Oral History Interview with Melvin James,
2018
Tue, 3/9 10:17AM
32:59
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
people, homeless, ai, home, shelters, stayed, helped, commons, minnesota, salvation army, life,
gon, passed, illinois, place, melvin, er, person, nephews, mary jo
SPEAKERS
Samantha Gibson, Kathleen C... Show more
Oral History Interview with Melvin James,
2018
Tue, 3/9 10:17AM
32:59
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
people, homeless, ai, home, shelters, stayed, helped, commons, minnesota, salvation army, life,
gon, passed, illinois, place, melvin, er, person, nephews, mary jo
SPEAKERS
Samantha Gibson, Kathleen Clark, Melvin James
Kathleen Clark 00:00
Well, hello, my name is Katie Clark. I'm an assistant professor at Augsburg University.
Could you please introduce yourself for the recording?
M
Melvin James
00:09
My name is Melvin James.
S
Samantha Gibson
00:12
My name is Samantha Gibson. I'm an AmeriCorps worker at Health Commons just
listening in.
Kathleen Clark 00:21
So thank you for joining us for the oral history project of the Health Commons.
M
Melvin James
00:25
Oral History Interview with Melvin James, 2018
Page 1 of 12
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
Thank you for having me.
Kathleen Clark 00:26
Yeah. Before we get started, I would like to confirm that you consent to being interviewed
and having the interview recording stored at Augsburg University which will be made
available to the public.
M
Melvin James
00:39
Agreed.
Kathleen Clark 00:40
Alright, great. So basically, kind of, can you tell me where you grew up and who you called
family?
M
Melvin James
00:48
Well, I grew up in Illinois, it’s a little country called Sun River Terrace, out in the country, of
Illinois, Kankakee, Illinois. And I’ve been raised there, I was born and raised there. Well, I’ve
been born in Columbus, Mississippi, but I’ve been raised in Illinois since I was what five, six
years old. Out in the country, went to grade school in Momence, Illinois, and uh, went to
junior high in Momence, Illinois, then I graduated in Kankakee, Illinois in Westview High
School in Kankakee, Illinois. That’s basically how I grew up. And also mom, you know, she
was really awesome, she had a lot of survival skills, she raised, uh, eighteen kids. It was
challenging for her, you know, by herself, you know but, along the way we got split up, you
know, but we still stayed there as one family, you know. Everybody got split up, after they
got older and stuff, you know, like they, life started to take a toll, tear her down, but she
still stayed strong, she was in church and stuff. She was, she was a holy one, you know. She
survived, she helped us survive. She gave me all the survival skills that she figured that I
needed, coming up in life, you know. I know how to cook, I know how to clean, I know how
to do everything. Everything the way she showed me.
02:32
Oral History Interview with Melvin James, 2018
Page 2 of 12
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
Kathleen Clark 02:33
So, being that you grew up in Illinois, how did you end up here in Minnesota? After my
mom passed, after she passed at 82 years old, she passed at 82, and I'm the youngest
male of the family, you know, so. Everybody's grown in my family now, so, you know. So I
came to Minnesota after she passed and stuff, so. Everybody just grew up and went their
own way, and you know, I was 45 years old when I came here, so, you know, I’m 58 now.
Life was kinda difficult for me when I moved to Minnesota, but, like my mom always told
me, you can make it in your hometown, you can make it anywhere, you know, it all
depends on what you going to another place to venture off to- to do, you know. Cause, if
you gonna do bad or wrong, or anything, you might as well stay in your hometown, you
know. Cause you gon get the same results no matter where you go, you know, so. I used all
of my survival skills to help me come along in Minnesota, you know. Uh, it has some faults,
about Minnesota, but, you know, it is what it is, you know. It’s partially my hometown, I had
to struggle, I had to crawl before I walk. I’m on bended knees now. So was it a relationship
that brought you here, or was it a job, or?
M
Melvin James
04:24
After my mom passed, I was, I lived with my mom. And, she stayed in the house by herself.
