Astonishing Experiences: The Connection Shared by Clinton Park, a Sweetheart Wife, and Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church

By Mitchell M. Allen

Most adults are familiar with the quote a picture is worth a thousand words, which coincides with the intent of this book to share my astonishing experiences with mostly color pictures. While writing this book, I enjoyed revisiting some of the pictures you are about to see as you stroll through the ten chapters.
I decided to write each chapter chronologically; however, the document consists of selected noteworthy topics covering my grade school days until the present time. This document presented an opportunity to share how a Black male moved through local, state, and national systems that discriminated against minorities.

I recorded my astonishing experiences, from being raised in Clinton Park, to moving to upscale Timber Crest, to serving in the military, to coping with employment, surviving three marriages, and holding membership in four churches. These experiences provide exceptional peace and joy to my life as well trouble and sorrow as I have lived beyond seventy years old. Gods grace and mercy carried me to where I am, and with great delight, I present to you my astonishing life experiences.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: May 7, 2013
• ISBN: 9781481708845

Mitchell M. Allen

ASTONISHING EXPERIENCES The Connection Shared By Clinton Park,, a Sweetheart Wife,, and Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church About the Author Dr. Mitchell Allen is a deacon at Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church, former academician at Houston Independent school District and professor and administrator at Texas Southern University. He holds a Bachelor of Science from Texas Southern University, Master of Science from Prairie View A&M University, and Doctor of Education from University of Houston. His professional career began as a teacher at Woodson Junior High School, where he taught drafting for 4 years and ended at Texas Southern University as a professor of Industrial Technology and an administrator (Interim Dean – College of Science and Technology) after 35 years of service. Some of the positions he held at TSU include Administrative Assistant to the Registrar, Coordinator, Design Technology, Chairman, Department of Industrial Technologies, and Assistant Dean. He received several including “Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award & Dean’s Award for Excellence: School of Technology,” and was selected Who’s Who Among American Teachers 2000, 2002. Dr. Allen’s religious activities encompass serving as a Deacon and Sunday School Teacher at McGee Chapel Baptist Church, Sunday and Vacation Bible School Teacher at Brentwood Baptist Church, and presently at Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church, Sunday School/Vacation Bible School Teacher, Co-Chair Educational Grant Committee, and as mentioned, serve on the Board of Deacons. He is a native Houstonian, married to Anna Irene (Sweetheart) Trotter, and is blessed with two sons, Mitchell Derek and Marcus Renaud; grandchildren, Christian Derek, Micheala Carmoni, Isaiah Renaud, Noah Mitchell, Legend Ni’core Alaniz (step-grandson); godchildren, Cameron Alexander and Cydney Alyse.

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© 2013 Mitchell M. Allen, Ed.D. All Rights Reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system,

or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 07/08/2013

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013901563

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

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Contents

Dedication

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Astonishing Experiences

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to all my very close friends listed below, who were reared in Clinton Park, lived near my house, and experienced the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. Among these are the following individuals:

Bennie L. Brown, an entrepreneur, owner of Old Fashion Bar-B-

Que;

Joseph B. Carper, independent life insurance broker and avid tennis player;

Dr. Napoleon Carter, retired pharmacist and ophthalmologist;

Samuel W. Davis, Armco Steel retiree and substitute teacher, Galena

Park Independent School District;

Wiley L. Gup Davis, retired Post Master, real estate broker, and presently my business partner (Allen, Brown, and Davis, LTD), has supported and influenced me more than any of my close friends;

Scott E. James, Getty Oil Company (presently Texaco) and Texas

Workforce Commission retiree, ex-member of Harris County

Appraisal Review Board; and

Van L. Polk, III, retired United States Air Force Master Sergeant and

postal employee, presently owner of Fantastic Travels, a travel

agency.

