1 00:00:16,016 --> 00:00:18,018 - (insects chirping) - (water lapping) 2 00:00:29,155 --> 00:00:32,950 ♪ I'm going home, oh, yes ♪ 3 00:00:33,033 --> 00:00:36,620 ♪ I'm going home, oh, yes ♪ 4 00:00:36,704 --> 00:00:40,207 ♪ I'm going home, Lord, Lord ♪ 5 00:00:40,291 --> 00:00:42,251 ♪ I'm going home ♪ 6 00:00:42,334 --> 00:00:46,088 ♪ I'm going home, Lord, Lord ♪ 7 00:00:46,172 --> 00:00:47,840 ♪ I'm going home ♪ 8 00:00:47,923 --> 00:00:51,552 ♪ My baby sister's crying ♪ 9 00:00:51,635 --> 00:00:55,181 ♪ My baby sister's crying ♪ 10 00:00:55,264 --> 00:00:59,059 ♪ Brother, come home, Lord, Lord ♪ 11 00:00:59,143 --> 00:01:02,563 ♪ Brother, come home, brother, come home ♪ 12 00:01:02,646 --> 00:01:06,484 ♪ Lord, Lord, brother, come home ♪ 13 00:01:06,567 --> 00:01:09,862 ♪ I'm going home, oh, yes ♪ 14 00:01:09,945 --> 00:01:13,574 ♪ I'm going home, oh, yes ♪ 15 00:01:13,657 --> 00:01:17,203 ♪ I'm going home, Lord, Lord ♪ 16 00:01:17,286 --> 00:01:21,081 {\an8}♪ I'm going home, I'm going home ♪ 17 00:01:21,165 --> 00:01:24,585 {\an8}♪ Lord, Lord, I'm going home ♪ 18 00:01:24,668 --> 00:01:31,675 {\an8}♪ My own mother's crying, my own mother's crying ♪ 19 00:01:31,759 --> 00:01:35,638 ♪ Come on home, Lord, Lord ♪ 20 00:01:35,721 --> 00:01:38,974 ♪ Come on home, come on home ♪ 21 00:01:39,058 --> 00:01:42,645 ♪ Lord, Lord, come on home ♪ 22 00:01:42,728 --> 00:01:45,940 ♪ I'm going home, oh, yes ♪ 23 00:01:46,023 --> 00:01:49,360 ♪ I'm going home, oh, yes ♪ 24 00:01:49,443 --> 00:01:53,322 ♪ I'm going home, Lord, Lord ♪ 25 00:01:53,405 --> 00:01:55,741 ♪ I'm going home. ♪ 26 00:01:55,825 --> 00:01:58,244 (birds chirping) 27 00:01:58,327 --> 00:02:01,831 GERTRUDE: My daddy, the day before he died, he told me, 28 00:02:01,914 --> 00:02:04,875 he said, "Gertrude, I won't be with you all long." 29 00:02:04,959 --> 00:02:09,880 {\an8}He said, "And whatever you do, don't let the white man have my land." 30 00:02:10,965 --> 00:02:12,967 - (birds chirping) - (water lapping) 31 00:02:19,139 --> 00:02:23,143 FAMILY: ♪ Happy birthday to you ♪ 32 00:02:23,227 --> 00:02:27,731 ♪ Happy birthday to you ♪ 33 00:02:27,815 --> 00:02:31,652 - ♪ Happy birthday, dear Grandma ♪ - ♪ Happy birthday, dear Gertrude ♪ 34 00:02:31,735 --> 00:02:36,448 {\an8}♪ Happy birthday to you. ♪ 35 00:02:36,740 --> 00:02:39,618 GRANDDAUGHTER: Grandma, I just want to say we love you. 36 00:02:39,702 --> 00:02:41,829 It's been a blessing to have you here for 95 years, 37 00:02:41,912 --> 00:02:44,373 and we hope to have you many, many more. 38 00:02:44,456 --> 00:02:49,211 I got to speak for the grandkids, for all you grandkids. -Yeah. 39 00:02:49,295 --> 00:02:52,131 The only thing I can say is, we lived the best life 40 00:02:52,214 --> 00:02:55,843 - in Merrimon, all because of Grandma. - Yes. Amen. 41 00:02:55,926 --> 00:02:59,305 I can't speak enough on how I thank my Lord and Savior 42 00:02:59,388 --> 00:03:02,933 for being from Merrimon, from the bottom, from Silver Dollar Road. 43 00:03:03,017 --> 00:03:05,617 We didn't have a whole bunch of money, but we have plenty of love. 44 00:03:05,644 --> 00:03:08,188 We have plenty of family. Look at the people that turned out. 45 00:03:08,272 --> 00:03:10,274 You are our queen. 46 00:03:10,357 --> 00:03:13,027 You are the mother and the father. 47 00:03:13,110 --> 00:03:17,907 Mother, you have been a true example of what a single mother can do and be 48 00:03:17,990 --> 00:03:19,658 if she set that goal. 49 00:03:19,742 --> 00:03:24,580 Mother, you worked so hard in your 95 years of life, 50 00:03:24,663 --> 00:03:27,917 preparing flowers and vegetables for Fridays. 51 00:03:28,000 --> 00:03:31,545 Five o'clock in the evenings, you was in the fields. 52 00:03:31,629 --> 00:03:33,964 When the alarm went off on Saturday mornings, 53 00:03:34,048 --> 00:03:39,053 you was up at 4:00 to go to that home extensions in Morehead City. 54 00:03:39,136 --> 00:03:41,138 ♪ ♪ 55 00:03:45,976 --> 00:03:51,649 {\an8}MAMIE: When I was a little girl and growing up here on Silver Dollar Road, 56 00:03:51,732 --> 00:03:56,195 {\an8}I like thinking about those days 'cause it was so innocent. 57 00:03:56,278 --> 00:03:58,739 {\an8}It was so magical. 58 00:03:59,031 --> 00:04:00,675 - (kids laughing) - ♪ Walk a mile in my shoes... ♪ 59 00:04:00,699 --> 00:04:02,409 You just felt free. 60 00:04:02,493 --> 00:04:06,538 You felt happy, and you felt love. 61 00:04:06,622 --> 00:04:08,707 It was like a village, you know. 62 00:04:08,791 --> 00:04:11,961 You was free to roam and play, 63 00:04:12,044 --> 00:04:14,672 and you had the water. 64 00:04:14,755 --> 00:04:17,716 And going to the water, for me, was magical. 65 00:04:18,801 --> 00:04:21,553 My uncles drank, and they were always... 66 00:04:21,637 --> 00:04:24,264 When they got together, they would talk about... 67 00:04:24,348 --> 00:04:26,517 it was a mermaid to the water, 68 00:04:26,600 --> 00:04:30,646 and, at a certain time, you would hear the mermaid singing. 69 00:04:30,729 --> 00:04:34,942 And she would come up and she would shake her hair and go back down in the water, 70 00:04:35,025 --> 00:04:37,194 and we would sit and we would listen. 71 00:04:37,277 --> 00:04:39,738 And we knew Uncle Melvin lied, you know. 72 00:04:39,822 --> 00:04:42,366 Ain't no mermaid out there and stuff. 73 00:04:42,449 --> 00:04:44,952 But, as a little girl, it was just so magical. 74 00:04:47,871 --> 00:04:49,790 KIM: I lived in New Orleans, 75 00:04:49,873 --> 00:04:53,127 and we would come down every summer. 76 00:04:53,210 --> 00:04:55,087 {\an8}And it was almost like two weeks 77 00:04:55,170 --> 00:04:58,132 {\an8}before we knew it was time to go back to New Orleans, 78 00:04:58,215 --> 00:04:59,883 {\an8}the depression would sit in. 79 00:04:59,967 --> 00:05:04,096 {\an8}Oh, we'd cry 'cause we didn't want that Friday to come 80 00:05:04,179 --> 00:05:05,848 {\an8}when Mom and Dad was coming to get us. 81 00:05:06,140 --> 00:05:07,933 We didn't want to go. 82 00:05:08,017 --> 00:05:10,728 It was just the nostalgia of just having that freedom. 83 00:05:10,811 --> 00:05:12,229 We walked around in our bare feet 84 00:05:12,312 --> 00:05:17,067 from this aunt's house to that aunt's house to cousins' houses. 85 00:05:17,151 --> 00:05:19,570 And, "Can you take us swimming today? 86 00:05:19,653 --> 00:05:22,281 'Cause Grandma said we can't go down unless we have an adult." 87 00:05:23,365 --> 00:05:25,659 We had our own beach. 88 00:05:25,743 --> 00:05:29,538 My uncles would bring their boats to the pier, 89 00:05:29,621 --> 00:05:34,460 and we'd run up, help them offload shrimp and fish and crabs. 90 00:05:34,543 --> 00:05:39,423 And it was a good time... Music, dancing, barbecues, 91 00:05:39,506 --> 00:05:44,178 concerts or local churches just putting on gospel concerts 92 00:05:44,261 --> 00:05:46,472 and baptisms in the water. 93 00:05:46,555 --> 00:05:49,183 Being in the sun, the sand, 94 00:05:49,266 --> 00:05:51,852 being stung by sting rays and running out. 95 00:05:51,935 --> 00:05:56,273 (laughs): And putting sand on you, just trying to get the stinging off. 96 00:05:56,356 --> 00:05:59,276 And it was just amazing. 97 00:05:59,359 --> 00:06:01,153 It was amazing. 98 00:06:01,236 --> 00:06:05,449 I did go to the market with Grandma to help out. 99 00:06:05,532 --> 00:06:08,077 Grandma was very well respected. 100 00:06:08,160 --> 00:06:10,370 And she had a lot of clientele when it came down 101 00:06:10,454 --> 00:06:14,083 to the produce and the seafood that she sold. 102 00:06:14,166 --> 00:06:16,043 Technically, she was probably considered 103 00:06:16,126 --> 00:06:19,546 one of the richest Black women in the community, 104 00:06:19,630 --> 00:06:22,800 because their property... 105 00:06:22,883 --> 00:06:25,594 was so, um, valuable. 106 00:06:25,677 --> 00:06:28,806 And not valuable to us from a monetary standpoint 107 00:06:28,889 --> 00:06:32,017 but valuable to us because of the history, 108 00:06:32,101 --> 00:06:35,062 you know, and the beauty of it. 109 00:06:35,145 --> 00:06:37,356 (insects trilling) 110 00:06:37,439 --> 00:06:39,775 (birds chirping) 111 00:06:42,069 --> 00:06:45,155 {\an8}We're, uh, at the cemetery next to, uh, 112 00:06:45,239 --> 00:06:48,700 {\an8}our family church, Reels, uh, Chapel. 113 00:06:48,784 --> 00:06:54,081 This is, uh, what I refer to as "cemetery number three." 114 00:06:54,164 --> 00:06:56,625 (birds squawking) 115 00:06:56,708 --> 00:06:59,503 Number one is, um... 116 00:06:59,586 --> 00:07:02,089 It's about 200 yards to my left. 117 00:07:02,172 --> 00:07:07,052 And, uh, that was the one that's kind of described in old documentation 118 00:07:07,136 --> 00:07:10,305 as "the first Black cemetery." 119 00:07:10,389 --> 00:07:14,726 The second cemetery is at an elevated site. 120 00:07:18,480 --> 00:07:21,275 This, uh, gravestone here, this is Elijah Reels, 121 00:07:21,358 --> 00:07:23,902 the first owner of the property. 122 00:07:23,986 --> 00:07:29,241 Him and Suddie Anne acquired the property in, uh, November 1911. 123 00:07:29,324 --> 00:07:33,662 He, uh, he was born in 1866, 124 00:07:33,745 --> 00:07:36,373 and that was during slavery time. 125 00:07:36,456 --> 00:07:38,041 ♪ A working man ♪ 126 00:07:38,125 --> 00:07:40,502 ("Working Man Blues" by Floyd Council playing) 127 00:07:40,586 --> 00:07:43,297 ♪ Ain't nothing but a dog ♪ 128 00:07:46,633 --> 00:07:49,303 ♪ A working man ♪ 129 00:07:51,054 --> 00:07:53,390 ♪ Ain't nothing but a dog ♪ 130 00:07:57,269 --> 00:08:00,063 ♪ When he works hard all the week ♪ 131 00:08:01,398 --> 00:08:03,942 ♪ Payday, his woman wants it all ♪ 132 00:08:06,820 --> 00:08:09,740 ♪ I came home this morning ♪ 133 00:08:11,658 --> 00:08:14,786 ♪ 'Tween 9:30 and 10:00 ♪ 134 00:08:17,998 --> 00:08:21,001 ♪ When I got home this morning ♪ 135 00:08:22,085 --> 00:08:24,963 ♪ Between 9:30 and 10:00 ♪ 136 00:08:25,047 --> 00:08:27,424 (whirring) 137 00:08:28,550 --> 00:08:31,220 ♪ When I found that old backbiter ♪ 138 00:08:32,429 --> 00:08:35,557 ♪ Well, sitting back in my den ♪ 139 00:08:37,017 --> 00:08:38,602 (glass shatters) 140 00:08:38,685 --> 00:08:41,480 - ♪ Babe, I feel like snapping ♪ - (Crowd clamoring) 141 00:08:41,563 --> 00:08:44,399 ♪ My pistol in your face ♪ 142 00:08:47,527 --> 00:08:50,948 - ♪ Hey ♪ - (Fire whooshes, glass shatters) 143 00:08:51,031 --> 00:08:54,451 ♪ My pistol in your face ♪ 144 00:08:57,829 --> 00:09:01,500 ♪ And some low-down undertaker ♪ 145 00:09:01,583 --> 00:09:05,545 ♪ Carry you to your resting place ♪ 146 00:09:08,006 --> 00:09:11,176 - ♪ The working man ♪ - (Engines rattling) 147 00:09:11,260 --> 00:09:15,222 ♪ Ought to come ahead of time ♪ 148 00:09:18,433 --> 00:09:20,519 {\an8}♪ Hey ♪ 149 00:09:22,479 --> 00:09:25,524 {\an8}♪ Ought to come ahead of time. ♪ 150 00:09:28,777 --> 00:09:31,697 KIM: Elijah Reels was my great-great-grandfather. 151 00:09:31,780 --> 00:09:35,033 He farmed the property, had a family upon the property. 152 00:09:35,117 --> 00:09:37,911 {\an8}And unfortunately, in 1939, 153 00:09:37,995 --> 00:09:40,706 {\an8}he lost the property due to back taxes. 154 00:09:40,789 --> 00:09:44,960 {\an8}His son, Mitchell Reels, then purchased the property 155 00:09:45,043 --> 00:09:48,797 {\an8}in 1944 at the courthouse doors due to back taxes. 156 00:09:48,880 --> 00:09:53,969 {\an8}Unfortunately in 1970, Mitchell died without a living will, 157 00:09:54,052 --> 00:09:57,306 {\an8}and the property then became the heirs of Mitchell Reels. 158 00:09:57,389 --> 00:10:00,600 {\an8}And that's when all our legal problems started. 159 00:10:01,977 --> 00:10:08,358 {\an8}Heirs' property is property that has been left to an onslaught of family members. 160 00:10:09,443 --> 00:10:12,404 {\an8}So there was a document that was conveyed 161 00:10:12,487 --> 00:10:16,533 {\an8}that my grandmother and her siblings did, in fact, 162 00:10:16,616 --> 00:10:20,245 {\an8}own the 65 acres after a court proceeding. 163 00:10:20,329 --> 00:10:26,418 So it was ruled that the 65 acres did belong to the Mitchell Reels' heirs. 164 00:10:27,586 --> 00:10:30,005 ♪ ♪ 165 00:10:30,088 --> 00:10:35,302 MAMIE: Oh, the night that Mitchell died... Can I just call him Papa?... 166 00:10:35,385 --> 00:10:38,180 It was a pretty night out. 167 00:10:38,263 --> 00:10:41,725 Someone came to the house and told my mother Papa had sent for her. 168 00:10:41,808 --> 00:10:45,437 Then my mother went to his house. 169 00:10:45,520 --> 00:10:48,440 {\an8}He was saying he needed to go to the hospital, 170 00:10:48,523 --> 00:10:50,609 {\an8}'cause he was sick, 171 00:10:50,692 --> 00:10:55,530 {\an8}and he was sick that he didn't know if he would be coming back home. 172 00:10:55,614 --> 00:11:00,952 And it was some things he wanted to discuss with her and wanted her to do. 173 00:11:01,036 --> 00:11:05,123 I remember my mother precisely asking him, 174 00:11:05,207 --> 00:11:08,794 "Well, Papa, why would you want... 175 00:11:08,877 --> 00:11:13,715 me to do these things when you have sons?" 176 00:11:13,799 --> 00:11:17,969 He said, "Because I know you will make sure they happen. 177 00:11:18,053 --> 00:11:19,846 I know I can depend on you." 178 00:11:19,930 --> 00:11:21,932 ♪ ♪ 179 00:11:37,322 --> 00:11:42,244 MELVIN: He said, "You stick with your mother, with this land." 180 00:11:42,327 --> 00:11:44,871 {\an8}'Cause he knew Mother was the strongest one. 181 00:11:44,955 --> 00:11:48,125 {\an8}And she did... He knew she would do what she got to do 182 00:11:48,208 --> 00:11:52,254 {\an8}to hold... (stammers) to hold on to this land. 183 00:11:52,337 --> 00:11:55,090 ♪ Lord, I'm walkin' and walkin' ♪ 184 00:11:55,173 --> 00:11:58,301 ("Walkin' Night and Day" by Big Boy Henry playing) 185 00:11:58,385 --> 00:12:02,973 CLASSIE: I have all the memories, all the memories. 186 00:12:04,558 --> 00:12:08,687 Because it's no place on this property 187 00:12:08,770 --> 00:12:10,772 that I haven't been. 188 00:12:12,607 --> 00:12:16,111 {\an8}I know where every inch of it is at. 189 00:12:17,487 --> 00:12:23,618 {\an8}Because this was my travel when I was growing up. 190 00:12:25,036 --> 00:12:27,038 - (birds chirping) - (insects trilling) 191 00:12:27,122 --> 00:12:29,666 CHARLES: My heart is really into this land. 192 00:12:30,876 --> 00:12:34,296 Whenever I had a break during the military, 193 00:12:34,379 --> 00:12:39,718 I would always come back down here for peace and quiet. 194 00:12:39,801 --> 00:12:42,554 {\an8}I can go down to the Adams Creek there 195 00:12:42,637 --> 00:12:45,932 {\an8}and sit there and reflect 196 00:12:46,016 --> 00:12:49,436 {\an8}not only my past, as growing up 197 00:12:49,519 --> 00:12:55,025 down here, but, uh, anything that I had on my mind. 198 00:12:55,108 --> 00:12:58,778 You know, I-I'd look out on the water and say, 199 00:12:58,862 --> 00:13:02,699 "Hey," I'd tell myself, 200 00:13:02,782 --> 00:13:05,160 "It could be worse." 