Season Tramps: Two Steps Away from Slavery

By Claudette Williams

This is a story that tells the struggles and obstacles of a migrant black family during a time when our history and heritage and legacy were in question. It talks about my travels up and down the road, living on old farm plantations and deserted slave camps while performing the same jobs our forefathers were enslaved to perform. I felt that we were like free slaves moving from one farm to another, working jobs for little pay from farmers who needed help gathering their crops and taking them to the market. As we moved from the south to the north as the seasons changed, many true stories unfolded that are told in this book.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Apr 25, 2018
• ISBN: 9781984512369

Claudette Williams

Claudette Ladean Williams was raised by her grandmother a migrant contractor, in Immokalee Florida. She attended Bethune School from forth to tenth grade and upon forced integration, went to Immokalee High School her junior and senior years graduating in 1969. She later went to college in 1973 and graduated in three years with honors Suma Cum Laude. Claudette received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Family and Consumer Sciences from Texas College in 1976 and Masters Degree in Educational Leadership/Administration from Nova Southeastern University in 1990. Claudettes educational career started with the University of Floridas Institute of Food and Agricultural Science (IFAS) in Collier County as a Home Economist and 4-H Leader in Immokalee, then an Extension Agent for the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) in Palm Beach County. There she provided extensive recruiting and training of volunteer leaders, organizing and implementing 4-H summer camp programs, conducting workshops, and writing press releases. As an educator, her main focus and goal was to motivate, help, assist, and educate the WHOLE student. She advocated for meeting the needs of minority students. This evolved into the establishment of The EXCEL CLUB, a club offered to all minority students who were in jeopardy of dropping out of school and providing them with educational, fashion/talent shows to increase self esteem, and an end of the year educational college visitation tour. She also organized and an after school program to Help Educators with Latchkey Prevention (HELP). Throughout her career, Claudette advocated for the Minority Educators in Collier County and was the First Black board member to vote at the Collier County Education Association (CCEA) meetings representing the voice of the Minority Educators Caucus of Collier County. Her involvement in school, government, community Task Forces, and Advisory Boards showed her commitment as an educator and community leader which she received several awards for including the Collier County 1993 District Nominee for the Florida State Outstanding Minority Educator of the Year and the Migrant Teacher of the Year Award. Claudette spoke out on preserving the Bethune School Historically Black Campus when the county was considering turning it into a bus barn and served on the committee to rebuild South Park Recreation Center and Dreamland Park. She continues her involvement in the Immokalee community.

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Copyright © 2018 by Claudette Williams.

ISBN:                  Softcover                        978-1-9845-1237-6

                             eBook                              978-1-9845-1236-9

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 04/24/2018

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Contents

Dedication

Acknowledgements

Foreword

Introduction

Chapter 1     My Mental Rollercoaster

Chapter 2     The Eastern Seaboard

Chapter 3     Our Legacy: Mama Della

Chapter 4     The Separation

Chapter 5     The Camp on the Farm

Chapter 6     Cap

Chapter 7     The Contractors

Chapter 8     Frank the Musician

Chapter 9     The Bus Ride Up the Road

Chapter 10   John’s Island

Chapter 11   Crossing the Chesapeake Bay

Chapter 12   The Eastern Shore Camp

Chapter 13   Misused and Abused

Chapter 14   The Killing

Chapter 15   Segregation in Bloomsburg

Chapter 16   The Cutting

Chapter 17   Northern Experiences and Jacob’s ladder

Chapter 18   Immokalee My Home

Epilogue

Dedication

This book is dedicated to my grandmother Idell, a successful entrepreneur, aunt Dorothy the food truck/fashion queen, my mother Jane a surgical nurse with a Doctorates Degree in Theology, and my youngest sister Elaine who was like a big sister to me. You were all helpful in molding me into the person that I am today.

Acknowledgements

To my sisters Patricia, Elaine, Juanita and Angelnette and my brothers Simeon and Floyd who grew up with me. Our feelings may differ about the experiences we encountered but we lived through them all-the-same. We realize that our different opinions represent our individuality.

To my aunts Linda and Aretha for helping me through some difficult times in my life and to all of my extended and adopted family members, friends, cousins, and uncles thank you.

To the migrant characters represented in this book, thank you for sharing some unforgettable life experiences.

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ANTI-BULLYING AGREEMENT

I__________________________, Promise not to name call, humiliate, nor bully anyone or anything.

Sincerely,

________________________Date________

Foreword

Claudette Williams reminds us that what one has accomplished can only be measured by the obstacles one has overcome in trying to succeed. The success that Claudette has harvested during her lifetime stems from the humble and indigent upbringing she received as a migrant child. During the fifteen years she labored in the fields of small farm towns in Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New York. She and her siblings were constantly called Season Tramps and Muck Rats. Year after year, they were always packing up and moving on. They were forever enrolling in one school and transferring to another. Claudette’s approach in life has always been that of a gallant fighter who must decide whether to play your own hand or play against a