1 20 16 https://digital.bronxhistoricalsociety.org/files/original/bc7eeba07a492da435bcf3f7b747784d.mp4 db23d73a1871ace9faa5c21f60580241 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®, Eta Omega Omega Chapter Records Subject The topic of the resource Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® Bronx African American History Project Eta Omega Omega Bronx Graduate Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® Wheeler, Wilson & Johnson Community Projects, Inc. Wheeler, Wilson & Johnson Community Projects, Inc. Description An account of the resource Eta Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated® was chartered on May 23, 1964, by twelve members. The chapter celebrates a rich history of service, philanthropy, and scholarship for the Bronx community. From its inception, programs of service were launched to enhance the quality of life for residents of The Bronx. Specific emphasis was placed on engaging youth, working with developmentally disabled children, and providing services to the elderly. Eta Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated® provides volunteer services to vulnerable and underserved communities. One of the first programs started by the chapter was a garden project at the Southeast Neighborhood Center for developmentally disabled adults. Since then, the chapter has initiated several other service projects, including Impact Days, Earth Day and Akarosa Adopt A Highway beautification initiatives, financial literacy workshops, Alzheimer's awareness projects, mental health support projects, and healthy heart initiatives. The chapter also spearheads the MLK Day of Service project, various toy drives, collaborative Global Impact Day with South Africa and St, Croix members as well as a host of other programs that demonstrate a strong commitment to serving the Bronx community. In addition to serving the community, members also participate in weekly prayer calls, leadership enrichment opportunities, membership and sisterly relations activities that are intergenerational, like book, movie, exercise, and travel clubs. Eta Omega Omega chartered Xi Xi chapter, an undergraduate chapter at Lehman College on June 25, 1983, and members of that chapter have participated in many of the projects. Eta Omega Omega chapter's signature program is the Rites of Passage Mentoring Program. This program provides high school girls with year-long intensive workshops on personal development, ancestral history, interpersonal relations, etiquette, and goal setting. Since 1991 this program has guided young girls towards their transition into womanhood by fostering a sense of responsibility, sisterhood, and self-pride. The chapter will continue the Rites of Passage Program in collaboration with ((#CAP℠), the current administration’s College Admissions Process program ((#CAP℠), designed to assist students in their efforts to enter college. As a result of the work that Eta Omega Omega has done, the chapter has earned many national and international accolades and awards. Some awards earned were Small and Medium Chapter of the Year, the Spirit Award, Membership, Connection, and Star Award for Outstanding Programs. On a regional level, several chapter members have been recognized for their outstanding service in leadership. Members were honored as Basileus of the year, Silver Star of the year, Graduate Advisor of the year, and the Idell Pugh Angel Award. In 1994, the Chapter established a not-for-profit corporation and later changed the name of this corporation to Wheeler, Wilson and Johnson Community Projects, Inc. The corporation was organized exclusively for educational and charitable purposes within Bronx County. Through the foundation the chapter hosts an annual holiday toy drive, leads peace walks, and donates dorm baskets to students leaving for college. In addition, the Chapter annually gives over $10,000 in scholarships to support youth attending two-year, four year, and HBCU colleges. As a large-sized chapter, with 129 members, Eta Omega Omega is one of seventeen exceptional graduate chapters in Cluster III of the Notable North Atlantic Region. Many members have moved up in leadership. Eta Omega Omega members have served as Cluster and Regional Committee Chairman and Cluster Co-Coordinators. Chapter member Soror Joy Elaine Daley has served previously as the North Atlantic Regional Director and currently serves as the International Regional Director. Eta Omega Omega Members continue to exemplify the ideals that Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated® was founded on well over 110 years ago.  Through the direction of our 30th International President, Dr. Glenda Glover, the Chapter has implemented the 2018–2022 International Program under the theme, "Exemplifying Excellence Through Sustainable Service." The International Program includes five program targets designed to advance the mission of Alpha Kappa Alpha with excellence and underscore a commitment to sustainable service. The five program targets for 2018–2022 are: <ol> <li><a>HBCU for Life: A Call to Action</a></li> <li><a>Women's Healthcare and Wellness</a></li> <li><a>Building Your Economic Legacy</a></li> <li><a>The Arts!