Professional experience:

Sports Editorial Assistant/Writer at Greensboro News & Record 2004-07

On-Air Personality at WJMH (102 Jamz) 2007-2019 (Morning Show Producer 2008-2009, Host of ‘Straight Talk’ 2014-2019)

Hosted an episode of “The Deans List” on mtvU, 2007

Backstage Correspondent For the 2007 mtvU Woodie Awards

Bachelor of Arts in Communications Studies at UNCG

I was a wrestler in high school and I was a pro wrestler (WWE Style) from 2012-2016

Most memorable moment in sports history:

Super Bowl XLIX when all the Seahawks had to do was run the ball with the best running back in the sport (at the time) and save us from another Patriots Super Bowl Victory -- but they decided to throw instead and Malcolm Butler broke all of our hearts. Every. Single. Person. In. The. World. We hated it at the time, but no other sports moment was as debated in my lifetime and still brings up feelings from sports fans.

The Greensboro Coliseum has held historical pro wrestling events and some of the most memorable moments in ACC history, all on the same floor – not to mention my high school and college graduations. It’s the best.

If I wasn’t working in sports I would be:

It could be a myriad of things. Radio, Pro Wrestling, Entrepreneur, PR, music – whatever has my attention at the time.

Chris Lea

WRAL documentary producer Cristin Severance talks about what went into producing  'Coaching Carolina: The Belichick Way.' The program airs Thursday, Dec. 18, at 7:30 p.m.

IT. &gt;&gt; OUR BRAND-NEW WRAL DOCUMENTARY ON ONE YEAR OF BILL BELICHECK AND UNC PREMIERS TONIGHT, WRAL DOCUMENTARY INVESTIGATOR KRISTEN SEVERANCE GETS INTO ALL OF THE DRAMA ON AND OFF THE FIELD. SHE JOINS US NOW WITH WHAT TO EXPECT. KRISTEN, THIS IS A STORY THAT WE'VE BEEN WATCHING UNFOLD FOR OVER A YEAR NOW. EXACTLY. NOW WE'RE GOING TO PUT IT ALL TOGETHER IN THESE 30 MINUTE DOCUMENTARY. YOU KNOW, WE TOOK A LOOK AT ALL OF THE HYPE. THE HEADLINES OF THE LAST YEAR. PUT THEN INTO THE DOCK FROM HOW BILL BELICHECK WAS ULTIMATELY HIRED TO JUST THE UNBELIEVABLE BUZZ SURROUNDING THE FOOTBALL PROGRAM. HERE IS A VERY SHORT CLIP OF COACHING CAROLINA. THE BELICHECK WAY. I LOVE THIS UNIVERSITY WITH MY ENTIRE ME TO SEE A MAN LIKE AND SIT THERE ON THE DIAS AND SAY THE SAME SAME THINGS THAT MEANS THE ROAD. WE WANT TO COMPETE WITH THE MASK AND WE'VE HIRED THE BEST COACH. THEY WERE GOING FOR THE THE FLEX, IF YOU WILL. THIS GUY JUST 6 TIMES PEOPLE CAN CAN HE WANTS TO COME. &gt;&gt; IN THE LAST 8. &gt;&gt; THIS WASN'T JUST COVERED BY SPORTS. THIS WAS ON THE NIGHTLY NEWS NOW IN THE NFL LEGEND GETS GIVEN IT THE OLD COLLEGE TRY. THIS WAS BEING COVERED, YOU KNOW, FROM THE TMZ ANGLE THAT ORIOLES INTRODUCED THIS GUY TODAY, THEIR NEXT HEAD FOOTBALL COACH AND ALL OFFSEASON WAS A HYPE TRAIN THAT EVEN AT A CERTAIN POINT GOT OFF THE RAILS BECAUSE NOT ONLY DID YOU BRING BILL BELICHECK HE BROUGHT IN HIS 24 YEAR-OLD GIRLFRIEND AS WELL. BILL BELICHECK ASKING FOR HER TO BE COPIED ON E-MAILS. JORDON HUDSON SHUTTING DOWN A QUESTION HOW THE 2 MET. BUT INSTEAD THEY'RE HANDLING QUESTIONS ABOUT JORDAN WITH 2 O'S AGAIN AND WHETHER OR NOT SHE'LL BE ALLOWED INSIDE THE STADIUM IN THE FALL. ARE YOU SURPRISED THAT THE BILL BELICHECK IS IN THIS POSITION &gt;&gt; YEAH, I WATCHES EX-PLAYERS ON ALL THEIR PODCAST AND THEY'RE ALL BLOWN AWAY BY THIS PARTICULAR DISTRACTION BECAUSE THEY WERE TOLD WHEN THEY WERE PLAYERS FOR HIM THAT HE WOULDN'T STAND FOR STUFF. &gt;&gt; THE JORDAN FACT HER. KRISTEN, WHAT SURPRISED YOU THE MOST PRODUCING SO MUCH? I LEARNED SO MUCH ABOUT COLLEGE FOOTBALL, BUT I THINK HERE'S WHAT SURPRISED ME THE HIRING PROCESS. THIS STAFF AND REALLY WHY THIS SEASON WENT THE WAY IT DID. AND WE MADE THIS FOR FOOTBALL AND NON-FOOTBALL FANS. SO WHETHER, YOU KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT THE BELICHICK, UNC SITUATION OR YOU REALLY KNOW NOTHING. I PROMISE YOU'RE GOING TO FIND THIS INTERESTING. AND RENEE, EVERYONE CAN WATCH THE BELICHECK WEIGH ON ALL WRO PLATFORMS TONIGHT AT 7.30, THIS EXTENDS WAY BEYOND FOOTBALL.

