Louise Nall started selling The Tuskegee News over fifty years ago, and she continues to do so to this day. She sits outside the Piggly Wiggly every Wednesday and Thursday from 10:30 in the morning until all the papers are sold.
Nall proudly told WSFA, “I’ve been doing this for 56 years.” The whole journey began when her 4-year-old son, Walter, expressed a desire to earn his own money.
So Nall took her son to the news office to get papers. They sold the first batch of 100 papers so quickly that they had to return for more. As time went on, Walter became occupied with school and his band activities, but Nall continued selling papers.
RELATED STORIES
The 96-year-old remarked, “I’ve never been a sitter. No, not me. Everything life offers, I enjoy it.”
Scott Richardson from The Tuskegee News acknowledged her significance, saying, “She plays a vital role. She delivers 125–150 papers every week.”
Selling papers not only provided Nall with a means to earn money but also served as a valuable tool for teaching her children about finances. Nall advised, “When you see something you want but can’t afford right now, just get yourself a job. Put a quarter or fifty cents in there every week. You’ll be surprised how it adds up.”
She affords her customers the opportunity to catch up on the news and fills them with her positive energy. “For the first 15 years I knew her, it was always like, ‘How are you, Ms. Nall?’ and she would reply, ‘Oh, I’m lovely’,” Richardson remarked.
She consistently greets others with a smile, offers words of encouragement, and is ready to provide a newspaper if needed.
“I love people. We love to talk about everything,” the 96-year-old added.