I had to, when she passed, I had to go. But I never depended on my other sisters and
brothers, the house and me, you know, they helped me through, you know, I counted that
on my own, you know, so I was homeless back home, in my hometown. I was sleeping out
in the parks, and staying in the shelters and stuff, you know. When I was really there and
not here and stuff I got kicked out the shelters, I ended up having to live out on the streets,
you know. But along comes with that, we had a family reunion one year and my nephew,
he lives up here in Minnesota, he came down and I was sleeping in his brother’s car, well I
was sneaking around sleeping in his brother’s car at night, you know, he didn't know I was
sleeping in his car, you know. So I guess, I guess they got together and like man, uncle need
help, you know, uncle need help, we need to, uh, get, you know, he’s our mentor, you know,
so yeah he need help. So my nephew put me in the car and come on let's go to Kmart so I
can buy this and buy that. So along with that I was drinking, and I got a little tipsy, and I
think I might have fell asleep in the car. And when I woke up I was in Minnesota. I woke up,
I was back in Minnesota.
Kathleen Clark 06:12
So how did you feel homelessness was, where you were at compared to when you showed
up in the Twin Cities?
Oral History Interview with Melvin James, 2018
Page 3 of 12
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
M
Melvin James
06:23
It was kinda fair, I believe. It was more, it was more unity back then, you know, when I was
homeless in ‘99, and 2000, my mom passed away in 2002. So, it was similar. It was bad. I
mean it’s not like the shelter like the Salvation Army out there, you know, you have people
wiggin’ out, buggin’ you, telling you what you can do and what you can’t do, you know,
disrespecting you, and you know it was, it was, it’s a lot of unity in the Salvation Army back
home, you know.
Kathleen Clark 07:07
Well, it sounds like relationships are really important to you. So did you, do you still keep in
contact with your siblings at all?
M
Melvin James
07:15
Oh yeah, I’m going home for Mother’s Day this year, I ain’t been home in 18 years for
Mother’s Day. You know, but I’m going home. I told my sisters there I'm coming home, they
like oh, it's about time! You know, but, you know, I always go home twice a year, anyway,
you know. Usually, about five years, six years back, only time I showed up at home was for
Fourth of July. I can't get past a holiday like Christmas or New Year's or Fourth of July
without somebody passing the way my path, so. I'm down to four sisters and two brothers.
And my oldest brother is still living and I'm the baby brother, still living, you know.
Everybody else they’ve passed on, you know, so. My nieces and nephews they kind of look
up to me, but my oldest brother, he stays in Florida. He stays in Florida so I’m the closest
Uncle around them that they’ve got. So, I make sure that all my nieces and nephews know
who’s Uncle Melvin. Yeah. When I go home they be like my oldest nieces and my second
nieces and my third nieces cause I’m a great-great-great-great Uncle, you know. My first
oldest niece and nephew, I got about 25 older nieces and nephews and I got about 36
great great nieces and nephews and I got 52 great great great nieces and nephews. So
they all look up to me, you know. And when I go home they like oh, Uncle Melvin. When
they tell their kids I’m comin’ home oh they’re gonna get spoiled. Cause when I be the
babysitter, I let ‘em do whatever they want to. If they fall down and skin their knees and
elbows I just laugh at them, I’m like get up and try it again. You gon say ouch one day, you
know. I keep up with my siblings.
Kathleen Clark 09:23
So when you ended up in Minnesota, how long do- were you living without a place to call
home?
Oral History Interview with Melvin James, 2018
Page 4 of 12
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
M
Melvin James
09:30
Oh for almost a year and a half, two years. I think about, yeah about two years, cause I
got my place at, where I'm standing now, I got my place at ’04, or ’05. I stayed on the
Salvation Army, well I stayed with my nephew for a year, a year and a half. Until he
started waiting. Then, I didn't know which way to go. I didn't know nothing about Mary
Jo's or Simpson’s, or any other of these places, you know, I just, basically just, followed the
crowd. You know and the crowd showed me my way. But uh, after I found out where Mary
Jo’s was, you know, I was kinda set, you know, I was laid back then, uh, it’s how I got my
place and I think in ’04, ’03, or ’05 I think I got my place, and stuff, you know.
Kathleen Clark 10:37
So when you got your place did you have to be on a wait list?
M
Melvin James
10:41
Well, basically, how I got my place, it was, it was a guy that was a community manager
over there and he brought 40 application over to Central Lutheran Church. And he gave
everybody the application, he did like, all you all gotta do is pass the background check,
I’m not gonna charge y’all first month rent if you pass it. So he moved all half of 40 in and
I'm only one still there. Out of the 40.