Cristin Severance

Brian Murphy

Pat Welter

Dwayne Myers

Ryan Bisesi

Preview: WRAL's Bill Belichick documentary investigates legendary coach's whirlwind year in Chapel Hill

Bill Belichick at ACC Kickoff

WRAL spoke to several sources including high school football coaches, former UNC players and an NIL agent who say Bill Belichick's demeanor when it comes to recruiting and dealing with former players is starting to sour people from the program.


>> NUMBER ONE SOURCE FOR LOCAL NEWS. THIS IS WRAL. >> THE UNC FOOTBALL PROGRAM LED BY BILL BELICHECK FACING CRITICISM FOR A LACK OF MOTIVATION AND DISCIPLINE. >> SOME SAY THAT STARTING TO REFLECT POORLY ON THE UNIVERSITY AS A WHOLE. CHRIS LEA IS HERE WITH A CLOSER LOOK AT THOSE RIPPLE EFFECT EFFECTS. CHRIS, HOW ARE RECRUITS LOOKING AT UNC WITH ALL THIS? YEAH, GUYS, THERE'S A STORY THAT CAME OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL OT DOT COM JUST YESTERDAY WHERE A LOT OF THE GUYS WHO ARE FROM NORTH CAROLINA AND THIS AREA HAVE REAFFIRMED THEIR COMMITMENT TO NORTH CAROLINA. YOU CAN READ THAT RIGHT NOW. >> BUT I HAD A CHANCE TO SPEAK TO AN NIL AGENT WHO TOLD ME THAT THEY'VE TALKED TO HOT 5 STARS FROM NORTH CAROLINA AND OTHER STATES WHO SAY THE NORTH CAROLINA WAS TOWARDS THE TOP OF THEIR LIST AND NOW THEY'VE DROPPED DOWN SIGNIFICANTLY IN THE LAST FEW WEEKS BECAUSE OF WHAT THEY'VE SEEN ON THE FIELD. SO NOW THOSE PLAYERS ARE LOOKING AT THE OTHER PLACES THAT THEY HAVE OFFER SOME LIKE ALABAMA, GEORGIA, FLORIDA, THOSE TYPES OF PLACES AND THEY'RE LIKE THAT'S NOT A MESS. WE KNOW WE CAN GET TO THE NFL FROM THAT SPOT. WE MAY NOT WANT TO GO TO CAROLINA. SO THEY'RE HAVING TROUBLE WITH THOSE TYPES OF GUYS WHO AREN'T ALREADY, YOU KNOW, COMMITTED TO NORTH CAROLINA RIGHT NOW, COLLEGE FOOTBALL, OF COURSE, NOT JUST ABOUT RECRUITING PLAYERS, BUT ABOUT RETAINING THE PLAYERS THAT YOU HAVE. HOW MIGHT HAVE A UNC DROPPED THE BALL ON RETAINING GOOD PLAYERS WILL. THAT'S THE PART WE HAVEN'T REALLY TALKED ABOUT A LOT BECAUSE AND UNC HAD TO REPLACE 70 PLAYERS THIS YEAR AND THE TRANSFER PORTAL. ONE OF THE THINGS I HEARD FROM A HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL