Interview with MyKeisha Ross, October 12, 2022

Partial Transcript: Today is October the 12th, 2022...

Segment Synopsis: Breeding briefly introduces Ross and gets preliminary information from her.

Keywords: Athens Black history

Partial Transcript: So my timeline starts when I moved to Athens.

Segment Synopsis: Ross talks about moving often as a child and being raised by a single mother. In school, Ross says that she was bullied a lot because she and her brother would sometimes wear the same clothes for days in a row.

Keywords: Burney-Harris Middle School; Cleveland Road Elementary School; Rolling Ridge Apartments; Whitehead Road Elementary School; Winterville Elementary School

Partial Transcript: A lot of my middle school years was the start of my abuse.

Segment Synopsis: Ross mentions that her male relatives began to molest her when she was in the sixth grade, so school and sports became an escape for her. In middle school, she ran track, played basketball, and played football.

Keywords: Burney-Harris Middle School; sexual assault; sexual violence

Partial Transcript: Then when I got to high school, that’s when – in ninth grade, everything spun.

Segment Synopsis: Ross describes the rivalry between Eastside and Westside. She says her crew, which was mainly other members of the basketball team, was described as pretty thugs. She talks about how being in the streets can bring about what she calls a “slave mentality,” which traps you and keeps you from moving on to better things.

Keywords: Clarke Central High School; drugs; gangs; violence

Partial Transcript: I’ve always felt like no one understood MyKeisha Ross.

Segment Synopsis: Ross speaks of the morals her ancestors instilled in her. She describes the empathy she has for underprivileged communities and how she has opened a business today in order to help impoverished populations access clothing.

Keywords: Edna Katie Ruth Jenkins Bell; Kathy Bell; family relations; generational relations; poverty

Partial Transcript: I used to be ashamed to tell this part.

Segment Synopsis: Ross says that her mother was not one to advocate on her behalf, and so she had to learn to stand up for herself. However, when Ross fell one point shy of passing the graduation test, her mother met with the Board of Education so that Ross could walk and graduate.

Keywords: institutionalized racism; standardized testing

Partial Transcript: I went to Middle Georgia College in Cochran, Georgia.

Segment Synopsis: Ross explains that she became pregnant with her son her first year of college, and her mother would not allow her to get an abortion. She made money by betting with the guys on basketball games and by making stencils for tattoos.

Keywords: Valdosta State University; gambling; sports

Partial Transcript: I didn’t want to have my son in Cochran.

Segment Synopsis: Ross describes being homeless for two years with her newborn son after her mom kicked them out. She attempted to go back to school, but nothing ever worked out. Instead, Ross says that she reads every day and is more educated now than she has ever been. She talks about providing education in the home for her children and what she thinks is important for them to know. She discusses the struggle of teachers and students alike in the current education system.

Keywords: Oprah; Zig Ziglar; generational wealth; motherhood; school systems

Partial Transcript: -- how can you break the system that's meant to hurt us?

Segment Synopsis: Ross discusses that it is not possible to reform a system, but that a new one must be made to replace it. She talks about the rivalry between non-profit organizations in Athens.

Keywords: Joy Village; alternative schooling; institutionalized racism

Partial Transcript: -- we’re missing leadership and love.

Segment Synopsis: Ross talks about having to learn a lot of things herself and through experience as opposed to having elders guide her through the process. Ross and Breeding discuss the differences between a qualified individual and a loyal individual; loyal individuals are more likely to be rewarded in Athens.

Keywords: activism; community relations; cultural conditioning; local elections

Partial Transcript: So Neighborhood Leaders was created through the prosperity packet…

Segment Synopsis: Ross elaborates on the entrenched system of loyalty to one another in the public service sector as opposed to loyalty to the public. She discusses how running for mayor has enlightened her to the inner workings of the county commission.

Keywords: Athens Land Trust; Mariah Parker; race relations

Partial Transcript: We were talking about the younger generation...

Segment Synopsis: Ross explains that her goal in running for mayor was not to win, but to demonstrate that people with high school diplomas are capable. She emphasizes the need for the community to come together and work out their issues. She advises the youth to never give up.

Keywords: Christianity; community relations; religion