Alabama, the county seat of Sawgrass County in southeast Alabama. Many years ago, Mattie’s maternal grandfather, Beauregard Jackson had become one of the richest men in Alabama. He was certainly the wealthiest in the southern part of the state, having earned his fortune as a peanut mogul. But truth be told, there were more than a few skeletons in the family closet. Two of those in the family closet were her grandfather and her father.
When Ronald Manasco was a child, his father was an unemployed alcoholic and his mother worked as a maid for the Jackson family. Ronald’s mother was a hard worker and the only bread winner for the family. She insisted that Ronald complete high school, but had no money to send him to college. So after high school, Ronald took a job as one of the Beauregard’s hired hands on his peanut plantation. Ronald was handsome, muscular, and loved showing off his physique. In the summers, he was always shirtless and well tanned from working on the farm. He hadn’t worked long before Beauregard took a liking to him. To make a long story short, Ronald became Beauregard’s lover. While Beauregard’s behavior was unconscionable due to Ronald’s age, Ronald was not an innocent victim. In fact, Ronald, being an opportunist, had intentionally lured Beauregard.
Beauregard sent Ronald to Troy State College and after two years, Ronald returned to Melba, Alabama to marry Beauregard’s daughter, Ida Lou. Eventually Ronald took over the farm and went into politics. He was a fundamentalist, yellow dog democrat whose campaigns were partially financed by the Ku Klux Klan. Ronald loved telling his friends and most trusted constituents that there were two things he hated worse than an egg sucking dog and those were negras and queers. Ronald’s role model for getting elected was former governor of Alabama, Big Jim Folsom. During Folsom’s campaign he hired the Strawberry Pickers, a country band to serenade the people. Folsom carried a mop and bucket during his campaign to show the people that he meant business. He was going to clean up the government. Jim Folsom’s politics were far more liberal and progressive than Ronald Manasco’s. Nevertheless, Manasco liked Folsom’s theatrics and emulated his style. Ronald Manasco was not as charismatic as Big Jim, but he always got enough votes to be elected to the state legislature.
Ronald and Ida Lou Manasco’s only child was their spoiled rotten daughter, Matilda Manasco. Her parents wanted her to go to Troy State College where her father and mother had attended but Matty wouldn’t have it. No sir ree! She was going to the University of Alabama and she was going to be a member of the finest sorority. The compromise reached was that she could go to Alabama, but she would not be allowed to join a sorority. Behind this stipulation was the fact her mother had been blackballed from a sorority at Troy State and did not want her daughter becoming one of those snoody sorority girls. It was actually too late to prevent “snoody” but not the added haughtiness of a sorority.
Matty’s roommate was Cupcake Saunders from Sawyerville, Alabama. Cupcake was actually her given name. She had been head cheerleader at Hale County High School and was Matty’s best friend. All of Cupcake’s friends, including Matty called her Sweet Thing. Matty and Cupcake were perfect for one another, albeit in a pathologically symbiotic way. Matty was the boss and whatever she wanted to do and wherever she wanted to go, Sweet Thing acquiesced and followed.
Jembington Wacco
Matty first met Jembington Wacco at an off campus party thrown by one of their mutual friends. By early 1963, they were going steady and eventually planned to marry. Jembington was from Pinebark in Winston County in the northwestern part of Alabama. Winston County was famous for its efforts to secede from Alabama during the Civil War, though the Alabama State Legislature did not recognize it. Some residents of the county had decided if the state of Alabama could secede from the Union, then Winston County could separate from Alabama. Jembington’s family and friends called him Jembo. His parents were Argus and Bessie Wacco. Argus had a hardware store in Pinebark, Alabama and was the leader of northwest Alabama’s Ku Klux Klan. Winston County was certainly suited as an ideal location for Klan headquarters because of its immense, thick pine forests and numerous caves that served as hiding places. Argus’ ambition was for his son to follow in his footsteps. After college, Jembo was expected to return to Winston County and take over the hardware business. Argus also assumed Jembo would become a leader in the Klan. During the early days of integration at the University, Jembo and Matty were a suspicious couple. Unknown to them, their activities, friends, and whereabouts were being monitored.
Jembo lived in Paty Hall. In the summer of 1963, he was told that his roommate would be Gilbert West, supposedly from Toomsuba, Mississippi who was transferring from East Mississippi Junior College. Gilbert was determined to be friends with Jembo. As summer school and fall term unfolded, Gil became for Jembo, what Cupcake was to Matty. Wherever Jembo went, Gil followed.
Matty and Jembo introduced Gil to Cupcake, but Gil wasn’t the least bit interested. His eyes were on Winifred Dodd. Winifred was cautious around Gil. He was attractive enough but she didn’t like his friendship with Jembo and Matty. However, Angie encouraged Winifred to give Gil a chance. Since Winifred was not dating anyone in particular at the time, she agreed and on weekends when she didn’t have anything else to do, she would go out with Gil. But soon she was irritated by Gil’s insistence they double date with Matty and Jembo. Sometimes she could get Gil to take her out alone, but most of the time he wanted the other couple along. When Winifred and Gil were a duo, she genuinely liked him. When they were out with Jembo and Matty, Winfred hated the way Gil kowtowed to Jembo.
Worst of all was the way Jembo had treated James Hood. Although James had protection like Vivian, the Guardsmen could not prevent some of the residents from dropping and bouncing golf balls in the room above James’. The golf balls bounced, echoed, and reverberated in James’ room, keeping him from sleeping most of the night. Jembo was in charge of this assault. Matty bragged about this in the dining room and Winifred was suspicious that Gil had participated in this charade. After two months, James Hood withdrew from the University. Winifred was sure that Jembo and his accomplices had caused James to leave. She decided to stop dating Gil, but Angie insisted Winifred give Gil the benefit of the doubt. After all, Matty had never mentioned that Gil had participated in the harassment of James. Still, Winifred suspected he had. Angie’s persistence was somewhat baffling. Why would she care who Winifred dated? Besides, Angie was always busy studying and did not usually go out. Nevertheless, this made Winifred wonder.
Martha Parham Hall
September 22, 1963
On Sunday, September 22nd, Winifred went to her cousin Helen’s home in Alberta City for lunch. Helen had cooked a country dinner using some of Nana Mims’ recipes and Winifred was glad to have a home cooked meal. At 4:00 pm Helen dropped Winifred back at the dorm. When Winifred arrived in her room she expected to find Angie studying, but Angie was not there. Winifred lay down on her bed for a few minutes to relax. She looked over at Angie’s desk and saw The New York Times. Angie had told her that her mother sent her the New York papers from time to time so she could see what was happening at home. The paper was open to an article about the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church. Winifred picked up the paper and began to read the article.
“Oh my God! I can’t believe four innocent young girls were killed,” thought Winifred. She remembered Matty’s horrific remarks about the bombing, but that was the last time Winifred had thought about it. She read the names of the children carefully…“Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Wesley, Carol Robertson, and Carol Denise McNair.” A dark sadness came over Winifred as she thought about the children and their grieving families.
At that moment, Angie walked in and saw Winifred reading The New York Times.
“I hope you don’t mind Angie. I saw this article on your desk and I had to read it,” explained Winifred.
“Not at all,” replied Angie. “My mom sent me the paper and I was horrified by the bombing details.”
“How could anyone bomb innocent children in a church, of all places?” asked Winifred.
“I felt the same way. I’m just sorry more students are not talking about it. And, those who do, like Matty, seem so insensitive to what is happening. The apathy on this campus is really beginning to bother me.”
Winifred