“They Helped Shape Philadelphia between 1950 and 2000”: Volume II

By WD Palmer

Compiled in this publication are interviews with community members and residents of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania who lived through historical moments in the city’s history and many of whom fought voraciously for the rights of Black people in Philadelphia and beyond. Each of these interviews sheds light on these historical moments and details how each person helped shape the trajectory of Philadelphia. These oral histories allow us to understand the events of the past from a first-hand perspective and remain connected with those interviewed. Each of these interviews contributes to the broader history of Philadelphia and recognizes the lasting legacy of each of the interviewees.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Jun 30, 2023
• ISBN: 9798823010894

WD Palmer

W. D. Palmer is the founder and director of the W. D. Palmer Foundation (est. 1955), a repository of information-gathering on racism in health, education, employment, housing, courts, prisons, higher education, military, government, politics, law, banking, insurance, etc. He is also the founder of the Black People’s University of Philadelphia (1955) Freedom School, which was the grassroots organizing and training center for grassroots community and political leadership in Philadelphia and nationally. These organizations were run as nonprofit unincorporated associations from 1955 until 1980, when the Palmer Foundation received its 501(c)(3) federal tax exemption status. W. D. Palmer has also been a professor, teaching American Racism at the University of Pennsylvania since the 1960’s and today he is a member of the Presidents Commission on 1619, the 400-year anniversary of African slavery in America. Professor Palmer has been a social activist leading the fight against racial injustice for over seventy years in Philadelphia and around the nation. In 2018, Philadelphia honored him for the organizing work he did to reform the Philadelphia school system in 1967.

Book preview

© 2023 WD Palmer. 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 06/30/2023

ISBN: 979-8-8230-1088-7 (sc)

ISBN: 979-8-8230-1089-4 (e)

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

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.

Contents

Credits

Walter D. Palmer Leadership School

About the Artist

The Mural Arts Project

A Brief Biography of Professor Walter Palmer

Disclaimer

Introduction

1. Cody Anderson

2. Lou Anderson

3. Anonymous

4. Carl Bailey

5. Kathy Barlow

6. Mr. Brother Battles

7. James Luther Bevel

8. Louise Williams Bishop

9. Jannie L. Blackwell

10. Robert Brand

11. Gwendolyn Brightful

12. Dr. Stanford Brown

13. Malcolm Byrd

14. Frederick Caliman

15. Dwight Campbell

16. Curtis Carson

17. Professor Carter

18. Robert Carter

19. Joe Certaine

20. Judy Claude

21. David Cohen

22. Jane Cosby

23. Barbara Cox

24. Thomas Paine Cronin

25. Elsie Cross

26. Judge Charles Cuffield

27. Paul Dandridge: Interview 1

28. Paul Dandridge: Interview 2

29. Ira Davis

30. Monsignor Devlin

31. Mel Dorn

32. Dr. Sermon Evans

33. Clarence Farmer

34. David Fattah

35. Richard Fernandez

36. Harold Franklin

37. Lana Felton Ghee

38. Thomas Gilhool

39. Shirley Gregory

40. Jim Grey

41. Charles P. Hammock

42. Rufus Harley

43. Charles Harmon

44. Willie Harris

45. Warren Haskins

46. Joanne Hawkins

47. Mark Heiman

48. Tom Henry

49. Elbridge C. Holloway

50. Lorina Marshall

51. Thaddeus Mathis

52. Shuna Ali Miah Jr.

53. Jerome Mondasaire

54. Dr. Tony Monteiro

55. Jettie Newkirk

56. Michael A. Nutter

57. Shirley Randall

58. Isadore Reivitch

59. Linda Richardson

60. Calvin Robinson

61. Bob Ross

62. James Royal

63. Sheela Allen Stevens

64. Stanley L. Straughter

65. Bennie Swans

66. Dr. Napoleon Vaughn

67. Frances Walker

68. Hugo Warren III

69. Ron Washington

70. Linn Washington

71. Richard Watson: First Interview

72. Richard Watson: Second Interview

73. Harold Watson

74. Reverend David Weeks

75. Kaleb Whitby

76. John F. White

77. John White Jr.

78. Jewel Williams

79. Shavon Williams

80. Woody Woodland

81. Alex Woodley

82. Jessie W. Woods Jr.

83. Ralph Wynder

Bibliography

Works Cited

Credits

They Shaped Philadelphia

Between 1950-2000

Coordinator/ Cover Layout

Ashley Scott

Digitization/ Editing

Ashley Scott

Brianna Camero

Marisol Sanchez

Albert Valentino

Nicole Babiarz

Lydia Yoo

Walter D. Palmer Leadership School

1%20copy.jpg

Walter D. Palmer is the founder and director of The W. D. Palmer Foundation (est. 1955), a repository of information-gathering on racism in health, education, employment, housing, courts, prisons, higher education, military, government, politics, law, banking, insurance, and more.