COACHES THAT MICHAEL LOMBARDI HAD A CONVERSATION WITH THE PLAYER WHO HAD A CHANCE TO STAY AT CAROLINA AND SAID, HEY, WE'RE GOING TO OFFER YOU THIS AMOUNT OF MONEY. IT WAS HALF OF WHAT THAT PLAYER WAS ALREADY MAKING. AND THE PLAYER BROUGHT THAT UP TO LOMBARDI. LOMBARDI HAD NO CLUE. SO A LOT OF FOLKS ARE UPSET THINKING THAT MICHAEL LOMBARDI HIMSELF, THE GM FOR NORTH CAROLINA, DOES NOT KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON. DOESN'T KNOW WHAT WORTH DOESN'T KNOW HOW TO COME COMPLETELY EVALUATE OTHER PLAYERS. AND THAT PLAYER, ALONG WITH MANY OTHERS, TRANSFERRED OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA BECAUSE OF HOW THEY FELT LIKE THEY WERE TREATED AS BELICHECK. A LOMBARDI CAME IN. >> SO, CHRIS, YOU TOUCHED ON, YOU KNOW, FUTURE PLAYERS, SOME OF THE CURRENT PLAYERS, BUT WORD OF FORMER PLAYERS FALL INTO THIS. ARE THEY CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE SEEING AT UNC? >> YEAH, I SPOKE TO A FEW FORMER PLAYERS WHO SAY THAT THEY DIDN'T THINK THAT THIS WILL WORK FROM THE BEGINNING BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T FEEL LIKE A PRO-STYLE COULD WORK AT NORTH CAROLINA. AT LEAST THIS QUICKLY. MAYBE IF IT WAS GIVEN TIME, MAYBE IT COULD. BUT THEN ALSO SOME ARE WORRIED THAT WHAT HAPPENS AFTER BELICHECK IS OVER. IF HE'S HERE FOR A YEAR 2 YEARS, 5 YEARS. WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THAT? WILL THE COACHES AFTER TO GET THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY BUT THEY GET THE SAME AMOUNT OF RESOURCES GIVEN TO THEM. AND WILL THEY STILL HAVE A NAME AND A RESPECT LEVEL FOR THE PROGRAM OF NORTH CAROLINA TOOK STILL GET IN RECRUITS. THOSE ARE SOME THINGS THAT ARE WORRYING. SOME FORMER PLAYERS. AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THEY'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IT AMONGST EACH OTHER AND SOME OF THEIR CIRCLES. ALL RIGHT.

Jodi Leese Glusco

UNC football reports could damage recruiting, reputation

Bill Belichick

John Andrzejek, fresh off a national title win with the Florida Gators, steps into his first head coaching role at Campbell University, aiming to transform his inaugural team.

