Cuppa Connections Ep. 28: Sandra Hughes; A Legend Who Broke Global Boundaries within the Broadcasting Industry

This episode is with a broadcasting legend, Sandra Hughes.

Sandra Hughes was the first African American woman to host her own talk show in North Carolina, with Sandra and Friends. She was the first female broadcaster invited to participate in the European Communities' Visitors Program. She was the first African American woman in the Southeast to host PM Magazine, which was broadcasted nationally, along with many more awards and accomplishments.

As I was growing up in Greensboro, North Carolina, I knew Sandra Hughes, but I called her aunt San.

Here in North Carolina people have seen Sandra Hughes for decades on WFMY-TV, but what you didn't get to see was the funny, great story telling aunt San. This episode not only tells the story of her past, but it also gives you a glimpse of the person, not just the legend.

We hope you enjoy!

Transcript

Portia: 0:00

Hey guys. Welcome to Cuppa Connections. I'm Portia, and we're here coming to you from our virtual cafe, Better with a Cup of Coffee. We are savoring relationships with coffee lovers around the world and sharing their experiences that have been better with a cup of coffee. Hello everyone. I'm so glad you're here. I have an amazing guest and I always say I have an amazing guest. I know, but today I have Sandra Hughes. And I have to say she's my aunt and I can't deny it. Sandra Hughes has been an amazing broadcaster over the years. I think what Aunt San, maybe 38 years?

Sandra: 0:43

I was at W F M Y for 43 years.

Portia: 0:46

43 years. Well, guys, this is my aunt, Sandra Hughes. Welcome Aunt San. How are you?

Sandra: 0:53

I'm doing well, and I want the audience to know that you are one of my daughters that I can remember doing things for you with you when you were a little girl. And that was delightful for me. And you know, I have one daughter, Tiffany, and so you and Tiffany were like sisters. Yes, we were. We were. You took us everywhere when you had the time. We went on. To concerts and what's the, what? We were talking about this the other day that you took us to so many concerts back in the day. Jackson Five and, um. Oh yes.

Portia: 1:24

Oh my goodness. Those were the days well enough about me.

Sandra: 1:27

About You're like, I can't remember anything.

Portia: 1:30

Well, I'm having my coffee right now. I don't, I don't know about you. I, this is my third cup. But, this podcast is about cultural experiences about people who drink coffee, who love coffee. But we also like to share our experiences, our stories about our lives and what we have, what we're doing, what we're, uh, wanting to do. And please tell the audience, because you can do it better than I can about your broadcasting career. First being at W F M Y, what, and back in 1972. How was that?

Sandra: 2:11

Well, it was very, very different. I can tell you that. Hmm. When I graduated from A T, I graduated with a degree to teach high school English, and when I got outta school I could not find a job teaching anywhere in this area cuz I wanted to stay within 50 mile radius. Couldn't find a job. So I then just started looking for jobs. I got a job with, uh, Western Electric in Winston-Salem. I became an editor for their engineering department. After that, I came home, had my first baby, Tiffany, your friend. Your sister, uh, in 1972, and I went back to Western Electric when, you know, after my three month relief, and they said, no, we don't have that job anymore. I was like, whoa. And then I just started looking around and one day, one day I was driving down Phillips Avenue. It was about four o'clock in the evening, and I looked up and saw the TV station and I said to myself, I wonder how in the world do they hire people who does what there? They gotta have some English experience. So I drove in and I drove up and walked in the front desk and the lady says, may I help you? And I said, I'd like to apply for a job. And she said, a job. What kind of job? And I said, well, what do you have? And so she gave me this one page, file out, you know, for me to put down what I'd done and all this kind of stuff. And, and after I filled out that one page, I took it back to her and she called the news director to come out to the lobby. To receive this paper.

Portia: 3:43

Oh, wow.

Sandra: 3:43

And he came out and he looked at the paper and he looked at me and he looked at the paper, looked at me, and he says, have you ever thought about being a reporter? And I did not tell the truth. I said, yes. And so, and so that way I got hired. He says, we'll hire you and teach you how to be a journalist here at the station. And I, I just thought that was wonderful. That's how, that's how I got started, you know, just like accidentally. But I think that must have been God's plan.