He is also the founder of the Black People’s University of Philadelphia (1955) Freedom School, which was the grassroots organizing and training center for grassroots community and political leadership both in Philadelphia and nationally.

These organizations were run as nonprofit unincorporated associations from 1955 until 1980, when the W. D. Palmer Foundation received its 501(c)(3) federal tax exemption status.

W. D. Palmer has also been a professor, teaching American Racism at the University of Pennsylvania since the 1960s and today he is a member of the President’s Commission on 1619, the 400-year anniversary of African slavery in America.

Professor Palmer has been a social activist leading the fight against racial injustice for over 70 years in Philadelphia and around the nation. In 2018, Philadelphia honored him for the organizing work he did to reform the Philadelphia school system in 1967.

In 2020, Philadelphia honored him for 65 years of fighting for social justice throughout the country. In 1980, he led the fight for parental school choice which helped the Governor of Pennsylvania get a law passed in 1997, and in 2000 he created the Walter D. Palmer Leadership Charter School.

In 2005, he borrowed $11,000,000 to build a 55,000 square foot two-story building on two acres of land in North Philadelphia, which was donated to the school by the City of Philadelphia, and because of the school’s rapid growth, in 2010 he acquired the Saint Bartholomew Catholic High School for his middle and high school.

In 10 years, the school grew from 300 elementary and middle school students to 200 preschoolers and over 1,000 kindergartens to twelfth graders. In 2005, W. D. Palmer commissioned a muralist to paint over 400 pre-selected portraits on the school walls, corridors, and stairwells, with a goal to paint 30 15-foot murals in the gymnatorium.

Although the Walter D. Palmer Leadership School recruited at-risk children that were from 17 of the poorest zip codes in Philadelphia and 300% below poverty, the school boasted a 95% daily attendance, 100% high school graduation rate, and 100% postgraduate placement in four-year and two-year colleges, trade and technology schools, or military, until the school’s closing in 2015.

About the Artist

My Life in The Sunshine

Colored pencil, gouache, marker, collage on paper

34 x 26

1987

Cavin Jones is a painter and muralist from Philadelphia. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in

Painting from the Tyler School of Art in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania. He then went on to receive

his Master of Fine Arts in Painting from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.

He has a unique style, including collage, which he says allows him to distill his various ideas and interests into a single painting. Cavin sees his work as a way to stimulate dialogue about issues surrounding race and environmentalism. He has been featured in many prestigious collections and exhibitions. Cavin’s art is inspired by American history, environmental exploitation, and the African American experience.

The Mural Arts Project

The mural arts project was created by Professor Walter Palmer, then designed, drawn and painted on the walls of the institute between 2005 and 2014 by Philadelphia muralist Cavin Jones. The project, which has been described as a national and international treasure and a living museum of literacy, history, social studies and humanities through art, is unparalleled to anything like it in the nation or around the world.

A Brief Biography of Professor Walter Palmer

After a tumultuous juvenile life, Professor Palmer graduated from high school and was hired by the University of Pennsylvania hospital as a surgical attendant and was eventually recruited by the University of Pennsylvania School of Inhalation and Respiratory (Oxygen) Therapy.

After his certification as an inhalation and respiratory therapist, he was hired by the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia as the Director of the Department of Inhalation and Respiratory (Oxygen) Therapy, where he spent 10 years helping to develop the national field of cardiopulmonary therapy.

In 1955, Palmer created the Palmer Foundation and the Black People’s University of Philadelphia Freedom School and would spend the next 70 years developing leaders for social justice nationally.

Professor Palmer has also pursued further education at Temple University for Business Administration and Communications, Cheyney State University for a Teacher’s Degree in History and Secondary Education. And at age 40, acquired his juris doctorate in law from Howard University.

Between 1965 and 1995, he produced and hosted radio programs on Philadelphia WDAS, Atlantic City WUSS, and WFPG Radio, in addition to Philadelphia NBC TV 10 and New Jersey Suburban Cable Television.

In 2006, he was inducted into the Philadelphia College of Physicians as a Fellow for the body of work he had done over the past 70 years, after having spent ten (1980-1990) years as a licensed financial officer teaching poor people how to overcome poverty by saving and investing three dollars per day.

During that entire period, Professor Palmer led the Civil Rights, Black Power and Afrocentric movements in Philadelphia, around the country as well as the Caribbean and West Indies.

In the 1980s to 2015, he led the school choice movement, organized a state-wide parental school choice group which collected 500,000 petitions in 1997, which were used to create a charter and cyber school law in Pennsylvania, and in 2000 the Walter D. Palmer School was named after him.

In 1962, he created a school without walls on the University of Pennsylvania’s campus and became a visiting lecturer in the Schools of Medicine, Law, Education, Business, History, Africana Studies, and Engineering, and he currently is a lecturer in the Schools of Medicine, Social Work, and Urban Studies, where he teaches courses on American racism.

