MY MIND ON FREEDOM" sung by Freedom Singers group, part of Smithsonian Folkways recording.
From Voices of the Civil Rights Movement: Black American Freedom Songs 1960-1966 (Various Artists)
Smithsonian Folkways Recordings - SFW40084 1997
Additional Files
- transcript of 1963 t-p letter (MiriamRealLetter090563.doc)
- Photo of Miriam Real (mimi01.jpg)
- shot of toilet paper letter (tpsmall.JPG)
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Megan Sukys
Posted on February 06, 2011 at 10:56 PM | Permalink
Still worth Hearing
This story was produced five and a half years ago, but I still found it very compelling.