The Men Folk

By Frankie Holtz-Davis

This book is a compilation of stories about African American men, aptly referred to as The Menfolk. These men hail from all walks of life, and they range from ages eighteen through ninety-eight. A majority of these men were reared in traditional homes, and they boast of being proud Americans. They are sons, brothers, husbands, father's/grandfath

• Language: English
• Publisher: Stratton Press
• Release date: Sep 30, 2021
• ISBN: 9781648955556

Frankie Holtz-Davis

Frankie J. Holtz-Davis holds both a bachelor's and master's degree in social work education. Ms. Holtz-Davis is a practicing certified domestic violence counselor III and the state supervisor of Domestic Violence Programs, holding certifications such as Family Conferencing Facilitator and Group Mediator.She is the coauthor of San Francisco City & County's Human Services Agency's Domestic Violence Service Protocol. Ms. Holtz-Davis is the author of numerous professional manuals within her field of expertise. She has held adjunct professorships over twenty-five years throughout California State University systems, and she held a two-year professorship in the graduate division of consultant in the human services field. Publications include Mahrynie Red: The Journey, an autobiographical work; Sarah: A Study in Multiple Personality Disorders, Forensic Psychology Journal; and editor of VOICES, a monthly publication for Orange County's Social Service Agency, Orange, California.The Menfolk is a nonfictional compilation of personal stories about the unheralded lives of sixty-four (64) African American men living, struggling, and contributing to the prosperity of America. The unique struggles of Africans involuntarily brought to Americans in slave ships began over a hundred fifty-plus years ago. These struggles continue and have intensified since the election of America's forty-fourth president, Mr. Barack H. Obama, November 8, 2008.

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Contents

Dedication

Introduction

Rev. Alfred Lee Owens

Mr. Alfred Jerodom Whatley

Mr. Sammie Armstrong

Mr. Waziri O. Awonusi

Mr. Bradley James Washington

Mr. Jimmy Lee Brooks

Mr. Christopher S. Fox

Mr. Cleveland Henry Singletary

Mr. Charlie Sowery

Mr. Charley S. Kimmons III

Mr. Christopher Dickerson

Mr. Eldridge J. Cunningham Jr.

Mr. Derrick E. Holtz

Mr. David H. Smith

Mr. Earl Dennis Fleming

Mr. Elijah J. Hopewell

Mr. Elton Davies

Mr. Ethan MacGregor

Mr. Fredrick K. Buckley

Mr. Jared Jamal Gilbert

Mr. Harvey Lee Lewis

Mr. Haywood Turner

Mr. Dwight E. Holtz

Mr. Howard Jackson

Mr. Isaiah T. C. Walker

Mr. James None Fleming [Posthumously]

Dr. Jimmie L. Gilyard

Mr. James S. Beasley

Mr. Malieka Jaberi

Mr. James Wesley Thurman

Mr. Willie Oliver Jasper

Mr. Jerry R. Smith

Mr. Johnny Meldon Watts

Mr. Joseph M. Turner

Mr. Joshua Paul Jones

Mr. Kenneth Perry

Mr. Lavado Emile D’Hugo

Mr. Jerome Patrick Massey

Mr. Maurice J. Williams

Dr. Paul Elritt Meacham

Mr. Melvin E. Lewis

Mr. Micah E. Samuels

Mr. Paul W. Millerton Jr.

Mr. Donald Mobley

Mr. Jonathan Murdock

Mr. Richard L. Murray

Mr. Gregory Mason Palmer

Mr. Raymond J. Murray

Mr. Riley G. Kline

Mr. Robert Peter Moore Jr.

Mr. Robert L. Mitchell

Mr. Roland J. Donnellson

Dr. Roscoe Simmons

Mr. Rubin Isaac Zanders

Mr. Daniel A. Sears

Mr. Shaun N. Snyder

Mr. Timothy Fitzgerald Owens

Mr. Taylor Smith

Mr. Thurloe Bonner

Mr. William Frederick Ellis

Mr. William Oliver Collins

Mr. Cecil Warren Warrington

Mr. William David Oswald

Mr. William John Jackson

Conclusion

Notes

Dedication

This project is dedicated to several gentlemen informally interviewed before the project’s purpose crystallized. Stories regarding the author’s father, stepfather, and maternal grandfather were garnered from these individuals firsthand through numerous casual conversations at different intervals over the past few decades. Also, there are four men folk who taught the author poignant yet enormous lessons about giving birth to, loving, and rearing men children for whomever they evolve into. They are sons Dwight Eugene, Derrick Earl, Timothy Fitzgerald, and Alfred Lee; brother Earl; grandsons Waziri, Jared, Isaiah, and Terrence; nephews; cousins; and husbands. Thank you, gentlemen, for lessons only males are able to teach mothers, sisters, wives, grandmothers, aunts, and female cousins.

Sadly, five of the gentlemen whose stories are included in this project have passed: Mr. Robert Peter Moore [May 24, 1914–January 19, 2010]; Mr. Rubin Isaac Zanders [March 4, 1924–January 2, 2010]; Mr. William John Jackson [November 18, 1924–March 22, 2010]; Mr. Ethan MacGregor [August 15, 1922–July 7, 2009]; and Mr. Jared Jamal Gilbert [November 15, 1990–August 4, 2009].¹

Collectively, the remaining men folk are, as were those who left, unique individuals. However, there is one individual to whom this project is particularly dedicated: Mr. Jared Jamal Gilbert. This individual was the youngest of the men folk who passed away before the completion and publication of this project. Jared was interviewed approximately thirteen months before his untimely demise. This young man’s life was cut short at the tender age of nineteen years.

It is important to note this young man’s life did not end in a hail of gunfire. Jared was not a gangbanger, nor a violent crime statistic. He did not fit any of the stereotypical mold by which young African American males between the ages of fifteen and twenty-eight are cast. Jared’s demise was the result of a horrific traffic fatality. The car these young adults were riding in was being driven by a peer. Their destination was San Francisco proper, when this accident occurred on Highway 101 North, near the Oyster Point Exit, in South San Francisco, California. Jared was a passenger along with his two females peers. Jared and one female of the two perished that awful day, August 4, 2009. Jared, a front-seat passenger, was the only person wearing a seat belt. However, the female driver was the sole survivor of this accident, which claimed the lives of her two best friends.