In 1969, he helped the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Social Work students and faculty create required courses on American racism, making the University of Pennsylvania the first school in American academia to have such courses.

In 2019, Professor Palmer was appointed to the President’s Commission on commemorating the 400-year (1619) anniversary of American slavery. Over his many years of teaching, he has received the title of Teacher Par Excellence and has amassed over 1,000 medals, trophies, plaques, certificates, and awards for participation in multiple disciplines.

Disclaimer

We are community members and student interns, not professional authors.

Introduction

Compiled in this publication are interviews with community members and residents of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania who lived through historical moments in the city’s history and many of whom fought voraciously for the rights of Black people in Philadelphia and beyond. Each of these interviews sheds light on these historical moments and details how each person helped shape the trajectory of Philadelphia. These oral histories allow us to understand the events of the past from a first-hand perspective and remain connected with those interviewed. Each of these interviews contributes to the broader history of Philadelphia and recognizes the lasting legacy of each of the interviewees.

Cody Anderson

Interview by: Isaiah Bell

Question #1: What three issues do you think were most important during this period?

1950-1960: Racism, Discrimination, Equal resources [in the Black community].

1960-1970: Racism, Equal access to the criminal justice system, Political education.

1970-1980 &1980-1990: Assimilation [of the Black community as opposed to integration], Lost independence [of the Black community].

1990-2000: Unemployment, incarceration [of the Black population], Minorities in the media [both as the subject and the author.

Question #2: Who were the most significant figures locally during those periods?

1950-1960: Father Divine, Cecil B. Moore

1960-1970: Cecil B. Moore

1970-1980: Charlie Bowser, Congressman Nix, and Minister Louis Farrakhan

1980-1990: Wilson Goode, Minister Louis Farrakhan

1990-2000: John Street, Congressman Chaka Fatah.

Question #3: Who were the most significant figures nationally during that time?

1950-1960: Adam Clayton Powel, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., A. Phillip Randolph

1960-1970: Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Rev. Leon Sullivan

1970-1980: Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Rev. Leon Sullivan

1980-1990: Minister Lois Farrakhan, Congressman Bill Gray, Jesse Jackson, and Leon Sullivan

1990-2000: Minister Lois Farrakhan, Jesse Jackson, and Leon Sullivan Question

Lou Anderson

Interview by: James Friedlander

What three issues do you think were most important during this period?

• Legislation outlawing segregation.

• The rise of the Black Power Movement as a catalyst for change.

• The Anti-War Movement.

• Revolution in the former Soviet Union, start of capitalism.

• The Million Man March and the Million Woman March.

Who were the most significant figures locally during those periods?

1950-1960:

• Paul Robeson

• Cecil Moore, attorney, brought change by speaking out on civil rights in Philadelphia.

• Frank Rizzo

1960-1970:

• Walter Palmer

• Lewis Smith

• Charles Bowers

• John Coltrane

1970-1980:

• Dave Richardson

• Spencer Cox

• Philly Joe Jones

• Robert Hooks Jr.

• Kevin Hooks

• Wilt Chamberlain

• John Widner

1980-1990:

• Barbara Chase

• Charles Fulles

• Larry Neal

• Sherman Hemsley

• Johnny Sample

• Sonya Sanchez

1990-2000:

• Will Smith

• Ed Bradley

• Stanley Clark

Who were the most significant figures nationally during those periods?

1950-1960:

• Martin Luther King

• Rosa Parks

• Roy Wilkins

• Dag. Hammarskjold

• Charley Parker

1960-1970: (same as above)

1970-1980:

• Frank Sinatra

• Muhammad Ali

1980-1990:

• Jesse Jackson

• F. Lee Bailey

• Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Dr. J

• Michael Jackson

1990s

• O.J. Simpson

• Johnny Cochran

• Lewis Farrakhan

• Maya Angelou

• Tony Morrison

• Oprah Winfrey

What positive outcomes came about during those periods?

1950-1960:

Large scale initiative to end racism.

1960-1970:

Intellectual development spreading

The right for Blacks to vote.

The hippie movement

1970-1980:

Coalition of political groups

1980-1990: No comment (unclear about positive outcomes in the eighties said that it was too early to tell.)

1990-2000: No comment, (unclear about positive outcomes)

What contributions did you make during those periods?

Exhibited paintings.

Taught in the inner-city schools to underprivileged children.

Instrumental in developing programs towards ending gang violence by implementing these programs.

Various educational research

Development of the African American Museum

Did you work on any projects with Dr. Palmer during those periods?

Historical and cultural projects

Anonymous

Interview by: Sean Coleman

(For reasons of confidentiality, I will refer to my interviewee as Number One.)

Number One was born and raised in West Philadelphia in 1940. He describes his childhood as excellent and bourgeois. His father was a foreman at the post office and his mother was a cook. He had nine other brothers and sisters (4 brothers and 5 sisters) and was the youngest of all his siblings. Number One grew up in an Italian neighborhood, but his family was not accepted by the other people in the neighborhood until he was ten years old due to racial hostility.