201 00:13:06,536 --> 00:13:10,707 {\an8}KIM: From that point, Shedrick, which is Mitchell's brother, 202 00:13:10,790 --> 00:13:15,378 {\an8}intervenes with a deed from New Jersey. 203 00:13:15,462 --> 00:13:20,842 {\an8}He comes back down, has it registered in our court... local court... 204 00:13:20,926 --> 00:13:24,638 {\an8}registered deeds as a personal property that he currently owns, 205 00:13:24,721 --> 00:13:26,723 {\an8}unbeknown to the family. 206 00:13:26,806 --> 00:13:30,101 And shortly thereafter, we start finding out that 207 00:13:30,185 --> 00:13:33,522 there's word of the property being sold to someone else 208 00:13:33,605 --> 00:13:35,524 that the family had no knowledge of. 209 00:13:36,650 --> 00:13:38,860 So during that time frame, my grandmother, 210 00:13:38,944 --> 00:13:41,279 who's made the administrator of the property, 211 00:13:41,363 --> 00:13:42,656 is brought into the fold. 212 00:13:42,739 --> 00:13:48,745 {\an8}And she's then in charge of getting someone to represent the family, 213 00:13:48,828 --> 00:13:53,792 {\an8}um, to show that this property, in fact, is Mitchell Reels' heirs' property 214 00:13:53,875 --> 00:13:55,585 {\an8}and not Shedrick's property. 215 00:13:55,669 --> 00:13:57,671 - (birds squawking) - (water lapping, waves crashing) 216 00:14:08,807 --> 00:14:12,811 So, the 13.25 acres was the property that was in dispute. 217 00:14:12,894 --> 00:14:16,690 {\an8}That was the part of the property that the developers wanted, 218 00:14:16,773 --> 00:14:20,902 {\an8}prime real estate, already developed, waterfront property. 219 00:14:22,028 --> 00:14:25,490 {\an8}That was also where my uncles resided. 220 00:14:25,574 --> 00:14:29,494 {\an8}And that was what was needed from the developers 221 00:14:29,578 --> 00:14:32,956 {\an8}because it's a beautiful piece of property, it's prime real estate. 222 00:14:45,260 --> 00:14:47,262 ♪ ♪ 223 00:14:53,101 --> 00:14:55,562 {\an8}This is 200 years old up here. 224 00:14:56,730 --> 00:14:58,648 This graveyard up here. 225 00:15:00,400 --> 00:15:03,653 That's right... I imagine this path been here 226 00:15:03,737 --> 00:15:07,324 over a hundred and some years, might be 200. 227 00:15:09,701 --> 00:15:13,997 So, Elijah Reels owned another 40 acres... 228 00:15:14,080 --> 00:15:17,292 owned another 40 acres right on that going... leave the cemetery 229 00:15:17,375 --> 00:15:19,502 and go back towards that valley. 230 00:15:19,586 --> 00:15:24,382 That's the way they used to walk down through here to get to here. 231 00:15:25,383 --> 00:15:29,429 He used to leave that, had a plantation back there, 40 acres. 232 00:15:29,512 --> 00:15:34,434 {\an8}And he would leave that and walk this path and come out to the water right here. 233 00:15:34,517 --> 00:15:36,061 {\an8}This is the path. 234 00:15:37,520 --> 00:15:39,230 {\an8}We still own the... 235 00:15:39,314 --> 00:15:43,109 {\an8}You-you still own that 65 acre. 236 00:15:43,193 --> 00:15:46,029 This is still the 65 acres from the water back. 237 00:15:48,573 --> 00:15:51,660 And then we got another 45 acres behind that. 238 00:15:51,743 --> 00:15:54,329 That's the one that takes you to Dumpling Creek. 239 00:15:54,412 --> 00:15:57,290 Yeah, all of this here is the Reels' property. 240 00:15:58,667 --> 00:16:01,002 Going up on this hill. 241 00:16:02,295 --> 00:16:04,673 These were graves right here. 242 00:16:04,756 --> 00:16:08,760 {\an8}These were graves, right here is a headstone. 243 00:16:08,843 --> 00:16:11,930 {\an8}Some of these graves up here, you can't see. 244 00:16:12,013 --> 00:16:14,349 Take this... take the one here. 245 00:16:14,432 --> 00:16:16,309 It kind of growed in the roots. 246 00:16:17,310 --> 00:16:22,065 He was born 1946. 247 00:16:26,319 --> 00:16:29,781 The water right behind us is called Dumpling creek. 248 00:16:29,864 --> 00:16:31,741 That's Dumpling Creek right back there. 249 00:16:32,742 --> 00:16:34,035 See? 250 00:16:34,119 --> 00:16:35,787 We're surrounded with water. 251 00:16:35,870 --> 00:16:38,665 And if we'd have kept right on going down there behind the cemetery, 252 00:16:38,748 --> 00:16:42,252 we would come to a-a running stream of water. 253 00:16:43,461 --> 00:16:45,672 So we're surrounded with water. 254 00:16:50,218 --> 00:16:52,220 ♪ ♪ 255 00:16:55,974 --> 00:16:57,684 KIM: But all of a sudden, 256 00:16:57,767 --> 00:17:00,103 I can recall on, like, Sunday mornings, 257 00:17:00,186 --> 00:17:02,689 prior to us getting ready for church or whatever. 258 00:17:02,772 --> 00:17:05,483 It was always a small meeting in Grandma's house, 259 00:17:05,567 --> 00:17:07,277 early in the morning, 260 00:17:07,360 --> 00:17:09,779 because something was going on, something was brewing, 261 00:17:09,863 --> 00:17:13,992 which was... at that time, they started getting notifications 262 00:17:14,075 --> 00:17:17,245 that the property was an issue. 263 00:17:17,328 --> 00:17:20,915 Someone was claiming ownership to the property. 264 00:17:20,999 --> 00:17:25,587 So we as children knew something was going on, but we didn't know what it was. 265 00:17:25,670 --> 00:17:29,758 But as an adult, I slowly started to find out 266 00:17:29,841 --> 00:17:33,219 that this is major, this is serious. 267 00:17:33,303 --> 00:17:35,847 (critters chittering) 268 00:17:38,349 --> 00:17:43,438 {\an8}ANITA EARLS: Even though the family had previously themselves gone to court 269 00:17:43,521 --> 00:17:47,776 {\an8}to establish that they properly and legally owned this land, 270 00:17:47,859 --> 00:17:53,990 {\an8}a later proceeding, um, um, brought by a different family member, 271 00:17:54,073 --> 00:17:57,702 and then someone who bought the land from that family member, 272 00:17:57,786 --> 00:18:02,040 to-to say that they own the land, um, had resulted in an order 273 00:18:02,123 --> 00:18:04,793 that-that was not, um... 274 00:18:04,876 --> 00:18:10,089 or a settlement, if you will, um, that the family didn't agree to. 275 00:18:10,173 --> 00:18:13,301 So by the time it came to me, the family were defendants. 276 00:18:13,384 --> 00:18:14,803 They were the ones being sued. 277 00:18:14,886 --> 00:18:19,432 {\an8}And, um, the plaintiffs, the Adams Creek Associates company, 278 00:18:19,516 --> 00:18:22,393 {\an8}were claiming that the family was trespassing on their own land. 279 00:18:25,730 --> 00:18:27,732 {\an8}♪ ♪ 280 00:18:35,490 --> 00:18:37,700 {\an8}MAMIE: Melvin had always been like a father figure 281 00:18:37,784 --> 00:18:42,038 {\an8}in the family, and what he thought and what he said meant a lot. 282 00:18:45,542 --> 00:18:50,630 Melvin always had this fashion for cars, 283 00:18:50,713 --> 00:18:52,257 and of course women. 284 00:18:52,340 --> 00:18:54,509 He didn't care what color they was. 285 00:18:54,592 --> 00:18:59,055 He loved to dress, and he fished and he made money, 286 00:18:59,138 --> 00:19:03,601 and he worked with a guy who had a boat and he made money. 287 00:19:06,729 --> 00:19:08,731 ♪ ♪ 288 00:19:10,942 --> 00:19:15,780 MELVIN: I've been fishing down there for 53 years. 289 00:19:16,990 --> 00:19:21,452 I got my commercial license when I was 16, and I've been fishing there all my life. 290 00:19:21,536 --> 00:19:23,037 That's where I worked at. 291 00:19:24,122 --> 00:19:25,623 All down this water. 292 00:19:26,708 --> 00:19:31,045 I helped to put my-my sisters and brothers through school, 293 00:19:31,129 --> 00:19:32,964 by me working that water. 294 00:19:34,966 --> 00:19:36,968 When I was 14, 15, 295 00:19:37,051 --> 00:19:41,973 I was making sometimes $1,000 a week on that water. 296 00:19:43,433 --> 00:19:46,019 I couldn't go to school like I wanted because... (stammers) 297 00:19:46,102 --> 00:19:48,855 I had to make sure that when they'd go to school, 298 00:19:48,938 --> 00:19:53,192 that they would dress nice, had on new clothes, they'd start school in it. 299 00:19:53,276 --> 00:19:55,653 ♪ ♪ 300 00:19:57,155 --> 00:19:59,240 So that's my life. 301 00:19:59,324 --> 00:20:01,534 That's what I do. I do what I do. 302 00:20:01,618 --> 00:20:03,745 (birds squawking) 303 00:20:03,828 --> 00:20:05,788 I'm a shrimper. I'm a fisherman. 304 00:20:05,872 --> 00:20:07,582 I'm a crabber. 305 00:20:09,500 --> 00:20:14,881 So it's-it's joy to me. 306 00:20:14,964 --> 00:20:17,884 I'm peaceful when I'm on the water. 307 00:20:21,679 --> 00:20:24,223 (seagulls chattering) 308 00:20:30,855 --> 00:20:33,316 KIM: Uncle Melvin, he was that person 309 00:20:33,399 --> 00:20:37,904 that always had, financially, advice. 310 00:20:37,987 --> 00:20:41,366 He was the uncle that was just charismatic. 311 00:20:41,449 --> 00:20:45,119 And he was always trying to make ways in the community 312 00:20:45,203 --> 00:20:49,582 to keep us, um... keep things going. 313 00:20:49,666 --> 00:20:52,168 ♪ Carolina girls ♪ 314 00:20:52,251 --> 00:20:54,563 ("Carolina Girls" by Chairmen of the Board & General Johnson playing) 315 00:20:54,587 --> 00:20:57,632 - ♪ Best in the world ♪ - ♪ Carolina girls ♪ 316 00:20:59,342 --> 00:21:02,553 ♪ You're so fine, girl, you're one of a kind ♪ 317 00:21:02,637 --> 00:21:04,931 ♪ Sweet Carolina girls ♪ 318 00:21:05,014 --> 00:21:08,935 - ♪ Carolina girls ♪ - ♪ Carolina girls ♪ 319 00:21:09,018 --> 00:21:13,106 - ♪ Sweet Southern pearls ♪ - ♪ Carolina girls ♪ 320 00:21:13,189 --> 00:21:15,108 ♪ You're sure enough tough ♪ 321 00:21:15,191 --> 00:21:17,151 ♪ Girl, I can't get enough... ♪ 322 00:21:17,235 --> 00:21:19,153 YVONNE: Growing up in Beaufort, 323 00:21:19,237 --> 00:21:22,991 we really didn't have access to the area for swimming. 324 00:21:23,074 --> 00:21:26,494 (fading): ♪ I love the way you talk... ♪ 325 00:21:26,577 --> 00:21:29,747 And so my dad, he would always take us to Merrimon. 326 00:21:29,831 --> 00:21:32,583 {\an8}We didn't refer to it as Merrimon then. 327 00:21:32,667 --> 00:21:35,128 {\an8}We referred to it as Silver Dollar. 328 00:21:35,420 --> 00:21:39,257 And-and most of the people around here 329 00:21:39,340 --> 00:21:42,301 went down to the Silver Dollar, 330 00:21:42,385 --> 00:21:45,471 and they were a welcoming community. 331 00:21:45,555 --> 00:21:48,307 And most of the time, you didn't have... 332 00:21:48,391 --> 00:21:51,352 whites coming in to that community. 333 00:21:51,436 --> 00:21:55,148 Uh, so that was important, um... 334 00:21:55,231 --> 00:21:58,026 and so you did, uh, feel safe. 335 00:21:58,109 --> 00:22:01,195 (lively chatter, laughter) 336 00:22:02,321 --> 00:22:05,533 MAMIE: It was just the one place you could go, 337 00:22:05,616 --> 00:22:07,910 and you wasn't worried about 338 00:22:07,994 --> 00:22:10,204 being targeted by the law, 339 00:22:10,288 --> 00:22:13,750 and you didn't have to feel like... 340 00:22:13,833 --> 00:22:17,128 you were being harassed. 341 00:22:17,211 --> 00:22:18,296 You could just relax. 342 00:22:18,379 --> 00:22:20,381 - (insects trilling) - ♪ ♪ 343 00:22:33,186 --> 00:22:35,480 (critters chittering) 344 00:22:41,277 --> 00:22:44,572 KIM: Uncle Licurtis is just a humble person. 345 00:22:44,655 --> 00:22:47,700 So Uncle Licurtis was always a brickmason. 346 00:22:47,784 --> 00:22:49,786 He worked with his hands. 347 00:22:49,869 --> 00:22:52,622 He's very lovable. He likes to sing. 348 00:22:52,705 --> 00:22:55,750 He likes to hum. He likes to eat. 349 00:22:55,833 --> 00:23:00,171 Um, he's just that uncle that everybody loves. 350 00:23:01,714 --> 00:23:03,716 {\an8}MAMIE: Me and Licurtis were close. 351 00:23:03,800 --> 00:23:05,843 {\an8}We grew up in the house together. 352 00:23:06,844 --> 00:23:10,139 So we did a lot of things together, like partying. 353 00:23:10,223 --> 00:23:13,392 - (lively chatter, laughter) - ("Daddy Cool" by Boney M. playing) 354 00:23:13,476 --> 00:23:16,479 I don't know who told him he could dance. 355 00:23:16,562 --> 00:23:17,814 (laughs): He couldn't dance. 356 00:23:19,107 --> 00:23:22,151 He just had this-this happy-go... 357 00:23:22,235 --> 00:23:24,237 He was just a happy-go-lucky person. 358 00:23:24,320 --> 00:23:27,406 He loved people and he would laugh and joke, 359 00:23:27,490 --> 00:23:32,954 and so he was the person that... To really have a good time with. 360 00:23:33,037 --> 00:23:36,124 ♪ She's crazy like a fool ♪ 361 00:23:36,207 --> 00:23:37,542 ♪ Wild about Daddy Cool... ♪ 362 00:23:37,625 --> 00:23:42,672 {\an8}First time I heard about Fantasy Island, I was like, "Where is Fantasy Island?" 363 00:23:42,755 --> 00:23:44,924 {\an8}(stammers) I heard it on the radio. 364 00:23:45,216 --> 00:23:48,761 Later on in the announcement, they said "down in Merrimon." 365 00:23:48,845 --> 00:23:50,513 I said, "Down in Merrimon?" 366 00:23:50,596 --> 00:23:53,558 They said, "To the old Silver Dollar," you know. 367 00:23:53,641 --> 00:23:55,726 And I said, "Oh, goodness, they talking about..." 368 00:23:55,810 --> 00:23:58,938 And then that's when I start asking around about it. 369 00:23:59,021 --> 00:24:01,649 And they said, "Yeah, they opened up a little club down there," 370 00:24:01,732 --> 00:24:04,318 that Melvin was running, you know, and it was called... 371 00:24:04,402 --> 00:24:05,820 And people were coming. 372 00:24:05,903 --> 00:24:07,905 ("Put Your Hands Together" by The O'Jays playing) 373 00:24:07,989 --> 00:24:09,657 ♪ ♪ 374 00:24:10,950 --> 00:24:13,327 {\an8}MAMIE: Every season, it was something different. 375 00:24:13,411 --> 00:24:15,746 {\an8}One year, we had the Soul Train. 376 00:24:15,830 --> 00:24:19,458 We had the train painted on the floor with the tracks. 377 00:24:19,542 --> 00:24:22,128 And you go down the Soul Train line. 378 00:24:22,211 --> 00:24:26,090 I remember a lot of the Marines from Cherry Point would come down here. 379 00:24:29,302 --> 00:24:31,387 LICURTIS: Oh, we had a party, buddy. 380 00:24:31,470 --> 00:24:33,848 {\an8}From all the way around, all the way from Liberty City, 381 00:24:33,931 --> 00:24:36,309 {\an8}come down and join us. 382 00:24:36,392 --> 00:24:38,227 {\an8}They were Black and white. 383 00:24:38,311 --> 00:24:40,855 And, you know, every weekend, we jammed. 384 00:24:40,938 --> 00:24:43,191 ♪ Day to come, yeah ♪ 385 00:24:43,274 --> 00:24:46,319 ♪ We got to put our forces together ♪ 386 00:24:46,402 --> 00:24:48,988 ♪ Sing a song so loud, so fair... ♪ 387 00:24:49,071 --> 00:24:52,116 We had a guy coming in with the Greyhound bus, a deejay. 388 00:24:52,200 --> 00:24:55,578 And he would come in every day, that dee... that deejay... 389 00:24:55,661 --> 00:24:59,957 The people followed the bus behind him and load this beach up. 390 00:25:01,751 --> 00:25:05,046 I would get different groups to come in and play on the beach, 391 00:25:05,129 --> 00:25:07,590 and we had... we just had fun. 392 00:25:07,673 --> 00:25:09,675 ♪ ♪ 393 00:25:11,886 --> 00:25:13,888 (birds chirping) 394 00:25:17,600 --> 00:25:20,228 ♪ ♪ 395 00:25:24,649 --> 00:25:28,152 MAMIE: By the time all of this started happening, 396 00:25:28,236 --> 00:25:33,282 the surrounding area around us was changing. 