The Camping Carpenters

This week we welcome Chip Ferrel of Chip Creates Bham to Historic Rockwood. He has no shortage of stories about growing up in Alabama’s Black Belt.We hear about his school days at Catherine Academy, the infamous old “drunk tank” in Thomaston, Alabama and the people and places that have stuck with him over the years. Chip also shares the inspiration behind Selma Skates, his vision for bringing people together and creating something special in his hometown.Along the way, we explore how his Black Belt roots have shaped his creativity and his appreciation for the stories hiding in plain sight.Support the show

Some of the people helping us write Rockwood’s next chapter have become a treasured part of our own. This week on Southern Voices, Andrea welcomes her dear friends Mark Shierling, Pama and David Stewart (the Camping Carpenters), who have helped her family restore their circa-1855 home in Alabama’s Black Belt.Their care and hard work are woven into Rockwood, and having them on the podcast makes this episode especially personal. Join us for a conversation about bringing an old home back to life and the people who make that journey so meaningful.Support the show

On this episode of Southern Voices, we’re joined by Charleston Farm, where family, faith, hard work, and a love of the land come together.We sit down with Ellister, Edmond, and Janie Charleston for a conversation about life on the farm, the story behind Charleston Farm, and the experiences that have shaped their family along the way. From the everyday realities of farm life to the traditions, laughter, challenges, and memories that make it all worthwhile, the Charlestons give us a glimpse into a way of life rooted in family and the South.It’s warm, genuine, and full of the kind of stories we created Southern Voices to share — stories about the people, places, and traditions that make the South feel like home.Join us for a visit to Charleston Farm and get to know the family behind it.Support the show

Miss Betty Anderson: A Life Woven Into HistoryIn this episode of Southern Voices, we sit down with a true Alabama treasure—Miss Betty Anderson of Camden.Miss Betty’s remarkable life reads like a journey through American history. As a child, she welcomed Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. into her family home. She later took part in the historic march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, becoming a firsthand witness to the Civil Rights Movement.Her story would eventually take her far beyond Alabama. Miss Betty spent 40 years in New York, worked as a Ford model, and was there on September 11, 2001—surviving one of the darkest days in American history.But her story ultimately brought her back home to Alabama.Today, Miss Betty operates a quilting museum in Camden, preserving the art, history, memories, and traditions stitched into generations of Southern life.From Selma to New York City and back home again, Miss Betty has witnessed history, lived history, and now works to preserve it.Join us for an unforgettable conversation with a woman whose extraordinary life reminds us exactly why these Southern voices deserve to be heard.Support the show

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Join us as we hear from Miss Kitty Lamkin, a Pine Apple native and curator of a full and beautiful life! Support the show

Southern Voices is a celebration of the people, places, and stories that give the South its soul.Hosts April, Jenny, and Andrea are friends brought together by a shared love of Wilcox County, Alabama, and Southern culture—the history, traditions, places, and people that make this part of the country so special. That love is where Southern Voices began, but the stories don’t stop there.We sit down with fascinating Southerners from Wilcox County and Alabama’s Black Belt to communities across the South—colorful characters, local legends, creators, preservationists, entrepreneurs, and everyday people with extraordinary stories—to talk about the lives they’ve lived, the places they love, and the stories they carry with them.Warm, curious, and occasionally unexpected, Southern Voices is a reminder that some of the best stories are the ones hiding right in front of Support the show