Because his father worked nights and he was removed in terms of age from his older brothers, Number One says he didn’t have any male patterns in his early years. His mother, however, was integral in his life. His mom grew up Baptist and was grooming him to be a minister. They attended Mt. Caramel Baptist Church on 58 and Race. His routines as a youth would be to go from school to church. His mother also encouraged him to read, which he describes as a new vista in education. This would prove beneficial later in life.

At the age of 15, Number One relates he had been living a double life. He was doing things that were not sanctioned. He was involved in drugs, drinking, and gangs. He ran with the biggest gang in West Philly known as The Moon. The name was derived from the talk about America putting a man in space. He explains that his turf was his space, the moon, and if they couldn’t control the Earth then they would control the moon.

Also at the age of 15 was when Number One converted to Islam. His introduction to the religion came through a friend whom he asked for money to buy wine. His friend replied he had something better than wine and gave him a book to read, The Philosophies and Teachings of Islam. As a child he recalls how his crew would read the works of Shakespeare, Homer, Aristotle and Plato. Reading was what was in. After stalling to read the book, Number One finally did and he said it made sense. At this time in his life, he explains that he had one foot in the gang, one foot in Islam, and one foot in the church.

In his earlier years, Number One was involved in a life that many can only read about. He was heavy into the jazz scene, recalling how he used to sneak into jazz clubs in New York, where he met jazz greats such Miles Davis and Thelonius Monk. He enlisted into the army by lying about his age. While in the army, he was recruited by the CIA as a cryptographer and was involved in covert operations in Turkey. After leaving the Pentagon, he became a Black Nationalist. He had established connections with the Black Panthers, Rap Brown, and Stockely Carmichael. He recalls the attempts on his life by the Philadelphia police department, the betrayal by one of his associates and the trial which could have sent him to prison for 20 years.

Number One lost interest in Nationalism and focused more on Islam. He became the founder of Change. He started daycare centers, breakfast programs, and pest control programs. He took over the Abbott Ford program and worked with gangs in West Philadelphia. He was able to receive funds to keep his programs running to the dislike of many people. People in the community got involved in the center’s activities. He attempted to expose to the people things that were kept from them. He taught a mixture of Islam, arts, and literature to the people. He was recruited by Temple University to run its daycare and kindergarten programs. Later he was offered an administrative post at Temple, which he held for 23 years before being laid off last year. Number One describes his era as an exciting time ... brothers and sisters were righteous.

Questions

1. What three issues do you think were the most important during this period?

1950 - 1960:

A. Being successful in life. There was an emphasis on going to school and working for the government. The government was always right.

B. Have good living conditions, beautifying neighborhoods, and showing whites that we were human.

C. Clothing was important. Being dressed neat and clean. Not like people dress today.

1960-1970:

A. Militancy; what was happening to blacks. Having pain and the correction was through revolution.

B. Being Black.

C. Dressing Militant. This was frightening to people and affected whites. We were dressing as a symbol of standing up for what you believe. We wore African clothes to fatigues.

1970-1980:

A. Education was important. There were institutions and model cities to appease blacks to get out of revolutionary concepts and into the mainstream; becoming part of corporate America. The guerrilla tactics we used were the same whites used at board tables.

B. Crossing over and being integrated. Books and education at the time equaled righteousness.

C. Religion. Islam was blowing up in Philly and that is when my seriousness developed.

1980-1990:

A. Politics had switched from the 60s to make education pay off.

B. Selling themselves (blacks) to the Democratic Party.

C. I felt there would be a reversal of thought and militancy would come back. The 80s were disappointing.

1990 -2000:

A. The 90s signify religious revival; more people are becoming Muslim.

B. Recruitment for Islam.

C. Focus is still political, hopes that problems in America will be solved.

2. Who were the most significant figures locally during those periods:

1950-1960:

Walter Palmer, David Harim, Norella Williams, Cecil B. Moore.

1960-1970:

The same people I stated. Sheikh Mohammed, Mustafa Hashim, Rev. Leon Sullivan, and RAM (Revolution Action Movement).

1970-1980:

The 70s were laid back. No one emerging, but Harvey Williams, Dave Richardson, Milton Street were jockeying for position

1980 - 1990:

I left the scene; no one impressed me, not even myself. The brothers disappointed me. They carried this watered down Afro-centric frame of mind and were non- active. The MOVE was weak in militancy.

1990-2000:

None. None.

3. Who were the most significant figures nationally during those periods?

1950-1960:

Elijah Mohammed, Joanna Chestminer, Malcolm X.

1960 - 1970:

Malcolm X, Stockley Carmicheal, Rap Brown, the Last Poets. King, but Black Nationalist didn’t like him.