Portia: 4:14

Absolutely.

Sandra: 4:15

Or else it wouldn't have happened that way.

Portia: 4:16

Yes. So 1972, we're gonna go back a little bit. You went to North Carolina Anti what? In 19? You graduated in 1969, right?

Sandra: 4:27

Yes.

Portia: 4:28

But you were there I think, what, maybe about four years after the four? The A T four?

Sandra: 4:37

Yeah.

Portia: 4:37

After the sit-in. I have to touch on this cuz I, I'm curious about how you felt back then. So these four young men, and by the way, A T University is a university here in Greensboro, North Carolina. And these young men, they just wanted to go to Woolworth's downtown. Right. And they wanted, they did a peaceful sit-in. But my thing is, is. I am so taken aback because I love coffee so much and I'm so taken aback. They could shop in Woolworths, if I'm understanding it correctly. They could go throughout the store, but they couldn't sit at the counter. It was whites only. All they wanted was a cup of coffee. And I think about that right now Aunt San, in this day and how coffee is world known. Everybody drinks coffee. You drink coffee. It doesn't matter what race, what ethnicity, and to say, Hey, you can't be served just as simple, something simple and basic as coffee. It blows my mind. So I'm curious to know what you thought when you first set foot on the campus, four years after the the four.

Sandra: 5:53

Right.

Portia: 5:54

Was there still the buzz around them?

Sandra: 5:57

That there was still a lot of hesitation, fear because, uh, when the four young men started marching from A T's campus to downtown, a lot of students would follow them. I was in high school, and I would rush outta high school and even run over and jump in the line with the A T students to go downtown. And I don't remember thinking of what's gonna happen. I did not realize that we were gonna have a lot of violence, you know, a lot of name calling, a lot of bullying.

Portia: 6:29

Mm-hmm.

Sandra: 6:29

And that kind of stuff. But, I just felt like I was doing the right thing. And I'll never forget the night that the police had warned everybody, if you come downtown to this evening night, you're gonna be arrested. And so my sister and I, you know, starts start getting ready to go downtown. And my mother says, no, no, no, no, no. You're not going downtown to get arrested and go to jail. No way. Just get in the room. And so we, she went in her room and closed the door, and my dad came and knocked on our door and he said, I don't know why you girls wanna do this, but if you do, I'll drive you down there. Come on.

Portia: 7:05

What?

Sandra: 7:05

So cool. That was so cool. And when we got down there though, everybody had been arrested. Get this, we were so disappointed that we didn't get arrested. Because we understood that that was the major thing to do to pick up what the, the school was trying to do.

Portia: 7:23

Mm-hmm.

Sandra: 7:24

Uh, after that, they put all of the students in the arrested. It was so many of'em, I can't even remember now how many, but they had'em in buildings in Greensboro, not necessarily in the jailhouse, but in buildings. And, my sister and I would join the other groups that would sit outside on the lawn of these places and just sing songs so that the, the kids who were arrested inside could hear and hopefully, you know, not be so afraid that nobody was with. It was really tough. I'll tell you Portia, I just, I don't know how to explain it because I grew up in Catholic schools from first to 12th grade. And so, I was not really into what public school kids were doing. In, in fact, I was pretty much left out of what they were doing because, you know, I was, you, you must be a weird person if you are, um, if you go into a Catholic school. I'm real glad that I had the opportunity. And, I think if I had to do it, I would do it again without a question.

Portia: 8:22

Wow. Well, you know what, the one thing that came to mind when you said, uh, when you went down there, you and Aunt Faye, uh, went down there and everybody was arrested and I was thinking, well, mama knows best.

Sandra: 8:38

Well, that's what she was thinking too.

Portia: 8:39

Yeah. Yeah. She was like, see, I told you. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. So, fast forward. Through those tumultuous times because the sit-in was one of the first sit-ins in our country, correct?