KEEP YOU CONNECTED. >> JOHN ANDERSON WON A NATIONAL TITLE AS AN ASSISTANT COACH WITH THE FLORIDA GATORS BACK IN APRIL. 2 DAYS LATER, HE WAS IN BUIES CREEK BE ANNOUNCED AS THE NEXT HEAD COACH AT THE CAMPBELL CAMELS MEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM. IT'S HIS FIRST HEAD COACHING JOB WITH HIGH EXPECTATIONS ON HIS SHOULDERS TO COACH AND A SICK GAME EXCLUSIVE ACCESS AS HE'S FORMING HIS FIRST TEAM AS HE'S LOOKING TO MAKE CAMPBELL THE NEXT MID MAJOR POWERHOUSE. TAKE. >> AND WE GOT WE GOT CAMERAS HERE MIC'D UP. PEOPLE ARE EXCITED ABOUT THIS PROGRAM. THEY WANT TO SEE WHAT WHAT WE'RE ALL ABOUT, HOW WE'RE WORKING. DON'T CHANGE THEIR GO TEAM ON 3, 1, 2, 3, 2, IT'S A REALLY, REALLY EXCITING TIME FOR THIS PROGRAM. AND FOR THIS UNIVERSITY, I CAN FEEL THE ENERGY. EVERY TIME I GO TO A RESTAURANT OR GROCERY STORE, EVERYBODY. LET'S TALK ABOUT THE TEAM. STILL GOT TO HAVE A GOOD ONE. FELLA. JUST LET'S GO, BABY. WE'RE MOVING INTO AN AREA ERA. >> WHERE COLLEGE BASKETBALL IS VERY TRANSACTIONAL. BUT CAMPBELL'S, A PLACE THAT OFFERS A TRANSFORMATIONAL EXPERIENCE. YOU KNOW, AT THE END OF THE DAY, THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY SCHOOL IN 4 EMBRACE A PLANE WAS SCOTT'S A NOVEMBER 3RD, A PLAYOFF TO GET ON THAT PAY GOOD ABOUT THE NEW YEAR. WE'RE HONEST ABOUT WHERE WE SAID NO, WE'RE NOT AT THE TOP OF THE PILE RIGHT NOW. >> WE'RE CERTAINLY NOT AT THE BOTTOM. WE WERE IN THAT ROOM. THAT'S GOT SOME MORE TO DO. AND AND TO BE HONEST, THAT'S WHERE FLORIDA WAS LAST YEAR. I THINK WE WERE. IT MAY BE 6 IN THE SEC GOING THIS SEASON AND WE HAD TO FIGHT FOR EVERYTHING WE'VE GOT AND THE END RESULT WAS WAS PRETTY GOOD. SMOOTH IT OUT. HE KNOCKS SMOOTH IT OUT. BRUSH OVER. HERE WE GO. I KNOW WHAT IT TAKES TO BE AN NBA PLAYER EVER CREATED. >> 10 OR 12 ALONG THE COAST. A HANDFUL MORE PART OF WINNING AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL AND COLLEGE BASKETBALL HIGH OF A VERY GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF I WANT TO PLAY ON BOTH SIDES OF THE FLOOR AND AND FOR ME, IF THINGS BROKE, DON'T FIX IT. WE'RE GONNA. >> WELL, A LOT LIKE IT DID AT FLORIDA WILL PLAY 2 BIGS WILL PLAY FAST. WE'RE GOING TO PUSH THE PACE, GET UP AND DOWN THE FLOOR. WHAT'S GOING DOWN ON DOWN THERE, TOO? WE'VE GOT TO FIGURE OUT THE STUCK IN. GOT TO FIGURED OUT TO EAT THE DEFENDERS ON THE WRONG SIDE. EVERY TIME THAT ONE CAMERA FROM A LOCAL NEWS STATION. I DON'T KNOW WHY WE CAN'T CATCH AND PASS THAT WERE IN PLAY AND ON NATIONAL TV GAMES AGAINST HALL OF FAME COACHES, STUFF LIKE THAT. LIKE THE WE SHOULDN'T BE BOTHERED BY. >> CHRIS AND THE LOCAL TV STATION. OKAY. I THINK WE'VE ADDED SOME REALLY TALENTED PLAYERS ON THE TRANSFER PORTAL JUST ANNOUNCED OMINOUS PUMP FROM PEPPERDINE. HE'S GOT A LOT OF SUCCESS. THERE SHOULD BE ONE OF THE BEST PLAYERS IN THE LEAGUE. I BELIEVE. >> YEAH. THERE YOU GO. GOOD ELSE. BETTER. IT'S BETTER. HERE WE GO. A DJ SMITH WAS A STARTING POINT GUARD ON NCA TOURNAMENT TEAM AT ROBERT MORRIS. I REMIND OUR FANS A LITTLE CHRIS CLEMENTS. AND THIS WAS THE BEST PLAYER WHO GOT THOSE RETURNS. I CAM SO STILL PLAY A BIG ROLE THERE. JUST TO DO IS TO REALLY GOOD PEOPLE ARE HUMBLE, HARD-WORKING FROM TISSUE TO HEAR YOUR GREAT SHOOTER. I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN ON SELFISH, BUT IM FOR YOU. YOU'RE OPEN. SO WE'RE WE'RE GONNA DO OUR PROGRAM AND BELIEVE IN WHAT WE DO AND WHAT THE CONSEQUENCES COULD SAY. I THINK THE RESULTS ARE IN

Sydney Ross

John Andrzejek building his first program from the ground up

Fall camp is under way in Chapel Hill for UNC football. WRAL News spoke with players at the first day of fall camp and heard from head coach Bill Belichick about the battle for starting quarterback.