1970-1980:

Jesse Jackson; I didn’t think it was significant and people like him. Gill Scott Herring, Assata Shakur.

1980 - 1990:

None.

1990- 2000:

None. I think Michaell Jordan is a latent militant. He was just suppressed and brain-washed. He’s deep, but not light weight. No one touched his mind. Bryan Gumble is another latent militant.

4. What positive outcomes came about during those periods?

1950 - 2000:

None. Every time we thought we were getting something, it was nothing. Degrees, jobs; it’s not the degree it’s the school. We were offered jobs, but not self-esteem. Nothing from nothing leaves nothing. We were expecting, but were going against the system. The system couldn’t reward us.

5. What contributions did you make during those periods?

1950-2000:

Nothing. It was so small and minute. What I wanted to do and ended up doing were two different things. I never carried out what I wanted, thus I was not successful. My options were only underground or jail. Except for religion; my only success and satisfaction with being a human being. Paying spiritual dues, fruits of, being president of several community organizations. I was successful in staying out of jail.

6. Did you work on any projects with Professor Palmer during those periods?

I worked with brothers who worked with him in West Philly. Walt was always a mad man. With mad men you give them space. I gave him space and respect. It’s a miracle he didn’t go to jail. Many resented him because he did his own thing and ran his own groups. He was in charge. College didn’t provide proper education unless people like Walt were there.

Carl Bailey

Interview by: Roger Beckwith

Question: What three issues do you think were most important during this period?

1950’s-1960’s

Answer: During this period, I would have to say that the most important issue during this period had to be making people understand that you have to stop being the victim. We had to understand that people must take responsibility for their own actions. This was a different philosophy than what was previously being practiced in black America. We had to change their philosophy. What we needed was someone who could help them and be an example. This was beginning to take place during this time. Remember that the ’50’s, prior to this time, blacks held certain jobs. Certain jobs were not available to us at this time. Having a stable job is what was needed the most but we never had that type of security. Black people never had that opportunity. But now there were a couple events that gave black people a new insight. Now, you begin to see blacks have some more opportunities. I guess you could say that the 50’s were sort of a turning point. The biggest contribution for us was the military and the war. The Korean War gave blacks an opportunity to see different parts of the world. As a result of that, there was the GI Bill which made the military option that much more attractive. We became exposed to another way of life; to see that. We had to learn how to live. There was another, better way to live. Many blacks didn’t understand this, but a few did. You will always see in a bunch of blacks in poverty that there are a few that will realize that there is always a way out. The military option was that way out for a lot of blacks. They had been to Europe and Asia and Africa and began to understand that life did not have to be the way it was. The key to it is standards, blacks with who understood this.

Q; 1960’s-1970’s?

A: Blacks at this time were starting to get into white colleges. They were beginning to learn that a certain amount of education helps them. We had the freedom to work hard and get an education. We have to stop being the victim. Take responsibility for your own life. We weren’t intimidated by the white man anymore. Some of us weren’t. We had examples. Black people had seen other places where people of color did not have to live in such poor conditions. We did not have to accept it. We began to use the advantages, however few they were, that were offered to us. Going to college, being overseas in the wars exposed us to another way of lifestyle. Through this a young black man can see how he is supposed to behave and act in order to improve his condition and be self-sufficient. What we needed was more interaction between the races. We needed to mingle. This led to more interaction in the labor force and in education. We have a place in America, and blacks started to realize this. This led to the network concept. That is what is important, in some ways more than the education. Blacks started asking the question, "How can going to schools with whites help you? A prime example is John F. Kennedy, why did he choose Hatch? One of his cabinet members; he went to school with him. He knew of him from going to college with him. JFK understood that he was educated the same as he was; he knew he had the credentials. Some blacks began to live in white worlds. If you have to live in a society, you have to live it, sleep it, eat it, you must be acquainted with it. You have to do this to survive. I had to be able to network with them. I am originally from the south side of Chicago. I went to school and got a little scholarship to Wharton. I graduated from the small entrepreneurship program in ’67. Now you have everybody talking about going into business for themselves. Being able to work for myself is what I always wanted. We are not like white families with family businesses. We did not have family business for our children to get into family business. It is all networking and if you look closely you can see it. You can tell those with Ivy and private school education by the way they understand their freedom, and function. You have blacks stepping up reaching a certain level. You look at the leaders you have today. Bill Gray, for example, had a private school education. Then you see a generation gap. The only difference between them and us is the color of skin. We still must have the standards because this is what sets you apart. I believe in the ’70’s that standards began to drought. For example, if you came into my office like this twenty years ago, I wouldn’t have even spoken to you. It is the image level. Now there are different standards and that is acceptable. But this is why there is a recession. We have to get back to this. When you graduate from Penn, you are going to have to look for a job. You shouldn’t have to look for a job, you should have one waiting for you. Remember that there is a difference from graduating from Penn, and graduating from Penn standards. The image is what will get you over; the standards.