Sandra: 8:52

Yes, yes.

Portia: 8:53

And then, it catapulted, I guess it was a catalyst for other sit-ins throughout the country.

Sandra: 9:00

Yes.

Portia: 9:01

Fast forwarding to you, and you, all of a sudden he are at W F M Y tv. You are a, you are a journalist, so you're a reporter now, and you're having to cover, recover these type of events. And then all of a sudden, what, in 1974, you get your own talk show, right? And, and you go through your own challenges of diversity, of, of, of racism a bit and, and just people not wanting a change. Tell me about how you felt, because I've, I've read the stories, but I, you know, you're my aunt, and to hear you go through some, some of those struggles, like when when they called and they said the, there was a bomb in the building and everybody left.

Sandra: 9:48

Yes.

Portia: 9:48

But you, and you, what were you going through?

Sandra: 9:52

Well, when I started doing that job in 1972, the first part of my job was I was trying so hard to figure out what I'm supposed to be doing. And, and trying to get people to help me do it. And every day was a real hassle because I didn't write in the way journalists were writing, and I was also facing a lot of racism.

Portia: 10:12

Mm-hmm.

Sandra: 10:12

A lot of white people didn't want me there. Why in the world is she sitting on that desk in the evening? And then the other thing is, I had a lot of African American people who says, you know, if you are, if you are there and you're sitting on the desk, why don't you include all of us? Make, in other words, make it an income for all African American people? And I said, well, you know, I'm, I'm here because I'm supposed to be working with everybody no matter, right, who you are, what you are, and that kind of stuff. So I was getting it bang, bang, bang from one place to the other. When I started doing a talk show called Sandra and Friends,

Portia: 10:45

Yes.

Sandra: 10:45

In 1974, I just loved that. But, you know, my, some of my guests loved it. People who were watching it didn't necessarily love it. You know, here again, you know, I had the African American people saying, it should be, your show should be all black people.

Portia: 11:00

Mm-hmm.

Sandra: 11:01

And the other community was saying, well, you're doing the right time thing about mixing us all up. And about once every two weeks, the show started at one o'clock, at about three to five minutes after one, a phone call would come in saying there's a bomb in the studio, and it's gonna blow up the whole station. So of course we had to get all of the guests out of the studio, everybody who worked in the studio out. But I just refused to go and, and I don't know where I got that strength or that energy. But I said, no, I'm gonna sit here and they're not gonna scare me off. And I had a director who stayed in the control room and he says, well, I'll stay here with you. And I would sit there, Portia and I would say, well, you know, I was thinking last night I really wanna do just yak yak yak, talk for 30 minutes. I'm sure people got sick. I think the, the bomb scare got sick of hearing that too. So they stopped calling. Then I would get called saying that Tiffany, had been injured at school and was taken to the hospital, and I need to get there right away. And I, you know, I was scared to death, but one of the producers would take off and find that she's still right there in the nursery school. I mean.

Portia: 12:15

Oh my God.

Sandra: 12:17

It was just a lot of different efforts to get me off the air. And I thank God now that he gave me enough strength to just hang in there. Just, you know, I was scared. A lot of things scared me to death. But I'm glad now that I, I was able to just stick it out.

Portia: 12:34

In this day and age, we, we have our own challenges, but I can only imagine being in that situation. One thing I was curious about, why did they give you this opportunity, to have your own show? You were, I'm sure you were excellent what you did, but they, I'm sure they understood that this is gonna be challenging for you. Who did it and why did they come to you? Like what were the, what was the conversation at the beginning of them offering you that?

Sandra: 13:05

Well, I started out as a reporter.

Portia: 13:08

Okay.

Sandra: 13:08

And, went through that. And then after about two years, I'm trying to remember, I went in to see the general manager for some reason or another. I don't know. But we start talking and I kept saying to him, well, why don't you let me just do a show? Why don't you let me introduce all of these people that we are talking about and that we're proud of in the community and that are doing things?

Portia: 13:26

Mm-hmm.