TONIGHT AT 7 ON WRAL. >> FALL CAMP OPENED UP TODAY FOR BILL BELICHICK AND HIS NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS OUTSIDE OF THE BELICHICK RAISES A QUARTERBACK BATTLE ON OUR HANDS. MAX JOHNSON IS RETURNING FROM HIS LEG INJURY AT THE BEGINNING OF LAST SEASON AND HE DECIDED TO STICK AROUND IN CHAPEL HILL. BUT NOW HE'S FIGHTING FOR HIS JOB. JOE LOPEZ TRANSFERRED IN FROM SOUTH ALABAMA AND GIVES UNC A DIFFERENT LOOK AS A DUAL-THREAT MILEAGE TAX SAYS THAT HE'S NOT IN A RUSH TO NAME HIS STARTER. >> ONCE WE'RE CONFIDENT THAT WE KNOW WHO WHO HAS EARNED THAT SPOT BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WILL BE. IT'S NOT US PICKING ON MIDDLE BE THAT PLAYER EARNING IT THEN WILL DECIDE ON THAT. AND IF IT'S CLEAR CUT THAN THAT PLAYER WILL BE THE PLAYER, IF IT'S NOT CLEAR CUT, MAYBE THE COMPETITION WILL CONTINUE INTO THE EARLY PART OF THE SEASON. NOT DONE THAT BEFORE >> EARLIER TODAY, WRAL'S BRIAN MURPHY AND MYSELF HAD A CHANCE TO CHAT ABOUT BELICHECK AND THE QUARTERBACK BATTLE STRAIGHT FROM THE FIELD. CHECK IT OUT >> BRIAN MURPHY HAD A CHANCE TO CHECK OUT PRACTICE WITH ME TODAY. VERY FIRST PRACTICE OF FALL CAMP FOR BILL BELICHECK. VERY INTERESTING. WALKED IN ON SOME COUNTRY MUSIC PLAYING AT FIRST KIND OF DIFFERENT FROM WHAT YOU NORMALLY HAVE BEEN SOMETHING THAT YOU ALSO DON'T SEE THAT I THOUGHT WAS VERY INTERESTING QUARTERBACKS TAKING SNAPS FROM UNDER CENTER AND ACTUALLY USING SOME KATE IS NOT CLAPS. IT'S VERY APPARENT A BILL BELICHECK IS BRINGING THE NFL TO CAROLINA. YEAH. JUST THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF A TEAM. WE SAW SOME DRILLS WHERE, YOU KNOW, WHITE OR SILVER SCREEN'S, THE OTHER RECEIVERS GETTING OUT AND BLOCKING FOR HIM. THESE ARE VERY FUNDAMENTAL THINGS AT THE BEGINNING OF FALL CAMP. THEY'RE STARTING OVER FROM FROM BAY SERO, WHICH IS TAKING A SNAP HEADING OFF TO RUNNING. THE ONE THING I THOUGHT WAS KIND OF COOL AS WELL AS THAT. YOU SEE BILL BELICHECK GOING IN BETWEEN THE DIFFERENT STATIONS AND, YOU KNOW, DOING A LITTLE COACHING, KILL UP TO THE WIDE RECEIVERS AND GIVING THEM SOME COACHING ON, EVEN THOUGH HE'S A TRADITIONALLY DEFENSIVE GUY. WHEN YOU NOTICE HIM AND HIS COACHING STYLE, IT FEELS LIKE A LITTLE BIT OF A MICROMANAGER, BUT ALMOST IN A WAY THAT'S ENDEARING. WHAT DID YOU NOTICE OUT THERE? YOU KNOW, BELL TOOK HAS SAID HE'S HAD EXPERIENCE WITH ALL THESE DIFFERENT POSITIONS IN HIS LONG NFL CAREER. HE'S COACHED OFFENSE. HE'S COACHED DEFENSE. HE'S COACHED SPECIAL TEAMS. >> SO I THINK HE HAS SOMETHING TO ADD TO EACH POSITION GROUP AS IT GOES AROUND. WE NOTICE NOTICE GOING TO BE A QUARTERBACK BATTLE. LOOKS LIKE IT'S GOING TO BE BETWEEN JOE LOPEZ WHO TRANSFERRED IN FROM SOUTH ALABAMA AND MAX JOHNSON, WHO HAD THE GRUESOME LEG INJURY LAST YEAR EARLY INTO SEASON WHEN MACK BROWN WAS THE HEAD COACH. WHAT HAVE YOU NOTICED SO FAR IN JUST A LITTLE BIT? WE SAW PRACTICE AND THEN ALSO WHAT BELICHECK IS KIND OF GIVEN US SO FAR, BUT THAT WE DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO SEE 11 ON 11 DRILLS. WE DON'T KNOW WHAT MAX JOHNSON IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE WHAT HE WAS PARTICIPATING. MORE IN THE FIRST 10 MINUTES OF PRACTICE THAT HE DID AT THE FINAL SPRING PRACTICE, A GRUESOME RIGHT LEG INJURY LAST YEAR IN THE SEASON OPENER. BUT HE'S BACK AND HE'S TAKING THE FIRST STEPS WITH THE QUARTERBACK GROUP. HIM AND LOPEZ ARE BOTH LEFT-HANDED, WHICH IS NICE. IF YOU TRY TO BUILD AN OFFENSE ABOUT THEIR QUARTERBACKS, THROW WITH THE SAME. HAD A LOT OF MONEY. OBVIOUSLY. WHAT'S JOE LOPEZ WHO TRANSFERRED IN. BUT I THINK

