>>Coming up on "Legacy List With Matt Paxton."

Matt is in Dorchester, Massachusetts to help a former school teacher downsize a house filled with family mementos.

>>You really don't leave a space empty do you?

>>Things get emotional.

When the team makes a remarkable discovery in the garage.

>>Is this a real signature?

>>Oh.

>>That takes everyone by surprise.

>>Are you kidding me?

>>Autographed?

Wow, my daughter told me not to cry.

>>I'm Matt Paxton.

Let's do it, man.

My team of specialists; Jaime, Mike and Avi help me help people downsize their homes and settle estates.

As the largest population of baby boomers in American history transition towards retirement, they and their families face the overwhelming task of emptying their homes to move.

We help them sift through a lifetime of possessions.

>>Bingo.

>>Heirlooms, and collectibles.

>>Oh, my gosh.

>>She's gonna love that.

>>To help them find the missing family treasures that mean the most to them.

>>Oh, my god.

>>And along the way, they'll discover that the most important museum in the world may be and their family's basement.

>>Oh!

>>Oh!

>>I've never seen that.

That is cool looking.

>>From attics to cellars, closets to cupboards, we uncover the memories they want to preserve.

This is living history.

This is what we're here to find.

Let's go.

And discover the compelling, personal and often historical stories spanning generations that are their family's legacy.

>>[Female Announcer] Support for Legacy List comes from MakeSpace.

MakeSpace picks up, stores and return your items on demand.

Available for home or business.

MakeSpace provides professional movers, plus bins, blankets and a digital photo inventory.

You can find us at makespace.com.

And by ensure long-term care where we believe aging at home near friends and family is ever more possible for more people.

Learn more at insureltc.com.

AARP Virginia offering family caregiving support with prepare to care and down sizing and decluttering on line workshops designed to help organize and assess family needs Find the complete online workshop schedule At AARP.org/virtual VA The Ruth Camp Campbell Foundation (upbeat music) >>Today, I'm outside of Boston in a little town called Dorchester, I'm visiting a a lady named Crystal Haynes and her family has been a part of this community for decades.

And now she's an empty-nester and needs my help downsizing.

(lively music) >>I am so excited to meet you.

>>Hello, hello.

>>Welcome, welcome, welcome.

>>Beautiful house.

Good to see you.

>>Come, come see what we're all- >>Ladies first.

>>Ah, thank you.

>>The neighborhood's amazing.

>>I love it.

I love it.

>>Huge houses.

How long have you been in the neighborhood?

>>Since '89.

>>Since '89.

>>31 years.

>>How old is the house?

>>Since 1920.

>>So I'm looking around and I do see a lot.

You're very good at filling the spaces.

I'm not used to having trophies above me, they're normally on the side.

>>Well, I collect a lot.

(chuckles) I need your help.

>>Why do you collect it?

>>Because it brings some joy.

>>Okay, so we've got a lot of joy in the house.

>>Oh, definitely.

>>All right.

>>You'll see that.

>>I can see it already.

These paintings are absolutely stunning.

>>Thanks.

>>Lots of cool stuff.

What do you wanna do?

Like what's the goal here?

>>You will see there are papers, books, awards, photo albums, everywhere.

Part of what's under these end tables are things that I had to bring from my parents' house.

Both of my parents have passed on.

>>Okay, so you inherited a lot of this?

>>Oh, my goodness, yes.

>>So you're kind of the keeper of all the family history.

>>Yes.

>>I've done a few of these houses.

I know, I mean this isn't horrible.

But it is taking away from the point which is to enjoy what you have.

>>And I just feel like I can relax more if it's less cluttered.

>>Okay.

>>I'm looking for peace.

>>Okay, I like that.

>>All right, so we have joy.

We need peace.

>>There you go.

>>Crystal is in a classic process of downsizing.

She wants to think about downsizing, but she doesn't know how to get started.

(energetic music) This is the dining room.

>>This is.

This is my favorite room in the house.

>>Is this where the family congregates?

>>Well, yes, because we host a lot of the family dinners.

So, this is it.

>>I know a little bit about your family.

Starting to see pictures around.

>>Can I?

This is my favorite.

Dad went to school for journalism.

So he was a journalist.

Fell in love with photography and he chronicled Boston as it changed.

Loved jazz.

He lectured about jazz, particularly, here in Boston.

Started a fundraiser that is still going strong 50 years later.

And he was a city planner.

So his fingerprint is throughout the city.

And my Uncle Roy who moved to New York, always gives Boston his props.

And then one of their little cousins, Ronnie DeVoe's in New Edition.

>>What wait a minute, Ronnie DeVoe is in your family?

>>So funny, Big Ron.

>>So Ronnie, Bobby.

>>Ricky and Mike.

>>Oh, my god.

>>But see, that's how Boston is.

We're really one degree of separation.

We're not six.

>>Crystal's family was very famous in this town.

They were ministers.

They were activists.

They were community leaders.

They were musicians.

I mean, they did it all.

All right, let's keep going.

I wanna see what I got.

>>Okay.

>>Wow.

>>And the kitchen.

>>All right, I'm looking at one big thing in the middle.

>>Yes, I've sort of captured our life on here.

>>You really don't leave a space empty, do you?

>>I really don't.

It's that teacher in me.

But in every room you should see something that represents God, something that represents family and then sisterhood and service.

>>You just got so much joy and positive that you're celebrating, there's no room for anything else.

>>I'm hoping that you show me how to live without and I don't bring in more.

>>And live with less, okay.

>>Live with less.

>>I got a challenge, but I like it.

The basement.

>>Yes, where I really need lots of help.

>>Okay, yes.