Sandra: 13:26

And he said, well, then he says, let's. Let's do one for a chance, or just a trial and see what happens. So I did this talk show one evening, a 30 minute show with some people who came in and, I mean, they knew we were just, you know, putting us on just to see what it looked like.

Portia: 13:44

Right.

Sandra: 13:44

And after we did that, then he said, the general manager said, Well, okay, let's, let's give it a try. He says it'll be on 30 minutes every day from one to one 30. And so I said, okay. And I was excited and scared all at the same time. Uh, and like I said before, I got a lot of positive and a lot of negative about it, but, you know, Portia, isn't that something that goes on anywhere in whatever you do? Some's gonna be positive, some's gonna be negative, and you guys just gotta be strong enough to hang on with the positive. I'll tell you that Larry, my husband, your mama's brother.

Portia: 14:18

Mm-hmm.

Sandra: 14:19

And I would come home from work in the evening and, and I would just be so, so depressed from what I'd went through that day. He would take little Tiffany who was a, a toddler then and go riding for about an hour and a half to let me just go in the house, turn the lights off, and lay down on the bed and breathe and, you know, and come, come away from all of the things that had happened that day. It was a lot. But, but I can say now, I loved it. And if I had to do it all over again, even knowing what I know now, I would say, yes, I'll do it again. Cuz I think it was worth doing.

Portia: 14:53

Yes, it was. You know, because you are a, a wonderful example, you were an inspiration even back then. And, especially when people look back now, because you were one of the first to branch out and to have your own show. I, and there were plenty of people who, or not plenty, but a few African American women who came before you, but they were in the entertainment industry. You know, they were actors or they were singers, but you came from a different background. And to have these accomplishments, it's just inspiring and amazing. I have to ask, in 1976, I was reading you that you were the first female broadcaster to, you were invited to the European Communities Visitors Program.

Sandra: 15:41

Yes.

Portia: 15:41

The very first. And then, shortly after, say like, two years after that, you were on PM magazine, that was your show. Yeah. Did that have anything to do with you getting PM magazine, starting PM magazine because you had that interaction with European culture? Mm-hmm.

Sandra: 16:00

I'm sure it did. I mean, I can't say for a fact that it was, but I know that being invited to go to the European Visitors Program, European Community Visitors Program was a oh my gosh kinda situation, because I visited six countries, and, you know, learned all about them and their government and the whole thing. It was just great. And so later on when I got back home, it's like I had developed a reputation for doing these, excuse me, outrageous things, you know, talk shows and European visits and that kind of thing. So when PM Magazine came along, it is not that I was looking for that. Mm-hmm. But I was asked by the station to become one of the hosts in that one. And so I said, well, okay, I will do it. But after that it seems like it, that's when things got died down. And I wrestled from that to being an anchor on the six and 11 o'clock newses. And I'll tell you the truth, that's when I just felt so important. Not uppity, I don't mean it like that. But I thought this is something important to do. I can't let this down. I can't not do it well because all these thousands of people are sitting at home wanting to know what happened today, what's happening tonight, what's coming up. And, I just had a real strong, strong feeling of, I've gotta do this right. I've gotta do what they expect me to do.

Portia: 17:24

Right. I just feel like with you having the experience of learning about other cultures and, and you relate and you can relate a lot more. A lot better. And then when you came into the situation of being a news anchor, I think you relayed the information with a different mindset, or it just came across as mm-hmm. You were of course, not only where well prepared, but it's just was something else that was different than just the regular news anchor.

Sandra: 17:55

I felt when I became an, the major news anchor, I just felt what I was doing was important, And that I had to make sure it was right and that it make sure that it was on the air, make sure that people understood what's going on. To me, it, it felt like an obligation more than a job. And up to this day, you know, even though I'm not there anymore, I feel that that's the situation. You know, this is something so important. You gotta do it and you gotta do it right. Mm-hmm. You gotta do it so that people understand it and appreciate it and get something from it.