397 00:25:33,366 --> 00:25:36,494 And we could see things that they were doing 398 00:25:36,577 --> 00:25:41,832 with marinas, boat slips, subdivision. 399 00:25:41,916 --> 00:25:45,711 So we knew this was the plan for our community. 400 00:25:45,795 --> 00:25:50,258 And we knew we had to really stand to save our community, 401 00:25:50,341 --> 00:25:53,511 because if all of this happened in our community, 402 00:25:53,594 --> 00:25:56,681 we wouldn't be able to afford the taxes here, 403 00:25:56,764 --> 00:25:59,308 because we don't have the income 404 00:25:59,392 --> 00:26:03,354 that people from other states come here with. 405 00:26:08,609 --> 00:26:10,611 {\an8}(engine starts) 406 00:26:21,330 --> 00:26:23,332 {\an8}(engine whirring) 407 00:26:35,052 --> 00:26:37,596 MELVIN: This didn't use to be... 408 00:26:37,680 --> 00:26:40,725 the water didn't use to be all the way through here. 409 00:26:40,808 --> 00:26:44,687 My mother daddy helped put 410 00:26:44,770 --> 00:26:49,275 the rest of the right-of-way through here for this water that-that comes by. 411 00:26:49,358 --> 00:26:53,154 That's when... They call them the intercoastals. 412 00:26:53,237 --> 00:26:57,325 So you could drive, go to Florida, go all the way around. 413 00:26:57,408 --> 00:26:58,909 Go right on through here. 414 00:27:00,995 --> 00:27:03,998 And now, they got some homes up here. 415 00:27:06,042 --> 00:27:09,003 Oh, you know how long it would take us to get to Sneads Ferry? 416 00:27:09,086 --> 00:27:11,356 - NATE: About five hours, six hours? - MELVIN: No, you will... 417 00:27:11,380 --> 00:27:13,883 No, it'd take a whole day. 418 00:27:13,966 --> 00:27:18,471 You could leave Merrimon... Say, 9:00 in the morning 419 00:27:18,554 --> 00:27:21,515 and start from... back from Silver Dollar, 420 00:27:21,599 --> 00:27:26,479 and it'd be 5:00 'fore we get to Sneads Ferry that evening. 421 00:27:26,562 --> 00:27:28,773 But you can't shrimp up there in the day. 422 00:27:28,856 --> 00:27:32,109 I mean you can't shrimp at nights, only days. 423 00:27:36,322 --> 00:27:38,741 See, down east, when I was shrimping down there last year, 424 00:27:38,824 --> 00:27:40,744 - you could only shrimp at night. - Yeah, at night. 425 00:27:40,826 --> 00:27:42,995 - And all through the day it's just fish. - Yeah. 426 00:27:43,079 --> 00:27:45,373 Just fish, and you won't catch no shrimps at day. 427 00:27:45,456 --> 00:27:46,933 NATE: And then you got to work with the moon. 428 00:27:46,957 --> 00:27:48,751 MELVIN: Yeah, you work when the moon come up. 429 00:27:48,834 --> 00:27:50,674 - NATE: You start shrimping. - MELVIN: Shrimping. 430 00:27:53,631 --> 00:27:55,674 (crank squealing) 431 00:28:00,221 --> 00:28:02,139 (birds chirping) 432 00:28:02,223 --> 00:28:04,225 (indistinct chatter) 433 00:28:08,854 --> 00:28:10,856 (music playing faintly on speakers) 434 00:28:23,077 --> 00:28:24,995 NATE: We good? 435 00:28:25,079 --> 00:28:28,374 Here, I'm gonna put it all in the other tank. 436 00:28:28,457 --> 00:28:30,292 - MELVIN: In the other side? - NATE: Yeah. 437 00:28:34,171 --> 00:28:37,007 ♪ ♪ 438 00:28:38,092 --> 00:28:40,010 NATE: That's a shrimp boat there, ain't it? 439 00:28:40,094 --> 00:28:42,263 Look like it. 440 00:28:42,346 --> 00:28:44,306 Like she's coming towards us. 441 00:28:46,559 --> 00:28:48,561 (Melvin chuckles, mutters) 442 00:28:48,644 --> 00:28:51,480 ♪ ♪ 443 00:29:07,329 --> 00:29:09,331 (motor rattling) 444 00:29:18,382 --> 00:29:20,885 ♪ ♪ 445 00:29:26,223 --> 00:29:28,684 NATE: I think I'm-a let my dad drive, or you want to drive? 446 00:29:28,767 --> 00:29:31,121 - Nah, I'm-I'm-a let you do everything. - I'm-a let him drive. 447 00:29:31,145 --> 00:29:33,481 It's been a long time since I've been down through here. 448 00:29:33,564 --> 00:29:35,125 I got to let my dad drive. I need some air. 449 00:29:35,149 --> 00:29:37,193 Let-let Roderick drive. 450 00:29:37,276 --> 00:29:39,195 NATE: Hey, Dad! 451 00:29:40,321 --> 00:29:42,114 Hey, you want to drive for a minute? 452 00:29:42,198 --> 00:29:43,991 I need a break. I'm hot. 453 00:29:44,074 --> 00:29:46,160 I told him... just explained to him, like... 454 00:29:46,243 --> 00:29:48,037 - Let me get it, Melvin. - Yeah. 455 00:29:48,120 --> 00:29:49,747 No, yeah, I'd rather you take it. 456 00:29:49,830 --> 00:29:52,142 - NATE: You said you were explaining what? - MELVIN: I told you. 457 00:29:52,166 --> 00:29:54,210 I was out there putting the nets out one day, 458 00:29:54,293 --> 00:29:57,546 and I had pretty near alone there with me one night... one morning. 459 00:29:57,630 --> 00:30:01,759 And this boat about this size kept running across the bow of it. 460 00:30:01,842 --> 00:30:04,595 So I went in there and put 'em to the floor, she blew black smoke, 461 00:30:04,678 --> 00:30:06,931 before she was turning, I couldn't get it. 462 00:30:07,014 --> 00:30:08,390 He said, "Get out of here!" 463 00:30:08,474 --> 00:30:11,477 I said, "I've been trying to run over you for the last ten minutes. 464 00:30:11,560 --> 00:30:13,896 Go back across there again, I might run over you." 465 00:30:13,979 --> 00:30:15,606 (laughter) 466 00:30:15,689 --> 00:30:17,525 "I'll push you to the bottom." 467 00:30:18,859 --> 00:30:20,945 I couldn't... I... 468 00:30:22,279 --> 00:30:24,198 ♪ ♪ 469 00:30:32,122 --> 00:30:34,124 (typing) 470 00:30:37,169 --> 00:30:38,754 (whirring) 471 00:30:39,755 --> 00:30:41,632 (typing) 472 00:30:45,344 --> 00:30:46,845 (whirrs) 473 00:30:48,514 --> 00:30:50,516 (whirring) 474 00:30:57,022 --> 00:30:59,275 This case was up and down. So I-I... 475 00:30:59,358 --> 00:31:04,613 And then when it would come back, it would come back with more foolishness. 476 00:31:04,697 --> 00:31:08,742 And the craziest thing was when they came down 477 00:31:08,826 --> 00:31:11,704 and put eviction notice on the houses. 478 00:31:11,787 --> 00:31:14,290 On Licurtis' and Melvin's houses. 479 00:31:23,090 --> 00:31:25,259 When this thing started heating up, 480 00:31:25,342 --> 00:31:27,136 and we knew it was getting serious, 481 00:31:27,219 --> 00:31:31,098 Melvin was getting bombarded on a lot of jobs. 482 00:31:31,181 --> 00:31:32,975 He was losing a lot of jobs. 483 00:31:33,058 --> 00:31:35,477 People didn't want to buy his seafood, 484 00:31:35,561 --> 00:31:39,607 and he was getting threats if he didn't get off the property. 485 00:31:39,690 --> 00:31:43,110 An attempt was made to burn the house that he was building. 486 00:31:43,193 --> 00:31:46,864 And then, uh, somebody blew up his boat. 487 00:31:48,449 --> 00:31:50,701 And when the boat was blown up, 488 00:31:50,784 --> 00:31:54,580 he had divers coming in to assess the damage. 489 00:31:54,663 --> 00:31:57,374 Before he really came to that conclusion, 490 00:31:57,458 --> 00:32:00,127 "Hey, yeah, my boat has been blown up." 491 00:32:01,462 --> 00:32:03,964 It was sort of crazy spooky for Melvin. 492 00:32:05,758 --> 00:32:09,053 {\an8}Melvin had done everything the county required. 493 00:32:09,136 --> 00:32:14,350 {\an8}He had a surveyor to come in and show ownership to the property. 494 00:32:14,433 --> 00:32:19,855 He have his permits for his house and place of business. 495 00:32:19,938 --> 00:32:26,945 This is his permits from the state of North Carolina, Alcohol Law Enforcement. 496 00:32:28,322 --> 00:32:31,825 When Melvin had the Fantasy Island opened, 497 00:32:31,909 --> 00:32:36,038 he attained his beer and beverage control permits. 498 00:32:37,831 --> 00:32:40,793 We knew we were fighting power. 499 00:32:40,876 --> 00:32:43,837 We knew we were fighting money. 500 00:32:43,921 --> 00:32:48,592 And we knew we weren't playing with people who... 501 00:32:48,676 --> 00:32:50,552 who was taking us lightly. 502 00:32:50,636 --> 00:32:52,554 They really wanted this land. 503 00:32:52,638 --> 00:32:55,015 ♪ Eli, Eli ♪ 504 00:32:55,099 --> 00:32:58,018 ♪ Somebody call Eli ♪ 505 00:32:58,102 --> 00:33:01,188 ♪ Eli, Eli... ♪ 506 00:33:01,271 --> 00:33:03,190 My mother got worried. 507 00:33:03,273 --> 00:33:05,859 You knew when she was really stressed out 508 00:33:05,943 --> 00:33:10,197 because she would play her church albums, her gospel albums. 509 00:33:10,280 --> 00:33:11,448 She would cry all day. 510 00:33:11,532 --> 00:33:13,992 So, you come in the house and you're like, "What's wrong?" 511 00:33:14,076 --> 00:33:17,329 You know? And she'll be like, "Well, this land getting on my nerves. 512 00:33:17,413 --> 00:33:21,959 "The sheriff has been down here today, and he served a paper on... 513 00:33:22,042 --> 00:33:24,586 I don't know what's that about." And... 514 00:33:24,670 --> 00:33:28,590 So you would try to calm her down, but this is just really bad. 515 00:33:28,674 --> 00:33:30,300 I don't know how to describe it. 516 00:33:30,384 --> 00:33:33,804 It's just been so hard. 517 00:33:33,887 --> 00:33:36,515 ♪ Somebody call Eli... ♪ 518 00:33:36,598 --> 00:33:41,061 KIM: Grandma was getting to a place that it was starting to annoy her. 519 00:33:41,145 --> 00:33:45,524 Aunt Mamie, who has been instrumental in all of this, 520 00:33:45,607 --> 00:33:47,401 Aunt Mamie was the lifeline. 521 00:33:47,484 --> 00:33:51,238 So she was involved with all the writing notes 522 00:33:51,321 --> 00:33:57,035 and, you know, keeping all the documents intact and organizing. 523 00:33:57,119 --> 00:34:00,038 I mean, we wouldn't be where we are if it wasn't for Aunt Mamie. 524 00:34:00,122 --> 00:34:02,916 ♪ ♪ 525 00:34:04,001 --> 00:34:06,170 MAMIE: In my family, 526 00:34:06,253 --> 00:34:10,758 we was raised to be strong women. 527 00:34:10,841 --> 00:34:14,928 So I take a lot behind my mom. 528 00:34:15,012 --> 00:34:21,185 But I kind of feel like I'm not as strong as my mother 529 00:34:21,268 --> 00:34:27,065 because sometimes bearing the weight of the responsibility I have now, 530 00:34:27,149 --> 00:34:31,195 it gets overwhelming. 531 00:34:31,278 --> 00:34:32,946 Um... 532 00:34:33,030 --> 00:34:37,367 Sometimes it makes me depressed 533 00:34:37,451 --> 00:34:40,162 because sometimes I feel like I did... 534 00:34:40,245 --> 00:34:41,997 I haven't had a life. 535 00:34:42,080 --> 00:34:46,168 MELVIN: Now, when I went to jail, all of this here was clean. 536 00:34:46,251 --> 00:34:48,337 Crazy. 537 00:34:48,420 --> 00:34:50,297 MELVIN: This was gone. I'm serious. 538 00:34:50,380 --> 00:34:53,008 There wasn't no... wasn't no trees here. 539 00:34:54,384 --> 00:34:56,303 KIM: Hmm. 540 00:34:56,386 --> 00:34:58,722 See the whole path, now we going... 541 00:34:58,806 --> 00:35:00,846 - KIM: You remember that, Grandma? - GERTRUDE: Mm-hmm. 542 00:35:00,891 --> 00:35:04,645 MELVIN: Okay, this is... We getting on down to Dumpling Creek. 543 00:35:04,728 --> 00:35:07,606 I see it. Oh, my goodness. 544 00:35:07,689 --> 00:35:10,067 MELVIN: Yeah, this is Dumpling Creek right here. 545 00:35:10,150 --> 00:35:13,779 So, we're on the other side of Jonaquin's Bay? 546 00:35:13,862 --> 00:35:15,697 Yeah, that-that-that's... 547 00:35:15,781 --> 00:35:17,908 Mr. Fordham bought all of this. 548 00:35:17,991 --> 00:35:21,578 Right here, that's David Wheatley... place there. 549 00:35:21,662 --> 00:35:23,705 - KIM: Where? - MELVIN: That big house there. 550 00:35:23,789 --> 00:35:26,291 You can't hardly see it unless you walk on down here 551 00:35:26,375 --> 00:35:28,293 to the water and peek around this corner. 552 00:35:28,377 --> 00:35:30,170 KIM: Grandma, be careful. 553 00:35:32,714 --> 00:35:34,091 MELVIN: Hey. 554 00:35:34,174 --> 00:35:36,093 See that pond right through there? 555 00:35:36,176 --> 00:35:37,553 Way I dug right there? 556 00:35:37,636 --> 00:35:40,973 We running right down the side of it, that pond right here. 557 00:35:42,057 --> 00:35:44,268 KIM: (gasps) Oh, my God. 558 00:35:44,351 --> 00:35:46,311 - You dug this pond out like this? - Yeah. 559 00:35:46,395 --> 00:35:47,896 I dug this pond. Come on. 560 00:35:47,980 --> 00:35:49,457 KIM: Oh, we right behind the house, huh? 561 00:35:49,481 --> 00:35:51,024 Yeah, we're right behind your house. 562 00:35:51,108 --> 00:35:52,627 - Come on. - How deep is it, Uncle Melvin? 563 00:35:52,651 --> 00:35:54,611 About... 564 00:35:54,695 --> 00:35:56,196 It ain't deep down on this end. 565 00:35:56,280 --> 00:35:58,490 I was just getting down to it. 566 00:35:59,575 --> 00:36:01,660 - Yeah. - So, this is all rainwater? 567 00:36:01,743 --> 00:36:04,246 Yeah, this here is, uh, water coming from the ground. 568 00:36:04,329 --> 00:36:05,706 Fresh water. 569 00:36:05,789 --> 00:36:09,293 This was a grass field, what, about ten acres? 570 00:36:09,376 --> 00:36:10,836 Five acres? 571 00:36:10,919 --> 00:36:12,921 This here was a cornfield. 572 00:36:13,005 --> 00:36:15,132 Papa planted a lot of tobacco in here. 573 00:36:15,215 --> 00:36:17,593 KIM: Okay, Daniel Boone, come back. 574 00:36:18,677 --> 00:36:20,697 Right through there, you walk right on to that point, 575 00:36:20,721 --> 00:36:22,514 where Billy had his boat. 576 00:36:22,598 --> 00:36:24,224 - KIM: Careful, Uncle Melvin. - Huh? 577 00:36:24,308 --> 00:36:25,392 KIM: Be careful. 578 00:36:25,475 --> 00:36:27,060 - Grandma. - MELVIN: Yes'm? 579 00:36:27,144 --> 00:36:28,937 What do you think about all of this? 580 00:36:29,021 --> 00:36:31,064 I don't think about nothing about it. 581 00:36:31,148 --> 00:36:34,026 You don't think ab... But-but all of this... 582 00:36:34,109 --> 00:36:36,278 all of this is what you're fighting for. 583 00:36:36,361 --> 00:36:39,698 And-and-and you talking about you don't think nothing about it. 584 00:36:39,781 --> 00:36:42,951 Y-You got to think something about it, 'cause I-it... 585 00:36:43,035 --> 00:36:45,355 - I think about it all the time. - This my heritage, Grandma. 586 00:36:46,204 --> 00:36:48,206 ♪ ♪ 587 00:36:53,754 --> 00:36:55,756 (birds chirping) 588 00:37:06,934 --> 00:37:09,770 In 2007, 589 00:37:09,853 --> 00:37:14,608 I started to really take more of an interest in what was going on. 590 00:37:14,691 --> 00:37:20,280 Primarily because my uncle Melvin told me, "I need your help. 591 00:37:20,364 --> 00:37:22,282 I'm going to jail." 592 00:37:22,366 --> 00:37:24,242 So he pretty much told me, 593 00:37:24,326 --> 00:37:27,537 "These documents state that we no longer own the property. 594 00:37:27,621 --> 00:37:29,915 "I don't know how. I don't know why. 595 00:37:29,998 --> 00:37:32,125 "Um, we can't be heard. 596 00:37:32,209 --> 00:37:34,461 "But if they're saying, you know, 597 00:37:34,544 --> 00:37:37,464 "we have to sign our rights away or go to jail, 598 00:37:37,547 --> 00:37:39,841 I'm going to jail." 599 00:37:39,925 --> 00:37:41,927 ♪ ♪ 600 00:37:53,772 --> 00:37:59,236 MAMIE: On the morning of March 11, 601 00:37:59,319 --> 00:38:02,906 when Licurtis and Melvin, um, had court, 602 00:38:02,990 --> 00:38:07,786 we knew when we left home they weren't coming back. 603 00:38:07,869 --> 00:38:11,665 We knew the courts had already been stacked against us. 604 00:38:11,748 --> 00:38:15,836 We knew from beginning, it wasn't gonna be in our favor 'cause it never was. 605 00:38:18,880 --> 00:38:21,675 LICURTIS: I got up that morning. 