One to One with Bill Goodman:
Betty DeRamus
premiered February 24, 2008
Bill Goodman speaks with award-winning journalist Betty DeRamus, a Pulitzer Prize finalist for her columns about the 1992 Los Angeles riots, on this edition of One to One.
DeRamus discusses memorable moments from her career as a journalist, including traveling to South Africa for the Detroit News to cover Nelson Mandela’s release from prison. She also tells the inspiring story of a 12-year-old boy she wrote about who collected more than 150,000 pencils and supplies for children in an impoverished school in Gambia.
Goodman and DeRamus also talk about her first book, Forbidden Fruit: Love Stories from the Underground Railroad. Inspired by stories that were passed down orally, the book provides a different perspective on the history of slavery. While the era is defined by pain, terror, and anguish, DeRamus says, there were also stories of triumph, courage, and love. She recounts some of her favorite pieces from the book, including the story of John Little, who carries his wife, Eliza, to freedom after she becomes too weak to go on during their journey on the Underground Railroad.