Portia: 18:30

What advice could you give, say for up and coming people or young women who want to be reporters, who want to have the aspirations of being an anchor and you see what the direction is now versus when you were you were doing it, what advice could you give them to kind of help them transition into this different period.

Sandra: 18:55

I want them to think, like, I thought that this is not about entertainment. This is about telling the truth. This is about putting information out there. This is about reaching out and helping the community and things that they need to know about, or making them aware of things that they shouldn't be dealing with. I just don't think of it as a fun situation. I think of it as a very important situation. Yeah, that people need, and you gotta give them what they want.

Portia: 19:24

Right. It's, it's like it's a privilege in a sense. Is that how you felt? It was a privilege to be able to have this important

Sandra: 19:31

Oh, yeah.

Portia: 19:31

Position.

Sandra: 19:32

I mean, I felt this huge, I don't wanna call it a weight, but this huge thing on me that says, get it right. Get it out there. Let people know what they need to know, not what you feel like or what you see. Mm-hmm. But let them know the things that they need to know to run their lives.

Portia: 19:48

Speaking about entertainment and how you see, and how others are being portrayed in this, in that role that you once had. There are a lot of, how can I say? It's a lot of, at times it could be unclassy, uh, the look of women these days, uh, because they feel like it's, they're reaching a certain demographic. I don't know, but. Again, what advice could you give young women out there to the, the look of your position. You know, dressing professionally, carrying yourself a certain way versus something else?

Sandra: 20:27

Well, it's what I, my daughter Noel, that you know, is majoring to be a journalist down at Carolina. My younger granddaughter, Aaliyah is in high school, but she keeps saying, I want to do what you did mimi. But what I would say to people is this is, this is not about a show. This is not about entertaining or being funny or being sassy or anything like that, this is about giving people information to help them run their lives in the best situation they can. To me it's about making sure that anything that I tell you, or anything that's said on the air, is gonna be something that people need to know? And yes, there are times when you have little fun things like, oh, we found a little rabbit, you know, in the, in the garage and stuff. Yeah. That's fun. That's fun. But basically, I think it should be an information kind of situation.

Portia: 21:18

When you were in Europe and you were learning about the other countries, governments, and the, and the cultures and the people, How did they perceive you? Were they with open arms knowing you're this professional woman who's, have all of this accreditation. How did they perceive you?

Sandra: 21:37

Well, in each country, I was, uh, met at the airport by someone who's gonna be my leader for the next few days. Mm-hmm. And they were always very nice, very accommodating. Never false or phony. And, and, and I ran into some people, you know, on the streets and in restaurants and stuff that, you know, couldn't understand well, what are you doing here? Uh, but I can say that, that basically I really got a lot of, of high level treatment. Mm-hmm. A lot of respect for what I was doing and what, why I was there. So, you know, like I said, I, I ran into one or two people who were different, but, but most of them were very good. And, I'd love to have that chance to do that again.

Portia: 22:24

Really. Oh, I think that's wonderful. What is your funniest moment or one of your funniest moments, say that you've had on set or just when you've been reporting or something like that? What's your funniest moment? I. Because you're funny by the way, people don't realize how funny you have a sense of humor. You, you can tell a story now.

Sandra: 22:49

Lemme tell you, in today's life, you have to have a sense of humor. It's not, you cry all day, every day about something. Um, I remember once we were doing a show on, um, the Alps and so, and I can't ski. I can't see, but we were, we were on this and I had my skis on and you know, the poles and all that. The photographer was sort of sitting in front of me, he taping me, saying, and today we're at such and such and such, and da, da, uh, have fun. And then I would whip off. But I'll always have another, person who would come and grab me to keep me from going down that hill because I didn't know what I was doing. And one day he didn't get there in time. So. I went tumbling down that hill and falling over in a ditch. Ooh, it was not good. It was not good. And I, I remember then crying and being upset, but when I think about it now, it's funny, you know. I guess I missed out on that hand. Well, it's the same happened one time when, uh, we were doing something with horses. I don't remember what the story was about when I was sitting on this huge horse. He was beautiful. You know, and talking to the camera, da, da, da da da da. Okay. And we'll see you soon and then I supposed to go off with the horse, but somebody as well, stand there and stop the horse, you know? And I remember this one day I went taken off with the horse, and the person who was supposed to stop it couldn't. So the horse and I ended up hanging onto the side of the side. I remember at the time, I didn't think it was funny, but the people working with me thought it was hilarious. Absolutely.