Q: 1970’s-1980’s

A: We began to lose the standards in the 70’s. People were realizing that they were free. We wanted our place to live. And this is where I think everything went wrong. Social Work programs got into the way of things. Social Work programs made them forget their own responsibilities. I believe that these social workers messed up a lot of black folks. You saw the changes. You know where 48th and Brown is? We had the best playgrounds. There were coffee shops and everything. The white people were there. You have the black people around and the white people around. And here is what the social programs did: They brought the black folks a place to live, but they didn’t teach them how to live. They put them up with the white folks, but they didn’t have the standards. Social workers were taught to change the area where blacks lived without changing the standards. Social programs were designed to do this. Understand that they knew that without the standards that are naturally acquired by education, blacks were destined to mess the area up. Because they didn’t know how to do things. This is what happened u p at 48th and Haverford. The whites moved out of these areas. We had coffee shops and nightclubs and the Penn and Drexel students were there, too. But we messed that up. And the students and other whites began moving closer to campus.

Q; 1980’s-1990’s?

A: We continued this into the eighties. People have to understand that poor blacks and poor whites are the same. Neither of them have any standards. But they began being grouped together and blacks began to acquire these habits. The standards begin to drop on both sides. At this level, black and whites are in the same boat. It is a cultural issue. Poor whites are fighting for the same thing. They don’t have the standards either. The poor man needs to understand the system. If American people understand-regardless of color, they will have opportunities. The ones who are successful in this country are the ones with the standards-again, regardless of standards. I’m telling you that this was the big catch in America, those who understand got over, those who didn’t suffer. Black people need to realize that there is always going to be a race issue in America. But standards will help us get over them. If you look, there are people with less education doing better than people with more education. This is due to standards. If you function in a manner that is conducive to earning respect then you will be successful, no matter the odds. Look at me, I came from the south side of Chicago.

Q; 1990’s-2000?

A: Race issues will not be anything that will stop us from reaching our goals. Characters and goals are what will get you over. The only thing that you have to know here in America is how to go get what you want. Have a plan. Nowadays, it isn’t a big secret. All you have to do is see it, picture it, visualize it. We can’t use the same old excuses. Every black kid has to see it. You can’t let others place tags on you. You can’t let them keep you from seeing your way out of poverty. People know it’s there, because they can see it. Now in your neighborhood, you see examples. There is no reason for us not to reach our goals. It is all in your desire. You have to be focused. Desire and determination transcend the race problems, but we have people still using this as an excuse.

Q: Who were the most significant figures nationally during those periods?

A: Cassius Clay was one of my heroes. You had to admire him, because it was unheard of for a black man to stand up against the country and government like he did. Anybody else that did what Cassius Clay did would not be loved by the white society like he is today. They would not get away with it. I look at blacks that have done something. Johnson & Johnson Products, Co., they are the type of heroes that I look at. You have to understand my type of heroes. Martin just worked for the things that we have. These are things that we are supposed to have. I respect his contributions and they are unrivaled. My theory is that if you have everything, the essentials then you don’t need affirmative actions. Malcolm X did not have standards. They are not viewed as responsible leaders, Malcolm and Farrakhan. Those are the types of heroes that make things turn around. This is what black people need. Responsible leaders are leaders that are acceptable to whites because they pose no real threat. What you have to do is go back every ten to fifteen years and compare. You are the only one who can do this. If you are consistently improving this is your example to keep pursuing. You can achieve it. Blacks have to self-evaluate and be honest to each other. We never really had a black hero. What you are talking about again is standards. The whole concept is based on what they have acquired with standards. I have won national business awards in Washington. I am a credible name. I am known. I had the standards. My business is profitable. Blacks have to become self-supportive. I am speaking about being independent; being a man. This is what kills the moral. Walt and I talk about this everyday. You heard of the Moore College of Art? I am responsible for scholarships for minorities there. It never happened before. We can do it for ourselves.

Q: What positive outcomes came about during those periods?

A: There were many, I mean to name would be numerous. Cecil Moore became very active in helping legislation here. Alexander Pace, Walt Palmer; Waltwas another cat. He stayed out there in the streets, rallying and stuff. Walt was bitter. He made changes. In this way he was similar to Cassius Clay. He made people aware. These are the significant things done by people that really make a difference.

Q: What contributions did you make during these periods?

A: I think that I made contributions by sitting on committees. I sat on a lot of boards for people; we worked that way to help people. You have to understand me, I am not the one to be the center of attention. I bring attention to other people.

