Coffee & History: A Conversation with Alabama Heritage

Ham Radio, Submarines, and Memories: Don Keith's Journey Through Air Waves and Storytelling

In this week's episode of Coffee & History, we dive into the world of ham radio, storytelling, and military history with Don Keith, an award‑winning broadcaster, best-selling author of nearly fifty books, and proud Springville, Alabama, native. Don traces how a childhood fascination with shortwave signals led to a career in radio, a passion for communication, and a writing life that spans submarines, World War II, and the powerful oral histories behind his Untold Millions project. From bouncing signals off the moon to capturing the voices of veterans before they're lost, Don shows how technology and memory intertwine in unexpected ways.

Common Threads: Quilts, Community, and Alabama History with Beth Hunter

Quilts are more than keepsakes—they're historical records stitched with memory, resilience, and community. In this episode of Coffee & History: A Conversation with Alabama Heritage, we're joined by Beth Hunter, historian, quilter, and instructor in the Department of History at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. From the Freedom Quilting Bee to christening gowns transformed into heirloom art, Beth shares how Alabama's stories are stitched—piece by piece—into quilts that preserve memory, community, and creativity. She also talks about her upcoming book Alabama Quilts and Their Stories, the legacy of Miss Fancy the elephant, and why quilting remains one of the most powerful forms of storytelling in the South.

Commitment to Community: Julie Mann Shares More About United Way

In this episode of Coffee and History, we sit down with Julie Mann, Vice President of Communications for the United Way of West Alabama, [https://uwwa.org/] to explore what the organization truly does beyond fundraising. Julie breaks down how United Way of West Alabama supports 30 local partner agencies, responds to urgent community needs, and tackles challenges ranging from food insecurity to rural transportation barriers. Although she focuses on West Alabama, Julie shares insight into United Way's mission and how it helps the entire country. She also shares how the 2‑1‑1 resource line connects residents with essential services and how United Way of West Alabama mobilizes volunteers through its annual Days of Action. Julie reflects on leading through the COVID‑19 pandemic—work that earned her recognition as a Local Hero by U.S. Representative Terri Sewell [https://sewell.house.gov/]—and discusses the power of collaboration, community resilience, and saying "yes" when people need help. From crisis response to strengthening nonprofits, this conversation offers an inside look at how United Way helps West Alabama thrive.

Telling T-Town's Story: Mark Hughes Cobb on News, Art, and Community

In this episode of Coffee and History, we sit down with longtime Tuscaloosa News writer Mark Hughes Cobb [https://www.tuscaloosanews.com/staff/5597535002/mark-hughes-cobb/], whose three‑decade career has made him one of West Alabama's most recognizable voices. Mark reflects on the evolution of local journalism—from bustling newsrooms to today's lean operations—and shares what it was like to be a part of the Tuscaloosa News' Pulitzer Prize-winning coverage of the 2011 tornado. He talks about fact‑checking rumors in real time, reporting through chaos, and the responsibility of keeping a community informed when it needs it most. Beyond the newsroom, Mark dives into his life as a musician, actor, and founder of The Rude Mechanicals, Tuscaloosa's beloved Shakespeare troupe. From rock‑band stories to Shakespeare in the Park, he reveals how creativity, community, and curiosity have shaped his work on and off the page. It's a lively, funny, and heartfelt conversation with one of Tuscaloosa's true originals.

Joyce Cauthen and the Fiddlin' Roots of Alabama

In this episode of Coffee and History, we sit down with ethnomusicologist, author, and Alabama folk‑music expert Joyce Cauthen for a rich conversation about the state's deep musical roots. Joyce shares the story behind Alabama's Primitive Hymns, the evolution of old‑time fiddling, and the cultural blend of African, Irish, Scottish, and English traditions that shaped Southern music. She also reflects on her decades of fieldwork—tracking down fiddlers on back roads, digging through courthouse archives, and documenting a musical heritage that was nearly lost. Joyce gives us a glimpse into her upcoming book, The Ballad of Fiddling Tom Freeman: Music, Moonshine, and Murder in Bug Tussle, Alabama [https://www.uapress.ua.edu/9780817362584/the-ballad-of-fiddling-tom-freeman/], including the remarkable handwritten manuscript that inspired it. With humor, insight, and a lifetime of scholarship, she brings Alabama's folk traditions to life and reminds us why preserving these stories matters.