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Biography

Mrs. Griggs began her life as a mother in Alabama. She moved her family to Iowa after visiting her daughter at Kirkwood College. She wanted a better education and a better life for her children. For the thirty-three years she has been here, she has been active in her church, living her faith, raising her children and living out her dream to the benefit of her community.

Transcript

Date of Interview: 25 April 2009

Shawndell Young: My name is Shawndell Young. I spell my name S-H-A-W-N-D-E-L-L. Today I will be interviewing Mrs. Griggs. So let’s get it started. So, Mrs. Griggs, where were you born?

Pearlie Griggs: I was born in Montgomery, Alabama.

Shawndell: Where do you live now?

Pearlie Griggs: I live in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Shawndell: How long have you lived in Iowa?

Pearlie Griggs: I’ve lived here thirty-three years.

Shawndell: What brought you to Iowa after you left Montgomery? Why did you come here?

Pearlie Griggs: Well, my daughter came here to go to college.

Shawndell: Where did you go to school?

Pearlie Griggs: I went to school in Montgomery, Alabama.

Shawndell: Have you been involved in any church active things or organizations related to church?

Pearlie Griggs: Yes, I have. I’m an active member at Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church, where I am a missionary also. Also do jail and prison ministry and I do outreach to the community. I help those that are in need whether they need food, clothes, or shelter. I am actively involved in my church.

Shawndell: What kind of food do you like to eat?

Pearlie Griggs: I mostly like vegetables and fruit, but because I need protein, I eat a lot of chicken.

Shawndell: What restaurants do you like to go to?

Pearlie Griggs: Olive Garden, that’s my favorite. Ruby Tuesday, and I could name a lot more but those two are my favorites.

Shawndell: What do you do for entertainment?

Pearlie Griggs: I go to church. I like doing fun things at church, worshipping, most of all I like to sing.

Shawndell: Why did you choose to get involved in church activities?

Pearlie Griggs: Because I was raised in church from a little girl.

Shawndell: How did you go about doing this? Like, how did you go to the running of being in church things? Do you run for it? Or do you have to just put your name on a slip or something? How do you get involved with that?

Pearlie Griggs: Because in church you have different ministry and I chose the one that I work best in. I have been an usher on the usher board, I have singing in the choir, I have been president of the mission, I got involved in the jail ministry because of the community outreach, and I like doing, helping people, so that’s how I got involved. Because of the Scripture that says, “Go ye, into all of the world.” And also, God saved us to serve, so I like serving others.

Shawndell: How did your family feel about you getting into the church? How did your family feel about you deciding, “Yeah, I’m going to go and do things for the Lord”?

Pearlie Griggs: Well they felt OK with that because, they was also raised in the church and we all need the direction of God to guide us through life. The only questions they had was when I went to, started doing jail ministry. Some of them didn’t like that too well because in jail ministry you are usually in a confined area with the incarcerated, but once they, I started doing it, they was very happy with that, was glad because everyone needs someone they can talk to and pray with. So that was the purpose of doing that, to help those fellas incarcerated to be a better person when they come out.

Shawndell: Why do you get up in the morning and decide, “Yeah, I’m going to go help these incarcerated people” because most people would, “Ooo, they’re incarcerated, they might hurt me or something” so why do you get up and go and talk to these people who are incarcerated?

Pearlie Griggs: Because in our Scripture, in Corinthians, it says, “I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me.” And so, God gives us the desire and the direction for our lives and whom He sends, He equips and if we read His Word and abide in His Word, and trust in Him, I know He is going to protect me no matter where I am, whether it’s on the streets or in the jails or whatever. He will direct my path and He keeps me safe_____.

Shawndell: What has been one of your happiest or saddest times during the, back in the day, during time that you have been alive?

Pearlie Griggs: Back in Alabama, during the Martin Luther King Era, and the Rosa Parks Era, those was some sad times there because people got killed. The saddest moment was when Martin Luther King died because he had done so much to help the segregated, to bring desegregation in view and he said that he had a dream and in his dream he had completed the dream the Lord had given him to help his people. And so, whether he lived or whether he died, he was doing the will of God that He had planned for him. But sure we was sad, but then we was happy cause because of him dying we was able to be where we are now as far as a race of people. Because in Alabama there was, we was segregated, I went to a all black school, not by choice but because we didn’t get a chance to interact with the other, Caucasian, people in school. So, that made a big difference, what he did when he died but it was a sad time.

Shawndell: What has been one of your biggest accomplishments during your whole entire life?

Pearlie Griggs: My biggest accomplishment for me was to see my kids grow up and graduate from college. Coming from the Deep South, when my kids came here they was like three years behind the kids in the schools in Iowa. So, my greatest accomplishment was to continue to steer them in the right direction and to see them grow up, become productive young men and women, as a mother and as a Christian.

Shawndell: So, as we are wrapping this up, if you could change anything in your life, what would that be?

Pearlie Griggs: Oh, that’s a good question. (laughing) I don’t know whether I can answer that or not. Did I check that on the paper? If I could change anything in my life, I would have everyone to love one another as God has loved us because He loved us so much, He sent His Son to die for us that we all may have the right to the tree of life. I think being united as one, as brothers and sisters in Christ, that would be something I would like to change if I could change. I know it is impossible for me to change the world but if I could, I would.

Shawndell: What is the most important thing to remember about this? What would you say the most important thing that you would like people to remember of you after you have gone on?

Pearlie Griggs: That I tried to live, to be a role model for someone along the way, a good role model, that I might be able to show them that there is a better way to live than to live in sin.

Shawndell: Thank you for having this interview with me, very much, and for taking your time.

Pearlie Griggs: You’re welcome.