Any individual acquainted with Jared knew him to be a delightfully intelligent, sensitive, largely talented, and articulate young man. Jared’s presence was akin to the nexus of a cool summer rain shower that suddenly appears after a long dry season. Jared was a consummate artist imbued with innate talent; he was a writer/poet, painter, and fashion aficionado. His connectivity with people of every culture, station in life, and persuasion was evident during both a candlelight vigil and memorial services held on August 9 and August 12, 2009, respectively. This one is for you, Mr. Jared Jamal Gilbert, the only child of Ms. Daphne J. Holtz, of South San Francisco, California. He was this author’s second oldest grandson.

The second biological relative participating in and passing away before the completion of this project was Mr. Robert Peter Moore, who was the author’s only maternal uncle. Mr. Moore was fondly referred to as Uncle Peter. This gentleman passed away in his ninety-fifth season. He was a loving, nurturing, colorful, personable, and beautiful man who also left an indelible mark on family, friends, and his community of Chicago, Illinois—the city he loved only second to his spouse and family. Uncle Peter’s memory will remain in the hearts and minds of all who met and had the pleasure of knowing him.

Conclusively, the beauty of this project has been the candid, humorous, explicit, and often heart-warming manner by which these gentlemen shared their rich life stories with the author. At the outset of each interview, there was an array of emotions on both the interviewee’s and the author’s sides. Some gentlemen were reserved and stoic, and others were gregarious from beginning to end of this somewhat intrusive experience. Most of all, these men folk were gentlemen. For the astute decorum by which they individually and collectively conducted themselves throughout this project, this author shall remain eternally grateful.

Fin

Introduction

This project is designed to give powerful voices and recognition to all African American gentlemen, particularly those involved in this project. In the eyes of some, these gentlemen’s lives are often obscured and insignificant. In other instances, these gentlemen are personae non gratae. Those possessing an awareness of their contributions are generally limited to immediate and extended family members. Occasionally, these gentlemen are well-known in formal and informal institutions within the African American community, such as social clubs, churches, barbershops, fraternities/lodges, and other social circles that they frequent.

Participants in this project, and millions of their counterparts, are unsung heroes. They are upstanding men who have contributed to personal growth and development and support of family and to their immediate and larger communities within the United States of America. These gentlemen have done much to build and contribute to the prosperity of this country, but few have received recognition for their remarkable sacrifices—ergo, the necessity of putting forth a project on their behalf, aptly referred to as The Men Folk.

The author’s preferred moniker for these gentlemen is relevant, in that participants range from eighteen through ninety-eight years of age. This is a remarkable feat, given the life expectancy for the average African American man is 69.2 years versus that of his white counterpart, which is 74.5 years. Discrepancies between black and white life expectancy translate into a 6.2-year mortality rate between these two groups.²

The author selected this compilation of stories from one of many creative ideas. Further, the impetus for this project was designed to create a mosaic of personal stories, about men over a wide spectrum of age groups, family constellations, as well as religious beliefs, educational, and career backgrounds. When the author asked one ninety-six-year-old gentleman about participating in the project, his response was: Sure, you can write my story. If we black folk don’t tell our stories, nobody else will—except in a bad way. History books don’t tell the truth about us and all the good we have done. Can’t nobody tell our stories like we can. So go ahead, daughter, ask me whatever you want. I’m glad somebody’s telling our stories. God bless you. Yet another gentleman’s response when asked to participate in the project was: If my story helps some young man, why wouldn’t I want to participate in this project? Sure, I’m happy to contribute to this book.³

In 1990, the African American population reached thirty million people, which then represented 12 percent of the US general population, according to the Census Bureau. The 2000 US Census reported that 54 percent of all African Americans lived in the southern regions of this country, 17.6 percent lived in the Northwest, 18.7 percent lived in the Midwest, and 8.9 percent lived in western states. California, the most populated state in the United States, has the fifth largest population of African Americans; New York State, fourth; Texas, third; Georgia, second; and Florida, first. In 2005, the US Census reported 39.9 percent of the population was African American, which represented 13.8 percent of the US general population.⁴

In the latest census report of 2010, the bureau reported America’s population had reached 313,929,151 people, of which 42,020,743 [13.6] are African Americans. Speculation by one of the oldest civil rights advocacy groups in the nation, namely, the NAACP [National Association for the Advancement of Colored People], claims that there was a deliberate and intentional ‘under-count’ of the real numbers of African Americans in this country. This intentional ‘miscount’ was designed to minimize the significance of African Americans in order to reduce our political power base.⁵

In most instances, minority groups do not understand the importance of an accurate census count, as these communities of color do not welcome the intrusion of the census or other governmental bureaucracies in their lives. These suspicions are born out of historical experiences by these groups within the context of race relations in America.

Only a fraction [less than one-half of one percent] of men represented in this project were ever arrested, incarcerated, or involved in the criminal justice system—except through employment. Most are family men. These and other African American men have made remarkable contributions to the prosperity of this country, considering the auspicious circumstances under which most African Americans are still forced to live their lives—simply because of the color of their skin. Negativity experienced by African Americans on a daily basis is a common occurrence, particularly the male segment of this culture. The negativity confronting a majority of African American males were in the past and remain multifaceted. Most these males consistently struggle to become and remain gainfully employed, provide for their family, and participate in social and political arenas directly and indirectly affecting every aspect of their lives. This is still true in this country and some global communities around the world.

A majority of people holding high-ranking US government, state, and local political offices on all levels are overwhelmingly older white males and a smaller segment of white females. These two groups [white males and females] of elected officials allegedly represent all the people—including African American and other people of color. The stippling of white females in high governmental positions occurred in part as a result of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Ergo, the adage in the African American community: We fought, bled, and died for civil rights; but, white women made out like bandits because of our efforts to gain basic human rights given Americans under the Constitution. The few gains blacks have made were awarded vicariously through white women.⁶

African American males represented in this project hail from all walks of life, from all parts of the country, and they represent most socioeconomic levels existing in America. These men come from all life circumstances. They are sons, brothers, husbands, fathers, uncles, grandfathers, nephews, and cousins—whose families may not perceive them as the unsung heroes that they are. Those individuals who recognize these unsung heroes generally take for granted the vast contributions and historical sacrifices these gentlemen have made on behalf of this country.