Kathleen Clark 11:20
Now recently. You almost had to leave your house or apartment
M
Melvin James
11:24
Yeah, I’ve been in my apartment 18 years and I was bell ringer for the- I’ve been a bell
ringer for the Salvation Army since I used to be homeless, I used to stay down there. I used
to bell ring. And that’s how I used to pay my rent and, uh, donate my plasma and stuff,
before I got on the fix income. I got on the fix income in 2015. And I didn’t know that I had
to turn in my check stubs and, you know, let them know I was working. I thought it was
peace work, you know. But along the way they tax me, you know, they took the whole, I
was making $750 a month. They went back three years, so they gon tax me, what I mean
by tax me they gon, I had to pay back my earnings that I’d made, so that was 750 dollars
and all they would give me was 43 dollars a month out of my check. So I almost lost my
house, you know. And what I didn’t understand was, I thought my housing was 30% of my
income and I figured that I didn’t have the money that I usually get, I figured that 30%, I
Oral History Interview with Melvin James, 2018
Page 5 of 12
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
thought my income, my rent should go down, you know, but it was gonna go down, but I
had to go all the way through the red tape for it to go down. You know, so. I winged myself
outta that, you know, you helped me out, this Central Lutheran helped me out, God’s
Mercy helped me out, you know. That brought be back up off bended knee, cause I was
about to get down on one knee, you know, along the way y’all helped me out. You know, I
appreciate y’all you know, got help, you got courage and got understanding. You know I
believe that’s, that’s fair that’s, you know, that’s fair love, you know? Fair love.
Kathleen Clark 13:38
Now earlier today you were talking about how people end up, you know, being in the
emergency shelter like Salvation Army should be a place to be for a moment, but not a
place to live.
M
Melvin James
13:54
Right
Kathleen Clark 13:55
Why do you feel like it’s turned into more of a place that people are kind of stuck in living
for years on end? Do you think that's changed, do you think it's the same, and why do you
think that's a problem?
M
Melvin James
14:10
Well, see now that's a problem cause people looking for a way out of life, you know you
know they just wanna live off the land, you know. Your courage is to upgrade yourself, you
know, to monitor what you do through life, you know. Life ain’t handed to you on a silver
spoon, you know. Some people just take advantage of that, you know. I think some people
might have gave up on uh gave up life, you know, but they still got their mind to think, you
know. I don't see no way, no how that a person with six senses can be homeless over 10 to
20 years, you know. I don't, you know, I just can't bear that in my mind. You know, you
know, why would you give up life, you know, you know, but I mean, living in the shelter is
formed to help you come off bended knee, you know, not for you to basically this is my
home. You know, this is not your home, really, you know, it's just a foundation for you to
come to, you know to help you so you won't be as poor it is as you wanna live, you know.
You can live a lot richer being poor, you know, and to be poor and to be poor, you know,
to be poor and to be poor. Because, uh, I heard a person tell me one time, I heard a person
Oral History Interview with Melvin James, 2018
Page 6 of 12
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
say that there ain’t no such thing as homeless, you know, because you got all of these
shelters that are housing you and feeding you, you know, if you got a place to go get a
meal, you’re not homeless. You know, homeless is I think homeless is a situation where
they don't have no bare bones, no, no shelters, or you know where you have to live off the
land, you know, but if you gotta a place where you can go and shower, change clothes
and stuff like that, you know. I heard this person say that. There ain’t no homeless, you
know, it just, it’s just, basically you’re just without. Without things, proper things, that you
outta be common to. You know. And uh, I don’t know, it’s just, you know.
Kathleen Clark 16:51
It almost sounds like houseless versus homeless. Right?
M
Melvin James
16:55
Right.
Kathleen Clark 16:59
So how did you end up hearing about the nurses at Central or the Health Commons? How
did you first come here and how did you hear about it?
M
Melvin James
17:09
Well, like I said, you know, back in 2003, 2005, when I got my homeless spot, I found out
about Central Lutheran Church. I used to follow where people go to be there, you know,
whether you used to go or be, you know, I used to follow the crowd, but I always stuck to
myself, you know, I'm always the outside looking in, you know. I see something good, you
know, I go investigate it, check it out, see if its right for me, you know. And when I came up
on Central Lutheran, you know, I’m like, this a place where peoples intervene and
understand how it is to be homeless, you know. Cause somewhere along the way some
peoples have came up on the, uh, original back by coming to the church. And, I think uh
some peoples, I think some churches love to give back, you know, cause, I guess they have,
everybody have a family that go through, you know, trials and tribulations, you know.
