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October 27-28, 2023
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Oral Histories

The SFA oral history program documents life stories from the American South. Collecting these stories, we honor the people whose labor defines the region. If you would like to contribute to SFA’s oral history collections, please send your ideas for oral history along with your CV or Resume and a portfolio of prior oral history work to info@southernfoodways.org.

< Back to Oral History project: Career Servers

ORAL HISTORY

Cindy Sweatt

Golden Rule BBQ

Born in 1955, Cindy Sweatt is a native of Birmingham, Alabama. She started waitressing at the Catfish King in 1974, during her senior year at Woodlawn High School.

She worked in many bars, restaurants, and clubs in Birmingham before coming to Golden Rule BBQ in 1985. In addition to waiting tables at Golden Rule in Irondale, she trained servers at other Golden Rule locations throughout Central Alabama. Throughout Sweatt’s long tenure, she has served multiple generations of Golden Rule regulars.

Date of interview:
2020-01-13

Interviewer:
Michelle Little

Photographer:
Nicole Du Bois

Download Transcript

“

"This is just what I've always done. You know? So, I don't, no, I never really gave it much thought about that. But now, I am the server, and I have been my whole life.” - Cindy Sweatt

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