It is profitable for mainstream media to portray and sensationalize negative images of African American men—particularly, images of broken homes, drug abuse/sales, criminal activities, victimization, depravity, murder, and mayhem. These images sell and improve ratings for mainstream media outlets. As negative images of African Americans are repeatedly projected by American media at home and around the globe, the masses feed on and gladly consume these distorted images, accepting them as truths about African Americans in general. There is an insatiable appetite in American culture for misinformation—particularly, negative images relative to African Americans and other communities of color.

It is especially incumbent upon African American communities to become vigilantly proactive in reminding all Americans and informing the world of its rich cultural history—and the enormous contributions this group has in the past and continues making on behalf of the United States.

African American men and women suffer, bleed, and die daily for America, yet the culture survives. And this group has done so against staggering social, psychological, and political odds. This culture survived all forms of inhumane treatment visited upon it since the beginning of its existences on North America.

Maltreatment of African American males has been, in some instances, worse than that of the group’s female counterparts. This is true for obvious reasons. Females in this community do not appear to pose as much a threat to the establishment as the males. African Americans have survived depression, oppression, suppression, the Jim Crow era, racial bigotry, and discrimination on all levels of their lives. They have been apathized, marginalized, disenfranchised, scrutinized, pathologized, and ostracized, and all the other -ized, -ions, -isms, and -ments in the English language. In spite of major impediments, the male [and female] segments of this community still rise to the daily challenges of being African Americans in the United States of America.

It appears African Americans have come to the realization: We have to tell our stories, correctly write our histories; and, be responsible for recording all that is of importance to us as a race, a culture, and productive people. This is particularly true regarding the male segment of our African American community.⁷

Millions of Africans and their descendants provided slave labor to develop and catapult America from a developing continent to its current status in the world. Between 1790 and 1860 [seventy years], slave labor provided by African people was worth approximately $40 million dollars in unpaid labor, which by today’s standards would be worth $1.4 trillion dollars, according to a renowned Harvard Law School professor, Mr. Charles Ogletree. Although slavery was outlawed in 1855 [in some states], de facto slavery continued well into the 1950s. For these unconscionable treatment of slaves and their descendants by the dominate culture, there has been only one quasi-apology [made on an African continent] by an American president for atrocities perpetrated against African Americans through slavery. This quasi-apology came from ex-president William Jefferson Clinton, the forty-first president of the United States of America. However, he has yet to directly apologize to descendants of slaves on American soil. Further, when H. R. 40, the Reparation Bill, crafted and submitted by Rep. John Conyers Jr. [D. Mich.] was submitted, Mr. Clinton refused to sign that bill.⁸

As involuntary immigrants, African Americans have not been offered any monetary compensation to date for their involuntary labor as slaves in America and other colonies around the world. As some African Americans think, feel, and believe: We are still waiting for our forty acres and a mule. This would be partial compensation for slave labor that is long overdue.

November 4, 2008, was a historic moment in America’s history as the country elected its first African American president in the person of Illinois senator Mr. Barack H. Obama, the forty-fourth president of the United States. It appears factors precipitating this historic moment were probably relative to, Americans were weary of the ‘greater and lesser Bush’ regimes, which took this country to the brink of an irreversible abyss. Americans had grown weary of politics as usual, and most appeared to feel anybody [including an elitist black man], would be an improvement upon what had occurred over the previous eight years. The populace elected the forty-fourth president while the lesser Bush regimen left town, leaving chaos in his wake and a very dissatisfied country—weary of politics and wars.⁹

Electing an African American to political offices appears to be a fairly recent trend sweeping this country. This trend is being played out in several towns, cities, and state municipalities through certain regions in America. It appears this new liberality of electing minorities to office occurs whenever a municipality has been taken to the brink of insolvency, at which point, a super hero [usually African American or other persons of color] is then allowed an opportunity to hold office. In doing so, that individual is expected to turn things around and/or miraculously bring whichever entity back from the brink of collapse. And this turnaround is expected to occur with warp speed; otherwise, all blame is placed on the African American or other minority for the ills [social, economic, or political] of that entity.

Once a person of color is elected, the mantra becomes: Now that this place [USA] is going to hell in a hand basket, let’s see what this super-Negro can do—let’s see what he [or she] is made of. Examples of this trend can be seen in several large urban cities in America: Atlanta, Georgia; Chicago, Illinois; Detroit, Michigan; New Orleans, Louisiana, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Sacramento and San Francisco, California; and, Washington, DC. A case in point is Mr. Willie L. Brown, a previously powerful political whip in California’s state senate who became mayor of San Francisco in 1996. His predecessor had taken that prosperous city to the brink of bankruptcy the same year Willie L. Brown was elected mayor. Mr. Brown was elected with the expectation that his political clout and intellectual savvy would create fiscal solvency in San Francisco, by bringing big businesses back to the City by the Bay. Mayor Willie-can-do served two terms in office, and he could have served a third had it not been for political office term limits. True to form, Willie-can-do performed outstandingly well. The city flourished under his tenures. He brought big business back to San Francisco, California. Jobs were plentiful, home ownership soared, and everyone was happy. Further, Mayor Willie-can-do left the city’s coffers full and in the black, contrary to his predecessor who created the city’s fiscal woes.¹⁰

At the end of Mayor Willie-can-do’s second term in office, his replacement, a young ne’er-do-well white boy, Gavin Newsom, was elected. Newsom immediately began spending taxpayer’s money as if the city’s coffers were his personal piggy bank. Newsom spent the city’s money like a kid in a candy store. The fiscal and social fabric of the city began eroding under Newsom’s watch—and the city again found itself in a fiscal conundrum near bankruptcy. Not only did Mayor Newsom woefully mismanage the fiscal aspects of the city, he also devastated services and created a chasm between trade unions and his favorite segments of city employees [firemen and nurses] unlike any in the city’s history. Gavin Newsom tripled his mayoral office staff—and he continued treating taxpayers’ money as if those funds were his personal piggy bank. Further, during Mayor Newsom’s tenures, he developed a serious substance abuse problem and allegedly received rehabilitation treatment services from one of the city’s high-end recovery businesses. At the juncture where fiscal woes and services disintegration began emerging, Mayor Newsom set his sights on the governor’s office—as he appeared to see this political move as a way out of a very tenuous situation. In preparation for his parachute out, Newsom immediately began rallying the troops to support a run for governor of California. In the interim, Newsom had created such a broad-based enemy list, he could not garner minimal support required to get his name on the ballot for governor.¹¹