They understand about how a person can be vulnerable, you know, uh, uh, I think uh,
without things that they grew up with, things that they grew out of, you know, because,
uh… these churches, have helped, I mean, if you enlighten yourself on and understand
about what a church is, you know, it’ll help you, you know, it will help you, you know, you
just, I mean it ain’t gon be in the order that you want it to be, you know, but you gotta
Oral History Interview with Melvin James, 2018
Page 7 of 12
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
improvise the situation that they in, you know. Cause they have life after this too, they
have a family they have to raise, you know. You not their only responsibility, you know, you
have to bring responsibility to the table too, you know. You just can’t take on, just can’t
accept all of their responsibility for you, you know, you have to bring, you gotta bring
some responsibility to the table.
Kathleen Clark 20:03
So what are some reasons that you or other people come to the nurses at Central?
M
Melvin James
20:09
Well, when I started coming to you guys, I had a need, you know, not a physical, mental
need, nothing like that, you know, but I can feel the enjoyment, you know, from you guys,
you know, I can feel the life, you know. The light that you, that y’all share, you know, with
each and every one of us, you know. And some people, you know, they, I think some
people just ain’t understand it, but I do, you know. I know what I like, you know, and if I run
into a situation where somebody is talking, you know, angry or big, uh, you know, being
above life, you know, I don’t deal with it, you know. You going talking to arrogant, you
know, miss me, you know, miss me with that because I can talk arrogant too, but that ain’t
gonna lead us back to stage one. But I can feel, I can feel enjoyment, you know. When I
met you guys, you know I used to- didn’t say nothing. You know I was always a closed
mouth, you know. I was always a closed mouth, but I got to learning y’all and y’all got to
showing me both, how y’all feel about a person and what y’all got to feed a person, you
know. Got that understanding, you know all that. Then I started opening up, yeah. Since I
am a joker, you know, I like to joke, you know. I like to start my conversation off with a
joke, you know to get to the real, real thing that I really need to talk to you about, to ask
you about, you know.
Kathleen Clark 22:20
Well, so, how do you think we could better welcome people in this space, or do people feel
welcomed, or how can we do that better? Well, I think people, I think good peoples, well
everybody’s good you know, everybody’s good. You can take the good with the bad, the
bad with the good, but I think y’all is more, more, more of a slice of cake, you know, more
of a slice of cake. Once you taste your cake you taste how sweet it is, you just go keep
inviting yourself back for more and more and more, you know, to get another slice, you
know. Get another slice, you know. And uh. Y’all a good welcoming at. Y’all good. I mean,
it’s, when you come in here, most people like, I don’t know, they just like to be around you
Oral History Interview with Melvin James, 2018
Page 8 of 12
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
guys. They like to be around you guys, you know. Well, I do have a lot of students who
work in-patient nearby in different hospitals and see some folks that are here that they
often see like in the ER and say that people often act different when they are here versus
in the ER setting. What do you think that's about, why do you think that people might act
different in the ER, versus coming in and asking for blood pressure or something, in this
setting?
M
Melvin James
23:55
It’s because they, they feel more comfortable around you, you know. I mean I’m quite sure
they feel comfortable in the ER, but you have all of these moving pictures, you know,
moving around, you know, and you don't know which, which, what picture to point the
finger at, you know. Here, you ain’t got to point the finger, you know, it’s just nothing but
love, you know. It’s just something about you guys and y’all area, you know, that draws
attention and everybody just want to be around, you know, around the nurses, you know,
because I believe y’all both down to earth, you know, you ain’t got too many pictures to
point a finger at, you know, you get, you know, and some people just can’t, just can’t take
no for an answer. And since I've been coming in here, what y’all use as a word no, it gives
a lot of people strength, you know, y'all don’t use the word no as a mean thing or an angry
thing, you know, but you know, I guess in the ER you know, you know, it's like, you know,
they be saying it to you in an arguing way, you know, so you feel not capable of being
helped. You know, you just being like a Guinea pig that’s being used, you know, and here,
y'all, y'all filter out all the, they’ll try to filter out all the weakness that somebody come and
talk to you about. You try to help them, you know, mentor their lives, you know. And I, I
think that's a good thing, you know, everybody just feels warm and welcome around here.
I know I do, you know. That’s why I come in here I do my leisure, that’s why I come in here.