</a></li> <li><a>Global Impact</a></li> </ol> In addition, Eta Omega Omega members implement International Community Service Days annually to highlight the organization's collective impact in program target areas: <ul> <li>Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service (January)</li> <li>Pink Goes Red for Heart Health Day (February)</li> <li>AKA Global Impact Day (April)</li> <li>AKA International Day of Prayer (August)</li> <li>AKA HBCU Day (September)</li> <li>Breast Cancer Awareness Day (October)</li> <li>AKA Caregivers' Day (November)</li> </ul> Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®, Eta Omega Omega Chapter, Donna Joseph, President, Saudah Muhammad, Chapter Historian Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1964–present Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Mixed media collection Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context MS-AKAHOO Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Naison, Mark Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data MP4 Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 01:13:52 Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Best King, LaVerne D. Interview Format Audio or Video Video Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Bronx African American History Project Oral History with LaVerne D. Best King Subject The topic of the resource Best King, LaVerne D. Bronx African American History Project Eta Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Description An account of the resource Oral history of LaVerne D. Best King, member of Eta Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., recorded for the Bronx African American History Project in 2020. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Best King, LaVerne D. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource MP4 Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context MS-AKAHOO.BD.006 https://digital.bronxhistoricalsociety.org/files/original/d23bac9cce5001918bcfb238e546761b.mp4 b5aa51d42f2f38fac4d53adfd3d3febd Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®, Eta Omega Omega Chapter Records Subject The topic of the resource Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® Bronx African American History Project Eta Omega Omega Bronx Graduate Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® Wheeler, Wilson & Johnson Community Projects, Inc. Wheeler, Wilson & Johnson Community Projects, Inc. Description An account of the resource Eta Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated® was chartered on May 23, 1964, by twelve members. The chapter celebrates a rich history of service, philanthropy, and scholarship for the Bronx community. From its inception, programs of service were launched to enhance the quality of life for residents of The Bronx. Specific emphasis was placed on engaging youth, working with developmentally disabled children, and providing services to the elderly. Eta Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated® provides volunteer services to vulnerable and underserved communities. One of the first programs started by the chapter was a garden project at the Southeast Neighborhood Center for developmentally disabled adults. Since then, the chapter has initiated several other service projects, including Impact Days, Earth Day and Akarosa Adopt A Highway beautification initiatives, financial literacy workshops, Alzheimer's awareness projects, mental health support projects, and healthy heart initiatives. The chapter also spearheads the MLK Day of Service project, various toy drives, collaborative Global Impact Day with South Africa and St, Croix members as well as a host of other programs that demonstrate a strong commitment to serving the Bronx community. In addition to serving the community, members also participate in weekly prayer calls, leadership enrichment opportunities, membership and sisterly relations activities that are intergenerational, like book, movie, exercise, and travel clubs. Eta Omega Omega chartered Xi Xi chapter, an undergraduate chapter at Lehman College on June 25, 1983, and members of that chapter have participated in many of the projects. Eta Omega Omega chapter's signature program is the Rites of Passage Mentoring Program. This program provides high school girls with year-long intensive workshops on personal development, ancestral history, interpersonal relations, etiquette, and goal setting. Since 1991 this program has guided young girls towards their transition into womanhood by fostering a sense of responsibility, sisterhood, and self-pride. The chapter will continue the Rites of Passage Program in collaboration with ((#CAP℠), the current administration’s College Admissions Process program ((#CAP℠), designed to assist students in their efforts