Prior to his first political blunder, Mayor Newsom failed to grasp the full sociopolitical landscape of San Francisco proper. First, he totally miscalculated San Francisco’s core values. Although the city has a history of political correctness and gender liberalism, in reality, San Francisco’s powerful, quiet, and old-money power brokers were not as liberal as Mayor Newsom assumed them to be. Secondly, Newsom believed he could siphon support from his power base to pass the city’s Gay Marriage Initiative; thus, he placed Proposition #8 on the election ballot, which failed miserably. It was blatantly clear to most observers and political pundits that Mayor Newsom’s arrogance toward certain groups, coupled with his blatant disrespect for working and middle-class voters, provided the nails that sealed his political fate, dooming all aspirations of Newsom becoming the governor of California. Newsom did, however, end up being selected lieutenant governor—hoping against hope he would outlive the current governor Jerry Brown. Most would surmise this is yet another miscalculation, as most Californians are aware: Governor Brown has clean living and longevity on his side—and, under the worst circumstance, Governor Brown will most likely outlive Gavin Newsom, hands down.

The recent sociopolitical phenomena of President Obama’s election to the highest office in the land warrants close scrutiny, as it will be interesting to observe and record what the far-right wing racist segment of America demands and expects of President Barack H. Obama. Given the fact that greater and lesser Bushes have drained America’s coffers, left town to live happily ever after deep in the heart of Texas. At this point, there have been no demands for retributions or impeachment by right-wingers or other Americans [now or in the past] for the egregious acts committed against Americans and around the world by G. W. Bush and company. The lesser Bush left a legacy of mismanagement that will be felt and talked about for generations to come. At this writing, Bushites are desperately attempting to rewrite both the greater and lesser Bush’s legacies. No doubt, President Obama’s presidency will dwarf the Bush boy’s legacies by comparison, which accounts for the rallying cries by the far-right wing racist to discredit Mr. Obama—they began a rallying cry to deny the president’s citizenship before he took office.

Again, the lesser Bush is attempting to cast a positive light on both his own and the greater Bush’s legacies—for posterity’s sake. In the meantime, the Bushes left the country with nearly one of the highest fiscal deficits in America’s history, 9–14 percent general population unemployment rate [24 percent in communities of color], nearly fifty million Americans without basic health care, and millions of homeowners at risk of becoming homeless. These catastrophes can be directly traced to Bush-sanctioned shady Wall Street dealings, which led to the financial, housing, and other market crashes. Again, America can thank the greater and lesser Bushes’ regimens for these cataclysmic events.¹²

Negative attitudes toward African Americans in general are more pronounced of late, particularly since a man of color is commander in chief of the most powerful country on the earth, and his beautiful brown family occupies the White House. The poisonous rhetoric spewed by most far-right-wingers and political hopefuls, claiming concern for keeping "America for real Americans, has heightened racism and polarized the nation in an effort to distract and keep the focus off the real underpinnings of this rhetoric. The firestorm that President Obama’s presence has created is unlike any antiblack sentiments seen in America’s history since the fifties and early sixties. Negative Obama sentiments are often alluded to by mainstream media, yet negativity is blatantly perpetrated by far-right wingers and their constituents in most red and some alleged blue states" across America. President Obama’s election created an untenable firestorm across America, a firestorm that will persist, if not escalate, throughout his first, and possibly second, electoral term in office.

Members of conservative communities are the same individuals who spent millions of dollars and untold hours attempting to prove "Barack Obama is not a real American. Rather, he is an other" and not a native-born American. Suddenly, a Hawaiian-born person is not a US citizen. Further, these same individuals blame disenfranchised African Americans for the negative psychosociological impact and indelible imprints that slavery left upon this group. The African American community is further blamed for its past and present social, economic, and political conditions; however, the dominant culture refuses to accept any responsibility in these atrocities. African Americans have not fared well in this country as a community, and a large segment remains marginalized due to the negative effects of institutionalized slavery.

It appears the election of an African American president picked the scab off America’s three hundred [plus] year old festering sore. This smoldering wound was caused by slavery and the aftermaths of that atrocity. Since the 2008 presidential election, the opening of this three-hundred-year-old wound, all the putrid raucous pus began and continues spewing forth. This spewing has taken the form of unimaginable disrespectful, negative, and hateful attempts at dehumanizing President Barack H. Obama—in some instances depicting him as subhuman and as mass murderer Adolf Hitler. Currently, this scurrilous behavior often includes politicians—and, it is not limited to far-right hate groups here in America, land of the free and home of the brave.

Rarely, if ever, do African American men receive fair and equitable treatment by the dominant culture—in the workplace or in social and or political arenas. African American females are tolerated more readily than are their male counterparts. It appears females in this culture present less of a threat to the dominant culture than their male counterparts. A glance at America’s sociopolitical landscape, and it becomes crystal clear there are only a few African American males holding real power in corporations and governmental arenas in the United States of America.

After all the protestations, marches, and extensive losses of African American lives for the right to vote, to date there exists a Voting Rights Act. America still operates and allows African Americans and other disenfranchised individuals to vote under the Voting Rights Act, with act being the operative word here. An act can be rescinded at will in this country, which may have been the purpose of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, as opposed to a Voting Rights Law. This act was crafted by ex-president Lyndon B. Johnson, the thirty-seventh American president. Then President Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act after tumultuous civil unrest and social pressure exerted upon his administration by Dr. Martin Luther King and other like-minded civil rights activists, some of whom were fair-minded white people. It appears the Voting Rights Act is currently under siege, being challenged, and voting rights are being suppressed by right-wing Republicans, Tea Parties, and other radically racist hate groups all over America at this writing.¹³

African American men represent the lowest overall percentage of males within the United States of America’s population at this juncture in history. In general, African Americans as a whole constitute only 12.2 percent of the US 323,730,000 population, with a record of 23 percent of this group [men] being incarcerated or currently classified as felons. Being labeled a felon has stripped a segment of African American males and females of their right to vote in most states.¹⁴

