On episode 3 of the Martin County School District podcast, host Kirsty Germain interviewed two Martin County natives, Godfrey Lee and Philip Harvey, about attending segregated schools, the transition to integrated schools and the local leaders who influenced Black education in the county.

The guests described early schooling at small, segregated sites — including a one-room schoolhouse in Port Salerno and Salerno Colored Schoolhouse — and later attendance at Stewart Training School, a central institution for Black students in mid‑20th century Martin County. "I started school at the 1 room schoolhouse in Salerno across the street from Murray," Lee said. "By the time we got to graduation day, we were down to 35 kids." Harvey recalled that at Stewart Training School he could see upperclassmen and athletic programs that gave students exposure and aspiration.

The podcast discussion placed Stewart Training School in historical context, naming local educators and alumni who later helped expand opportunities. Guests cited Charles E. Murray and other members of the Murray family for recruiting teachers, pursuing Rosenwald funding and building a stronger local educational program; they noted the school system’s practice of sending teachers for summer professional development to institutions in Indiana, Virginia and Michigan. The conversation also named prominent county figures who attended Stewart Training School or worked in local schools, including Dr. Jack White, Dr. David L. Anderson, Ordell Landers, Jake Miller and Lorenzo Ferguson.

Speakers described how integration changed student life and athletics. Lee said his seventh‑grade class once had more than 100 students but by his 1965 graduation the class had about 35 students because of relocations and deaths. Both guests described sport and extracurricular activities as a force for unity after integration, and credited teachers such as Mrs. Hamilton, Mr. Edwards and Mr. Howell with encouraging students. "Their thing was you have to be better than what people think you are," Harvey said of his teachers.

The guests emphasized the role of schools as community centers and the importance of "the three E’s" — education, experience and exposure — as lessons to pass to younger generations. They also noted continuing local memory and commemoration: Murray Middle School will host a 60th Diamond Jubilee celebration on March 1 to mark the institution’s history and alumni.

The podcast segment combined personal recollections about daily school life, names of educators and civic leaders, and suggestions that preserving and teaching local Black history matters for future students. Listeners interested in local history or the upcoming Murray Middle School Diamond Jubilee will find the episode a catalog of first‑hand memory and local names to guide further research.