Analysis

Carl Bailey is obviously a very successful businessman. He has won numerous awards for his achievements in small entrepreneurship. He attributes his various successes to his understanding that black people can not use race as an excuse anymore. We must be responsible for our own actions. Upon entering Mr. Bailey’s office, I quickly perceived how he took notice of my casual dress. My appearance would later serve as an example of how times have changed with respect to standards; twenty years before he would not even have met with me. Another point about Carl Bailey was his Booker T. Washington outlook on black people. I said to him that many blacks in poverty, such as the forty-sixth street projects residents, are never put into an opportunity where they can learn to understand the importance of standards. It is difficult for a ten year old without a father living in a two room apartment with six others to see past the extreme negatives of his surroundings. And although I am aware of several exceptions to the rule, the exceptions are not what I was talking about. I am more concerned with those falling victim to the rule. Mr. Bailey seemed not to accept this. In this way he seemed to me to be of the neo-conservative type; believing that we all can make it out of the ghettos across the country. My primary disagreement is this: society (white society) will permit a select few, those responsible in the eyes of white culture, to slip out of poverty. This is done because it can be overstressed that blacks are making progress, whereas for the select few that do get out, there are masses that can not. I believe that Mr.

Bailey fails to realize this. He is the exception, and I am not knocking this because I am also, but I am not narrow minded enough to think that it can be this way for all blacks in this country. I have worked very hard to be where I am, but I realize that I was lucky to be in the right situation at the right time to take advantage of the opportunities that I have. Our keenly structured society permits a select few of our responsible ones to slip through. This does not justify equality, nor does it provide exemption from our responsibilities. Carl Bailey is an excellent example of self-motivation across the odds; but black people as a whole are systematically structured in a society where opportunities never cross our way.

Kathy Barlow

Interview by: Leanora Borelli

For the first of my oral histories, I interviewed Kathy Barlow. She is a forty-seven year old Philadelphia resident, with a remarkable history of fighting for social justice, especially in terms of race, class, poverty, and gender. She is currently a lawyer for the Environmental Protection Agency, but her activities outside of this require more of her time and devotion.

IMPORTANT ISSUES AND FIGURES FROM 1960 TO PRESENT

Kathy Barlow graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1971. Even as a student, she considered her position at Penn as a student secondary to the social movements in Philadelphia at the time. She began her discussion of important issues in the period from 1960 to 1970. The most important issues she cited were the Civil Rights movement and the Anti-War movement. Concerning the Vietnam War, she thought that these years developed the idea of whether the government could be held accountable for making decisions about going to war. It was the first time that citizens really questioned the government’s position in war. The second issue of importance in the 60’s she discussed was whether the Bill of Rights was applicable to people of color. She believed it was an important period in questioning whether black citizens would be entitled to equality. The third significant issue she discussed was poverty. She considers these years to be the first in which mainstream America and mainstream press showed real poverty. Things that had once been considered only characteristic of third-world countries were now found and exposed in the United States.

On a national level, Kathy cited Martin Luther King and John F. Kennedy as significant figures during this period. As for figures of importance in local politics, she mentioned Frank Rizzo, though not because he was a positive influence. He was important to her for what he represented to the city of Philadelphia; Rizzo stood for institutional racism, and had a significant impact on blacks in this city. She also mentioned the chairman of the Citywide Black Community Council, though she could not remember his name.

The next period begins in 1970 and extends until 1980. The first important issue she cited was the Women’s Movement. She believed that this movement took on the same language as the Rights movement; women were finally asking for basic equality of rights and liberties. The Civil second issue she mentioned was entirely economic. She believed that during this period signs became very clear that economic decisions our country was making were dividing it into have and have-nots. The third issue she thought to be of importance was civil rights, but in a different manner than in the 1960’s. She said that during this time, it was questioned whether any of the rhetoric of the 60’s, regarding bringing blacks into the mainstream, would be realized. She felt that it became clear that this would not happen and there was a much different tone than the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960’s. Kathy believed that the 70’s were a turning point, and that it became clear that blacks would not have an equal opportunity for power.

It was interesting that Kathy had no one to mention as a significant national figure during the 1970’s. There was no one that she could recall exercising leadership that would make them outstanding nationally. In addition, there were no prominent local figures for this period in her opinion, though she acknowledged that she was probably overlooking a few.

As for the 1980’s, Kathy believed these years were extremely regressive due to the Reagan/Bush political programs. There was a real change in how the Federal government treated its citizens; people could no longer rely on Federal programs for support. She thought this was a period of retrenchment on the Federal level. During this time, she said that more and more groups began to come together centrically and this began to compartmentalize things in terms of race relations. It was a sort of antithesis to the melting-pot that America was supposed to represent. Another issue she pointed to was the increasing disparity between classes; during the 1980’s distinctions associated with privileges became more pronounced. In terms of social rights, she said that people with disabilities began to have more of a voice in advocating their equal rights. Along those same lines, she believed this period to be the beginning of the prominence of the lesbian-gay these movement.

She cited three important national figures during the 1980’s: Ronald Reagan, Nelson Mandella, and the author Alice Walker. As for local figures of this period, she mentioned Mark Siegel as the most important. He greatly contributed to the Lesbian-Gay movement by bringing it to the attention of mainstream politicians in Philadelphia. Kathy also said that Wilson Good and Sonia Sanchez were important figures for her during this period.

