A Friendship That Made History with Eric Christianson

Tonight, we’re sharing a remarkable story that began with a radio broadcast, a letter, and a simple act of friendship.

In 1959, Roselyn Davids was listening to an NBC radio program hosted by Bob Considine when she heard David Sims, a Black father of eight living in South Bend, Indiana, say that he had never been invited into a white person’s home as a guest.

Roselyn decided to change that.

She and her husband, Marienus, invited the entire Sims family to their farm near Spring Valley, Minnesota. What followed was a friendship between two families that crossed racial lines during a turbulent period in American history and eventually gained national attention.

Tonight, I’ll be speaking with Eric Christianson, co-author of South Bend to Spring Valley: The Davids-Sims Story. The book was originally the dream of one of the Davids’ children, and Eric’s late wife, Joyce. As Joyce’s health declined, she asked Eric to help complete the project. Near the end of her life, she requested that Eric finish the book.

Tonight , we’ll talk about the Sims and Davids families, the friendship that began more than 65 years ago, and Eric’s promise to Joyce to make sure their story was told.

Real stories.
Real people.
Real impact.
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