to enter college. As a result of the work that Eta Omega Omega has done, the chapter has earned many national and international accolades and awards. Some awards earned were Small and Medium Chapter of the Year, the Spirit Award, Membership, Connection, and Star Award for Outstanding Programs. On a regional level, several chapter members have been recognized for their outstanding service in leadership. Members were honored as Basileus of the year, Silver Star of the year, Graduate Advisor of the year, and the Idell Pugh Angel Award. In 1994, the Chapter established a not-for-profit corporation and later changed the name of this corporation to Wheeler, Wilson and Johnson Community Projects, Inc. The corporation was organized exclusively for educational and charitable purposes within Bronx County. Through the foundation the chapter hosts an annual holiday toy drive, leads peace walks, and donates dorm baskets to students leaving for college. In addition, the Chapter annually gives over $10,000 in scholarships to support youth attending two-year, four year, and HBCU colleges. As a large-sized chapter, with 129 members, Eta Omega Omega is one of seventeen exceptional graduate chapters in Cluster III of the Notable North Atlantic Region. Many members have moved up in leadership. Eta Omega Omega members have served as Cluster and Regional Committee Chairman and Cluster Co-Coordinators. Chapter member Soror Joy Elaine Daley has served previously as the North Atlantic Regional Director and currently serves as the International Regional Director. Eta Omega Omega Members continue to exemplify the ideals that Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated® was founded on well over 110 years ago.  Through the direction of our 30th International President, Dr. Glenda Glover, the Chapter has implemented the 2018–2022 International Program under the theme, "Exemplifying Excellence Through Sustainable Service." The International Program includes five program targets designed to advance the mission of Alpha Kappa Alpha with excellence and underscore a commitment to sustainable service. The five program targets for 2018–2022 are: <ol> <li><a>HBCU for Life: A Call to Action</a></li> <li><a>Women's Healthcare and Wellness</a></li> <li><a>Building Your Economic Legacy</a></li> <li><a>The Arts!</a></li> <li><a>Global Impact</a></li> </ol> In addition, Eta Omega Omega members implement International Community Service Days annually to highlight the organization's collective impact in program target areas: <ul> <li>Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service (January)</li> <li>Pink Goes Red for Heart Health Day (February)</li> <li>AKA Global Impact Day (April)</li> <li>AKA International Day of Prayer (August)</li> <li>AKA HBCU Day (September)</li> <li>Breast Cancer Awareness Day (October)</li> <li>AKA Caregivers' Day (November)</li> </ul> Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®, Eta Omega Omega Chapter, Donna Joseph, President, Saudah Muhammad, Chapter Historian Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1964–present Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Mixed media collection Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context MS-AKAHOO Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data MP4 Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 00:44:06 Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Naison, Mark Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Bowman, Carolyn Interview Format Audio or Video Video Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Bronx African American History Project Oral History with First Initiate Carolyn Bowman Subject The topic of the resource Bowman, Carolyn Bronx African American History Project Eta Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Description An account of the resource Oral history of Carolyn Bowman, first initiate into the Eta Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., recorded for the Bronx African American History Project in August 2020. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Bowman, Carolyn Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource August 2020 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource MP4 Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context MS-AKAHOO.BD.008 https://digital.bronxhistoricalsociety.org/files/original/6e58bf6340d45870ebb99bd409c960ba.mov 10acc64bf8d10c498f75413c57d87f2e Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®, Eta Omega Omega Chapter Records Subject The topic of the resource Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® Bronx African American History Project Eta Omega Omega Bronx Graduate Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® Wheeler, Wilson & Johnson Community Projects, Inc. Wheeler, Wilson & Johnson Community Projects, Inc. Description An account of the resource Eta Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated® was chartered on May 23, 1964, by twelve members. The