Disenfranchised numbers of African American men [and women] have been incarcerated, due in part to disparities in sentencing and the decriminalization of crack cocaine use and sales—versus the use and sales of cocaine by whites. It has been established by the Drug Enforcement Agency [DEA] that cocaine is the drug of choice for a majority of whites using and selling drugs. African Americans are sentenced to longer terms in jail/prison versus whites, who inevitably receive shorter sentencing periods; and whites are not arrested as frequently as are African Americans and other people of color. The aforementioned factors alone would account for the disparities in felons within white versus minority communities; particularly African American communities.¹⁵

With all the doom and gloom alleged against African American males, one of the most talked-about statistic regarding this group of males comes from the 2005 Census Bureau, claiming: African-American males between the ages of eighteen and twenty-four years of age whose numbers are approximately 1,896,000, with approximately 106,000 of this number in federal and state prisons as felons. These numbers represent African American males housed in state and federal prisons. Further, this number [106,000] represents approximately 10 percent of all men in these age groups.¹⁶

However, one of the most significant buried statistics that exist regarding this segment of the male population is: Within that same year [2005] there were 530,000 African American males enrolled in colleges and universities; which equals to five times the number of eighteen through twenty-four year old African American males incarcerated during that same time period. And, when this number [530,000] of African American males is expanded upward to ages thirty through thirty-five years, college and university students enrollment still outnumber African American males incarcerated in this country.

So to dispel this overused statistical myth about there being more African American males in prison than there are men of this same group enrolled in colleges/universities, a writer, director, and film producer, Mr. Janks Morton Jr., decided to research this subject. Utilizing personal time and resources to do so, Mr. Morton’s research revealed the above startling truths regarding this much-bantered about statistical myth. Mr. Morton revealed his findings during an interview with the Washington Post in its Saturday, August 4, 2007, issue. The staff writer for this piece was DeNeen L. Brown.¹⁷

Mr. Morton’s findings debunked generalities being bantered around political arenas during election cycles. This tactic is designed to drum up African American votes. John Edwards used these reckless statistics as his mantra in feigning concern for and garnering political support from African American voters. Mr. Edwards campaigned and lost his 2008 bid for the presidency; needless to say, Mr. Edwards lost miserably to the young senator from Illinois, and current US president, Mr. Barack H. Obama.

On a sadder note, it appears African Americans represent a staggering number of HIV/AIDS cases throughout the fifty states. In the African American community, there are approximately 199,124 cases of HIV/AIDS versus 159,308 cases in the white community. The second largest numbers of HIV/AIDS cases are reportedly within the Hispanic Latino community, which in effect is another community of color. According to the Center for Disease Control [US Department of Health and Human Services] Report of 2009 [1-63], Although, in 2009, African Americans comprise only 12 percent of America’s general population, the last census indicate this segment of the population represent a disproportionate number of HIV/AIDS cases overall.¹⁸

It appears this disproportionate number of HIV/AIDS case can be attributed to several sociological factors: a lack of awareness and/or a level of denial in African American communities about the disease itself and the manner by which allocation of funds toward education and/or prevention are designated. This disease pandemic has devastated a segment of the African American male’s population.

Despite this horrific disease and its ravages upon the entire community, there is a large number of African American males who are still standing, contributing, and making their marks on history. Whether heralded by the dominant community or not, these men are still here; resiliency is and has historically been the essence of this community’s survival on North America.

Under these and other dire circumstances, it would appear African American males in this project are rare; however, like thousands of their counterparts, they have historically made and are still making phenomenal strides living responsible and productive lives. Still they rise.

Even better news regarding these males is the fact that a large segment of men in this project, ages eighteen through sixty-five years, have high school diplomas, trade school certifications, and some college courses. Others are in the process of pursuing certifications and college degrees. Many men are currently employed in trades and other careers of their choice. Additionally, another segment of these men have earned associate of arts, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees. Still others have earned PhDs in different fields. A majority of these men are fully employed while others are retirees, holding part-time jobs.

A considerable number of these men have served in the armed forces during WW I, WWII, the Korean War, Middle Eastern conflicts, and every other military conflict that America has been involved in. African American men served in wars before they had the right to vote and were still considered three-fifths a human being. There were male and female slaves who fought in the American Civil War; thus, these men [also women] and their forefathers have earned the same rights as other United States citizens. Yet these rights have been systematically denied African American males and females in this country. Some men in this project took advantage of and were educated through the Montgomery GI Bill, earning college and university degrees.¹⁹

Uplifting stories, such as the ones included in this project, give value to the African American community and its inhabitants’ lives. Further, these inspiring stories contribute positively and are germane to this community as a whole. All cultures possess positive and negative stories; however, the dominant culture tends to creates balance in displaying its culture in both positive and negative light, and it does so simultaneously to ascertain balance in their stories. Interestingly, when the dominant culture creates stories about the African American culture, balance is, more often than not, absent from these processes. Again, it is incumbent upon the African American community to write, produce, and disseminate stories about its own cultural history, including current events occurring as noteworthy stories unfold in this community. In doing so, we write our own history, tell our own stories, because nobody can tell our stories the way we can.²⁰

Fin

Rev. Alfred Lee Owens

Date of Birth: April 25, 1967

[Age Group: 35–50 Years]

Rev. Alfred Lee Owens states: "I was born and reared in San Francisco, California, at Mt. Zion Hospital on Divisadero Street, on the sixth floor of that hospital, which is currently a part of the University of San Francisco Medical Center. My parents are Reverend and Mrs. Robert Lee Owens. My mother’s official given name is Myrtle Fleming; however, she does not go by this name. She doesn’t want her actual name listed here; rather, she prefers to be called ‘Myrtle’ for the purpose of this document. My maternal grandparents were: Mr. James Fleming [deceased] and Mrs. Mary Ida Moore-Sowery. My paternal grandparents were Mr. Ludie and Mrs. Mary Owens; both are deceased. My maternal great-grandparents were Mr. Robert ‘Peter’ Moore and Mrs. Cornelius Lucas-Moore, both of whom are deceased; and my paternal great-grandparents were Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Fleming, they too are deceased.