UNC begins fall camp with QB Battle between Johnson and Lopez

The woman also told WRAL News she wants to correct information on her grandmother that was taken nearly 90 years ago.

GOOD TIME AND >> A 92 YEAR-OLD RALEIGH WOMAN FOUND OUT HER GRANDMOTHER IS DOCUMENTED IN THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS THROUGH THE WPA SLAVE NARRATIVES AND IN UNLOCKED NEW TRUTHS AND OLD LIES WRAL'S. CHRIS LEE SHOWS US HOW GLORIOUS TEAMSTER IS CONNECTING TO HER FAMILY'S STORY IN BLACK HISTORY MONTH. >> I DIDN'T KNOW MY PARENTS. SO THIS IS INTERESTING. THIS IS 92 YEAR-OLD GLORIA THEMES. THERE. A RALEIGH NATIVE. >> AND GLORIA JUST DISCOVERED PART OF HER GRANDMOTHER'S STORY LIVES AND THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. THERE'S JUST ONE PROBLEM. WHAT WAS RECORDED ALMOST 90 YEARS AGO IS FULL OF INACCURACIES. >> BLAYLOCK WAS INTERVIEWED IN 1937, FOR THE WPA SLAVE NARRATIVES, A PROJECT THE U.S. GOVERNMENT UNDERTOOK. >> TO TRY TO DOCUMENT THE STORIES OF SURVIVING BLACK AMERICANS WHO WERE ONCE ENSLAVED IN MOBILE, ALA STORY RECOUNTS, SOME OF HER EXPERIENCE BEING ENSLAVED IN WHAT USED TO BE AUBURN, NORTH CAROLINA, CURRENT PARTS OF EAST RALEIGH. SO HERE'S THE REAL ISSUE. ACCORDING TO BIRTH CERTIFICATES, GLORIOUS GRANDMOTHER WOULD HAVE BEEN BORN IN 18. 62, MEANING SHE WOULD HAVE BEEN ONLY 3 YEARS OLD AT THE TIME OF EMANCIPATION. SO THERE'S NO WAY SHE WOULD HAVE HAD ANY MEMORY OF ENSLAVEMENT DURING THE INTERVIEW. YOU PROBABLY WANT TO ANSWER THE QUESTIONS AS ACCURATELY AS YOU CAN, BUT ALSO EVERYTHING IS ABOUT SELF-PRESERVATION. >> ALMOST LIKE FIGHTER FIGHT AT THAT POINT. AND THEN ALSO MAYBE A CREATIVE GREG LICENSE ON THE INTERVIEW IS PART AND MOBLEY LUCK IS ONE OF ABOUT 100 STORIES FROM THE WPA NARRATIVES OF PEOPLE FROM RALEIGH, LOCAL HISTORIAN ALLAN WELLS SAYS THAT HE'S ENCOUNTERED SIMILAR STORIES OF AN ACCURATE ACCOUNT FROM OTHER LOCAL FAMILIES. SOMETIMES IT WAS A COMMUNICATION ISSUE WHERE THE >> INTERVIEWER WOULD RECORD WHAT THEY HEARD. THE PERSON SAY. BUT THAT WASN'T REALLY WHAT THEY SAID. NO, SIR, NO READING AND WRITING. >> YOU HAD TO WEAR HALF. WE LET YOU MUST MISS US. CATCH YOU WITH THE BOOK. THAT WAS A THAT NO REAL AND MUST TO BE TEACH. I CAN'T READ AND WRITE, GLORIA WOULD HAVE BEEN FOR AT THE TIME THIS INTERVIEW WAS CONDUCTED. >> SHE SAYS HER GRANDMOTHER WOULD HELP HER READ THE BIBLE AS A LITTLE GIRL. >> SO THAT'S WHAT I WAS A QUESTION OF