John Charles Bryant: African American life and legacy

South Bend's Own Words

John Charles Bryant was a lifelong historian of South Bend's African American community.

In 2021, after a colorful life of nearly 84 years, he reached out to us to record a series of four oral history interviews. Each would cover 20-year chunks, talking about the people who inspired him, and some of the many figures in local African American history that he spent so much of his life learning about and sharing.

In this episode of "South Bend’s Own Words," we feature parts of that heartfelt conversation. With stories from over a century and a half, John Charles shares his rich family history and personal experiences. He takes us back to the 1850s, recounting his family’s journey from North Carolina to South Bend and the legacy of his ancestors, Rebecca and Farrow Powell, who were pivotal in establishing the first African American church.

Topics include:

Childhood Memories: John Charles reminisces about growing up on Main Street, attending Olivet A.M.E. Church where his mother was an organist, and his cherished relationship with his parents.

Cultural Identity: He shares personal experiences of racial identity, discussing his light skin tone and the societal dynamics he navigated in both majority Black and white communities.

Career and Challenges: He shares candid stories about his professional life, including facing discrimination at the University of Notre Dame, as well as the life lessons he learned from family and friends.

Multigenerational Impact: Reflecting on the changing landscape of South Bend, John Charles speaks on the cultural shifts and the loss of Black businesses post-desegregation, while highlighting his efforts to give back through scholarships.

This episode was produced by Jon Watson from the Ernestine M. Raclin School of the Arts at IU South Bend, and by George Garner from the Civil Rights Heritage Center.

Full transcript of this episode available here.

Want to learn more about South Bend’s history? View the photographs and documents that helped create it. Visit Michiana Memory at http://michianamemory.sjcpl.org/.

Title music, “History Repeats,” from Josh Woodward, used via CC-BY-4.0-DEED. Visit his website at https://www.joshwoodward.com.