606 00:38:21,758 --> 00:38:23,844 Mamie was taking me down there. 607 00:38:23,927 --> 00:38:26,930 Seem like I was just looking around for the last time, 608 00:38:27,014 --> 00:38:30,225 it seemed like, and I grinned at it. 609 00:38:30,308 --> 00:38:33,145 Me and Melvin went down there together. 610 00:38:33,228 --> 00:38:37,232 It seemed like the day was going so slow. 611 00:38:37,315 --> 00:38:41,069 It was foggy, like it had been raining. 612 00:38:44,406 --> 00:38:46,950 {\an8}MELVIN: In the motel where my lawyer was, 613 00:38:47,034 --> 00:38:50,704 {\an8}it puzzled him so bad, and, uh, he couldn't even eat. 614 00:38:50,787 --> 00:38:53,040 He was just getting ready to eat breakfast. 615 00:38:53,123 --> 00:38:58,045 And he said, "Man, these people don't want to have no trial. 616 00:38:58,128 --> 00:39:00,714 All they want to do is lock you all up." 617 00:39:02,466 --> 00:39:04,217 And that's what they done. 618 00:39:04,301 --> 00:39:06,178 ♪ ♪ 619 00:39:06,261 --> 00:39:08,430 (typing) 620 00:39:39,711 --> 00:39:42,756 KIM: So, the day that they were arrested was the day 621 00:39:42,839 --> 00:39:46,468 that our attorney informed us that he would no longer be representing us 622 00:39:46,551 --> 00:39:49,513 because he was advised to get off the case, 623 00:39:49,596 --> 00:39:51,431 and he did just that. 624 00:39:51,515 --> 00:39:54,851 He said, um, "The boys are going to jail today." 625 00:39:56,269 --> 00:39:58,438 It was super emotional. 626 00:39:58,522 --> 00:40:01,942 And it was about 15, maybe 20 family members, 627 00:40:02,025 --> 00:40:03,985 and we're all crowded in the room. 628 00:40:04,069 --> 00:40:06,780 And we were trying to understand why, why are they going to jail? 629 00:40:06,863 --> 00:40:09,825 What... I mean, what can we do to fix this? 630 00:40:09,908 --> 00:40:13,453 And he was like, "They're not gonna, um, sign 631 00:40:13,537 --> 00:40:15,622 "saying they're not going back onto the property. 632 00:40:15,705 --> 00:40:17,624 The judge is pretty adamant." 633 00:40:17,707 --> 00:40:22,212 You know, pretty much about them thumbing their nose up at the court, 634 00:40:22,295 --> 00:40:25,507 saying, "We're not gonna obey your rules, your laws. 635 00:40:25,590 --> 00:40:28,260 We're gonna... we're going to go back onto the property." 636 00:40:28,343 --> 00:40:34,099 And after some more conversation, I don't recall verbatim what was said, 637 00:40:34,182 --> 00:40:37,352 um, he remanded them to the jail. 638 00:40:37,435 --> 00:40:42,107 And I remember Uncle Melvin... 639 00:40:42,190 --> 00:40:44,901 taking his watch off and all his jewelry off, 640 00:40:44,985 --> 00:40:48,321 and he just said, he said, "Now, Kim, remember what I told you." 641 00:40:48,405 --> 00:40:51,241 And I was like... just, you know, at that time, 642 00:40:51,324 --> 00:40:53,827 I wanted to say, "Please just do what they ask you to do." 643 00:40:53,910 --> 00:40:55,912 ♪ ♪ 644 00:40:57,247 --> 00:41:00,917 Our attorney at the time was threatened with sanctions. 645 00:41:01,001 --> 00:41:03,587 And my memory of that court date, 646 00:41:03,670 --> 00:41:07,340 of seeing him walk away with his rolling briefcase, 647 00:41:07,424 --> 00:41:09,176 walking back to his BMW, 648 00:41:09,259 --> 00:41:12,470 not even looking back at my uncles who had just been incarcerated. 649 00:41:13,597 --> 00:41:18,268 He closed that chapter, and he just left, got in his car and left. 650 00:41:20,478 --> 00:41:22,480 ♪ ♪ 651 00:41:24,566 --> 00:41:26,568 - (camera clicks) - (indistinct police chatter) 652 00:41:30,155 --> 00:41:31,781 (camera clicks) 653 00:41:34,367 --> 00:41:36,578 LICURTIS: I never thought about signing. 654 00:41:36,661 --> 00:41:38,121 Never. 655 00:41:38,205 --> 00:41:41,750 Always was sitting and think about... 656 00:41:41,833 --> 00:41:46,588 what it would be like to not have my land 657 00:41:46,671 --> 00:41:50,634 and my house, and knowing I had to start all over again. 658 00:41:50,717 --> 00:41:54,221 And I would picture in my mind, how could I get back so fast. 659 00:41:54,304 --> 00:41:58,016 And at the end of the day, I come up with this answer on that. 660 00:41:58,099 --> 00:42:00,268 I couldn't make it back at my age. 661 00:42:00,352 --> 00:42:02,938 'Cause that's mostly what... 662 00:42:03,021 --> 00:42:05,106 I'm-a put it just like this. 663 00:42:05,190 --> 00:42:08,526 That's mostly what Black people ever get. 664 00:42:08,610 --> 00:42:12,530 A nice home, nice family, a nice car. 665 00:42:12,614 --> 00:42:14,866 You're not gonna have a whole lot of money, 666 00:42:14,950 --> 00:42:17,661 'cause it don't work like that in this county. 667 00:42:17,744 --> 00:42:19,746 ♪ ♪ 668 00:42:32,509 --> 00:42:35,428 (water lapping) 669 00:42:35,512 --> 00:42:37,514 (critters chittering) 670 00:42:38,723 --> 00:42:40,684 (leaves rustling) 671 00:42:41,685 --> 00:42:46,356 MAMIE: The way that this was set up and the way it was done 672 00:42:46,439 --> 00:42:52,612 make it even harder to just sign a paper saying you will never go on the property. 673 00:42:53,822 --> 00:42:56,866 Licurtis, it's like he almost saying, 674 00:42:56,950 --> 00:42:59,869 you know, "This is something I have to do." 675 00:42:59,953 --> 00:43:04,708 Melvin mindset is, "That's my livelihood. 676 00:43:05,917 --> 00:43:08,128 "I have no choice. 677 00:43:08,211 --> 00:43:10,797 "I'm, what, in my 70s? 678 00:43:10,880 --> 00:43:14,634 And where else am I going to live?" 679 00:43:16,803 --> 00:43:22,392 ANITA: In some ways, almost disbelieving that the legal system could be so unfair. 680 00:43:22,475 --> 00:43:26,521 I-I think they were both disbelieving 681 00:43:26,604 --> 00:43:29,190 and incredibly frustrated but also determined 682 00:43:29,274 --> 00:43:31,776 {\an8}that, um, they would do whatever it takes. 683 00:43:31,860 --> 00:43:34,779 {\an8}And I... And that's remarkable, because I think 684 00:43:34,863 --> 00:43:39,993 {\an8}some people would just ultimately feel like, "I can't take this anymore. 685 00:43:40,076 --> 00:43:43,705 Um, I'm just gonna cut my losses and move on." 686 00:43:43,788 --> 00:43:49,127 Um... So they had an incredible amount of determination 687 00:43:49,210 --> 00:43:55,967 and, um, a will to-to really honor their ancestors. 688 00:43:59,471 --> 00:44:01,848 MAMIE: Same old bullshit every day. 689 00:44:07,270 --> 00:44:11,274 {\an8}WOMAN: He going in there with that thing they use with the ditches. 690 00:44:12,317 --> 00:44:16,154 MAMIE: And I guess they do what in the hell they want. 691 00:44:19,115 --> 00:44:20,825 (speaking indistinctly) 692 00:44:20,909 --> 00:44:22,869 BILLY: Yeah, I got 'em. I got 'em. 693 00:44:25,914 --> 00:44:27,916 ♪ ♪ 694 00:44:33,338 --> 00:44:35,340 (birds chirping) 695 00:44:42,389 --> 00:44:44,599 MAMIE: Billy. 696 00:44:44,682 --> 00:44:46,601 Don't go down there. 697 00:44:46,684 --> 00:44:48,645 Let them do what they want. 698 00:44:48,728 --> 00:44:51,064 Now, somebody don't come in here soon, 699 00:44:51,147 --> 00:44:53,024 I don't know. 700 00:44:53,108 --> 00:44:55,318 Just-just don't bother 'em. Don't say nothing to 'em. 701 00:44:59,239 --> 00:45:01,616 Hey! 702 00:45:01,699 --> 00:45:04,202 MAMIE: Billy! 703 00:45:04,285 --> 00:45:06,329 What-what you going down there for? 704 00:45:08,039 --> 00:45:10,625 Billy, don't go down there. 705 00:45:10,708 --> 00:45:13,128 Wait, let me go with you so I can record it. 706 00:45:16,339 --> 00:45:18,842 BILLY: You-you think you're the man's son, right? 707 00:45:18,925 --> 00:45:20,009 - MAN: No. - Yeah, okay. 708 00:45:20,093 --> 00:45:22,154 - I'll find out what's going on, now. - Doesn't matter. 709 00:45:22,178 --> 00:45:23,721 Okay, you will know. 710 00:45:23,805 --> 00:45:25,783 Okay? -Hold on. I'm not Dean's son. I'm from Atlanta. 711 00:45:25,807 --> 00:45:27,308 I-I don't care where you at, man. 712 00:45:27,392 --> 00:45:29,072 - That's all right, buddy. - Okay. All right. 713 00:45:29,102 --> 00:45:30,645 And you, too, big boy. 714 00:45:30,728 --> 00:45:33,148 - Don't hurt your back. - Okay, don't hurt your back. 715 00:45:33,231 --> 00:45:35,918 Do y'all think y'all gonna come put something down here and walk away with it? 716 00:45:35,942 --> 00:45:37,294 MAN: I'm not gonna put nothing out here, 717 00:45:37,318 --> 00:45:38,712 'cause I don't give a goddamn what happens. 718 00:45:38,736 --> 00:45:41,382 - BILLY: And I don't... I don't... - MAMIE: Billy! Ah. Oh, no, no, Billy. 719 00:45:41,406 --> 00:45:43,158 Billy, Billy, no. 720 00:45:43,241 --> 00:45:45,785 - Oh, no, no. Oh, no. - (indistinct arguing) 721 00:45:45,869 --> 00:45:48,204 Oh, no. Let's go. 722 00:45:48,288 --> 00:45:50,206 Let's go. 723 00:45:50,290 --> 00:45:52,333 Billy, he a liar. He's a white man. 724 00:45:52,417 --> 00:45:54,061 - He can't do nothing but lie. - That's all right, that's all right. 725 00:45:54,085 --> 00:45:55,146 MAMIE: You know white people don't do... 726 00:45:55,170 --> 00:45:56,272 BILLY: Good-good thing you're in here with me... 727 00:45:56,296 --> 00:45:57,982 MAMIE: They've been stealing and lying. Come, let's go! 728 00:45:58,006 --> 00:46:00,151 - They don't do nothing but lie. - (Billy speaking indistinctly) 729 00:46:00,175 --> 00:46:02,427 Billy, you know in slavery time, 730 00:46:02,510 --> 00:46:05,972 they've been lying all they life, that's how they get what they get by lying. 731 00:46:06,055 --> 00:46:07,575 - Let's go! - BILLY: Well, if I took you two out... 732 00:46:07,599 --> 00:46:09,684 MAMIE: No, no, no, no, no, no. 733 00:46:09,767 --> 00:46:12,437 That don't... That's... This is just how white people do. 734 00:46:12,520 --> 00:46:16,733 Leave it alone. They've been stealing and killing and Ku Klux Klan all they life. 735 00:46:16,816 --> 00:46:20,361 Don't worry. Don't worry. Let's go, Billy. 736 00:46:20,445 --> 00:46:22,572 That's why I'm recording this. 737 00:46:22,655 --> 00:46:24,282 Come on, now. 738 00:46:26,034 --> 00:46:28,411 (footsteps departing) 739 00:46:32,165 --> 00:46:34,935 When Licurtis and Melvin was in jail, it kind of put anger in everybody. 740 00:46:34,959 --> 00:46:37,086 {\an8}'Cause when you see your sheriff, and you said, 741 00:46:37,170 --> 00:46:39,631 {\an8}"You ain't got to go there, you say." Don't even make sense. 742 00:46:39,714 --> 00:46:42,342 {\an8}They running down here to see if anybody down on that land. 743 00:46:42,425 --> 00:46:44,677 And now all of a sudden now, they're all showing up, 744 00:46:44,761 --> 00:46:47,347 running down here every day, watching us, see what we doing. 745 00:46:47,430 --> 00:46:49,641 Then sometimes even the sheriff will come by your house. 746 00:46:49,724 --> 00:46:51,267 Now, this ain't the water. 747 00:46:51,351 --> 00:46:53,102 They will ride by looking at you. 748 00:46:54,562 --> 00:46:58,441 Like, you say something, do something on your... in your yard, 749 00:46:58,525 --> 00:47:00,336 I stop... "What, you got a problem or something?" 750 00:47:00,360 --> 00:47:02,695 And I'm sitting there looking. 751 00:47:02,779 --> 00:47:04,113 What is wrong with these people? 752 00:47:04,197 --> 00:47:07,534 ♪ Lord, I'm walkin' and walkin' ♪ 753 00:47:07,617 --> 00:47:10,954 ("Walkin' Night and Day" by Big Boy Henry playing) 754 00:47:11,037 --> 00:47:13,790 ♪ Walkin' this old highway ♪ 755 00:47:17,544 --> 00:47:19,420 ♪ Yes, I'm walkin' ♪ 756 00:47:21,798 --> 00:47:24,676 ♪ Walkin' this old highway ♪ 757 00:47:30,640 --> 00:47:34,269 MAMIE: I think the original plan for this water was, 758 00:47:34,352 --> 00:47:39,190 they were going to have boat slips they can rent to people 759 00:47:39,274 --> 00:47:41,943 for their yachts or boats, 760 00:47:42,026 --> 00:47:46,823 and Melvin's club, I think that was gonna be the clubhouse for the marina. 761 00:47:46,906 --> 00:47:50,201 And then I believe where Licurtis' house sit, 762 00:47:50,285 --> 00:47:53,162 there was gonna be four or five homes. 763 00:47:53,246 --> 00:47:55,790 They could have put probably right many homes 764 00:47:55,873 --> 00:47:59,043 and a turning table, like a cul-de-sac. 765 00:47:59,127 --> 00:48:04,382 And I believe that encroaching over, like they are doing now, 766 00:48:04,465 --> 00:48:07,969 where my mother is, back to the church, 767 00:48:08,052 --> 00:48:12,432 if they can get Silver Dollar Road, it's gonna be golf. 768 00:48:12,515 --> 00:48:16,269 Who's gonna be able to afford the taxes in... on Silver Dollar Road, 769 00:48:16,352 --> 00:48:21,357 when mostly everybody in here are senior citizens? 770 00:48:22,567 --> 00:48:27,697 Or getting, um, social security. 771 00:48:27,780 --> 00:48:31,576 So that's gonna force a lot of people to sell like it's doing in Beaufort. 772 00:48:31,659 --> 00:48:35,371 It's forcing a lot of the, uh, people in Beaufort, 773 00:48:35,455 --> 00:48:39,375 who wants to hold on to their, uh, parents' home, 774 00:48:39,459 --> 00:48:41,419 but they can't afford the taxes. 775 00:48:41,502 --> 00:48:44,380 So, what you're supposed to do with... 776 00:48:44,464 --> 00:48:47,175 I ain't gonna say Black people, 'cause people are people. 777 00:48:47,258 --> 00:48:50,428 What you gonna do with poor people, period? 778 00:48:50,511 --> 00:48:53,222 What you gonna do with us? 779 00:48:53,306 --> 00:48:57,560 And they're surely gonna need somebody to clean the condos 780 00:48:57,644 --> 00:49:00,521 and, uh, fix the fast food 781 00:49:00,605 --> 00:49:03,650 and cut the yards. 782 00:49:03,733 --> 00:49:08,321 So if you clear out Silver Dollar Road, where are you going? 783 00:49:08,404 --> 00:49:11,783 And not that we want to go anywhere, because this is ours. 784 00:49:11,866 --> 00:49:15,995 Our ancestors left this here for us. 785 00:49:16,079 --> 00:49:19,499 Okay, today is July the 4th. 786 00:49:19,582 --> 00:49:23,169 - (lively chatter) - Licurtis' birthday. 787 00:49:23,252 --> 00:49:25,338 {\an8}Happy birthday, Licurtis. 788 00:49:25,421 --> 00:49:27,924 {\an8}-Happy birthday. - (laughter) 789 00:49:28,007 --> 00:49:30,277 {\an8}MAMIE: Happy... Brit, you got to say, "Happy birthday from Brit." 790 00:49:30,301 --> 00:49:32,720 {\an8}-Happy birthday from me. - Happy birthday. 791 00:49:32,804 --> 00:49:34,722 - MAMIE: Licurtis, all right. - (laughter) 792 00:49:34,806 --> 00:49:36,683 (lively chatter continues) 793 00:49:36,766 --> 00:49:39,060 Happy birthday, bro. 794 00:49:39,143 --> 00:49:40,436 Happy birthday, Unc. 795 00:49:40,520 --> 00:49:42,021 Happy birthday, Uncle Li. 796 00:49:42,105 --> 00:49:44,732 MAMIE: All right, he did it. Yeah, he did. 797 00:49:44,816 --> 00:49:46,984 ALL: Hi, Uncle Melvin! 