This work is dedicated to Roosevelt Owens, III, my closest military friend. This Dedication further includes the Congregation of Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church, including Rev. Dr. Marcus D. Cosby, Senior Pastor and Rev. William A. Lawson, Founder and Pastor Emeritus, who have assisted me in growing spiritually. A special dedication is extended to my sons, Mitchell Derek, who has written a book and encouraged me to get started, and Rev. Marcus Renaud, my spiritual advisor and pool-shooting buddy. It is also dedicated to my sister, Helen Faye Randle; my nieces, Sheila Bonner, Valerie Hill and Felicia Byrd; nephew, Donovan Whitley; and grandchildren, Christian Allen, Micheala Allen, Legend Long, Isaiah Allen and Noah Allen. This book is most especially dedicated to my wife, Anna Sweetheart Irene, for the precious love and support she has given me while writing during the time I customarily spend with her.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

In an undertaking such as this, many individuals make immeasurable contributions. Thus, to make specific mention of all those to whom gratitude is due would be impossible. I extend a sincere expression of appreciation to Rev. Dr. Marcus D. Cosby, Senior Pastor, and Rev. William A. Lawson, Pastor Emeritus for inserts in Chapter 10 related to their leadership at Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church. A special thanks to Deacon Maurice Carr and other members of WABC for their valuable comments and suggestions throughout the preparation of this book. An appreciation of gratitude goes to Rev. Dr. Patricia Williams, Minister of Congregational Care and Development, WABC, for editing this document, utilizing her mastery of the English language.

I am deeply indebted to Deacon James Branch for invaluable information he provided related to my experience at McGee Chapel Baptist Church. Thanks to Dr. Thurman Robins, a Texas Southern University colleague and golfing friend, for encouraging me to complete this manuscript before he publishes his fourth book.

An acknowledgement to my sister, Helen Faye Randle, for providing invaluable information not remembered or unknown, which improved the historical portion of this document.

Finally, to my gorgeous wife, the lovely Anna Sweetheart Irene, I express sincere thanks for her constant encouragement and inspiration.

INTRODUCTION

Most adults are familiar with the quote a picture is worth a thousand words, which coincides with the intent of this book to share my astonishing experiences with mostly color pictures. While writing this book, I enjoyed revisiting some of the pictures you are about to see as you stroll through the ten chapters.

I decided to write each chapter chronologically; however, the document consists of selected noteworthy topics covering my grade school days until the present time. This document presented an opportunity to share how a Black male moved through local, state, and national systems that discriminated against minorities.

March 2, 1941, I was born to Velmon and Claire Allen (pictured below), who resided in the Greater Third Ward addition on 3137 Webster Street. They named me Mitchell Mack. My family consisted of five siblings, in descending order of their ages, Theodore Grover (half-brother), Carl Lavan, Helen Faye, and Linda Louise. The family, moved to Clinton Park in 1946, a community built exclusively for Afro-Americans.

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On the following pages, I recorded my astonishing experiences, from being raised in Clinton Park, to moving to upscale Timber Crest, to serving in the military, to coping with employment, surviving three marriages, and holding membership in four churches. These experiences provide exceptional peace and joy to my life as well trouble and sorrow as I have lived beyond seventy years old. God’s grace and mercy carried me to where I am, and with great delight, I present to you my astonishing life experiences.

Chapter 1

THE CLINTON PARK EXPERIENCEs

LOCATION AND HISTORY

The Clinton Park community is a very small neighborhood located in the eastern part of Houston, Texas near the Port of Houston and 610 Loop. During the early 1940s, my parents took advantage of the opportunity to buy a home in this little community, built exclusively for Blacks in segregated Houston. Wikipedia.org/wiki/Clinton_Park,_Houston (Retrived, March 15, 2010) states that;

After World War II Development in the area began due to the area’s close proximity to the Port of Houston. Clinton Park was one of the first communities developed for African-Americans in Texas. When it was first developed, Laws required segregation between White people and Black people: Blacks could not live in White neighborhoods. Clinton Park had many businesses.

AMENITIES

The neighborhood had many amenities, including an elementary school, a park with a swimming pool, fire station, churches, barbershop, grocery store, drugstore, and a movie theater. The area was so small; you could walk from one end to the other in a matter of minutes (See map of Clinton Park on the next page). The City of Houston buses came through to transport those who desired to travel downtown or other parts of Houston. Clinton Park consisted of fifteen (15) streets as follows:

Armstrong St. De Haven St. North Carolina St.

Bolden St. Defender St. Owens St.

Calloway St. Gains St. Pennsylvania St.

Clinton Dr. Midway Blvd. Rhode Island St.

Clinton Park Ave. Mississippi St. Zachary St.

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Most of the adults did not have to leave the neighborhood except to go to work and the children had to attend junior and senior high schools in Fifth Ward.

