The Breakfast Club - IDKMYDE: Maggie Bozeman and Julia Wilder

Episode Date: February 11, 2024

In this episode of #IDKMYDE, join us as we uncover the unjust nine-year imprisonment of Maggie Bozeman and Julia Wilder, two courageous Black women who fought for voter rights in Alabama. Back in the day voter fraud looked a little different. Yet, it seems society has never been absent from the "trims to a win". But in the past, 'fighting for your freedom' usually meant waiting behind bars for it. These two female elders set an example. It's the case of "no good deed goes unpunished" but with voting. IG: @_idkmyde_ | @BdahtTV | @blackeffectSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Had enough of this country? Ever dreamt about starting your own? I planted the flag. This is mine. I own this. It's surprisingly easy. 55 gallons of water, 500 pounds of concrete. Or maybe not. No country willingly gives up their territory. Oh my God.

What is that? Bullets. Listen to Escape from Zakistan. We need help! That's Escape from Z-A-Q-istan on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey guys, I'm Kate Max. You might know me from my popular online series, The Running Interview Show, where I run with celebrities, athletes, entrepreneurs, and more. After those runs, the conversations keep going. That's what my podcast

Post Run High is all about. It's a chance to sit down with my guests and dive even deeper into their stories, their journeys, and the thoughts that arise once we've hit the pavement together. Listen to Post Run High on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. As a kid, I really do remember having these dreams and visions, but you just don't know what is going to come for you. Alicia shares her wisdom on growth, gratitude, and the power of love. I forgive myself. It's okay.

Have grace with yourself. You're trying your best. And you're going to figure out the rhythm of this thing. Alicia Keys, like you've never heard her before. Listen to On Purpose with Jay Shetty on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. like you to join us each week for our show Civic Cipher. That's right. We discuss social issues especially those that affect black

and brown people but in a way that informs and empowers all people. We discuss everything from prejudice to politics to police violence and we try to give you the tools to create positive change in your home, workplace, and social circle. We're going to learn how to become better allies to each other so join us each Saturday for Civic Cipher

on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, y'all. Nimminy here. I'm the host of a brand new history podcast for kids and families called Historical Records. Executive produced by Questlove, The Story Pirates, and John Glickman, Historical Records brings history to life through hip-hop. Get the kids in your life excited about history by tuning in to Historical Records. Listen

to Historical Records on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Now y'all know each season I gotta do my absolute best to introduce y'all to powerful black women that I didn't know and maybe you didn't either.

Well, today I introduce to you two women from Alabama that did nine years in jail unfairly, all for standing on business. I didn't know, maybe you didn't need it. I didn't know, maybe you didn't need it. I didn't know, maybe you didn't need it. I didn't know, I didn't know, I didn't know, maybe you didn't need me. I didn't know, maybe you didn't need me. I didn't know, I didn't know, I didn't know. 51-year-old Maggie Bozeman and 69-year-old Julia Wilder went to jail in Alabama January 12, 1982 for 1978 voter fraud. For perspective, white folk in the town had been hit with voter fraud in the past and were met with minimal punishments and or fines.

Nobody had ever been jailed. 51-year-old Maggie Bozeman got four years and 69-year-old Julia Wilder got the maximum, five years. And they could have pled guilty and got probation, but they took it to court because they said they had done nothing wrong. Like being black in Alabama wasn't offense enough. In 1978, there was an election in Pickens County, Alabama. Now, Julia Wilder was the president of the Pickens County Voters League

and Maggie Bozeman, who just so happens to be the cousin of one of my comedy partners, Chris Jones, set it off. And that's how I even came across these women. So I appreciate you, Chris. But Maggie Bozeman was president of the local NAACP chapter, and they were just urging elderly illiterate blacks to vote by absentee ballot. Maggie and Julia picked up the absentee ballot applications from the County Elections Commission, used central addresses for them, and had all 39 notarized by the same notary. It wasn't even really an issue until on election day when one of the absentee voters showed up at the polls adamant to vote. That led to an investigation because that lady was 79 year old Sophie Spann and she testified she knew nothing about no absentee ballots. She never signed one and that testimony was largely the reason the jury voted for

conviction. But she was sus. Like the sheriff bought her lunch right before she testified. For what? And she even testified that she would do whatever the sheriff wanted me to do, but he ain't told me to say nothing. Yeah, all right. It was 12 other folks whose ballots were filed by Ms. Bozeman and Ms. Wilder. They testified too, but their testimonies were a bunch of confusing stories and all over the place. They didneman and Ms. Wilder, they testified too, but their testimonies were a bunch of confusing stories and all over the place, they didn't really stick. The Sophie Spann testimony,

that's what did them in. Even though they had 15 character witness to vouch for them to the 12 white jurors, it was to no avail. They were painted as a couple women who went out and stole 39 votes. Listen, listen here, listen. If we really wanted to be vindictive, okay,

we could have got them vindictive, okay, we could have got them 39 counts of forgery, punishable by up to 10 years each. That's what the DA Pep Johnson said, who scratched all blacks from the jury. They spent 11 days in a state penitentiary where there were daily protests. The then governor scrambled to put together a work release program for them.

They got transferred to Tuskegee to finish out their term. They lived in a trailer house instead of jail. One juror, 33-year-old William Tate said, It may sound like five years to a little old lady, but if someone's found guilty, their age shouldn't make much no difference. A white deputy sheriff said, Listen, if they can get out there and march at them ages, they gonna do just fine in jail.

Maggie Bozeman and Julia Wilder went to jail for trying to help elderly, illiterate black folks to cast their votes in 1978. And I didn't know. Maybe you didn't either. I didn't know. Had enough of this country? Ever dreamt about starting your own? No, no, no, no, no. Oh my God. What is that? Bullets. Listen to Escape from Zaka-stan. That's Escape from Z-A-Q-a-stan on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey guys, I'm Kate Max. You might know me from my popular online series,

The Running Interview Show, where I run with celebrities, athletes, entrepreneurs, and more. After those runs, the conversations keep going. That's what my podcast, Post Run High, is all about. It's a chance to sit down with my guests and dive even deeper into their stories, their journeys, and the thoughts that arise once we've hit the pavement together. Listen to Post Run High on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

As a kid, I really do remember having these dreams and visions, but you just don't know what is going to come for you. Alicia shares her wisdom on growth, gratitude, and the power of love. I forgive myself. It's okay. Have grace with yourself. You're trying your best. And you're going to figure out the rhythm of this thing. Alicia Keys, like you've never heard her before. Listen to On Purpose with Jay Shetty on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, what's up? This is Ramses Jha.

And I go by the name Q Ward. And we'd like you to join us each week for our show Civic Cipher. That's right. We discuss social issues, especially those that affect black and brown people, but in a way that informs and empowers all people. We discuss everything from prejudice to politics to police violence. And we try to give you the tools to create positive change in your home, workplace and social circle. We're going to learn how to become better allies to each other. So join us each Saturday for Civic Cipher on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, 1974. George Foreman was champion of the world. Ali was smart and he was handsome. The story behind The Rumble in the Jungle is like a Hollywood movie. But that is only half the story. There's also James Brown, Bill Withers, B.B. King, Miriam Akiba. All the biggest black artists on the planet. Together in Africa.

It was a big deal. Listen to Rumble, Ali, Foreman, and The Soul of 74 on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.