798 00:49:47,068 --> 00:49:48,695 MAMIE: Hi, Uncle Licurtis. 799 00:49:48,778 --> 00:49:50,697 ALL: Hi, Uncle Licurtis! 800 00:49:50,780 --> 00:49:52,156 MAMIE: Okay. 801 00:49:52,240 --> 00:49:54,450 Hi, Melvin and Uncle Li! 802 00:49:54,534 --> 00:49:56,953 - Happy birthday, Dad! - Happy birthday, Li. 803 00:49:57,036 --> 00:49:58,830 Uncle Melvin and Li. 804 00:49:58,913 --> 00:50:00,516 - Y'all hang in there. - (overlapping chatter) 805 00:50:00,540 --> 00:50:02,875 We got something coming, don't worry. Love y'all. 806 00:50:02,959 --> 00:50:05,128 MAMIE: Love y'all. 807 00:50:11,968 --> 00:50:15,680 KIM: During that time frame of what was supposed to be 90 days, 808 00:50:15,763 --> 00:50:18,850 we didn't have anybody to even handle that. 809 00:50:18,933 --> 00:50:22,103 We didn't even know until we found another attorney, 810 00:50:22,186 --> 00:50:24,439 which was in September of 2011. 811 00:50:24,522 --> 00:50:28,317 And that's when he proceeded to tell us, 812 00:50:28,401 --> 00:50:30,611 "This is not a simple trespassing. 813 00:50:30,695 --> 00:50:33,531 "This is not gonna be easy to get you guys out. 814 00:50:33,614 --> 00:50:37,076 "And in order for me to take this case, 815 00:50:37,160 --> 00:50:41,080 I'm gonna need a retainer fee of $45,000." 816 00:50:41,164 --> 00:50:42,558 NEWSWOMAN (on TV): Two brothers remain in jail 817 00:50:42,582 --> 00:50:44,709 after a judge refused to hear their case 818 00:50:44,792 --> 00:50:47,044 involving land they claim is theirs. 819 00:50:47,128 --> 00:50:49,881 It's a story we first told you about last week. 820 00:50:49,964 --> 00:50:52,884 NEWSMAN: The land in question is along a coastal creek in Carteret County. 821 00:50:52,967 --> 00:50:55,720 A court hearing had been set for this afternoon in New Bern. 822 00:50:55,803 --> 00:50:59,807 Brian Mims is there live to explain what happened. Brian? 823 00:50:59,891 --> 00:51:02,435 David, in essence, Judge Ben Alford says, 824 00:51:02,518 --> 00:51:04,854 "There's nothing more to consider in this case." 825 00:51:05,938 --> 00:51:09,358 The family's position through the litigation 826 00:51:09,442 --> 00:51:11,819 when I represented them was that, 827 00:51:11,903 --> 00:51:15,323 um, they were cheated out of the land 828 00:51:15,406 --> 00:51:21,621 by several successive, um, entities, 829 00:51:21,704 --> 00:51:25,708 actors, um... Some individual, one corporation... 830 00:51:25,792 --> 00:51:29,253 Who continued to claim that they own the land 831 00:51:29,337 --> 00:51:34,425 even though that claim flowed from a fraudulent deed to begin with. 832 00:51:34,509 --> 00:51:36,803 And... 833 00:51:36,886 --> 00:51:40,932 there are... there are so many twists and turns to this legal process 834 00:51:41,015 --> 00:51:46,145 that it's-it's... it's hard for attorneys and courts to follow. 835 00:51:46,229 --> 00:51:50,483 It's, uh, impossible for the family to understand why any of this makes sense 836 00:51:50,566 --> 00:51:52,985 and why they should lose their land. 837 00:51:53,069 --> 00:51:57,698 It just kind of defies logic that any of that constitutes justice. 838 00:51:57,782 --> 00:51:59,742 (birds chirping, critters chittering) 839 00:52:07,834 --> 00:52:09,418 KIM: It was just hard. 840 00:52:09,502 --> 00:52:12,922 It was staying by the phone, 841 00:52:13,005 --> 00:52:14,841 hoping they'd call 842 00:52:14,924 --> 00:52:18,344 and having an answer for them if they called 'cause it was, 843 00:52:18,427 --> 00:52:20,471 "Did you find anybody? Did you find an attorney?" 844 00:52:20,555 --> 00:52:22,640 And all that weight on your shoulders 845 00:52:22,723 --> 00:52:27,520 from somebody depending on you to do something so important. 846 00:52:29,355 --> 00:52:34,861 It was horrible... the anxiety, the stress, the fear of disappointing them. 847 00:52:36,112 --> 00:52:38,382 'Cause during that time, my husband was just diagnosed with cancer. 848 00:52:38,406 --> 00:52:41,242 And I was like... (sighs) 849 00:52:41,325 --> 00:52:44,871 The fight between my uncles, and the ripping and running 850 00:52:44,954 --> 00:52:47,206 to these tr-treatment centers, 851 00:52:47,290 --> 00:52:50,167 and keeping Grandma in a good frame of mind. 852 00:52:50,251 --> 00:52:52,503 She wouldn't go anywhere. 853 00:52:52,587 --> 00:52:56,591 She'd just sit and listen to those old spirituals and cry, and... 854 00:52:57,675 --> 00:53:00,636 "I want my boys home, I just want my boys home." 855 00:53:00,720 --> 00:53:05,016 So, Sundays, when we would all get together and have dinner, 856 00:53:05,099 --> 00:53:07,852 we'd all get together and just wait by the phone, 857 00:53:07,935 --> 00:53:09,604 wait for them to call. 858 00:53:09,687 --> 00:53:13,274 And we'd pass the phone around and everybody had something to say. 859 00:53:13,357 --> 00:53:17,862 And then the anxiety of when it would come to my turn to talk, 860 00:53:17,945 --> 00:53:22,366 it was like, "Did you find anybody?" And I was like... 861 00:53:24,744 --> 00:53:26,329 (voice breaking): "Not yet." 862 00:53:28,789 --> 00:53:30,791 (birds chirping) 863 00:53:35,880 --> 00:53:39,175 Yeah, I used to take this ride, and absolutely... 864 00:53:39,258 --> 00:53:43,387 Sometimes I would literally be in tears taking this ride. 865 00:53:43,471 --> 00:53:48,726 Not knowing what their mindset was gonna be like and in a pretty good mood. 866 00:53:48,809 --> 00:53:52,813 'Cause their mood kind of set the precedence of our visit. 867 00:53:52,897 --> 00:53:56,567 So if I felt like they were not in a good space, 868 00:53:56,651 --> 00:53:59,320 it was... wasn't going to be a good visit. 869 00:54:02,281 --> 00:54:05,493 {\an8}I visited them at least every week. 870 00:54:05,576 --> 00:54:08,704 {\an8}There was a ritual to go and visit them on Wednesdays. 871 00:54:08,788 --> 00:54:10,414 (car lock beeps) 872 00:54:13,209 --> 00:54:15,711 We weren't always treated so nicely. 873 00:54:15,795 --> 00:54:18,089 "Your name's not on the paperwork." 874 00:54:18,172 --> 00:54:23,511 If my name was on the visitors list, they always acknowledged my maiden name, 875 00:54:23,594 --> 00:54:26,597 and I would assure them, after several visits, 876 00:54:26,681 --> 00:54:28,057 I'm still that same person. 877 00:54:28,140 --> 00:54:30,101 You know me, you see me. 878 00:54:30,184 --> 00:54:31,727 "Your name's not on the list." 879 00:54:31,811 --> 00:54:34,313 "But I was just here last week and you let me in." 880 00:54:34,397 --> 00:54:36,774 "Your name's not on the list." 881 00:54:36,857 --> 00:54:41,362 You know, um... And again, I experienced the, um... 882 00:54:41,445 --> 00:54:45,366 emblems being taken off my car and nail tacks in my tires, 883 00:54:45,449 --> 00:54:47,702 and, um... 884 00:54:47,785 --> 00:54:50,830 Got to the point that when I came to Carteret County to visit, 885 00:54:50,913 --> 00:54:53,374 I'd left someone in my car the entire time. 886 00:54:55,751 --> 00:54:57,670 {\an8}Well, normally when we'd come, 887 00:54:57,753 --> 00:55:02,258 {\an8}there'd be like about 15 or 20 other people waiting to go in, 888 00:55:02,341 --> 00:55:03,884 {\an8}see their loved ones. 889 00:55:03,968 --> 00:55:07,638 We line up, give your name, 890 00:55:07,722 --> 00:55:11,851 wait to go upstairs to be... to see them. 891 00:55:13,185 --> 00:55:17,940 Get in the waiting area, and they'd release them into the pod, 892 00:55:18,024 --> 00:55:21,485 and we'd just conversate through the glass partition, 893 00:55:21,569 --> 00:55:23,529 unable to physically touch. 894 00:55:25,031 --> 00:55:27,033 ♪ ♪ 895 00:55:31,162 --> 00:55:34,749 It was, um, heartbreaking. 896 00:55:34,832 --> 00:55:38,794 It was sad to see them chained in... 897 00:55:38,878 --> 00:55:42,715 in these orange jumpsuits and defeated, 898 00:55:42,798 --> 00:55:44,800 def... the defeated look on their face, 899 00:55:44,884 --> 00:55:46,761 and it was... 900 00:55:46,844 --> 00:55:49,388 When they would talk to us, sometimes they'd talk to us 901 00:55:49,472 --> 00:55:51,932 with their heads down and wouldn't look at us, 902 00:55:52,016 --> 00:55:55,311 'cause they said they didn't want to see us walk away. 903 00:55:55,394 --> 00:55:58,439 Then it was times when they would not want us to come 904 00:55:58,522 --> 00:56:00,066 'cause it was... 905 00:56:00,149 --> 00:56:04,320 They said it was the most painful thing in the world to see us leave and couldn't go. 906 00:56:04,403 --> 00:56:06,405 ♪ ♪ 907 00:56:10,618 --> 00:56:13,412 LICURTIS: I was scared to go to jail 'cause I'd never been. 908 00:56:14,497 --> 00:56:18,417 And I kept dreaming about how it would feel to be in there. 909 00:56:19,502 --> 00:56:22,129 And when I got in there, it was like my dream were true. 910 00:56:22,213 --> 00:56:24,048 It was just like I dreamed it. 911 00:56:24,131 --> 00:56:27,259 The wall green, ain't but one way in there. 912 00:56:27,343 --> 00:56:30,387 And then you got to do like they say. 913 00:56:30,471 --> 00:56:35,851 Get up, lay down, eat, go to the bathroom, back to your bunk. 914 00:56:35,935 --> 00:56:37,478 It was the whole thing. 915 00:56:37,561 --> 00:56:39,563 (insects trilling) 916 00:56:46,570 --> 00:56:47,613 (door slams shut) 917 00:56:50,074 --> 00:56:54,245 They said, "You stay in that cell all the 24 hours." 918 00:56:54,328 --> 00:56:58,916 At 23, yeah, one hour out, you know, we'd come out to eat. 919 00:57:03,087 --> 00:57:06,048 And then, you know, I would look at the TV 920 00:57:06,132 --> 00:57:09,135 through the jail cell, and that's where it went. 921 00:57:09,218 --> 00:57:14,098 And I just kept praying and praying that God just deliver me from this. 922 00:57:14,181 --> 00:57:16,183 (crackling) 923 00:57:17,643 --> 00:57:19,770 One time, I thought I was gonna go crazy. 924 00:57:21,188 --> 00:57:22,940 (cell gate closes) 925 00:57:23,023 --> 00:57:28,112 MELVIN: Everyday life in there to get up, wash my face, brush my teeth 926 00:57:28,195 --> 00:57:32,283 and walk for about two to three hours. 927 00:57:32,366 --> 00:57:34,368 (crackling, rumbling) 928 00:57:38,205 --> 00:57:40,624 And I could walk like that until I got tired, 929 00:57:40,708 --> 00:57:42,710 and then I'd lay down and go to sleep. 930 00:57:44,670 --> 00:57:48,215 - (door slams shut) - That was my daily thing. 931 00:57:49,967 --> 00:57:52,511 (clattering) 932 00:57:57,641 --> 00:58:02,271 I would buy the guys' milk 'cause I couldn't drink that water. 933 00:58:02,354 --> 00:58:04,565 Most of the people in there couldn't drink the water, 934 00:58:04,648 --> 00:58:07,359 so I would give them food for milk. 935 00:58:07,443 --> 00:58:11,530 I drank a lot of milk, and I survived. 936 00:58:12,615 --> 00:58:14,158 (footsteps pacing) 937 00:58:14,241 --> 00:58:17,745 LICURTIS: They kind of thought that I had sugar, 938 00:58:17,828 --> 00:58:19,455 and sent me to the hospital. 939 00:58:19,538 --> 00:58:22,666 I stayed in there about three weeks. 940 00:58:24,126 --> 00:58:26,921 They had me shackled there like I had killed somebody, buddy. 941 00:58:27,004 --> 00:58:29,548 Had me shackled to the bed. 942 00:58:29,632 --> 00:58:34,136 I couldn't stand... sleep on one side 'cause of those chains around my ankle. 943 00:58:36,889 --> 00:58:39,850 Come to find out, didn't have no sugar. 944 00:58:39,934 --> 00:58:41,852 The doctor told me, said, uh... 945 00:58:43,270 --> 00:58:47,483 "Only thing wrong with you is you need to get out of jail." 946 00:58:50,903 --> 00:58:53,239 MELVIN: A lot of things run through my mind. 947 00:58:54,365 --> 00:58:57,034 Then knowing that Licurtis is sick, 948 00:58:57,117 --> 00:59:00,246 I was kind of watching over him, you know. 949 00:59:00,329 --> 00:59:03,415 It's like a... a brother love, I guess. 950 00:59:04,667 --> 00:59:06,877 (gate buzzes, opens and closes) 951 00:59:09,797 --> 00:59:11,799 (chains clinking) 952 00:59:14,635 --> 00:59:17,972 And every now and then, they would put me in another cell, 953 00:59:18,055 --> 00:59:22,309 and Licurtis in another cell, sometime I wouldn't see Licurtis for months. 954 00:59:23,852 --> 00:59:25,980 (gate buzzes) 955 00:59:27,564 --> 00:59:29,566 (crackling, rumbling) 956 00:59:44,331 --> 00:59:48,544 But, boy, you got so much prejudice in that jail. 957 00:59:48,627 --> 00:59:50,504 People killing one another. 958 00:59:53,549 --> 00:59:57,011 And I ain't never thought about killing myself in there. 959 00:59:57,094 --> 00:59:59,096 - ♪ ♪ - (birds chirping) 960 01:00:11,191 --> 01:00:15,821 So, I had a dream that, "Now, they got to let you out." 961 01:00:17,906 --> 01:00:22,494 And one of the CO's come in there and told me, one of the jailers, 962 01:00:22,578 --> 01:00:25,581 he said, "Man, they don't know how to let you out." 963 01:00:25,664 --> 01:00:29,043 I said, "All they got to do is open the door." 964 01:00:29,126 --> 01:00:32,004 You know? And then when I got ready to go, 965 01:00:32,087 --> 01:00:34,757 uh, this ain't right to me, just something wasn't right. 966 01:00:34,840 --> 01:00:37,468 I didn't deserve to see who kept telling me, 967 01:00:37,551 --> 01:00:40,471 "Why don't y'all... why don't you go on and leave, Melvin?" 968 01:00:40,554 --> 01:00:42,723 I said, "Well, I'm going," I said, "Well..." 969 01:00:42,806 --> 01:00:44,350 I mean, picking up weight in there, 970 01:00:44,433 --> 01:00:47,102 I couldn't wear none of my clothes... One pant leg long enough 971 01:00:47,186 --> 01:00:49,104 and the other one short. 972 01:00:49,188 --> 01:00:51,148 But after a while, I walked on out. 973 01:00:54,526 --> 01:00:57,738 NEWSMAN: Let's take a-another look at this 3-D image here 974 01:00:57,821 --> 01:01:01,325 that you can only see on ABC 11, and it shows, uh... 975 01:01:01,408 --> 01:01:03,720 (on TV): If we go to weather source one here, it will show you, 976 01:01:03,744 --> 01:01:05,245 uh, the height of these storms. 977 01:01:05,329 --> 01:01:06,806 As you can see, we zoom into that one cell. 978 01:01:06,830 --> 01:01:08,624 Now north of Louisburg, there's the... 979 01:01:08,707 --> 01:01:10,751 there's the back end edge of it right there... 980 01:01:10,834 --> 01:01:15,089 MAMIE: Before they went to jail, my mother went to that home extensions market, 981 01:01:15,172 --> 01:01:17,383 farmers' market, what they call it. 982 01:01:17,466 --> 01:01:19,843 My mother would go, and she don't do that no more. 983 01:01:21,053 --> 01:01:25,265 And my mother had her garden, she worked her garden. 984 01:01:25,349 --> 01:01:28,143 And now she don't want to do any of that. 985 01:01:29,144 --> 01:01:31,480 She thinks she has to be there 986 01:01:31,563 --> 01:01:36,485 so if Melvin and Licurtis call, she needs to be there to take their call. 987 01:01:36,568 --> 01:01:38,821 (distant singing) 988 01:01:38,904 --> 01:01:41,156 You know what, we try to get her to understand, 989 01:01:41,240 --> 01:01:43,409 you never know when they gonna call. 990 01:01:43,492 --> 01:01:45,285 But her mentality is, 991 01:01:45,369 --> 01:01:49,498 "Well, even if I don't know when, I have to be here. 992 01:01:49,581 --> 01:01:51,625 I can't leave." 