Portia: 24:46

You just make me have a hot flash. That was so funny. I can imagine you just holding on. You're like, get me off of this thing.

Sandra: 24:54

You like on the skis where I would see. Thank you for joining us. We'll see you soon. But then I was expecting someone to be standing right there to stop me, and when they didn't, then I start screaming, I hope, and they never didn't play that part. Oh, it was rough.

Portia: 25:12

Oh my God. Uh, you have had some entertaining stories I imagine.

Sandra: 25:19

You probably heard a lot of them. Bless your heart.

Portia: 25:21

I did. And you know what was interesting guys? I have to say, when I was growing up and Tiffany and I, we would, we would sleep over each other's houses a lot of times and you know, little Larry would sometimes come over our house, and stay the night. And I never thought about Aunt Sand being this nationally famous, world famous reporter. And it was so interesting. She'd just go on off to do her job. She would go on off to do PM Magazine, and then I'm like, bye Aunt San. It was just so interesting how it was in my own world, you know, I was playing tennis or doing whatever, or Tiffany and I would be playing little Larry, Alan, we'd be playing, doing whatever. And now as I've gotten older and just expanded my horizons, just, you know, trying to learn about other cultures and, and, and so forth and professions, and now I see Aunt San as someone who has been inducted into the what, the North Carolina Broadcasters Hall of Fame and this and that. It was quite interesting. What does Tiffany think? She, she grew up, obviously, she's your child and Alan and, and then your grandchildren. What do they think of you? Just mama and grandma?

Sandra: 26:39

They call me Mimi, and they just think it's all so wonderful. I'll tell you what happened one night. Tiffany and Noel, her oldest daughter, were here and I had gone to bed, closed the door, gone to bed, and I woke up the next morning and they had filled the the walls of the hallway with all of these plaques and awards and all of this stuff. It was just, To me it was almost like, you know, like I didn't know, know it was existed, but I had, you know, peek keeping stuff in drawers and boxes and whatever, and they put it on the wall and it just, just made my heart just jump up and down.

Portia: 27:16

Oh my goodness. Oh, I can imagine so, and Noel, she is, she's loving all of, well, obviously you, you are her mentor, but she really wants to, both of your granddaughters want to follow in your footsteps. How exciting. Yes. To know that you can guide them through this.

Sandra: 27:37

I am so excited. And I'm holding my breath also cause I want them to do it, you know, and I want them to wanna do it. Cause if you, you know, if you're just in there for the fun of it, it's not gonna be fun. But, I'm praying that they will take the right attitude and, and I just can't wait to see them. The, A newsroom at W F M Y has been named after me. I don't know if you knew that. It's called the Sandra Daye Hughes Information Center. And it just means the world to me to, for my girls to somehow end up in that situation.

Portia: 28:08

Mm. Well, it has been so wonderful to talk to you about your career, but you know, I just wanted people to see a different side of the funny stories of you and that horse, and the skis in the Alps. Thank you so much. It has been an honor.

Sandra: 28:26

Oh, thank you for inviting me. You're such a sweetheart. it had been anybody else I'll say, I don't know, but with you I'd do anything. But I'll do anything you want me to do because I do love you, and I have since you were a little girl.

Portia: 28:38

Thank you. I love you too. We'll talk soon, okay?

Sandra: 28:42

Okay.

Portia: 28:43

All right. Bye-Bye. I'm Portia White, and I hope you've enjoyed today's conversation. I'd like to give a special thanks to our sponsor betterwithacupofcoffee.com. If you want to be our guest on our show, email me at cuppaconnections@gmail.com. And if you liked what you heard, please rate and review our podcast. And, join us again soon on Cuppa Connections.