>>Yeah?

>>Yes, we do.

Really, it looks like most of this basement is only used once or twice a year.

There's this thing called FOMO.

Fear of missing out and everything in this basement you've got just in case.

You're the lady that does all the hosting.

You do all of it.

Wait right there.

All right.

I just found my great aunt's curling iron.

>>That's a bonding tradition.

It gave me a chance to bond with my mom.

I remember my mom doing it with me every Saturday night, so that Sunday morning for church, my hair was pretty.

You'd have to put these on a gas stove and once it got hot enough, put it in, curl it up, so that your hair takes the curl.

>>Would y'all listen to the radio when you're doing it?

What would you do, listen to music?

>>I think we would talk.

>>Talk.

>>How was your week?

What's going on?

>>It's a little more than just curling hair, obviously.

This is the kind of thing you keep.

>>'Cause I've done that.

(she laughs) >>Yeah, but it's down in the basement and we can't see it.

Let's do 10 pictures of your dad and leave space for something like that.

>>Okay.

>>Let's go check out the attic.

>>Okay.

I'm bringing you into forbidden territory for which I am very embarrassed.

>>Okay.

>>I love what's here, but I don't use it anymore.

>>Well, yeah, this is all kids books, right?

>>Yes, but this is really where I am most embarrassed and in need of help.

>>What is this room?

>>It's become the junk room.

>>Okay.

Everybody's got one.

>>It's the source of my embarrassment.

You know, it used to be the overflow when the house got full for holidays or family came.

>>You got a lot of good memories here.

>>Yes, yes.

>>So let's make some space for the new memories that are coming.

Let's go see the garage.

>>All right, let's go.

>>Great backyard, by the way.

>>Ah, thank you.

>>All right, the garage.

It's not that bad.

This is the, eh, I'll worry about it later.

>>It's the collection of everything.

>>So what would the goal be?

>>If I can park one car over here I would feel good.

If I could really access what's here; the bins, the boxes, the file cabinet.

>>What I'd love to do in this space is I'd love to reorganize it, all right?

Give us enough space where the car can come in here.

There will be some keep items over here, but then we'll also have in the middle a big bunch of stuff that's gonna get sold at the yard sale.

>>Thank you.

>>All right, I've seen everything.

>>Yes, you have.

>>I kinda feel like I know what I gotta do.

Let's go and work on the legacy list.

>>Okay.

(gentle music) >>Here we are.

>>Here we are.

>>Relaxing in the backyard.

>>Yes.

>>We're gonna go over the legacy list.

>>Yes.

>>I know we got a lot of cleaning to do this week.

We're just helping you downsize?

>>Yes.

>>Which is actually the hardest part.

All right, so what is your first item?

>>My first one comes from my childhood, which my dad's boss gave me a cast iron stove.

But as a toy, it was an unusual gift and when I think of it, I just remember those good childhood days.

Next, if you could help me bring a piece of my mom into the house.

One of the things that I remember in her pantry always little square tiles with paintings on them.

I don't know where she got them, why she kept them, but I know they were there and I would like her to be in the kitchen with me, her spirit.

>>Your dad and your uncles were such a huge part of your life.

I feel like your mom gets overshadowed.

>>That's how I feel.

But if you met her, she was such a beautiful spirit.

Yeah, so I would love to have more of her around.

>>All right, let's keep it.

>>My dad had so many talents and so much love for life.

One of the things that really stands out is music.

Dad had a zillion records.

If you could go through the collection, I haven't let it go because this was dad's.

This was important to him.

If you could help me find what's important in there.

>>Okay.

>>Really, just kinda help you catalog the records and kinda get a list of what's good and then maybe just somehow summarize it for you.

>>He also had a love for his brothers, so he was probably my Uncle Roy's number one fan.

And what I found after my parents passed is that my dad had a lot of mementos from the shows that he went to.

>>You're right, your dad did a lot of stuff.

>>He did.

>>Your uncle, man, he was legit.

You have a lot of really good successful musicians in your family.

Your uncle played with Charlie Parker.

Played with Miss Vaughn.

I mean real musicians.

>>I mentioned my dad's love for family, particularly, for his brothers.

So I know that in his collection of things, his journalistic training had him clipping everything about his brothers.

One of the most famous pictures of my Uncle Mike with Dr. King.

But my uncle was also a state representative during the '60s and he brought Dr. King to speak to the Mass legislature.

And that one's used a lot in our celebrations of MLK day.

And so I'm sure my dad had one of those in his collection.

He would've kept as much about his brothers, because he had a lot of pride in his brothers.

He was very proud of what they'd done.

>>The uncles did so much.

It's really amazing to just narrow it down to two or three items.

Her legacy list was just really cool, personal stuff.

More about the stories and that is what I love about my job is hearing these stories and Crystal's family has a ton of them.

I normally focus more on finding the items.

I actually really wanna get this work done for you as well.

>>Thank you.

>>I mean, that's the easier part is doing the actual cleanup, for me.

But I've got a big crew.

I'm gonna bring them in.

I wanna give you that joy of you giving you some space.

>>Thank you so, so much.

(upbeat music) >>What's up guys?

>>What's up Matt?

>>How are ya?

>>Glad to be here.

>>So awesome neighborhood.

It's really beautiful.

Crystal Haynes lives here.

Both her kids are in college.

Famous family in this town.

Her nephew was in Bell Biv DeVoe.

>>Whoa.

>>Yeah, Ronnie.

>>Ronnie?

>>Ronnie, Biggie and Mike, yep.

Her uncle was a very famous jazz musician, Roy Haynes.

You might know him, the drummer.

>>Oh, yeah.