993 01:01:55,462 --> 01:01:57,214 (phone rings) 994 01:01:58,632 --> 01:02:01,778 AUTOMATED VOICE: call will be recorded and subject to monitoring at any time. 995 01:02:01,802 --> 01:02:04,138 You may begin speaking now. 996 01:02:04,221 --> 01:02:05,865 MELVIN (distorted on phone): Is the missus okay? 997 01:02:05,889 --> 01:02:07,808 - Yeah. - Okay. 998 01:02:07,891 --> 01:02:10,060 Yeah, all of them are all right. 999 01:02:10,144 --> 01:02:11,955 - MELVIN: Okay, so everybody's okay. - GERTRUDE: Mm-hmm. 1000 01:02:11,979 --> 01:02:13,772 Mamie's going for a checkup today. 1001 01:02:14,940 --> 01:02:17,359 - MELVIN: Okay, she's going for a checkup. - GERTRUDE: Mm-hmm. 1002 01:02:17,443 --> 01:02:19,945 (birds chirping, critters chittering) 1003 01:02:20,028 --> 01:02:23,615 KIM: During the time we were being represented by one particular attorney, 1004 01:02:23,699 --> 01:02:29,538 after about five years, we'd already given him about $95,000. 1005 01:02:29,621 --> 01:02:32,749 My uncles were still incarcerated. 1006 01:02:32,833 --> 01:02:36,336 There was no evidence of them being released. 1007 01:02:36,420 --> 01:02:39,756 The only communication we would have from time to time would be: 1008 01:02:39,840 --> 01:02:44,303 "I need $1,500 for this," or "I need $2,000." 1009 01:02:44,386 --> 01:02:47,848 "I need the family to come up with $12,000 'cause I have to do this." 1010 01:02:47,931 --> 01:02:51,977 I asked the paralegal 1011 01:02:52,060 --> 01:02:55,147 to write me up a document that told our story 1012 01:02:55,230 --> 01:02:58,484 in its complete entirety of where we were. 1013 01:02:58,567 --> 01:03:02,779 So when I would go out to solicit other people to help, 1014 01:03:02,863 --> 01:03:08,243 it would be easy to tell the story from his perspective, 1015 01:03:08,327 --> 01:03:11,538 which made sense, without me just having to tell the story. 1016 01:03:15,000 --> 01:03:18,587 We had an attorney, um, she told us 1017 01:03:18,670 --> 01:03:23,842 we needed $5,000 for her to-to do the consult 1018 01:03:23,926 --> 01:03:28,847 and, um, whatever was left after her reading through our documents, 1019 01:03:28,931 --> 01:03:31,517 she would send it back or, you know, 1020 01:03:31,600 --> 01:03:33,185 give us the remainder monies in return 1021 01:03:33,268 --> 01:03:35,687 and let us know if she could take the case. 1022 01:03:36,772 --> 01:03:42,361 She took the entire weekend to look at the case files or whatever. 1023 01:03:42,444 --> 01:03:46,114 She sent us roughly back a hundred and some-odd dollars 1024 01:03:46,198 --> 01:03:49,409 and told us, unfortunately, she couldn't accommodate us. 1025 01:03:50,661 --> 01:03:53,330 But that was what we were running into. 1026 01:03:53,413 --> 01:03:56,833 People that already kind of heard about our story, 1027 01:03:56,917 --> 01:04:00,295 and we not knowing, just grasping for straws 1028 01:04:00,379 --> 01:04:05,259 'cause we want our uncles out of jail and just trying to do whatever it took 1029 01:04:05,342 --> 01:04:11,348 to get somebody that was really gonna help us cost us big-time. 1030 01:04:11,431 --> 01:04:13,392 People were taking advantage of us. 1031 01:04:13,475 --> 01:04:17,062 {\an8}♪ If you don't want ♪ 1032 01:04:17,145 --> 01:04:20,023 {\an8}♪ To get in trouble... ♪ 1033 01:04:20,107 --> 01:04:25,195 MELVIN: Ain't no justice in Beaufort, not for no Black people. 1034 01:04:26,238 --> 01:04:29,783 White people, yes. Black people, no. 1035 01:04:29,866 --> 01:04:32,869 And now, look at it now. 1036 01:04:32,953 --> 01:04:36,665 You could always go in Beaufort, 1037 01:04:36,748 --> 01:04:40,419 Black people be walking the street isn't happening no more. 1038 01:04:41,670 --> 01:04:44,506 People there lost their house. 1039 01:04:44,590 --> 01:04:48,218 They ain't... they'll never live in the town of Beaufort no more. 1040 01:04:48,302 --> 01:04:50,804 ♪ Let that liar alone ♪ 1041 01:04:50,887 --> 01:04:54,516 ♪ Well, let me tell you what a liar will do ♪ 1042 01:04:54,600 --> 01:04:57,936 ♪ Ain't no sense running, he'll catch up with you ♪ 1043 01:04:58,020 --> 01:05:00,314 ♪ If you don't want ♪ 1044 01:05:00,397 --> 01:05:03,233 ♪ To get in trouble, get in trouble... ♪ 1045 01:05:03,317 --> 01:05:04,484 (singing fades) 1046 01:05:06,570 --> 01:05:11,491 KIM: My memory of Beaufort, when I was about ten or 11, 1047 01:05:11,575 --> 01:05:13,368 were pretty good memories. 1048 01:05:13,452 --> 01:05:15,829 It was always walking on Front Street, 1049 01:05:15,912 --> 01:05:19,791 watching the boats and, um, eating ice cream, 1050 01:05:19,875 --> 01:05:22,502 and just nostalgic-type things. 1051 01:05:22,586 --> 01:05:24,755 Going to the post office with my grandmother, 1052 01:05:24,838 --> 01:05:28,592 or going to the bank and always getting candy. 1053 01:05:28,675 --> 01:05:30,844 It was "town" is what we always called it. 1054 01:05:30,927 --> 01:05:33,764 "Grandma's taking us to town." It was beautiful. 1055 01:05:33,847 --> 01:05:36,683 It was a beautiful memory until I became an adult 1056 01:05:36,767 --> 01:05:40,187 and realized, um, some of the things that happened... 1057 01:05:40,270 --> 01:05:42,814 I experienced it while helping out in this case... 1058 01:05:42,898 --> 01:05:46,109 That made me think this is not such a pretty place anymore. 1059 01:05:47,736 --> 01:05:50,656 A civil rights activist is in northeastern North Carolina, 1060 01:05:50,739 --> 01:05:53,200 trying to get help for a family 1061 01:05:53,283 --> 01:05:54,993 {\an8}to get their loved ones released from jail. 1062 01:05:55,077 --> 01:05:58,580 {\an8}Fox Eastern Carolina News reporter Leland Pinder has more details 1063 01:05:58,664 --> 01:06:01,291 and explains what the organization has planned. 1064 01:06:01,375 --> 01:06:03,877 {\an8}I've never seen anyone in jail so long for trespassing. 1065 01:06:03,960 --> 01:06:05,504 {\an8}According to court documents, 1066 01:06:05,587 --> 01:06:08,423 {\an8}the plaintiff in this case is Adams Creek Associates. 1067 01:06:08,507 --> 01:06:11,093 {\an8}I tried to call them to get their side of the story, 1068 01:06:11,176 --> 01:06:13,178 {\an8}and this is what I found. 1069 01:06:13,261 --> 01:06:15,021 AUTOMATED VOICE: Welcome to Verizon Wireless. 1070 01:06:15,055 --> 01:06:19,267 The number you dialed has been changed, disconnected or is no longer in service. 1071 01:06:19,351 --> 01:06:21,103 LELAND: Barnett says he's planning a march 1072 01:06:21,186 --> 01:06:24,272 if the two men aren't released by a certain date. 1073 01:06:24,356 --> 01:06:27,401 {\an8}BARNETT: We're gonna do our welcome prayer. 1074 01:06:27,484 --> 01:06:29,695 {\an8}We're gonna do a prayer for Melvin and Licurtis, 1075 01:06:29,778 --> 01:06:31,321 {\an8}then we're gonna pray for the inmates, 1076 01:06:31,405 --> 01:06:33,532 {\an8}even though they may be guilty, some may be innocent. 1077 01:06:33,615 --> 01:06:35,909 I've gotten seven men out of jail that were innocent. 1078 01:06:35,992 --> 01:06:37,553 They're still human beings. They mess up. 1079 01:06:37,577 --> 01:06:39,337 - (overlapping agreements) - WOMAN: Hallelujah. 1080 01:06:39,413 --> 01:06:41,182 Nelson Mandela was charged, but he got out, right? 1081 01:06:41,206 --> 01:06:42,290 (overlapping agreements) 1082 01:06:42,374 --> 01:06:44,918 I want the Reels family in the front, of course. 1083 01:06:45,001 --> 01:06:46,761 - Anybody need a sign? - MAMIE: Where's my mom? 1084 01:06:46,837 --> 01:06:49,506 - Yeah. -Me, too. - Hands up. -Hallelujah. 1085 01:06:49,589 --> 01:06:52,068 Thank you. -And here's my white brothers and sisters right here. 1086 01:06:52,092 --> 01:06:54,094 (cheering) 1087 01:06:55,178 --> 01:06:56,555 We're all one family. 1088 01:06:56,638 --> 01:06:59,349 - BARNETT: Hands up! Hands up! - CROWD: Don't shoot! Don't shoot! 1089 01:06:59,433 --> 01:07:02,227 - Hands up! Hands up! - Don't shoot! Don't shoot! 1090 01:07:02,310 --> 01:07:03,687 - Hands up! - Don't shoot! 1091 01:07:03,770 --> 01:07:05,230 - No justice! - No peace! 1092 01:07:05,313 --> 01:07:07,166 REPORTER (on TV): It's not as easy as it sounds. 1093 01:07:07,190 --> 01:07:10,360 The big guys are rare to come by, and Gregory tells me 1094 01:07:10,444 --> 01:07:13,447 he knows captains who have fished for years and still have... 1095 01:07:13,530 --> 01:07:15,532 - ♪ ♪ - (rain falling) 1096 01:07:22,247 --> 01:07:24,249 (birds chirping) 1097 01:07:44,144 --> 01:07:47,147 MAN 1: "Hello, Daddy, I haven't seen you in a long time, 1098 01:07:47,230 --> 01:07:49,775 "but I hope you know I think about you all the time. 1099 01:07:49,858 --> 01:07:53,236 I really do miss you, Daddy. I'm living in Raleigh with my girlfriend." 1100 01:07:53,320 --> 01:07:56,281 MAN 2: "Dear Melvin, I miss you very much. 1101 01:07:56,364 --> 01:07:59,367 "I want to thank you for everything you have done for me. 1102 01:07:59,451 --> 01:08:01,495 You were there for me when no one else was." 1103 01:08:01,578 --> 01:08:04,915 CHILD: "Dear Melvin, I have not seen you in a while. 1104 01:08:04,998 --> 01:08:07,375 "We have not seen you in a while. 1105 01:08:07,459 --> 01:08:08,960 We are so sorry that..." 1106 01:08:09,044 --> 01:08:12,214 MAN 1: "Daddy, I think about you all the time. 1107 01:08:12,297 --> 01:08:16,885 "I even have dreams about you, me and little Melvin working on the boat together 1108 01:08:16,968 --> 01:08:20,972 and waving at Uncle Billy while he's going back to the dock." 1109 01:08:22,015 --> 01:08:24,017 ♪ ♪ 1110 01:08:25,727 --> 01:08:27,729 (wind whistling) 1111 01:08:31,149 --> 01:08:34,402 WOMAN: Uh, as expected, Hurricane Irene made landfall, 1112 01:08:34,486 --> 01:08:37,697 uh, early this morning along the North Carolina coast. 1113 01:08:37,781 --> 01:08:40,492 (fading): I have spoken with Governor Perdue this morning. 1114 01:08:42,410 --> 01:08:45,163 - Not yet. - (laughs) 1115 01:08:45,247 --> 01:08:47,266 REPORTER: With less than six months left in the White House, 1116 01:08:47,290 --> 01:08:49,584 President Obama arrived onstage in Charlotte 1117 01:08:49,668 --> 01:08:52,087 with a woman he's pledging his vote for in November. 1118 01:08:52,170 --> 01:08:55,131 OBAMA: I have run my last campaign. 1119 01:08:55,215 --> 01:08:57,968 NEWSMAN: The Clinton campaign said it picked up the tab... 1120 01:09:00,345 --> 01:09:03,014 MAMIE: This is Licurtis from Gertrude. 1121 01:09:06,852 --> 01:09:09,437 This is Licurtis from Gertrude. 1122 01:09:10,522 --> 01:09:13,108 And Melvin... 1123 01:09:13,191 --> 01:09:14,860 from Gertrude. 1124 01:09:14,943 --> 01:09:17,028 (birds chirping) 1125 01:09:17,112 --> 01:09:19,239 Christmas was hard. 1126 01:09:20,407 --> 01:09:25,620 Every year, my mother would shop for them like she did everybody else, 1127 01:09:25,704 --> 01:09:27,747 and she would put their gifts 1128 01:09:27,831 --> 01:09:29,624 under the tree. 1129 01:09:29,708 --> 01:09:32,419 So, we were holding on to... 1130 01:09:32,502 --> 01:09:36,548 call it false hopes. 1131 01:09:36,631 --> 01:09:38,967 And every year, 1132 01:09:39,050 --> 01:09:43,346 my mother kept buying their Christmas gifts. 1133 01:09:44,639 --> 01:09:50,812 And she had a Christmas gift when they got out for eight years. 1134 01:09:50,896 --> 01:09:53,523 They had eight years' worth of Christmas gifts. 1135 01:09:56,776 --> 01:09:59,863 {\an8}JAMES HAIRSTON: Adams Creek and their attorneys, 1136 01:09:59,946 --> 01:10:04,951 {\an8}they had other options under the current 2011 order. 1137 01:10:05,035 --> 01:10:08,079 {\an8}They could have easily torn down their property, 1138 01:10:08,163 --> 01:10:12,167 {\an8}um, removed all of the structures, cleaned the land off. 1139 01:10:13,460 --> 01:10:17,005 Come up with a bill of the cost of that endeavor 1140 01:10:17,088 --> 01:10:22,010 and had a civil judgment placed against Mr. Davis and Mr. Reels. 1141 01:10:22,093 --> 01:10:24,095 It didn't require their incarceration. 1142 01:10:24,179 --> 01:10:28,516 You know, the elephant in the room in this case is race. 1143 01:10:28,600 --> 01:10:31,686 I don't argue race if I don't have the anecdotal fact, 1144 01:10:31,770 --> 01:10:36,316 and I don't have the anecdotal fact, I'm not accusing anyone of anything. 1145 01:10:36,399 --> 01:10:40,570 But comparatively speaking, you know, this is... this order is an abomination. 1146 01:10:40,654 --> 01:10:44,240 It's as if that, you know, you're gonna teach these guys a lesson, 1147 01:10:44,324 --> 01:10:48,787 and so the family can shout from the rooftops, um, the truth. 1148 01:10:49,996 --> 01:10:51,331 Nobody listened to them. 1149 01:11:01,633 --> 01:11:02,884 MAMIE: So, now is the day, 1150 01:11:02,968 --> 01:11:07,722 and again, some were thinking it will be tomorrow, Thursday. 1151 01:11:07,806 --> 01:11:11,518 So it's like they almost don't... 1152 01:11:11,601 --> 01:11:14,020 don't want that courtroom packed with a lot of people. 1153 01:11:14,104 --> 01:11:16,106 GERTRUDE: Uh-uh. 1154 01:11:16,189 --> 01:11:17,482 I-I don't know. 1155 01:11:17,565 --> 01:11:20,110 Now, that's how you know things ain't right. 1156 01:11:20,193 --> 01:11:21,611 GERTRUDE: Right. Mm-hmm. 1157 01:11:21,695 --> 01:11:26,533 'Cause if they were right, they would do 'em decent and in order. 1158 01:11:26,616 --> 01:11:28,034 That's true. 1159 01:11:28,118 --> 01:11:31,162 REPORTER (over radio): The NRCS... Natural Resources Conversation Service... 1160 01:11:31,246 --> 01:11:33,540 Has been working on developing a specific program 1161 01:11:33,623 --> 01:11:36,835 for Native American land with limited results so far. 1162 01:11:36,918 --> 01:11:40,005 And the ownership structure of land on reservations makes 1163 01:11:40,088 --> 01:11:41,840 program eligibility rather difficult. 1164 01:11:41,923 --> 01:11:44,092 On another note, new numbers are out for this year's... 1165 01:11:47,679 --> 01:11:50,140 MAMIE: Dear God, we ask that you use the lawyer 1166 01:11:50,223 --> 01:11:52,308 in a way that he's never been used before. 1167 01:11:52,392 --> 01:11:54,602 And dear God, we ask you give us courage. 1168 01:11:54,686 --> 01:11:58,565 We ask us to give... We ask you to give us strength. 1169 01:11:58,648 --> 01:12:01,526 In all we do, dear God, we give you glory and praises. 1170 01:12:01,609 --> 01:12:05,321 - In Jesus' name we pray, amen. - OTHERS: Amen. 1171 01:12:05,405 --> 01:12:08,074 MAMIE: The last lawyer we had was James Hairston. 