It’s like, it’s just like, it’s like y’all is, y’all are like my new mentors, you know, in life, you
know, every time I come in here, I'm not looking for nothing. I ain’t looking for no handouts
or, you know, I'm just looking for construction, you know, construction, you know, that
makes my day, makes my next hours go, you know, not crazy but, you know, go wild and
loose, and understanding, you know, that's why I come in here, you know. I guess about- if
Mondays, Thursdays, if I sleep over nine o’clock, after ten o'clock, if I miss not coming
through here, I’m like, oh man my day gon be rough, because I didn't get to come over to
meet my peoples, you know, they give me enjoyment in life, you know, they don't tell me
no all the time, you know.
Kathleen Clark 26:49
So you volunteered here a couple, many times, actually. So, how is it for you when you
volunteer?
Oral History Interview with Melvin James, 2018
Page 9 of 12
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
M
Melvin James
26:57
It was nice, you know, it was nice, I mean I get answered some questions that I couldn't
answer, you know and people come to you, and you know, and look for answers, you
know. Look for that certain question. You know they got to hear those certain words, you
know, that you can provide for them, you know. And sometimes I- but I enjoyed
volunteering, I enjoyed volunteering. I mean it helped me out, you know, it helped me out,
and I understand how peoples are- you know, how I, I am, you know. It helped me out, you
know, with my mental stage.
Kathleen Clark 27:38
So what do you think we could do better in the Health Commons?
M
Melvin James
27:42
I really couldn’t say, right now y’all, right now I think y’all, right now I think y’all are
complete. You know, whatever you think that you can offer us, you know, it’ll be complete,
you know. Right now, everything is, to me, it’s complete. I can’t see, go around and see no
faults, that y’all ain’t serving the peoples well, and stuff, y’all serving the people just, you
know, just as promised that’s needed.
Kathleen Clark 28:30
Some people have said things like we should have more days or we should do outreach or
things like that, but, do you think that we need to do more or is the two days fine? Well,
two days, an extra day wouldn’t be bad, you know, an extra day wouldn’t be bad. It’s the
people- I mean, try an extra day and if the people show up, you know, the people have to
show up, you know. So what do you think some of the biggest barriers are for people who
are experiencing homelessness or marginally house to access things around health,
whether it's healthcare or get basic needs met, like, what do you think the biggest barriers
are? I believe, I think uh, most people need to be talked to, but they won’t- some people,
like think this, they kickin theyself bout to slip into a mental state and they come, they
hoping they will come that y’all guys are here to help them be positive, you know, before
they slip into that mental state, you know, and uh, I think they, they count on you guys,
you know, I think they really do, you know. Because like I said, you know, when I miss a
day, my day, I’m saying, I’m just like, I missed out on a whole, I missed out on a whole lot of
stuff, you know. So you know that we have a lot of nurses who volunteer and students. So
Oral History Interview with Melvin James, Page
2018 10 of 12
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
if you could tell them one thing when they're coming in that they should think about doing
when they're working the folks when we are open, what's one thing that the nurses or
volunteers should be thinking about?
M
Melvin James
30:34
Well, if they first time, they’ll think about, they’ll think everybody that you looking to would
say if they first time. You know, if they first time. You just, you know, just follow the good,
you know, just listen to it. Listen to the voice, you know, of a person, you know, and, you
know, don’t challenge it, just listen and say, ok, this sounds well enough. It sounds well
enough, you know.
Kathleen Clark 31:08
That's all the questions that I have. Is there anything that you want to add that we didn't
ask? Sam, did you have a question?
M
Melvin James
31:22
Well, me, I like coming here, for once, you know. Like I said, when I miss a day, when I miss
a Monday or a Thursday, I’m like- even when I be going out of town, you know, like, like,
I'm going home for Mother's Day and I'm leaving on the ninth, then Imma be, my mind
gonna be like, oh, man. What did they do, you know, aw man, what did they doing, you
know. I miss what makes me excited, you know, and when you miss something that makes
you excited it seems like the whole day is just ruined, you know. Because you missed the
magic, you missed the feeding part, the gross part, the education part, you know, it seems
like you just missed something. Other than that, you know, I’m well off, I’m happy. I’m bout
complete now. I’m bout complete with you guys. I just- Y’all just wonderful. Y’all just really
wonderful.
Kathleen Clark 32:35
Well this has been really fun because you're such a quiet person. So to hear your thoughts
has been great. So thank you for taking the time to talk with us and share your input on
Health Commons and what we should do better. So.
M
Melvin James
32:51
Alright, whatever, whatever will make the well water clean enough.
Oral History Interview with Melvin James, Page
2018 11 of 12
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
Oral History Interview with Melvin James, Page
2018 12 of 12
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
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