FACT. THIS ISSUE COULD MEET. ALL RIGHT. SO SHE WAS UNABLE TO READ BECAUSE HE USED TO, YOU KNOW, WHEN I WOULD READ AND I WOULD GET A BIGGER ISSUE WITH OBVIOUS 7 WITH THE REQUESTS. >> SHE ALSO POINTS OUT THE INACCURACIES IN THE LANGUAGE THAT REPRESENTS HER GRANDMOTHER IN THIS NARRATIVE. I STILL HAVEN'T HEARD. >> LANGUAGE LIKE THAT BEFORE. I HAVEN'T HEARD ANYONE TALK LIKE THIS. EXCEPT IN THE MOVIE PROPERTY. BUT WHEN I READ THAT, I JUST COULDN'T. SO SAY THAT THAT WITH MY GRANDMOTHER. SO HOW DOES THIS HAPPEN? >> WHY DOES THIS HAPPEN? THE WPA INTERVIEWS ARE USUALLY QUITE COMPLICATED AND A COMPLICATED BIT OF HISTORY FOR STUDENTS AND FOR RESEARCHERS. WE HAVE TO REMEMBER, THIS IS THE HEIGHT OF JIM CROW SEGREGATION. WHEN BLACK CITIZENS WERE NOT CONSIDERED EQUALS WITH WHITES AND THEN FOLKS WERE HIRED ON A LOCAL BASIS TO GO INTERVIEW SUBJECTS IN THE AREA, EVEN THOUGH THE DETAILS ARE FUZZY. GLORIA, AN ANGEL HAD A CHANCE TO CONNECT WITH PART OF THEIR FAMILY HISTORY. THEY KNEW NOTHING ABOUT A PIECE OF RALEIGH HISTORY DOCUMENT. >> IN THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, FAMILY REUNIONS AND WE'VE DONE OUR FAMILY TREE. >> SO THIS WILL JUST STRENGTHEN EVERYTHING MAKE IT THAT MUCH MORE SOLID AND SOUND. >> I'M SURE SHE KNEW HOW TO READ WHEN AN INTERESTING STORY. THAT'S CHRIS LEE REPORTING. OUR JULIAN GRACE WAS ABLE TO UNCOVER SOME OF HIS FAMILY HISTORY THROUGH THESE SAME WPA NARRATIVES THAT STORY AIRS NEXT FRIDAY HERE ON WRAL. LOOKING

Joseph Ochoa

92-year-old connecting to family history through 'WPA Slave Narrative'

Pledge right now to provide warm winter wear to children in the Triangle and eastern NC.

Coats for the Children: Donate today

Michelle Mackonochie - familiar to WRAL viewers after five years as part of the morning news team - will anchor the 4 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. newscasts with Dan Haggerty, and the 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscasts with Gerald Owens. 

Chris Lea

Recent Work

Watch · 2:38Preview: WRAL's Bill Belichick documentary investigates legendary coach's whirlwind year in Chapel Hill

Watch · 2:56UNC football reports could damage recruiting, reputation

Watch · 3:06John Andrzejek building his first program from the ground up

Watch · 2:52UNC begins fall camp with QB Battle between Johnson and Lopez

Watch · 3:5492-year-old connecting to family history through 'WPA Slave Narrative'