1172 01:12:09,409 --> 01:12:13,246 And he presented the case. 1173 01:12:13,329 --> 01:12:17,459 He proved that Licurtis and Melvin, um... 1174 01:12:17,542 --> 01:12:21,713 could not pay the sanctions that had been put upon them. 1175 01:12:21,796 --> 01:12:23,965 - But the court is that way. - He proved that 1176 01:12:24,049 --> 01:12:28,094 keeping them in jails for eight years 1177 01:12:28,178 --> 01:12:30,263 wasn't something they could do. 1178 01:12:31,556 --> 01:12:35,310 And... 1179 01:12:35,393 --> 01:12:38,146 the court sided with him, 1180 01:12:38,229 --> 01:12:42,150 but... that was it. 1181 01:12:42,233 --> 01:12:43,985 (indistinct chatter) 1182 01:12:44,069 --> 01:12:45,403 - They're coming out. - Hey. 1183 01:12:45,487 --> 01:12:47,489 - They're coming out. - (laughs): All right. 1184 01:12:47,572 --> 01:12:50,366 - Yeah, they're coming out. - (indistinct chatter) 1185 01:12:50,450 --> 01:12:51,826 God. 1186 01:12:51,910 --> 01:12:53,912 (indistinct chatter) 1187 01:13:00,085 --> 01:13:02,087 ♪ ♪ 1188 01:13:04,089 --> 01:13:06,091 (chains clinking) 1189 01:13:24,109 --> 01:13:26,986 ♪ ♪ 1190 01:13:30,490 --> 01:13:32,992 (door buzzes) 1191 01:13:33,076 --> 01:13:35,078 (cheering) 1192 01:13:38,414 --> 01:13:40,414 - MAN: It's about time! - (excited chatter, laughter) 1193 01:13:45,797 --> 01:13:47,799 ♪ ♪ 1194 01:13:50,677 --> 01:13:54,013 - Come on, all right? - Oh, man. 1195 01:13:54,097 --> 01:13:56,099 (excited chatter) 1196 01:14:01,729 --> 01:14:04,149 Let me look at you good. 1197 01:14:15,577 --> 01:14:17,579 ♪ ♪ 1198 01:14:32,260 --> 01:14:35,680 (indistinct chatter) 1199 01:14:35,763 --> 01:14:38,016 (laughter) 1200 01:14:40,476 --> 01:14:42,604 GERTRUDE: Let him see his house. 1201 01:14:46,399 --> 01:14:48,193 LICURTIS: Oh, your house looks good. 1202 01:14:48,276 --> 01:14:50,570 - MAMIE: Doesn't it? - LICURTIS: Yeah. 1203 01:14:51,738 --> 01:14:53,740 {\an8}-♪ ♪ - (muffled, indistinct chatter) 1204 01:14:58,369 --> 01:15:00,038 {\an8}MAMIE: It's still standing, ain't it? 1205 01:15:00,121 --> 01:15:02,516 LICURTIS: Yeah, as long as it's standing, that's all that counts. 1206 01:15:02,540 --> 01:15:04,876 Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. 1207 01:15:04,959 --> 01:15:06,961 (laughter) 1208 01:15:08,254 --> 01:15:10,548 MAN: Man, how you doing, man? 1209 01:15:10,632 --> 01:15:12,133 LICURTIS: Ah, okay, okay. 1210 01:15:12,217 --> 01:15:13,968 (laughter) 1211 01:15:14,052 --> 01:15:15,678 MAN: Oh, man. 1212 01:15:18,264 --> 01:15:20,808 - MAMIE: Hey, boy, here. - Come on. 1213 01:15:20,892 --> 01:15:22,352 MAMIE: Come on, let's go. 1214 01:15:22,435 --> 01:15:23,436 {\an8}Hey. 1215 01:15:23,519 --> 01:15:25,188 {\an8}(chuckles) 1216 01:15:25,271 --> 01:15:27,523 {\an8}Come on out here. Come with me. 1217 01:15:27,815 --> 01:15:29,525 I've been thinking about you the most. 1218 01:15:29,609 --> 01:15:31,152 How you doing? 1219 01:15:31,236 --> 01:15:33,446 - (Martin mutters) - Yeah, let me get that. 1220 01:15:33,529 --> 01:15:35,448 (chatter fades) 1221 01:15:36,824 --> 01:15:38,284 MELVIN: Man. 1222 01:15:39,702 --> 01:15:41,829 That my tractor. 1223 01:15:43,289 --> 01:15:45,917 The guy that stole it wasn't doing something, I'll tell you that. 1224 01:15:46,000 --> 01:15:49,671 Man, the fish house torn down. 1225 01:15:51,047 --> 01:15:54,676 Oh, that's a... that's a crime scene. 1226 01:15:57,262 --> 01:16:01,224 It-it just ain't the same down here no more. 1227 01:16:01,307 --> 01:16:03,518 It ain't the same no more. 1228 01:16:12,944 --> 01:16:16,030 Adams Creek Associates. 1229 01:16:18,241 --> 01:16:22,412 Man, that won't fly. 1230 01:16:22,495 --> 01:16:24,080 Ain't gonna fly. 1231 01:16:25,081 --> 01:16:27,083 - (birds squawking) - (insects trilling) 1232 01:16:33,881 --> 01:16:37,635 Well, they can't stop me from going to this land. 1233 01:16:37,719 --> 01:16:39,220 I built all of this. 1234 01:16:40,305 --> 01:16:42,098 Um... 1235 01:16:43,308 --> 01:16:45,560 Come on, let's go back there. 1236 01:16:46,561 --> 01:16:48,813 I feel good to be home. 1237 01:16:48,896 --> 01:16:52,317 I feel good to be home, and... 1238 01:16:54,319 --> 01:16:56,988 I really feel real good to be home. 1239 01:16:57,071 --> 01:17:00,116 MAMIE: I want to thank everybody for coming. 1240 01:17:00,199 --> 01:17:02,869 For just stopping what you're doing at the last minute 1241 01:17:02,952 --> 01:17:05,496 'cause this wasn't something that we planned. 1242 01:17:05,580 --> 01:17:09,167 - WOMAN: Period. - It was something that God had in order, 1243 01:17:09,250 --> 01:17:12,712 and when he said they released them boys, we just went and did it. 1244 01:17:12,795 --> 01:17:16,007 - OTHERS: Amen. - And I don't know, I just said potluck, 1245 01:17:16,090 --> 01:17:19,302 and the family and Facebook kicked in. 1246 01:17:19,385 --> 01:17:23,890 Let this be a testimony, 'cause our job ain't finished. 1247 01:17:23,973 --> 01:17:25,892 - (overlapping agreements) - It ain't finished. 1248 01:17:25,975 --> 01:17:29,312 You know ain't nowhere in the world... In Merrimon, we ain't got nowhere to go. 1249 01:17:29,395 --> 01:17:33,232 So, what I'm saying is, we are family. 1250 01:17:33,316 --> 01:17:36,778 I don't care what shall come, we are family. 1251 01:17:36,861 --> 01:17:38,363 But I'm saying, let's continue 1252 01:17:38,446 --> 01:17:40,656 to get together 'cause we got to get this water back. 1253 01:17:40,740 --> 01:17:43,368 - OTHERS: Mm-hmm. - We got to get Li back in his house 1254 01:17:43,451 --> 01:17:47,372 so him and Frenchie and them can cook them beans with pig feets in 'em. 1255 01:17:47,455 --> 01:17:48,623 (laughter) 1256 01:17:48,706 --> 01:17:51,667 Yesterday, I was in Roses, 1257 01:17:51,751 --> 01:17:54,504 and it was a teacher, and she knew Janine and them 1258 01:17:54,587 --> 01:17:57,548 - 'cause they were all some bad children. - (laughter) 1259 01:17:57,632 --> 01:18:00,051 They wasn't bad when they were big. 1260 01:18:00,134 --> 01:18:02,595 Janine was history. Black Power. 1261 01:18:02,678 --> 01:18:04,305 (laughter) 1262 01:18:04,389 --> 01:18:06,432 GIRLS (singing): ♪ Ride till I can't no more ♪ 1263 01:18:06,516 --> 01:18:08,434 - ♪ I got the horses in the back ♪ - ♪ Okay ♪ 1264 01:18:08,518 --> 01:18:10,186 ♪ Horse tack is attached, hey ♪ 1265 01:18:10,269 --> 01:18:12,647 ♪ Hat is matte black, got the boots that's black to match ♪ 1266 01:18:12,730 --> 01:18:14,357 Wait, stop. Stop, stop, stop, stop. 1267 01:18:14,440 --> 01:18:16,067 Someone make a beat. 1268 01:18:16,150 --> 01:18:18,253 Wait. Wh-Whoa. Yeah, 'cause I want to freestyle real quick. 1269 01:18:18,277 --> 01:18:20,863 - (overlapping excited chatter) - Make a beat, make a beat. 1270 01:18:20,947 --> 01:18:22,365 All right. 1271 01:18:22,448 --> 01:18:24,450 (rhythmic clapping) 1272 01:18:25,993 --> 01:18:27,537 - Okay. - Yeah. 1273 01:18:27,620 --> 01:18:29,872 - ♪ This is our beach, this is our land ♪ - Uh-huh. Right. 1274 01:18:29,956 --> 01:18:31,374 - Mm-hmm. - ♪ This is our water ♪ 1275 01:18:31,457 --> 01:18:33,084 - ♪ Our club, everything ♪ - Mm-hmm. 1276 01:18:33,167 --> 01:18:35,503 - ♪ This is our land, this is our water ♪ - Okay. 1277 01:18:35,586 --> 01:18:38,381 - Oh, yeah. - ♪ This is our club, our space, anything ♪ 1278 01:18:38,464 --> 01:18:41,551 - Oh. Okay. - ♪ This is our land, this is our water ♪ 1279 01:18:41,634 --> 01:18:44,971 - ♪ This is our club, our space, anything ♪ - Okay. 1280 01:18:45,054 --> 01:18:47,557 ♪ We got everything, we are really free ♪ 1281 01:18:47,640 --> 01:18:50,685 ♪ We are everything, we can walk down the streets ♪ 1282 01:18:50,768 --> 01:18:52,770 - Okay. - (grunting rhythmically) 1283 01:18:54,272 --> 01:18:55,606 ♪ This is mine. ♪ 1284 01:18:55,690 --> 01:18:58,443 {\an8}Billy, Billy, can you come on this side? 1285 01:18:59,735 --> 01:19:01,320 {\an8}Right next to, um... 1286 01:19:01,404 --> 01:19:03,448 {\an8}-Right next to me. - Yeah. Yeah. 1287 01:19:03,739 --> 01:19:05,092 - Let me see the long lens again. - Yeah. 1288 01:19:05,116 --> 01:19:06,367 Actually, no, this is good. 1289 01:19:06,451 --> 01:19:08,327 Licurtis, come on the other side. 1290 01:19:08,411 --> 01:19:10,705 You want to put me beside him, huh? 1291 01:19:10,788 --> 01:19:13,499 (laughter) 1292 01:19:13,583 --> 01:19:16,002 Come... come in closer, bro. 1293 01:19:20,006 --> 01:19:21,924 Beautiful. 1294 01:19:22,008 --> 01:19:24,093 (camera clicking) 1295 01:19:54,707 --> 01:19:56,626 ♪ ♪ 1296 01:19:56,709 --> 01:19:59,545 (thunder rumbling) 1297 01:20:17,772 --> 01:20:21,192 MAMIE: When I look at the justice system now, 1298 01:20:21,275 --> 01:20:24,695 even with this case, 1299 01:20:24,779 --> 01:20:27,659 when we were right, we were right, and when we were wrong, we were wrong. 1300 01:20:27,740 --> 01:20:29,909 And it didn't matter what, we weren't right, 1301 01:20:29,992 --> 01:20:33,913 and even when we were right, we were wrong to the court system. 1302 01:20:33,996 --> 01:20:38,084 And do I believe Black people are ever gonna be treated equal? 1303 01:20:38,167 --> 01:20:40,294 No. No. 1304 01:20:40,378 --> 01:20:42,713 The justice system? No. 1305 01:20:42,797 --> 01:20:45,049 Do I see things changing? No. 1306 01:20:45,132 --> 01:20:49,345 If we haven't changed in 60-some years we've been fighting this case, 1307 01:20:49,428 --> 01:20:53,808 they haven't changed from the day Martin Luther King started, 1308 01:20:53,891 --> 01:20:55,768 do I see things changing? 1309 01:20:55,851 --> 01:20:57,645 No. 1310 01:20:57,728 --> 01:20:59,522 No, I-I don't, 1311 01:20:59,605 --> 01:21:03,276 because people hearts are wax cold, 1312 01:21:03,359 --> 01:21:05,194 and it's all about money. 1313 01:21:13,953 --> 01:21:15,913 This is not our bread, 1314 01:21:15,997 --> 01:21:17,915 - but you got it from Gordon, so... - Okay. 1315 01:21:17,999 --> 01:21:21,419 - This will fall all to pieces. - Maybe not. 1316 01:21:22,837 --> 01:21:24,964 MAMIE: Where's she at? 1317 01:21:25,047 --> 01:21:27,133 Good morning, Gert. 1318 01:21:27,216 --> 01:21:30,428 - How are you doing? - I'm doing fine. How are you doing? 1319 01:21:30,511 --> 01:21:33,806 How it feel to be up at 10:20 in the morning? 1320 01:21:34,807 --> 01:21:37,018 - It feels bad. - (laughter) 1321 01:21:38,894 --> 01:21:40,896 (sizzling) 1322 01:21:45,610 --> 01:21:47,945 - I don't like cooking. - I love cooking. 1323 01:21:48,029 --> 01:21:50,364 I like for people to enjoy our food. I like it. 1324 01:21:50,448 --> 01:21:52,491 Well, then, I'm-a hire you, then. How about that? 1325 01:21:52,575 --> 01:21:53,909 But I used to like cooking. 1326 01:21:53,993 --> 01:21:57,580 - (laughs) I'm-a hire you, then. - Believe me. 1327 01:21:57,663 --> 01:21:59,415 Uncle Li, your food is cold now. 1328 01:21:59,498 --> 01:22:01,792 - MAMIE: I was calling you. - LICURTIS: For what? 1329 01:22:01,876 --> 01:22:03,961 To come and eat. 1330 01:22:04,045 --> 01:22:06,380 - I might. - Oh, no, you're gonna eat that food. 1331 01:22:06,464 --> 01:22:08,132 Oh, yeah, you're gonna come eat that food 1332 01:22:08,215 --> 01:22:10,509 somebody set and take their time to cook break... 1333 01:22:10,593 --> 01:22:11,927 That's why I don't like cooking. 1334 01:22:12,011 --> 01:22:14,388 KIM: Yeah, he said, Mama said he wanted breakfast. 1335 01:22:14,472 --> 01:22:16,312 - Had he not said that, then... - Giving you lip. 1336 01:22:17,350 --> 01:22:18,559 (Licurtis clears throat) 1337 01:22:18,643 --> 01:22:20,394 KIM: You do whatever she say do, don't you? 1338 01:22:20,478 --> 01:22:21,896 Wash your hands! 1339 01:22:21,979 --> 01:22:23,314 Right there. 1340 01:22:24,440 --> 01:22:26,233 Mamie, give up. 1341 01:22:26,317 --> 01:22:28,152 - Come on, Mamie. - No. 1342 01:22:28,235 --> 01:22:29,862 Y'all are trying to get on my bad side. 1343 01:22:29,945 --> 01:22:31,632 - I'm already on your bad side. - Um, I don't care about 1344 01:22:31,656 --> 01:22:33,366 getting on your bad side. 1345 01:22:33,449 --> 01:22:35,451 I'm still on your bad side. 1346 01:22:35,534 --> 01:22:38,287 Everybody's gonna get on his bad side. 1347 01:22:38,371 --> 01:22:41,374 He don't even know his bad side from his good side. 1348 01:22:41,457 --> 01:22:43,125 Sit down on your good side. 1349 01:22:44,460 --> 01:22:46,837 - That's a lot of side to sit on. - MAMIE: Mm-hmm. 1350 01:22:46,921 --> 01:22:49,590 (Licurtis laughs) 1351 01:22:49,674 --> 01:22:51,592 (birds chirping) 1352 01:22:56,180 --> 01:22:58,766 MELVIN: I try to hold-hold it down, man. 1353 01:22:58,849 --> 01:23:00,267 It pisses me off. 1354 01:23:00,351 --> 01:23:04,105 I don't come down here because I know what I'm liable to do. 1355 01:23:04,188 --> 01:23:07,358 All this stuff I built out here... 1356 01:23:07,441 --> 01:23:10,444 Blowed my boat up, cut this up. 1357 01:23:16,742 --> 01:23:18,411 We just moved over there. 1358 01:23:18,494 --> 01:23:21,080 Th-That's where you could put the boats and stuff out. 1359 01:23:21,163 --> 01:23:23,749 And get it on... have a boat ramp. 1360 01:23:23,833 --> 01:23:26,001 Now, we got a boat ramp there. 1361 01:23:26,085 --> 01:23:28,546 We got a boat ramp right over there. 1362 01:23:28,629 --> 01:23:32,758 But now it's time for the guys to start shrimping. 1363 01:23:34,051 --> 01:23:36,804 And-and make them some money. 1364 01:23:36,887 --> 01:23:40,391 See? This is the time of the year that we goes to the water, 1365 01:23:40,474 --> 01:23:44,687 and we stay on the water until... until it's all over. 1366 01:23:46,439 --> 01:23:48,649 Made good money. 1367 01:23:48,733 --> 01:23:52,236 Uncle Charles, so, what we're trying to do now basically... 1368 01:23:52,319 --> 01:23:54,697 - Mm-hmm. Okay. - is, um, figure out what we're gonna do 1369 01:23:54,780 --> 01:23:58,033 with the rest of the remaining property that's in good standing. 1370 01:23:58,117 --> 01:23:59,326 Yes. 1371 01:23:59,410 --> 01:24:01,078 So we have to come up with a plan, 1372 01:24:01,162 --> 01:24:03,664 - implement something on, you know... - CHARLES: Mm-hmm. I agree. 1373 01:24:03,748 --> 01:24:06,459 finding someone that's able and... 1374 01:24:06,542 --> 01:24:11,547 available to be the new administrator over this situation 1375 01:24:11,630 --> 01:24:14,133 'cause we know Grandma's getting older, and... 1376 01:24:14,216 --> 01:24:15,760 My-my mother. 1377 01:24:15,843 --> 01:24:19,305 And Aunt Classie's unable to do it as well. 1378 01:24:19,388 --> 01:24:22,933 I think it'd be fine to have a new administration 1379 01:24:23,017 --> 01:24:26,687 'cause I'm getting old, forgetful. 1380 01:24:26,771 --> 01:24:31,233 So, that's it. 1381 01:24:31,317 --> 01:24:33,611 Scariest thing for me is: 1382 01:24:33,694 --> 01:24:39,366 What happens when that 95-year-old woman called Gertrude Reels... 1383 01:24:39,450 --> 01:24:42,953 What happens to Silver Dollar Road when she pass? 1384 01:24:44,330 --> 01:24:49,960 Will the next generation care enough to save Silver Dollar Road? 1385 01:24:50,044 --> 01:24:52,129 They might. 1386 01:24:52,213 --> 01:24:54,131 {\an8}-(motor rattling) - (birds squawking) 1387 01:24:54,215 --> 01:24:56,592 {\an8}♪ ♪ 1388 01:25:02,932 --> 01:25:04,934 (whirring) 1389 01:25:18,697 --> 01:25:22,451 Well, Nate, I always wanted to see, and now I see, huh? 1390 01:25:23,994 --> 01:25:28,415 I always wanted to come out here and ride the water and see. 1391 01:25:28,499 --> 01:25:31,418 Aw, man. This is awesome. 