Oh, yeah.

>>That was her uncle.

>>That's crazy.

>>Yeah and there's a massive record collection I need you to go through.

>>Oh, yeah.

>>I mean, this family, not only did they collect jazz, they were actually part of it.

So you're gonna have your hands full going through that and there's records everywhere.

There's a extra picture of her uncle with Martin Luther King.

She comes from a family of four, just really like seriously awesome men and the house shows that.

I mean there's pictures everywhere.

I mean every inch of this house is covered in pictures and awards and she's kind of weighed down by it.

>>So it sounds like we need to like teach her some tools that she can use after we leave.

>>Yes, I already told her that you're gonna help her with that.

>>Okay, absolutely.

>>You guys ready to get started?

>>Yeah.

>>All right, you guys will go to the attic.

>>Okay.

>>Mike, you and I are gonna go to the basement.

>>Let's go.

>>All right, cool.

We'll see you guys in a little bit.

>>All right, good luck.

>>See you guys.

[Matt] All right, watch your head down here.

Lots.

>>Oh, yeah.

>>And lots of little low places.

>>I was hoping this basement was pretty empty, but there was a lot down there.

>>So this is why we're here, man.

>>Oh, yes.

>>The records are on her legacy list.

>>Okay.

>>She actually doesn't know what to do with them.

>>Oh.

>>So the request is find them and go through them and tell me what to do.

So this is kind of tailor made for you, all right.

>>Oh, man.

>>You get to tell her what to keep.

There's a lot of generations of music here.

So my hunch is separate the jazz and hip-hop for the family.

And then, you know, the good ones and then you decide what you wanna do with everything else.

>>Okay.

>>But she really just wants our knowledge, which is actually your knowledge.

So I know they're vinyl.

That's about all I got.

>>Awesome.

>>There's another room on the other side of the basement I'm gonna go check out.

If you need me, call me.

>>No-no, I'm good.

>>Okay, I thought so.

>>Thanks.

>>All right, thank you, dude.

>>Jamie?

>>Ah, Avi.

>>What's up?

>>Welcome to yet another attic.

>>Another day, another attic.

>>Come on in.

All right, Avi, here we are.

>>Yeah, we've got a lot of work to do before we clean this room out.

>>Absolutely.

>>Got some things to find here.

>>Cute.

Tell me that you had this please.

>>Oh, Janet Jackson?

>>In the cassette form.

>>A must.

>>Yeah, Miss- >>Miss Jackson.

>>I thought it was "Miss Janet if You're Nasty"?

>>No, "Miss Jackson if You're Nasty".

>>Oh sorry, you know.

>>In Crystal's basement there were thousands of records.

There were records that Crystal probably bought and then there was records that her dad probably reviewed.

Crystal wanted to know more about the albums and I was really excited to be that guy to help her.

>>Look at this.

>>Ooh.

>>That's snazzy.

That would look good on you.

>>What is that, velvet?

>>Yeah.

It's like a velvet jumpsuit.

>>Okay, okay, I see you Miss Crystal.

(Jamie chuckles) >>Hey Jamie.

>>what's up?

>>Come here.

Check this out.

(Jamie gasps) >>So this is her Uncle Michael, right?

>>Uncle Mike, yeah.

>>And he was the minister.

>>Yep.

>>Wow.

>>Dr.

Martin Luther King.

This is the kind of paper that families wanna keep.

>>Absolutely, especially when it's on a legacy list.

>>Especially, when it's on a legacy list.

>>When Dr. Luther King visits Boston in the 1960s, he's inspired by the city's revolutionary history.

He points out the Boston Tea Party was nothing but a massive act of civil disobedience.

Black activism wasn't limited to the South.

Boston has its own rich history of fighting for racial justice.

During the 1960s and '70s, Black Bostonians protest school segregation.

Discrimination in Boston schools isn't an accident.

Deliberate government policies related to zoning and funding, disproportionately penalize Black kids.

In Roxbury, activists organize freedom schools with lessons on Black history and civil responsibility.

Black students stage walkouts and sit-ins.

Parents rally for smaller class sizes and sufficient school supplies.

Activists later take their fight to the courts and they win.

In 1974, a federal judge finds the Boston School Committee guilty of unconstitutional segregation.

The court orders busing transporting Black students from neighborhoods like Roxbury to predominantly White areas in an effort to integrate schools, but desegregation sparks violent backlash.

It's one of the most troubling chapters in the city's long history.

In 2020, even as Boston has become more diverse it's public schools remain mostly segregated.

Still community activists continue to fight for Black children to receive equal resources and quality education.

>>Check this out.

Here's the other thing I found which I thought was interesting.

Here's an article- >>What's this?

>>By Vin Haynes.

>>Oh, her dad.

>>How cool is that?

>>That's very cool.

>>Keep talking about this family lineage, I mean its music, its literature.

>>Yeah, journalism.

>>Journalism, social justice.

I mean they're trailblazing in Boston.

I mean it's amazing.

>>This is really cool that you found both of those things in the same book.

>>Two for one.

>>Yeah.

>>Nice.

>>Way to go.

(upbeat music) >>All right.

Slides.

What we got here?

This is all tools.

Oh my gosh, here it is.

The stove.

This is what she wanted.

We immediately found one of the legacy list items.

It's an old cast iron toy.

When I was playing with it, I opened it up and I found a bunch of cash in it.

And it was supposed to be a toy, but it turns out it was a piggy bank for Crystal.

Look at that, holy cow.

It was a little piggy bank.

What a cool, cool find.

I can see why she liked it.

What an intricate little toy.

I love it.

>>Even got a library book.

>>When was it checked out?