I never had the pleasure of meeting either of my great-grandparents; however, my paternal grandmother lived to the ripe old age of ninety something and my maternal grandmother [Mrs. Mary Ida. Sowery] is currently ninety-eight. She is doing well and in good overall health. My paternal grandparents were farmers. My maternal grandparents were initially farmers; however, Grandmother Mary decided she was not going to ‘rear her children on anyone’s farm,’ so she took it upon herself, searched for, and found a family home in the city of Pine Bluff, Arkansas. She purchased the home, informed her spouse after the fact, and let him know: ‘At the end of this crop, we are moving to the city to live. You can come if you want, but the children and I are leaving this place.’ I heard my grandfather was resistant to the move, but the minute the moving truck came to their home, he threw the family’s belongings on the truck faster than our grandmother. My maternal grandfather was a demolition expert in a Bauxite mine; he made a very good living for his family while our grandmother stayed home as a mother and homemaker. My paternal grandparents and their parents before them were all farmers, he stated.

Regarding the place of his grand and great-grandparents’ origin, Reverend Owens reports that his maternal family had its origin in Starkville, Mississippi, Varner and Dermott, Arkansas; his paternal grandparents hailed from Atoka and Memphis, Tennessee. The majority of his paternal relatives reside in Tennessee and California; his maternal family members reside in Texas, Illinois, and California at this time. Regarding his family constellation, Reverend Owens states: I have two female siblings with one deceased Germaine Oceia [2/24/07, at age forty-five]; Deitdre Ann, age forty-seven; and Daphne Jean [age fifty-three years]. I have four male siblings: Robert Lee, sixty; Dwight Eugene, fifty-two; Derrick Earl, fifty-one; and Timothy Fitzgerald, age forty-six years. I am the youngest in my family constellation, and happily, I can say we are all very congenial in our relationships with each other, he states.

Regarding what he preferred the author call him, Reverend Owens smiled and stated: Given who the writer is, I would venture to say you can choose to call me whatever—it’s fine with me. The writer will henceforth refer to Mr. Owens as Reverend Owens, inasmuch as he is an ordained minister and pastor in charge of a congregation in San Francisco proper. He reports when asked about his religious convictions: I am Protestant by faith and Baptist by denomination. I have had no other religious affiliations. I was born, reared, and baptized into the Mt. Enon Baptist Church—have seen no reason to change, as I am very strong [if not stronger] in my faith, as I was before becoming an adult and marrying. My spouse is Christian/Baptist, just as I am; she was always Christian to the best of my knowledge. I am very involved in my church; I attend regularly, due to the fact I am the pastor elect at this time. As such, I attend weekly, depending upon what is going on with the congregation. Again, my role is that of pastor; however, at times I am ‘I am janitor, father-ideal, brother-ideal’; and most other ideals, in the minds of some. I don’t see myself as any ‘ideal,’ however, there is only one ‘ideal,’ in which I try and fit: ‘Christian-ideal.’ I was elected Pastor-in-charge, April of 2005. I am the successor to my father, who was pastor of the church for forty-six years, before retiring in 2005, he stated.

When asked about losses of family members Rev. Owens stated: I lost an elder sisters February 24, 2007; also, I had another female sibling [Mia Margaret] who died at the age of eight hours. Had she survived, this sister would have been forty-four years old. This was a sister between the next older brother and me—I didn’t know Mia Margaret, but, I had a close relationship with my sister Germaine, who recently passed away, he stated. Reverend Owens reports having attended preschool at a Presbyterian Church near my mother’s job at San Francisco State College; attended elementary school at some school where we were bused [for integration purposes] to the Avenues in the city; and, I completed junior and high schools through Bay Shore Christian Academy, in San Francisco, California. I attended Northern California Bible Seminary, and I have a couple more courses before completing this process, which is one of the goals I have set for myself to obtained in the very near future, he stated.

My current occupation is that of pastor in charge of Mt. Enon Missionary Baptist Church, located in San Francisco proper. Additionally, I am employed by a local company whose name I don’t care to mention. Before this position, I was an independent contractor; before that position, I worked for my father’s company, which contracted with Petrini’s Meats and Deli, in San Francisco and Brentwood, California. I also worked for San Francisco City Towing Company; and before that position, I worked as a summer youth worker; and, I participated in a food program that benefited the less fortunate members of our community. I have had numerous other positions because our parents instilled in us a strong work ethic.

When asked about his views on relationships, he stated: "My views are simple. Relationships are great. They are give and take processes. You can and should treat everybody with kindness and respect; however, you cannot treat everybody the same simply because ‘people are like Cracker Jacks; there are sweet and caramelized ones, and every now and then you come across some prizes—but, one shouldn’t be surprised when you get a few nuts in the process.’ Further, I think relationships are invaluable; they are necessary, and God allowed humans [as well as other mammals] to have relationships for obvious reasons. One cannot learn or know how another feels, thinks, and believes without first developing a relationship of some sort. Relationships are crucial to human development and existences.

"What I think of marriage is: This is a great institution, and the process is a very serious commitment. Those who contemplate marriage should understand the seriousness of this covenant; which should be made between two people who profess their love for each other in God’s presence. Marriage requires sacrificing on each individual’s part. And, marriage, as I understand it, is always a give-and-take situation; but, if we honor marriage the way God requires us to, it can be a very rewarding process from beginning to end. This is the truth, as I see and understand marriage. Divorce is really a ‘bad word,’ in our home. We don’t use it in relating to each other, regardless of how annoyed we become with each other; ‘divorce’ is not an option for us. I know that divorce does happen—but, it’s my belief, if we commit to marriage, the way God intended it to be, divorce could possibly become obsolete," he stated.

Shortly after we were married, I recall being asked by a few elders, ‘Son, have you seen the couch yet?’ I, not knowing what he meant, said, ‘No, sir.’ He then asked, ‘Have you ridden the rail yet?’ I, not knowing what either of these elders meant, said, ‘No sir,’ again. Well, what they meant was, if I’d ever been thrown out of my bed and had to sleep on the couch, or been on the edge of the bed but not been able to get in bed, because the wife was angry. I never had either of these experiences; nor do I expect to have either of them in the future. I do understand, under dire circumstances, where there is physical abuse or other injurious acts, which could result in a life or death situation—there definitely should be a divorce to preserve life. As I stated earlier, if a woman or man is being victimized in a relationship of any kind, that victim should run as fast as his or her feet will carry him or her—away from that violent situation. There are clear scriptures that allow for divorce, so by these and only these scriptures should divorce occur, he stated emphatically.