1392 01:25:31,502 --> 01:25:35,589 So, on the water, it sort of looks backwards. 1393 01:25:38,634 --> 01:25:40,928 NATE: I'm Nate. 1394 01:25:41,011 --> 01:25:44,807 Mamie's my grandma. Melvin's my uncle. Licurtis is my uncle. 1395 01:25:44,890 --> 01:25:48,519 Have two kids, and I'm a commercial fisherman for a living. 1396 01:25:51,021 --> 01:25:55,317 Typical day, I mean, might catch a few hundred pounds on average. 1397 01:25:55,401 --> 01:25:57,361 Some days you don't catch anything. 1398 01:25:57,444 --> 01:26:00,072 Some days you can catch thousands of pounds in minutes. 1399 01:26:00,155 --> 01:26:01,282 Every day is different. 1400 01:26:03,826 --> 01:26:06,161 With what we catch, nine out of ten, 1401 01:26:06,245 --> 01:26:10,165 if you catch a good bit, you carry it to the fish house. 1402 01:26:10,249 --> 01:26:13,460 The fish house sets their price to what they can make money, 1403 01:26:13,544 --> 01:26:18,507 and then the fishermen get whatever the fish house is gonna give them. 1404 01:26:18,591 --> 01:26:23,387 Last year, they were trying to close all the inside waters in North Carolina, 1405 01:26:23,470 --> 01:26:25,973 where the little boats like me can go work. 1406 01:26:26,056 --> 01:26:30,686 Now they're trying to make it to where only three miles and off you can shrimp, 1407 01:26:30,769 --> 01:26:33,898 but the bigger boats, they can go out in the ocean and stay for weeks. 1408 01:26:33,981 --> 01:26:35,858 Unlike us, we don't hold as much fuel. 1409 01:26:35,941 --> 01:26:38,569 We don't hold as much ice. We can't hold as much groceries. 1410 01:26:38,652 --> 01:26:41,322 And then there's gonna be guys with boats like mine, 1411 01:26:41,405 --> 01:26:43,741 my size, that go out there and get killed. 1412 01:26:43,824 --> 01:26:47,161 I mean, the ocean is no joke compared to in here. 1413 01:26:47,244 --> 01:26:51,874 It's not... nowhere near as much rough seas, the weather's different. 1414 01:26:51,957 --> 01:26:56,086 And at the worst, you're a quarter mile away from the shoreline. 1415 01:26:56,170 --> 01:26:58,672 You're not three miles off shore fighting sharks, 1416 01:26:58,756 --> 01:27:00,841 eating your nets up and everything. 1417 01:27:00,925 --> 01:27:03,385 It's a huge difference working inside and outside. 1418 01:27:03,469 --> 01:27:07,097 So, is this the way you came shrimping this morning? 1419 01:27:07,181 --> 01:27:10,392 I drove from here to out there and come back. 1420 01:27:11,518 --> 01:27:13,187 And did a basket? 1421 01:27:13,270 --> 01:27:14,605 - Yeah. - That's good. 1422 01:27:14,688 --> 01:27:16,065 That's... 1423 01:27:16,148 --> 01:27:18,043 NATE: I think I'm gonna try to start another business 1424 01:27:18,067 --> 01:27:20,736 outside of commercial fishing just so, if all else fails, 1425 01:27:20,819 --> 01:27:22,738 I got a way to feed my family. 1426 01:27:22,821 --> 01:27:24,823 ♪ ♪ 1427 01:27:26,617 --> 01:27:28,118 We'll stay out here... 1428 01:27:28,202 --> 01:27:30,329 MELVIN: We've been in this water all our life. 1429 01:27:31,705 --> 01:27:33,874 That's why we know it. 1430 01:27:33,958 --> 01:27:36,710 I got nephews out there right now shrimping. 1431 01:27:36,794 --> 01:27:38,587 But they got no way to get to the water. 1432 01:27:38,671 --> 01:27:42,466 They took the-the best spot that we had to fish, 1433 01:27:42,549 --> 01:27:47,179 that-that... that we would have to work on where we had our boat 1434 01:27:47,262 --> 01:27:50,641 with the deepest water, they took that away. 1435 01:27:50,724 --> 01:27:52,726 (waves crashing) 1436 01:27:59,316 --> 01:28:01,360 MAMIE: Wow, this is awesome. 1437 01:28:05,739 --> 01:28:07,866 NATE: And my grandma, she's a fighter. 1438 01:28:07,950 --> 01:28:10,327 She tries to bring everybody back together. 1439 01:28:10,411 --> 01:28:12,413 It don't always work, but she never fails. 1440 01:28:12,496 --> 01:28:13,664 She's gonna try. 1441 01:28:13,747 --> 01:28:18,002 To a sense, I do accept taking responsibility of that land, 1442 01:28:18,085 --> 01:28:20,212 'cause that's where I want to raise my kids at. 1443 01:28:20,295 --> 01:28:21,880 That's where I want to be at. 1444 01:28:21,964 --> 01:28:24,604 So when it comes time, I feel I'll probably be one of the only ones 1445 01:28:24,633 --> 01:28:27,386 that puts up a fight, and I'm not gonna be able to do it alone. 1446 01:28:28,470 --> 01:28:31,306 If they win the land back, I see it going great. 1447 01:28:31,390 --> 01:28:32,909 'Cause Uncle Melvin is already talking about 1448 01:28:32,933 --> 01:28:34,518 his plans of building a fish house, 1449 01:28:34,601 --> 01:28:37,730 making sure we got fuel, ice, all the things that he had before, 1450 01:28:37,813 --> 01:28:39,690 he said he wants to do it again. 1451 01:28:39,773 --> 01:28:43,819 I see everybody in the family coming back to commercial fishing again 1452 01:28:43,902 --> 01:28:47,614 so we never have to go to fish houses and get cheated. 1453 01:28:47,698 --> 01:28:50,659 I feel like it would be a lot better family-ran. 1454 01:28:50,743 --> 01:28:52,995 (birds squawking) 1455 01:28:53,078 --> 01:28:55,664 ♪ Oh, Lord ♪ 1456 01:28:55,748 --> 01:28:58,751 ♪ Mm ♪ 1457 01:28:58,834 --> 01:29:02,421 ♪ Show me ♪ 1458 01:29:02,504 --> 01:29:07,259 ♪ The way ♪ 1459 01:29:07,342 --> 01:29:11,221 ♪ Oh, Lord ♪ 1460 01:29:11,305 --> 01:29:15,434 ♪ Show me ♪ 1461 01:29:15,517 --> 01:29:21,315 - ♪ Show me the way ♪ - ♪ The way ♪ 1462 01:29:22,649 --> 01:29:29,114 - ♪ Said I'm down, down here, Lord ♪ - ♪ Down here, Lord ♪ 1463 01:29:29,198 --> 01:29:35,537 - ♪ And I need your power ♪ - ♪ Father Lord, I need your power ♪ 1464 01:29:35,621 --> 01:29:41,543 - ♪ Show, show me ♪ - ♪ Show me ♪ 1465 01:29:41,627 --> 01:29:44,254 ♪ Show me the way ♪ 1466 01:29:44,338 --> 01:29:47,424 ♪ Lord, I'm your child ♪ 1467 01:29:47,508 --> 01:29:51,220 - ♪ Yes, I am ♪ - (lively chatter) 1468 01:29:51,303 --> 01:29:54,681 ♪ Your child ♪ 1469 01:29:54,765 --> 01:29:58,268 ♪ I haven't been good all my days ♪ 1470 01:29:58,352 --> 01:30:01,605 - ♪ Lord ♪ - ♪ But, Lord ♪ 1471 01:30:01,688 --> 01:30:06,693 - ♪ I'm your child ♪ - ♪ I'm still your child ♪ 1472 01:30:06,777 --> 01:30:11,532 - ♪ Father, I'm down here ♪ - ♪ Down here ♪ 1473 01:30:11,615 --> 01:30:14,785 ♪ In this mean world ♪ 1474 01:30:14,868 --> 01:30:19,790 - ♪ And, Lord, Lord, I need your power ♪ - ♪ And I need your power ♪ 1475 01:30:19,873 --> 01:30:25,129 - ♪ Show, show me ♪ - ♪ Show me ♪ 1476 01:30:25,212 --> 01:30:28,090 - ♪ Show me the way ♪ - ♪ The way ♪ 1477 01:30:28,173 --> 01:30:33,637 ♪ While the Lord is running warm in your veins ♪ 1478 01:30:33,720 --> 01:30:38,517 ♪ Look up toward heaven way and say ♪ 1479 01:30:38,600 --> 01:30:42,896 ♪ Father Lord, I need your power ♪ 1480 01:30:42,980 --> 01:30:45,274 ♪ Show ♪ 1481 01:30:45,357 --> 01:30:48,694 - ♪ Father, show me ♪ - ♪ Show me ♪ 1482 01:30:48,777 --> 01:30:51,864 - ♪ Show me the way ♪ - ♪ The way ♪ 1483 01:30:51,947 --> 01:30:54,867 ♪ Lord, show ♪ 1484 01:30:54,950 --> 01:30:59,705 - ♪ Show me ♪ - ♪ Father, show me ♪ 1485 01:30:59,788 --> 01:31:03,417 ♪ The way. ♪ 1486 01:31:03,500 --> 01:31:05,627 I just want to thank everybody for coming today. 1487 01:31:05,711 --> 01:31:07,629 As you all know, I wanted to get... 1488 01:31:07,713 --> 01:31:09,756 Or we all wanted to get together for Memorial Day, 1489 01:31:09,840 --> 01:31:13,677 just to have a celebration to say... To celebrate family, 1490 01:31:13,760 --> 01:31:16,763 you know, also celebrate our vets and our graduates. 1491 01:31:16,847 --> 01:31:18,223 - (shushes) - You know, we-we... 1492 01:31:18,307 --> 01:31:20,934 we didn't have it real, real hard growing up. 1493 01:31:21,018 --> 01:31:24,688 We had it a little easy, but still we thank God where we come from. 1494 01:31:24,771 --> 01:31:28,192 My-my grandfather had pigs and hogs, tobacco, watermelon. 1495 01:31:28,275 --> 01:31:31,195 He had some of it all, but... 1496 01:31:31,278 --> 01:31:33,697 And we didn't have to really want for nothing, 1497 01:31:33,780 --> 01:31:36,491 'cause Aunt Gray had a garden bigger than this playground. 1498 01:31:36,575 --> 01:31:40,037 And we'd go to steal, steal cucumber and tomato when she'd go to work. 1499 01:31:40,120 --> 01:31:42,080 - (laughter) - And she would put flour on them 1500 01:31:42,164 --> 01:31:45,375 and tell us they were poisoned so we got scared and wouldn't eat them, 1501 01:31:45,459 --> 01:31:48,128 but we caught on to her and said, "Wait a second, 1502 01:31:48,212 --> 01:31:50,023 that ain't no poison, that's flour. That's okay." 1503 01:31:50,047 --> 01:31:51,256 We washed it off and eat. 1504 01:31:51,340 --> 01:31:54,218 She said, "I'm-a fix y'all... seen 'em every day, y'all steal 'em." 1505 01:31:54,301 --> 01:31:56,279 ("Bikers' Shuffle" by Big Mucci playing over speakers) 1506 01:31:56,303 --> 01:31:59,056 (lively chatter, laughter) 1507 01:31:59,139 --> 01:32:00,849 ♪ Now kick with it, kick with it ♪ 1508 01:32:00,933 --> 01:32:03,185 ♪ Pop it in, now kick with it ♪ 1509 01:32:03,268 --> 01:32:05,312 ♪ Step to your right, now slide with it. ♪ 1510 01:32:05,395 --> 01:32:07,665 - ("Wobble" by V.I.C. plays over speakers) - (lively chatter, laughter) 1511 01:32:07,689 --> 01:32:10,025 ♪ 'Ey, big girl, make 'em back it up ♪ 1512 01:32:10,108 --> 01:32:12,069 ♪ Make 'em back it up ♪ 1513 01:32:12,152 --> 01:32:14,863 ♪ 'Ey, big girl, make 'em back it up ♪ 1514 01:32:14,947 --> 01:32:17,324 ♪ Make 'em back it up ♪ 1515 01:32:17,407 --> 01:32:19,368 ♪ 'Ey, big girl, make 'em back it up ♪ 1516 01:32:19,451 --> 01:32:20,744 ♪ Make 'em... ♪ 1517 01:32:20,827 --> 01:32:23,705 (lively chatter, laughter) 1518 01:32:23,789 --> 01:32:26,291 (upbeat song playing over speakers) 1519 01:32:26,375 --> 01:32:29,086 (chatter and laughter continue) 1520 01:32:29,169 --> 01:32:32,923 ♪ Get your booty on the dance floor, get your booty on the dance floor... ♪ 1521 01:32:33,006 --> 01:32:36,009 ("Family Reunion" by The O'Jays playing over speakers) 1522 01:32:37,344 --> 01:32:39,680 ♪ Now let's take a look at the family ♪ 1523 01:32:41,473 --> 01:32:45,602 ♪ In the family, the father is like the head... ♪ 1524 01:32:45,686 --> 01:32:48,146 - (music fades) - (grunts softly) 1525 01:32:49,147 --> 01:32:51,149 ♪ ♪ 1526 01:32:52,276 --> 01:32:54,027 (muttering) 1527 01:32:55,821 --> 01:32:57,864 Mm, mm, mm. 1528 01:33:02,202 --> 01:33:05,372 LICURTIS: They took the best years of my life, didn't they? 1529 01:33:07,457 --> 01:33:10,502 I went in at 52. 1530 01:33:10,585 --> 01:33:15,257 Come out at 61, 62. 1531 01:33:15,340 --> 01:33:17,259 Aw, man. 1532 01:33:19,344 --> 01:33:22,848 When I come home, I went and sat on the front porch. 1533 01:33:22,931 --> 01:33:26,393 I said, "Lord, just give me the strength 1534 01:33:26,476 --> 01:33:30,814 not to hate and just go on with my life." 1535 01:33:31,898 --> 01:33:37,112 And I sat there and I cried about it, and I cry about it now. 1536 01:33:39,281 --> 01:33:42,451 Kind of made me sick, you know, 1537 01:33:42,534 --> 01:33:46,330 to try to put people through sh... Stuff like this here, 1538 01:33:46,413 --> 01:33:48,874 and... (sighs) 1539 01:33:48,957 --> 01:33:51,209 and I hadn't done nothing. 1540 01:33:52,294 --> 01:33:54,796 And like I tell you, man... 1541 01:33:58,175 --> 01:34:01,636 When you sit down and-and... 1542 01:34:01,720 --> 01:34:05,640 and talk about this story here, 1543 01:34:05,724 --> 01:34:08,852 it makes me cry, you know that? 1544 01:34:08,935 --> 01:34:12,647 (breathes deeply) That's why I stay in my room. 1545 01:34:14,232 --> 01:34:16,234 (laughing) 1546 01:34:20,155 --> 01:34:24,201 And sometimes I find myself crying and don't even... 1547 01:34:24,284 --> 01:34:26,453 And I know why, you know what I'm saying? 1548 01:34:26,536 --> 01:34:29,748 But, you know... (exhales sharply) 1549 01:34:29,831 --> 01:34:32,125 (sniffles) 1550 01:34:36,254 --> 01:34:39,383 All I know... (sniffles) 1551 01:34:39,466 --> 01:34:41,885 it wasn't right. 1552 01:34:41,968 --> 01:34:44,596 ("Wounded Heart" by Ondara playing) 1553 01:34:57,692 --> 01:35:01,446 ♪ What are you doing? ♪ 1554 01:35:01,530 --> 01:35:05,784 ♪ Can't you see that you're breaking me down? ♪ 1555 01:35:05,867 --> 01:35:10,247 ♪ Can't you see that my spirit ♪ 1556 01:35:10,330 --> 01:35:14,334 ♪ Is running on empty now? ♪ 1557 01:35:14,418 --> 01:35:18,296 ♪ What are you rolling? ♪ 1558 01:35:18,380 --> 01:35:22,592 ♪ Can't you see that you're stealing my time? ♪ 1559 01:35:22,676 --> 01:35:27,180 ♪ Can't you see that my spirit ♪ 1560 01:35:27,264 --> 01:35:31,351 ♪ Is running on empty now? ♪ 1561 01:35:33,520 --> 01:35:39,401 ♪ Will it heal my wounded heart? ♪ 1562 01:35:41,987 --> 01:35:48,326 ♪ Will it heal me before I fall apart? ♪ 1563 01:35:50,412 --> 01:35:56,543 ♪ Will it heal my wounded heart? ♪ 1564 01:35:58,795 --> 01:36:05,010 ♪ Will it heal me before I fall apart? ♪ 1565 01:36:06,428 --> 01:36:10,932 ♪ At the break of the morning ♪ 1566 01:36:11,016 --> 01:36:15,312 ♪ When the trumpets come calling out ♪ 1567 01:36:15,395 --> 01:36:19,232 ♪ Will you be sorry ♪ 1568 01:36:19,316 --> 01:36:23,612 ♪ Or will you marry yourself to your crime? ♪ 1569 01:36:23,695 --> 01:36:27,616 ♪ At the edge of the story ♪ 1570 01:36:27,699 --> 01:36:31,536 ♪ At the edge of my racing mind ♪ 1571 01:36:31,620 --> 01:36:35,916 ♪ Will I embrace glory ♪ 1572 01:36:35,999 --> 01:36:42,297 ♪ Or will I carry my head near the ground? ♪ 1573 01:36:42,380 --> 01:36:48,803 ♪ Will it heal my wounded heart? ♪ 1574 01:36:50,805 --> 01:36:57,395 ♪ Will it heal me before I fall apart? ♪ 1575 01:36:59,481 --> 01:37:04,611 {\an8}♪ Will it heal my wounded heart? ♪ 1576 01:37:04,694 --> 01:37:06,780 {\an8}♪ Mm-hmm ♪ 1577 01:37:07,906 --> 01:37:13,703 {\an8}♪ Will it heal me before I fall apart? ♪ 1578 01:37:16,206 --> 01:37:18,208 ♪ ♪ 1579 01:37:23,755 --> 01:37:26,091 (vocalizing) 1580 01:37:49,531 --> 01:37:53,618 ♪ Will it heal my wounded heart? ♪ 1581 01:37:53,702 --> 01:37:55,829 ♪ Mm... ♪ 1582 01:37:57,581 --> 01:38:02,919 ♪ Will it heal me before I fall apart? ♪ 1583 01:38:03,003 --> 01:38:05,839 ♪ Mm... ♪ 1584 01:38:05,922 --> 01:38:09,843 ♪ Will it heal my wounded heart? ♪ 1585 01:38:09,926 --> 01:38:14,055 ♪ Mm... ♪ 1586 01:38:14,139 --> 01:38:19,060 ♪ Will it heal me before I fall apart? ♪ 1587 01:38:19,144 --> 01:38:22,105 ♪ Fall apart ♪ 1588 01:38:22,188 --> 01:38:27,402 ♪ Will it heal me before I fall apart? ♪ 1589 01:38:27,485 --> 01:38:30,780 - ♪ Fall apart. ♪ - (song ends) 1590 01:38:30,864 --> 01:38:32,866 ♪ ♪ 1591 01:39:02,896 --> 01:39:04,898 ♪ ♪ 1592 01:39:34,928 --> 01:39:36,930 ♪ ♪ 1593 01:40:06,960 --> 01:40:08,962 ♪ ♪ 1594 01:40:35,864 --> 01:40:37,866 (music ends)