>>Let's see, the most recent date is June 11, 1996.

>>I think it's overdue.

>>Yeah, just a little.

>>Hey, Avi.

>>Hey.

>>Check these out.

>>What you got?

Ooh.

>>So these look like the painted tiles that her mom held onto for years and that Crystal's been looking for.

A lot of times, the items on people's legacy lists are really valuable in sentimental ways and the tiles are exactly that.

And Crystal doesn't have a lot of tangible things to remind her of her mom.

So finding these tiles was super important.

This one might be printed, but this one looks like it's hand-painted.

And you know, I don't think that it's really like what's on the tiles.

I think it's that her mom really liked them.

>>Got it.

>>And she doesn't know that much about her mom.

So I think these tiles are a way for her to feel somewhat connected to her.

All right, so let me take these and put them back in this box.

This is a legacy list item.

>>That's huge.

>>And clearly we have a lot of work left to do so.

>>Persistence, persistence.

>>Let's get to it.

>>All right.

>>Finding records in a house is very common, but these records were really special.

I'm sifting through them and I'm recognizing the fact that her uncle played on a huge amount of these records.

It was mind blowing, really.

Oh, wow.

A good concert leaves a memory that'll last forever.

But being able to look back and have a memento of that night is something pretty special.

I knew why this was on the legacy list.

>>Crystal's office was overwhelming.

>>Facing my fears.

>>Crystal was a teacher for years.

And as a teacher, you tend to hold on to papers.

Years and years of that habit can create an overwhelming space that's just full of paper and that's exactly what Crystal's dealing with.

Tell me a little bit about what's going on up here.

>>So these are papers that my plan was to sit down sort them out and put them in the file.

What do you do with certificates?

>>You could scan it and save it like in an iCloud or some type of online storage place.

If it's something that you really wanted to have access to it quickly.

>>A lot of what I kept up here were the things that I've since learned I don't need.

>>Right.

>>You know files-- here's my medical information.

Is there a date as to how long I should keep medical records and then discard them?

>>Everything else, aside from taxes, you wanna hold on to for maybe two to three years.

>>That's it.

>>Crystal is very motivated to learn the tools of how to declutter.

And I think with our help, she will put those tools into practice and it will help her not only downsize on her own, but give her a peace of mind.

So here's my plan.

If you trust me, I'm gonna spend some time up here and I'm gonna sort through the paperwork and I'm gonna set aside anything that I think is personal, family history, financial, anything that you might need for taxes, things like that.

Show that to you before we send it off to the shredder.

But the rest of the stuff I'm gonna put in a big box and I'm gonna haul it away to the shredder.

>>Mike, you got there, dude?

I got something cool.

>>Hey, Matt.

>>Check out this old radio, dude.

Yeah, this thing is really cool, man.

It's a Philco, I don't know anything about it.

>>The Philco radio is actually from the Philips.

>>Is it really?

>>Yeah.

>>Very cool, well, let's get this upstairs.

'Cause I'd love to see if it could sell in the yard sale.

>>Okay.

>>All right.

I'll push it towards you.

Luckily it's not too heavy.

>>We're both really strong.

>>Obviously.

And this was a radio that was a centerpiece.

It was what the family sat around.

And I just love it when I find a beautiful, old radio.

>>For over a hundred years, radio has been providing music and entertainment to the masses.

It all begins in 1865, when Scottish scientist, James Clerk Maxwell, comes up with a radical theory.

Sound can travel through the air with the help of electromagnetic waves.

A few years later German physicist, Heinrich Hertz, proves you can transmit electric waves, wirelessly.

The idea shakes up the scientific world and inspires others around the globe.

One of them is a young Italian inventor by the name of Marconi who conducts his own experiments with sound waves.

In 1901, he broadcasts the first transatlantic radio signal.

His company develops a device that allows ships at sea to communicate with shore.

A few years later, the new technology helps save the lives of over 700 passengers who survived the sinking of the Titanic.

By 1922, there are over 500 radio stations in the United States.

Some are nothing more than small studios with a microphone and a piano player that plays during dead air.

But the popularity of radio continues to grow.

During the '30s and '40s radio is the number one source of household entertainment.

By the 1950s, radio begins to take a back seat to television, but it's still popular with the younger generation who tune in to hear something called rock and roll.

Today, despite the challenges from music streaming services and personal devices, American radio is still going strong with over 15,000 AM and FM stations.

>>When I found out I was cleaning Crystal's house, I did some research on her family.

And one of the articles that I got was written by Yawu Miller, who is a local historian and writer.

And I was lucky enough to connect with him so that he could tell me more about the history of Crystal's family.

I read your article and you seemed like you had the voice of this family.

So I really wanted to ask you some more questions.

>>Okay.

>>What was Roxbury like during the '60s?

>>It was changing.

The part of the neighborhood where the Haynes brothers lived had been majority Black since the early 20th century.

>>Okay.

>>Michael Haynes became a state legislator.

He was one of, I think, two Black legislators at that time out of 200 in the Massachusetts legislature.

As Roxbury grew in its population, suddenly you had half a dozen Black legislators.

>>Vincent was?

>>He was a community organizer.

And what Vinnie was part of and what he helped organize was an effort to keep that Madison Park neighborhood where he grew up available to low income and working-class people.

There's a building in the Madison Park community that bears his name.

>>It's still- >>The Haynes House, yeah.

>>And then Roy, of course, was a musician.

>>Yeah.

>>Or still is for that matter.

>>His musical legacy is just tremendous and ongoing.

He was nurtured by this community, but he took that energy out to the world.

He's left a legacy that's kind of more national, more international.

