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StoryCorps is made possible through funding from State Farm, the Atlantic philanthropies, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. And most importantly, through the support of participants and listeners like you nationwide.
Welcome to the StoryCorps Podcast, in this episode we'll hear a New York story from Celedonia "Cal" Jones, he grew up in Harlem during the 1930s and when Cal was 9 years old, his family moved to a new block in Harlem, 143rd Street between Lennox and Seventh Avenue. And it is Cal told his friend Robert Harris he quickly learned how the neighborhood worked.
The first day that I moved into the block, and I came out to play. This fellow comes up and say, "Hey, My name is Dickey, what's yours?" I said, "Well, I'm Cal" and I put my hand out to shake and he, bang, he hits me in the eye. I said, all I want to do was be friends, he said, I’m not assail, we start friends in this block. That was a kind reception that I got moving into this block, and I remember this day was like ninety-five degrees or something that was really hot.
My brother and some neighbors who lived in the building was talking about what we are gonna do today. So he said let's play basketball, and it was hot. So he says it's too hot to play. And my brother said I guessed would really be something if someone tried to run around this court in this weather, and so this fellow Gordon said ah, it wouldn't bother me. My brother Joe said "I'll bet you can't run around the court 52 times". So, Gordon said: "Yes I could. They bet a dime."
Big money, that’s big money.
So,Gordan starts running around the court and people are beginning to come out and they see Gordon running around the court. It must have been almost 100 degrees by that time. And people say, what is that fool running around the court for? You'd better stop him, he's gonna fall out. Well, Joe bet Gordon 10 cents that he can't run around the court 52 times. Say what, how many times he had, he said 19.This crowd is building up, meanwhile he's running around the court 28,29 times. And as he pass, he said to Joe: "You'd better have my dime." And I said to Joe, Joe, where are you going to get a dime to pay him. Joe said, I don't know.
He got 49 and he's barely make it around, so when he hit the 50th time, my brother Joe says, I don't have a dime, I'm not gonna pay you and we can fight right now. And he’s stand up to tell Joe, I'm gonna hurt you, Joseph come on. Joe was dancing around like Joe Louis. Oh, that was that mean that's a kind of block it was, that was, that was a tough block.
Celedonia Cal Jones with his friend Robert Harris in New York City. He recorded this interview as part of our Griot initiative, collecting the stories of everyday African-Americans.
Major support for StoryCorps is provided by State Farm and by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Our podcasts are supported by the Fetcher Institute as part of its campaign for love and forgiveness. Learn more at loveandforgive.org.
Our StoryCecorps interviews are housed at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress.And Griot interviews are also archived at the Smithsonian National Museum of African-American history and culture. Listening for storycorp on the radio Fridays on NPR's morning edition. I'm Michael Garofalo ,for the storycrop podcast, thanks for listening.