Regarding the question of interracial relationships, dating and/or marriage, Reverend Owens’s response was: My feelings and beliefs about this phenomena is that the only objection I can conjure up is: saved and/or born-again spirit-filled people should only marry like-minded individuals. Should this not be the case, regardless to race, creed, or kind, there should be no dating or marriage between these groups. So, to make a long story shorter, I have no problems with individuals dating or marrying outside their particular culture or racial group. If people from different groups feel they love each other; believe they can deal with the social pressures that come with interracial marriage; by all means, let those of like-mindedness, spirituality, and saved lifestyles marry—I wish them well, he stated.

This thing called integration is yet another phenomenon. Integration in and of itself is a Catch-22 situation. The powers that be, can develop and pass all the laws they want—but, not even they, can regulate ‘folk-ways’ or ‘order’ people to love and/or tolerate each other. It just does not happen that way. I personally think and believe ‘integration’ as we know it, is a farce—the notion of integration as it applies within America, is hypocritical at best. Most members of the dominant culture are not ‘real’ in this integration thing; and, despite the fact we have, for the first time in history, an African American president in Mr. Barack H. Obama, I feel we have ‘one down’ and ‘ninety-nine’ more to go before we reach a modicum of ‘real integration.’ This farce called integration is one of America’s biggest lies, to us as African American people—and, the entire observing world. There are some among us who are not deceived, about this integration thing. Still, there are a few African Americans who believe integration did or will do, what it [integration] was designed to do. There are still others among us, who are smart enough to know integration in and of itself, will never rid this country of segregation; particularly, on those levels that really count for us or them. But it [integration] will serve to deprived those ‘anti-integrationist’ of really knowing a rich and giving culture, such as our own. And, for the most part, some among us will never see African Americans as equals, he stated.

Reverend Owens favorite civil rights heroes are: "Frederick Douglass and Dr. Martin L. King. I have read and admired his [Douglass’] philosophy regarding race relationships, and I agree wholeheartedly with his theory for resolving ‘segregation/racism’ in this country. Mr. Douglas had a lot of support from ‘the powers that be,’ simply because he wanted to have all slaves and their descendants to go back home to Africa. For the dominant culture, this was a good idea, in as much as they wanted to get rid of us—simply, because we had served the purpose for which we were brought to America—and, in their minds, we had outlived our usefulness. The North won the war fought primarily over slavery and the South had no further use for disenfranchised ‘chattel.’ So, our going back to Africa would have in some ways, served both groups well. I think he [Douglas] was a visionary, and in many ways, a remarkable man. Of course, we all know the historical value of Martin Luther’s life and death; and, for his views, along with the struggles of that life, he made the ultimate sacrifice. I am eternally grateful—he reached iconic status, and of course, he is one of my heroes.

There are two women [really three], who are very much s/heroes in my mind. Ms. Sojourner Truth was a brave, brilliant, and remarkable woman. She was futuristic and ahead of her time. The work Ms. Truth did on the underground railroads, is unlike anything, any man or woman had done before or after her historic commitments to the cause. She was a real liberator. I truly admire Ms. Truth for all that she did for us. I can’t end without talking about Ms. Barbara Jordan, the Senator from Texas. The same woman who had the fortitude and courage to challenge then President Richard Nixon. Talk about a ‘s/hero,’ this woman had the intellect, bravery, and fortitude to bring down a president who had lied, deceived, abused his authority; and, perpetrated all kinds of crimes against the people of this and other countries around the world. It was Ms. Jordan’s eloquence that helped bring Nixon to justice. She was another phenomenal woman in my mind; and, last but far from least, ‘I have to say my mother is my primary ‘s/hero.’ I don’t have to expound on this one because everybody who knows of and have had an opportunity to become acquainted with her, knows exactly what I am talking about, he stated with a broad proud smile.

"Thinking of the worst mistake I ever made? Oh my goodness, there are several big mistakes I can think of, which were major! Well, this is going to take careful thought—but, here goes the biggest mistake I ever made in life. There was a ‘wild’ time in my life when I really was silly enough to think [unbeknownst to parent or siblings], there was a future in my becoming a ‘street pharmacist.’ Though brief, this was one of the stupidest and scariest times in my young life. I have to say here, only a divine act of God saved me from myself. He intervened, protected, and literally saved me from the worst destructive act in my life.

"First off, I didn’t have the street exposure or smarts to engage in the acts it took to be successful at this venture; secondly, I sure was not thinking of the consequences if either one of my parents found out about this; and, thirdly, I have four older, stronger, and caring brothers, any one of whom would have killed me, if they had known I was thinking about this mess.

"The details of this foiled attempt at becoming a ‘street pharmacist’ are too long to venture into at this time, but I know one thing for certain: ‘I would have been in a world of trouble with my family, law enforcement and the community at large, had I been able to pull this mess off. It was God’s unadulterated protection and mercy that protected and kept me. This particularly true, when law enforcement came in and began searching my house, looking for whatever. One of them even picked up the cowboy boot where the lode was! He shook it, coins tumbled out and fell on the floor; but, for some unforeseen reason, the lode didn’t fall out! Talk about a miracle! This experience was a miracle because the stuff [merchandise] was in that boot—the policeman either didn’t see it; or, the Lord blinded that policeman from finding the stuff. So he threw the boot down; looked at me and around the place—and, without a word, he walked out the room.

"It felt like I aged twenty years, in that short span of time. I knew had that man found my stash—I would still be locked up somewhere and we would not be having this conversation. God had bigger plans for me. His plans for me, protected and saved me from myself and prison. So by far, that was the worst mistake I ever made in life! But, I assure you, that was my last attempt at being a ‘street pharmacist,’ anything close to it," he stated.

In thinking about missed opportunities as such, I rather think of these as ‘life experiences,’ from which I was supposed to learn something valuable. I don’t dwell on ‘missed opportunities.’ I believe in delayed gratifications—ones that are yet to come in my life. I am a patient person. I have learned to wait for whatever blessings that are designed for me, by God; and, those blessings will come, when He is ready for them to enter my life, he stated.