The jazz scene and the Black community was in the south end neighborhood of Boston, as much as it was in Roxbury.

Roy was certainly part of it.

And Vinny was sort of enmeshed in it as a reporter and as a photographer.

You know he wrote for a Black newspaper sort of mid-century and then he was a community organizer.

He's documented jazz history in Boston, but also a slice of the national jazz scene.

>>I'm really lucky, I'm getting to dig through her house.

So we're finding incredible history.

>>Yeah, you couldn't be in Roxbury and not know who Michael Haynes was.

>>So they had that much of a presence?

>>Absolutely.

>>Like you just knew who the brothers were.

>>Absolutely.

When Dr. King came here to organize a march, Mike was instrumental in putting it together.

>>Apparently, they worked together at a church many, many years ago.

>>Yeah.

>>I mean talk about being ingrained in history.

When I was learning about her dad and all of her uncles, I mean they really are history makers and I can see why Crystal takes her job as kind of the family historian, because there's so much to tell.

[Matt] What do you think the Haynes brothers legacy is?

>>I think there's a legacy of involvement and care for and love for the Roxbury community and also for the Black community in Boston.

Like they're a essential part of it.

They're woven into it.

They became one of the major influential families in Roxbury.

(upbeat music) >>So Jamie.

>>Um-hmm.

>>I feel like there's not just one but many elephants in the room.

>>There are multiple elephants in here, but also throughout the house.

I don't know if you've noticed.

And there's also a common theme amongst all of the elephants.

You know what that is?

>>Oh, the trunks.

>>Yeah, they're all pointing up.

Some people believe that that symbolizes good luck.

It's not that Crystal just loved elephants, They were a symbol of her sorority.

>>I wonder if she's gonna downsize part of this collection.

>>So I would recommend for her to start by picking out her favorite 20 or 30 elephants, getting them all in the same space.

And if she wants to downsize even further, you know whittle away at that number until she maybe has her top 10 or something like that.

They're cute.

I love elephants.

She collects not only elephants, she has all these hearts right here.

She also collects quotes.

I don't know if you've noticed.

>>Oh, yes.

>>Some of them are inspirational.

Some of them are just plain true.

If you could just get this through your head.

>>Jamie, whatever you say is the gospel.

>>She surrounds herself with messages that make her feel good and I admire that.

>>We really needed to start clearing stuff out of the house.

So Mike and I made a dent in the attic and then it was time to take on our biggest challenge, the garage.

I knew this was my opportunity.

If I can clean out this garage for her and set her up to get her car in there again and, actually, have access to things in this garage, I think that will be the space to jumpstart her and get her going on her downsizing journey.

Jamie, I know you're gonna be excited.

All four of us are gonna work together in the garage.

>>Even you?

>>Even me for a little bit, and then I'll find something better to do.

But we really do need to get this entire garage cleaned out today.

>>In one day?

>>Today, in one day.

I know it's a lot.

This really is the heartbeat of the whole house.

Once this gets cleared out, we can start bringing things from upstairs and from the basement and we'll really be able to move the rest of the house faster.

You guys ready to go?

>>I'm ready.

>>Yep, let's do it.

>>Let's do it.

>>The plan in the garage was to get it all sorted into our keep, our donate, our discard and our yard sale piles.

(energetic music) >>You want some muscle?

I got you.

>>These are good little yard sale items.

Crystal was preparing for a neighborhood-wide yard sale and she was willing to donate some of those things from her garage to that yard sale.

So our job was to get in there, pull everything out, examine the condition and put it in the appropriate pile.

I think we should get Matt out here to test this out.

>>Hey, Matt.

>>Yo!

>>Come on out here.

>>You have my expertise knowledge >>Yeah.

>>Yeah I mean, we can't sell it if we don't know if it's safe.

>>This is an exercise trampoline.

>>Okay.

>>It's pretty awesome.

You should give it a try.

>>I'm good.

>>Makes you feel better.

Burns calories.

>>Gets the Matt Paxton seal of approval.

>>Matt Paxton, seal of approval.

Do what you guys want.

>>All right.

>>All right, maybe pile.

>>Maybe pile.

>>Oh, don't look in there.

Don't look in there.

>>Matt?

What?

>>Don't look in there.

>>What are you doing?

>>We are cleaning your garage.

What do you think?

>>Okay, so the garage is clean and the yard is like my attic.

>>Yard, the yard looks like your- >>Don't make fun of my Boston accent.

>>Looks like your attic.

>>What do you think?

>>My goodness.

You know what I realize, I've procrastinated because this would this overwhelming.

>>Think about this, all this just came out here- >>I know it.

>>You keep looking at the bookshelves.

>>No, no, those were for videos and all.

>>Yeah, VHS shelves.

>>Yeah, nobody's gonna want them I guess?

See I think that's my problem, I want to find a second use for things.

>>You believe in the good in everything.

So I'm gonna just kind of leave everything where it's at.

Gonna keep cleaning out.

I'm gonna move the things you asked me to move.

And I want you to relax and think about this for a little bit and then we'll make final decisions.

>>I'm good.

>>Is that cool?

>>Thank you.

>>All right, good job.

Thanks for trusting us to try.

>>Thank you for all your work.

>>Look at this.

>>Ooh, that's a reel-to-reel.

>>It's the East-West All-Star game from 1964.

>>What?

>>Whoa.

>>Yep.

>>Man.

>>Isn't that crazy.

>>Yeah, that's crazy.

It was in here?

>>Yeah, it was in that case.

Is this a real signature?

>>Hold on.

Hey, Mike!

>>Yo!

>>Come here.

>>Come here, man.

>>What'd you find?

>>Well, I found it.