The next period she discussed was 1990 to the present. She believes the most important issue of the current period is economic. The country has become clearly divisible, and she thinks it is moving towards a caste system that is economically, not culturally, mandated. She describes this era as the end of the American Dream. Because of these economic conflicts, she says that our ability to get along with one another has been skewed. Resources have become scarce, so most people have adopted the position of feeding their own. She finally mentioned that though there are many horrible issues facing our country, it is clear that the politicians know what they are, but lack the will to change things. She strongly feels that we need ethical and moral leadership, or the US is heading towards something similar to the fall of Rome.

Kathy mentioned several significant national figures for the 1990’s: Louis Farrakhan, Rush Limbaugh (to her, he represents permission to say repressive things and he legitimizes the ability to discuss things that are extreme in a right wing sense), Newt Gingrich, Bill Clinton, and Nelson Mandella. As for local political figures she says that there were many but specifically refers to John Street, Ed Rendell, and Carol Fairperry.

POSITIVE OUTCOMES AND CONTRIBUTIONS

Kathy did not refer to any specific positive outcomes for any of the periods. She thinks that the Black Power movement, the Women’s movement, the Disabled movement, and the Lesbian-Gay movement have all become exposed during these periods and made positive contributions of their own. Even amongst their own members, people have come together in their cause and fought for rights and equality. There has been sophistication, too, within these groups about how to act politically. They have come to have an important influence on the political processes of this country. She also believes that throughout these periods the social continuum has gotten smaller and smaller, and people are beginning to recognize this. Most people recognize that the economic landscape between the rich and the poor is changing, and there is no longer a reasonable expectation that children will do better than their parents. She believes all of these movements, throughout all of these periods, have added to people’s consciousness about economic and social systems in this country. Though this recognition is not of positive things, it is positive that we, as citizens, recognize the changing face of our country.

As for her own personal contributions, she began to get politically involved in the 1960’s at the University of Pennsylvania. Kathy said that what drives and motivates her is that every individual should lead the best life possible. As a child her parents taught her the meaning of community and she has applied this to all aspects of her life. In every community she has lived in, she looked around to see if advocacy would help better her environment. This was what she brought to the University. Kathy said she chose Penn because it was in a city with a large black population, though she could go a week at Penn without seeing another black person. Her major contributions included helping to recruit blacks to Penn, organizing the first Black Student Union, establishing the W.E.B. DuBois house for residential support of blacks on campus, and advocating community rights with administrators of the University. She worked with Ed Simms on urban Renewal. She believed Penn should be held responsible for the negative effects it had on the community, and was a firm protest of their expansion into West Philadelphia. She played a large role in the shutdown of the Penn campus in 1968.

She defined the 1970’s as her law days, as she attended the University of Pennsylvania Law School. When she graduated she worked for the Center for Law and Social Policy in Washington D.C. She started the first food co-op in West Philadelphia. She also worked for the Department of Education as a civil rights attorney. Kathy also participated in the Title 9 case, which asked for parity for women in intercollegiate athletics. She was also an advocate against handicapped discrimination. Kathy said that she feels her biggest contribution was simply her decision to become an advocate for social rights, rather than work as a hired attorney.

In the 1980’s Kathy became involved with the Environmental Protection Agency as an attorney. She also became very civically involved in Philadelphia during this period. She served as president and executive director of Sister Space of Delaware Valley, which is committed to the empowerment of lesbian women. In fact, she will remain the director until the end of this year. Kathy also became the commissioner of the Fairmount Women’s Softball League, which is one of the largest leagues in the country. When she took the position, it was on the verge of collapse.

The period from 1990 to present has been very busy for Kathy. She is the president of the Delaware Valley Legacy Fund, whose goal is to raise a one million dollar endowment for the lesbian-gay movement. She is also the vice-president of the Aids Information Network, which will help increase the level of health care to neighborhoods who have been hit hard by aids. Kathy is still employed by the Environmental Protection Agency, but she says that she is very bothered by her job. She finds it interesting that people could care so much about Mother Earth, yet be in complete ignorance about the social conditions of the country. Much of Kathy’s contribution has been within her community, whether it be setting up a neighborhood watch, or childcare for working mothers in the community.

Kathy Barlow is a shining example of what it means to fight for rights and social justice, whether they be gender, race, or class based. She has been an important figure in Philadelphia since her days at the University of Pennsylvania. Without her countless efforts as a social advocate, Philadelphia would probably not be the same city that it is today. We can expect her to continue this active role far into the future, and bring more positive contributions everywhere she goes. She is someone I would be honored to have in my community.

Mr. Brother Battles

Interview Conducted by Lara Afanassiev

1. What three issues do you think were most important during these periods?

1950-1960- 1) Marching and demonstrations for the changing of the status of blacks, as well