When asked about women’s rights, he stated: "My perceptions of women’s rights are two-fold. This is a conundrum. Perhaps, the question should be, who actually benefits by so called women’s’ rights? People of color [women and men] didn’t; except vicariously. Nor have we as a people, ever truly benefited from ‘women’s’ or human rights,’ as they’ve been implemented in this country. The Civil Rights Act of the sixties, was allegedly designed to directly benefit African Americans, who were and still are disenfranchised, over the past two hundred years. But, as I see it, the biggest benefactors of these so-called civil rights, have been white women; and, as usual we as a people [African Americans] have benefited vicariously from these ‘civil rights.’ There needs to be a balance between those who have rights [white or black] and those who do not. There are those who have these so-called equal rights, and these individuals appear to feel, they are equal to men—which is not in my opinion the case. Particularly when statements by these female individuals are: ‘Anything you [referencing me or men in general] can do, I can do it and maybe better.’ Physiologically, men and women are different—however, there are some inalienable rights women have which are the same as men.

There is no question that as human beings we are basically ‘equal.’ However, there are differences in physical strengths, types of labor; and, other roles that men are designed and capable of performing, that women are not able to do most of these things—nor should they have to. Furthermore, if men would respect, honor, and treat women the way God deemed us to, we would not be having this conversation at this time in history. Besides, that snake in the Garden of Eden, could not have gotten to, and convinced Eve to eat the apple—had Adam been on his job, doing what God required him to do, he stated emphatically.

Regarding children’s rights, they have the right to obey their parents; a right to listen and follow the directives of their parents; and when they do so, their lives will be much simpler—I think. On the other hand, I feel parents have sole responsibilities for loving, nurturing, protecting their children; providing them with a healthy/safe environment; and, providing them a sound spiritual/academic education, so that these children have the best possible start in life. This, I feel is a basic responsibility for those who choose to have children. And, children are responsible for taking advantage of every opportunity offered by their parents. By this I mean, they are obligated to do their best at home, school and the community, as a representative member of their family of origin. Children should take advantage of every opportunity offered by parents/family; and, they must be given respects and rights based upon their ability to be responsible for managing those rights.

Rev. Owens parents’ child-rearing practices were: "We were given love, nurturing, structure, support, educational opportunities; and, a spiritual foundation. We had more material things than most families in our neighborhood. Ours was a working-middle-class neighborhood. Our family had more children than most neighbors. God was good to us through our parents. Disciplinary practices were; first, we were lectured and reasoned with; and, if that didn’t work, we got spanked within reason—but, not abused by our parents. I don’t think my dad was as stern as he could or should have been toward me in particular.

"I guess he felt some special empathy for me because I had a low-level learning disability when I was younger, so he overcompensated with me; this is my belief. I recall having gone to visit my mother and stepfather in Southern California, at which point my mother felt I needed a better school environment to progress through high school successfully. She made arrangements for me to get in a good school in the neighborhood where they lived. They wanted me to go to summer school and stay for the fall term. She knew it was the best option for me at that time.

Well, what I did was stay a while; went on a hunger strike [scaring my mother nearly to death in the process!]; but, not before planning my escape back to Northern California. I did get tempted off my fast in about two days. It was my stepfather who figured out how to get me to eat. He decided to send out for all the junk food that I liked; had my sister and stepsister sit in my presence and eat that good junk food. As they smacked away, taunting me with every bite, I quickly went off my fast and joined the junk food fest! A few days later, I decided to take off while my parents were out for the evening. I borrowed money from one of my new-found friends, got on a bus, and headed back to the City—in short, I ran away from what really was the best thing for me at that time. I have had regrets for not staying and going to school in Southern California. I have since told my mother and the rest of my family, just how much I regret having run away from Southern California and a good education in that school system, he stated.

Currently, I am happily married to Mrs. Berta Owens. We were married July 19, 1998. We have one biological son Isaiah, age ten years; we have two adult children from my spouse’s first marriage [Nicole and Patrick]; and, we have three beautiful grandchildren from our adult daughter, Nicole. I love my children and grandchildren dearly, he stated.

According to Reverend Owens: The most important person/entity in my life at this time is God. My son is second because he is still dependent upon me and his mother; my wife and life mate is equally important in my life—family members are important to me as well. Some of the most important ‘things’ in my life at this time, are in-depth conversations with both my mother and father. I need to say another important place or experience in my life is: ‘the manifestation of God’s anointing,’ which is very important for me—this experience takes me to special spiritual places I cannot imagine living without.

Reverend Owens reports there are very few affinity kinships in his life, inasmuch as he has a large immediate and extended family system. However, there were a few consummate Christian women I consider affinity kinship. One was ninety-something years of age before she passed away a couple of years ago—she was a wonderful woman. And, there was another equally wonderful and spiritual affinity kinship I had with a woman I called Mother Brown. This woman was very good to me; she was very supportive of me during the time I was first called to the ministry. Mother Brown knew what was happening to me, before I did. Mother Brown encouraged me to heed the call of the Lord. She warned that if I didn’t follow God’s dictates, there would be no real peace in my life. I need to add here my mother was still living in Southern California, caring for my critically ill grandfather. She was not aware of my travails at the time; and, I didn’t want to tell her, for some reason, he stated without further explanation.

I do recall feeling a need to visit my mother in Southern California while all this was going on. When I got there, we were talking and before realizing it, I started crying profusely and begging her to ‘make it stop,’ which scared her because she didn’t know what ‘it’ was or what was happening to me. I finally told her the ‘it’ was the demand on my life to preach the gospel. Mother encouraged me as best she could; and, she too asked that I pray about ‘it’ and obey the call on my life. Of all the things in the world I wanted to be, preaching surely wasn’t one of them. I had gone to the prestigious Jean Sheldon’s School of the Creative Arts in downtown San Francisco. I had done parts in several plays; and, I was being groomed to become a stage and eventual screen actor. All this happened before God intervened and transformed my wishes to His plan for my life. Unlike then, I now have no regrets about my being called into the ministry; and, this experience has been one of the most humbling, glorious, and happiest changes that life has ever afforded me, he stated.

"If I had three wishes, they would be: One, that the vision for the church, which my mother, father, and my older sister [Daphne], believe is its destiny will come to fruition, sooner rather than later. That is to say I would that ‘the real mission of the church and its responsibility to the community where it’s situated [San Francisco’s Bay View District],’ come to fruition.’ That is, the church does come to a point where it does what churches are supposed to do for communities in which they are situated. It is my hope and expectation, that these visions come to fruition during our lives; and, number two: I would our son listen to and obey the will of God for his life [at an earlier age] than did I.