>>Are you kidding me?

>>Is that legit?

>>Is it?

>>Do you mind if I.

>>No, no please.

>>Take a look?

>>Be careful with it.

>>Ah, it's close, man.

Like, it's hard to, like normally when you look at an autograph, you can tell the difference in the ink versus what it's printed on.

>>Yeah.

>>But this is tough.

>>When Jaime finds a Jackie Robinson photo that was signed, I was a little skeptical.

>>Jackie Robinson was like a pioneer in baseball.

>>Yeah.

>>You'd be hard pressed to go into somebody's garage and find a better sports collectable than this.

>>We should get that checked out, man.

>>Yes.

>>What it's worth.

>>Absolutely.

(upbeat music) >>Finding this autographed picture was amazing, but we knew we needed to find out more about it.

So we wanted to take it to an expert who could tell us more.

We have a scrapbook here that we found while we were going through a house that we're working out locally and inside.

>>Ooh, Jackie Robinson.

>>So we saw the signature, which really popped out to us and we thought could it be?

>>Well at first glance it looks good.

I mean, they used green ink in the past.

I have another one that I know is good.

I can compare it to if you'd like to look at it.

>>Yes, please.

>>We'd love to, yes.

>>Let's check it out.

>>All right, good.

This is an autograph of Jackie Robinson.

He was at an event in Boston and looking at and comparing them, you can see a very, very similar stroke to the signature.

>>Yeah.

>>Yeah.

I mean the ends look the same.

>>The A really stands out.

You know the open A.

>>And just the J.

>>The J itself.

>>So my best guess it's good.

You can see the similarity between that line and yours.

>>You're saying that the chances of this being an authentic signature are pretty good?

This is not a copy?

>>I don't believe it is.

>>Okay.

>>I mean the family could be pretty proud to know that they have a signed Jackie Robinson.

>>Oh, absolutely, absolutely.

>>Yeah, I wonder if Crystal even knows that her dad had this.

>>I have an intuition that maybe she doesn't.

>>And if she doesn't, I'm looking forward to her response when she finds out what she does have.

>>Absolutely.

("Take Me Out to the Ball Game") >>In the 1940s, baseball was king in America and its long held unwritten rule of Whites only was about to change.

But to break the color barrier Dodgers' owner, Branch Rickey, knew he needed the right man for the job.

Not only a great player, but someone with the temperament to withstand the abuse.

He found that player in Jackie Robinson.

(ball swishing) He becomes the first African American to break baseball's color line.

But life in a Dodgers uniform isn't easy.

He endures constant racial taunts, hate mail and death threats.

On the field, he is spit on, stepped on and thrown at by opposing pitchers.

After two seasons, Jackie no longer suffers silently.

He challenges bad calls and speaks out on racial injustice.

Oh and by the way, he's a hell of a ballplayer.

A combination of speed and power earns him Rookie of the Year honors in 1947.

By the time he retires, he's a six time all-star and helps the Dodgers win the 1955 world series.

(ball swishing) Jackie opens the door for other athletes of color to play Major League Baseball and the playing field is changed forever.

Crossing the plate makes Jackie Robinson an all-star.

Being the first to cross baseball's color line, that makes him a legend.

(energetic music) >>In three days, we made a big dent in the garage, got things ready for the yard sale, cleaned out the attic, brought the old radio up from the basement.

We cleaned out some of the upstairs rooms.

I mean every part of this house we just about touched.

>>All right, I'm excited to show you this.

>>I am excited to see it.

Oh, my goodness.

Oh, my goodness.

>>All right.

>>This rocks.

This is so neat.

>>It was trash all the way to here.

>>I love it.

>>It was all packed up to here.

>>Oh, yes.

>>All right, look around.

We put everything in order.

>>I know it, I can see it.

>>We've got all your entertaining stuff here.

>>I'm ready.

>>All your chairs.

We got some tables, tools.

>>Oh, my goodness.

>>Your dad's stuff is over there.

I know a lot of it came in here.

Let's acknowledge that.

>>Okay.

>>But your dad died.

>>Um-hmm.

>>And we naturally slow down.

>>Oh, yes.

>>For me, when my dad died I was paralyzed for a year I did nothing.

>>There you go.

>>All right and then when it was time to look at this stuff, I didn't wanna look at it.

So I ignored it.

And so we just throw it in the corner.

>>Procrastinated.

>>And this became the corner.

I'm not worried about this filling back up, actually.

>>No, no.

>>And in fact, it is gonna be a decent space.

Like you notice we have the radio now from the basement.

>>Yes.

>>That's a great example, but you said to me, hey, go get the radio out of the basement.

And now we have the space for that to go for you to do something with it.

>>Um-hmm.

>>You can drive right in.

>>Yes, I can get two cars in here.

>>You could get two cars in here.

>>For the first time ever.

>>We also got the pink room upstairs done.

So now you've got space to work upstairs and you got some space out here to work.

We got you started.

>>More than started.

>>All right now, guess how much I took out, how much garbage I took out of the inside of the house and the garage?

>>I'm scared to ask.

>>Just over 3,000 pounds.

>>You serious?

>>You just let go of 3,000 pounds.

You can tell a difference.

Your life is gonna be different today, because of the work you allowed us to do.

You got a good start here.

>>Yes.

>>You can totally do this.

As excited as I am about this and the work we did upstairs, I'm really excited to sit down and tell you what I found.

>>I am so excited.

Thank you.

>>All right, cool.

I'm gonna follow you out.

>>Thank you, thank you.

Beautiful.

(upbeat music) >>All right, here we are.

My favorite time, legacy list time.

We did a lot of work this week.

We did a lot of downsizing.

