Summary: John Charles Bryant is descended from of one of the first African American families to call South Bend home. His ancestors moved here in 1858, seven years before the city officially incorporated. Every generation since has contributed things big and small to this city, and John Charles has detailed information about all of them. He has an encyclopedic knowledge of this city’s history—and he’s happy to share it. In 2001, he was the first person selected to be interviewed by the Civil Rights Heritage Center. We share part of that interview with historian David Healey about John Charles’ memories growing up, some of the first African Americans to make history, and his family’s legacy from over 150 years in South Bend. Learn more about South Bend’s history from the photographs and documents that helped create it. Visit Michiana Memory at http://michianamemory.sjcpl.org/. Title music, “History Explains Itself,” from Josh Spacek. Visit his page on the Free Music Archive, http://www.freemusicarchive.org/.