LOVE THOU NEIGHBOR

An ancient African proverb teaches IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO RAISE A CHILD. Clinton Park was a community where love existed in and among families. Any adult could correct any child without the worry about the parent’s objection or resentment. I never shall forget the chastisement I received after my good friend told my mother that I roughed him up. Well, I did slightly push him in a playful manner without inflicting harm, nevertheless, my mother believed his story. Adults and children had disagreement and some fights, however, there always seemed to be a solution, different from some of the problems that occurred in some of the surrounding communities.

TRUST THOU NEIGHBOR

Trust was an important principle in the neighborhood, which made it unique from most neighborhoods. It was safe to leave your house and car doors unlocked without fear of an intruder. My parents would let their children sleep all night on the front porch and allow other kids to join them. Murder and rape were unheard of in the community; occasionally, outsiders would come in and commit crime.

EDUCATION

Clinton Park Elementary School

Attending Clinton Park Elementary School included a joyful walk with my Armstrong Street friends, until one Christmas my parent bought me a bicycle to ride to school. I felt very important because some kids did not have bikes; however, I was hurt when someone stole my bicycle from the park one summer. The park consisted of a swimming pool, which permitted individuals to use the facility that did not live in Clinton Park. Most of these people lived in Fidelity, a community adjacent to Clinton Park on the east side. I am sure one of the Fidelity kids stole my bike; nevertheless, my brother found and brought it back to me with a warning concerning callousness.

My grades in elementary school were not great because I spent a lot of my time drawing pictures and talking to classmates while the teacher was lecturing, which caused me to experience harsh responses from my teacher and mother. For some reason, the classroom did not interest me enough to be pursued in the same way as the recess and physical education periods. The best moments I had in elementary school were playing softball and participating in the closing ceremony at the end of the school year.

Playing softball allowed me to demonstrate my ability to run (faster than most of my classmates), catch balls, and put out opposing players. Every time I had a chance to participate in a physical activity, I would put my heart, soul, and mind into it to display my greatest effort. I was proud that I could excel in something at school because my ability to read and recite information in the classroom was minimal, at best. My silent prayer would always be that the teacher did not call my name because I did not feel comfortable responding.

The ceremony at the end of the school year was an exciting event for me for several reasons. First, school was closing for three (3) months, and I did not have to study for examinations, homework, and recitations. Secondly, my mom was going to purchase a new outfit, which usually included jeans, a cowboy shirt and hat, and a bandanna for me to wear in the ceremony. I really loved to tie the bandanna (a large, colored handkerchief, usually red with a figure or pattern) around my neck. During the 1940s, cowboy movies were a part of my life, including Cisco Kid and Roy Rogers, who wore bandannas.

The third reason I received pleasure from being a part of the end of the year ceremony was I had a chance to square dance with one of the girls at school. I had some very beautiful female classmates at Clinton Park Elementary School; two girls in particular were gorgeous, academically astute and well dressed. Several times, I desired to express my feelings to them, but I did not have the courage because I thought that my classroom blunders and looks (not so handsome) would result in negative responses. As school closed, ending the 5th and 6th years, I was thrilled to participate in the end of the year ceremonies; the teacher selected me to dance with one of these girls the 5th year and the other my last, 6th year.

E. O. SMITH JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL

I made an adjustment because the experience at E. O. Smith Junior High School was enormously different from what I received at Clinton Park Elementary School. For the first time I was attending school with students other than those living in the small community of Clinton Park. This school was located in the heart of Fifth Ward in a dreadfully old building, which previously housed Phyllis Wheatley Senior High School. The rest rooms, normally not kept clean, caused me to avoid using them until I could not resist the urge.

Attending this school required riding the school bus and taking classes with students from the several neighborhoods in and around Fifth Ward. In contrast to the commonality of my Clinton Park classmates, some of the students attending this school lived in government projects, apartments, rent houses, and homes with families of various income levels. There was not as much love shown among students and between teachers and students: you had to learn to secure your personal possessions because stealing was widespread. Most students had an assigned locker in the hallway near their homeroom to keep books, lunch, physical education clothes, and other personal items. Fighting was another problem that seemed to be encouraged by some of the kids, usually instigated by those living in the Fifth Ward neighborhood near the school. Some violent students attended this school, and I had to learn to associate with them while keeping