>>Yes.

>>Everybody knows, I like the stories more than I like the stuff.

And your family does not let you down on that.

It's amazing what I learned about your family.

So I just wanna get right into it.

>>Okay.

>>All right, the first thing you asked me to find was the cast iron stove.

>>Yes, from my childhood.

>>I got a couple more parts in here.

>>I love it.

>>It's really cool.

>>Yeah.

>>From what Mike told me, he did a bunch of research and he's seen these a lot.

He said they were more often, they were salesmen samples.

>>Okay.

>>So either way, there were toys as well, but it's really intricate.

I really love it.

What did it mean to you?

Like what did it symbolize for you?

>>Wow, my whole life has been blessed and I think it's because my parents were so special.

So for me, the fact that my dad's boss gave me a gift was because my dad was special and so his kids were special.

Thank you.

>>All right, the next item was the tiles from your mom.

>>Right, right.

>>We heard a lot about your dad and all the men in your family.

We didn't hear a lot about the women, but I really was interested in this.

What did this mean to you?

>>I just remember these being in the pantry.

I don't know how she acquired them, what they meant, but they were important to her.

I come from the generation where the mom was the homemaker.

Three hot meals every day.

She was always home and there for us.

>>I thought this one was gorgeous.

I just loved it.

>>Well, you know what?

That one always bothered me.

>>Why?

>>Because it reminds me of "Huckleberry Finn", which was one of the books that I refused to read.

>>Went through a lot of books as we downsized this house and you have opinions, good and bad on books.

>>Yes.

>>Walk me through that, the Huck Finn side.

>>Well, I had six years of classical training and in six years all of the books that were assigned were written by dead White men.

This was an all girls school.

I know they could've found female authors and there were authors of color at that time.

They weren't on our reading list.

Why did the world say these books are important, when these books don't reflect me?

And so what I learned is if you don't make the content relevant to the students, it's really a waste of time.

So I taught differently because of that.

>>All right, I love it.

A lot of history in your family.

A lot of entertainment as well.

>>Um-hmm.

>>This was one of the uncles.

>>Yes.

>>We got a lot of uncles, your dad.

Powerful, powerful men.

All right, this is a picture of your uncle and Dr. King.

That's a big deal.

>>You know what's really neat about that?

My uncle was in the state legislature.

He was a state rep and he invited Dr. King to address the House of Representatives on Beacon Hill here in Massachusetts.

>>He kind of set the pace for the family, it sounds like >>I think he was one of the trailblazers, but he was really the youngest.

>>He was the youngest?

>>Of four sons.

So really my Uncle Dougie, which most people don't know about, because he passed early, he set the pace.

>>All right, let's talk about Uncle Dougie.

>>Yes.

>>We found some fascinating information your dad had.

>>Get out of here.

>>Your dad's records were unbelievable, okay, unbelievable.

>>Wow.

Oh, wow.

>>This is his naturalization in 1941.

>>Wow.

>>We believe he was still a citizen of Barbados, but he naturalized to fight in the war.

>>Interesting.

>>And here's his war papers and what he did and what he achieved.

>>Wow, you know what?

I didn't know that he fought in the war, in World War II.

>>In World War II, started in 1942.

>>I know my dad was in it.

I didn't know that my Uncle Dougie was in it.

>>I've got a whole folder of all this information.

I got his discharge papers.

We got everything.

>>Stop.

>>Your dad had it.

Your dad did all the work.

We have it all.

>>Wow.

>>And this is exactly why you and I talked about it in the garage when you said, "Oh, we should've done this earlier."

You weren't ready to go through these papers.

>>No, no, I really wasn't.

>>And now we are and your dad did all the work.

>>These are all originals.

It feels like money.

>>Yeah, it does.

It's really amazing.

>>Wow.

>>Great story there and I think you wanna use the word trailblazer, I think you're right.

>>Wow.

>>Isn't it interesting?

>>That is.

>>The next item you asked me to find was something to do with Uncle Roy.

>>Um-hmm.

>>Your Uncle Roy is known as the godfather of modern jazz drumming.

>>Really?

>>Look, we did the research and it's insane the people he played with.

You asked us to find something.

>>Yes, I knew my dad would have those.

My dad kept ticket stubs of events that he went to, 1952.

You know what hits me?

Audubon Ballroom is where Malcolm X was assassinated on my birthday in the '60s.

At least this is a good association with it.

>>Yeah.

>>Oh, my goodness.

>>Your Uncle Roy played with everybody.

>>Yes, he did.

>>I mean, everybody.

This is kind of the creme de la creme of that collection, of your dad's collection.

>>Okay, thank you.

>>They also are some of the albums that your Uncle Roy played on.

>>All right.

>>He's it.

He's one of the best in jazz percussion.

And I mean just the fact that he played with Miss Vaughn.

>>There you go, yes.

Wow.

>>Thelonious Monk.

>>Yes.

>>Oh yeah, Thelonious Monk, okay.

>>Wow, there's Sarah again.

>>Another Sarah Vaughan.

I'm biased.

>>Oh yes, now I remember that.

>>Yeah, this is one of the main staples in modern jazz.

>>Ah, nice.

>>And guess who played percussion on it?

>>Uncle Roy.

>>Uncle Roy, okay.

>>Bow down to him.

>>I just love it.

>>Oh, yes.

>>You know, Uncle Roy he really played with the best of the best, but he had a huge fan.

>>His older brother.

>>His older brother.

>>Yes.

>>And so we went through some of the things.

>>Oh, my goodness.

>>We were able to find just some great things and- >>Wow, oh yes, yes, yes.

>>Steppin' Out, this was in your dad's collection.

>>Oh, wow, there you go.

Wow, this is Boston; Mae Arnette, Paula Elliot.

That's Boston.

Tanya Hart is a commentator, but those two are jazz singers.

Oh, wow.

>>And your Dad had everything, I'll show you.

Let's do some other posters here.

>>Wow.

>>This one.

>>And you know this still goes on.

It's almost 50 years and dad was one of the ones who started it as a fundraiser.

>>So look at this.

This is the American Drummer Achievement Awards.

>>Oh, yes, I sorta remember this.

Oh, wow.

>>That's what really got me excited.

>>Oh, wow, there you go, Boston Jazz Society.

>>This is a handmade- >>Bebop, oh wow.

>>And look who's in it, it's not- >>Oh, yeah.

>>Your dad is in it.

So you can see the table's filling up.

We got tickets.

We got posters.

We got great records.

And I just have to tell you, I can see why you're struggling.

It's a lot of stuff and it's too good to be sold at a yard sale.

When I was walking around the house with Crystal, I had seen a little Jackie Robinson postcard and she'd told me that it was important to her dad.

But when Avi and Jamie found the Jackie Robinson autograph, I was really excited to present her with that.

A lot of people have broke barriers in your life.

And I think you're used to it because everyone in your family did it.

And that was interesting to me, till we found this.

>>I haven't seen that.

Ah, clippings.

Wait a minute.

>>This- >>Autographed?

>>Autographed- >>Oh, my goodness.

>>Jackie Robinson.

>>Oh, my goodness.

>>This was in your dad's stuff.

>>Oh, my goodness.

>>We took it to get it authenticated.

>>Wow.

>>Everyone says it's legit.

It's real.

>>Wow.

>>It's a legitimate Jackie Robinson signature.

All right, so your dad.

>>So, my son is gonna love this.

My son's first sport was baseball and 42 is throughout out his room.

Oh, my goodness.

>>It's legit.

We had a lot of guys look at the signature to make sure it was real.

>>Wow, go on.

>>This was buried in your dad's paperwork.

>>He never mentioned this.

>>This was a small item that we found buried in the paperwork in the garage.

And for Crystal, it tied two of her favorite men together, her son and her father.

>>My daughter told me not to cry.

>>That's okay.

>>Whew.

Go on Dad.

I know when my son showed the interest in baseball, he was there, you know, supporting him.

But Adrian was probably five when dad passed.

So you've now given me a story to give him.

Wow.

>>It blew us away.

>>It blows me away.

>>I've been doing this a long time and this is special.

>>Wow, go on, Dad.

And go on Jackie.

Thank you that you found it.

>>I hope this is a cleanse.

>>Oh, my goodness.

>>I hope this is a fresh start for really the rest of your life.

And it sounds so cheesy saying that, but I want you focusing on you and what you're gonna do for you, because you empower a lot of people.

I wanna see something of yours on the wall.

Okay, that's my goal.

>>Um, okay.

>>Your degrees are on the third floor.

>>Right.

>>They should be the first thing I see when I walk in the door.

>>Thank you.

>>All right, and one other thing, this caught my eye.

I know this is important to you.

>>There we go, yes it is.

>>Talk to me about your sorority.

>>Well, my uncle's favorite verse was to whom much is given much is expected.

I've been blessed.

God has blessed me.

My family is my first blessing, but they continue to bless me.

So it's my service that it's to me to give service.

I proudly wear my red in representation of my sorority, Delta Sigma Theta, shout out.

You talk about bad women, yes.

>>Well, you're one.

>>Just like my mom and my grandmom, they set the stage.

>>And you, and you.

>>I'm a member and it's my duty to lift up.

>>Okay, well let's keep doing that.

>>So can I share one last thing with you?

>>Yeah, yeah.

>>Because you asked me for a word each day and today I told you as I stood in the garage and could hear the echo and see the floor and feel the space and see the neatness, that I felt lighter than I've felt in years.

My word for today is enlightenment.

>>Blessed is my word.

>>Yes, good, good, good.

>>From you, blessed to experience this.

>>Oh, thank you.

>>And I'm gonna tell you something you're gonna motivate a lot of people.

People are gonna see you.

>>God bless you.

>>And they're gonna get started and they're gonna say, I can do this.

So thank you for all you gave us.

>>Thank you for all you gave me.

>>We love you.

We think you're amazing.

Your family's incredible.

>>It's mutual.

>>And the best part of all of this is that we can go park your car in the garage.

>>There you go.

>>All right, let's go do it.

(upbeat music) All right, you ready to get in that garage?

>>I'm ready.

>>All right, go for it.

It was awesome to watch Crystal pull in the garage.

I don't think she thought it was possible.

And look, she lives in a very cold area.

So I think she's gonna enjoy having a garage to park in this year.

There it is.

Yay!

(claps hands) >>[Female Announcer] Support for Legacy List comes from MakeSpace.

MakeSpace picks up, stores and return your items on demand.

Available for home or business.

MakeSpace provides professional movers, plus bins, blankets and a digital photo inventory.

You can find us at makespace.com.

And by ensure long-term care where we believe aging at home near friends and family is ever more possible for more people.

Learn more at insureltc.com.

AARP Virginia offering family caregiving support with prepare to care and down sizing and decluttering on line workshops designed to help organize and assess family needs Find the complete online workshop schedule At AARP.org/virtual VA The Ruth Camp Campbell Foundation (upbeat music) >>Visit mylegacylist.com to learn more about the tips, tools and professionals to help make your own big life move easier.

Learn more about this episode or submit your story to be featured on the show at mylegacylist.com.

(upbeat music) (gentle chiming)