chapter celebrates a rich history of service, philanthropy, and scholarship for the Bronx community. From its inception, programs of service were launched to enhance the quality of life for residents of The Bronx. Specific emphasis was placed on engaging youth, working with developmentally disabled children, and providing services to the elderly. Eta Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated® provides volunteer services to vulnerable and underserved communities. One of the first programs started by the chapter was a garden project at the Southeast Neighborhood Center for developmentally disabled adults. Since then, the chapter has initiated several other service projects, including Impact Days, Earth Day and Akarosa Adopt A Highway beautification initiatives, financial literacy workshops, Alzheimer's awareness projects, mental health support projects, and healthy heart initiatives. The chapter also spearheads the MLK Day of Service project, various toy drives, collaborative Global Impact Day with South Africa and St, Croix members as well as a host of other programs that demonstrate a strong commitment to serving the Bronx community. In addition to serving the community, members also participate in weekly prayer calls, leadership enrichment opportunities, membership and sisterly relations activities that are intergenerational, like book, movie, exercise, and travel clubs. Eta Omega Omega chartered Xi Xi chapter, an undergraduate chapter at Lehman College on June 25, 1983, and members of that chapter have participated in many of the projects. Eta Omega Omega chapter's signature program is the Rites of Passage Mentoring Program. This program provides high school girls with year-long intensive workshops on personal development, ancestral history, interpersonal relations, etiquette, and goal setting. Since 1991 this program has guided young girls towards their transition into womanhood by fostering a sense of responsibility, sisterhood, and self-pride. The chapter will continue the Rites of Passage Program in collaboration with ((#CAP℠), the current administration’s College Admissions Process program ((#CAP℠), designed to assist students in their efforts to enter college. As a result of the work that Eta Omega Omega has done, the chapter has earned many national and international accolades and awards. Some awards earned were Small and Medium Chapter of the Year, the Spirit Award, Membership, Connection, and Star Award for Outstanding Programs. On a regional level, several chapter members have been recognized for their outstanding service in leadership. Members were honored as Basileus of the year, Silver Star of the year, Graduate Advisor of the year, and the Idell Pugh Angel Award. In 1994, the Chapter established a not-for-profit corporation and later changed the name of this corporation to Wheeler, Wilson and Johnson Community Projects, Inc. The corporation was organized exclusively for educational and charitable purposes within Bronx County. Through the foundation the chapter hosts an annual holiday toy drive, leads peace walks, and donates dorm baskets to students leaving for college. In addition, the Chapter annually gives over $10,000 in scholarships to support youth attending two-year, four year, and HBCU colleges. As a large-sized chapter, with 129 members, Eta Omega Omega is one of seventeen exceptional graduate chapters in Cluster III of the Notable North Atlantic Region. Many members have moved up in leadership. Eta Omega Omega members have served as Cluster and Regional Committee Chairman and Cluster Co-Coordinators. Chapter member Soror Joy Elaine Daley has served previously as the North Atlantic Regional Director and currently serves as the International Regional Director. Eta Omega Omega Members continue to exemplify the ideals that Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated® was founded on well over 110 years ago.  Through the direction of our 30th International President, Dr. Glenda Glover, the Chapter has implemented the 2018–2022 International Program under the theme, "Exemplifying Excellence Through Sustainable Service." The International Program includes five program targets designed to advance the mission of Alpha Kappa Alpha with excellence and underscore a commitment to sustainable service. The five program targets for 2018–2022 are: <ol> <li><a>HBCU for Life: A Call to Action</a></li> <li><a>Women's Healthcare and Wellness</a></li> <li><a>Building Your Economic Legacy</a></li> <li><a>The Arts!</a></li> <li><a>Global Impact</a></li> </ol> In addition, Eta Omega Omega members implement International Community Service Days annually to highlight the organization's collective impact in program target areas: <ul> <li>Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service (January)</li> <li>Pink Goes Red for Heart Health Day (February)</li> <li>AKA Global Impact Day (April)</li> <li>AKA International Day of Prayer (August)</li> <li>AKA HBCU Day (September)</li> <li>Breast Cancer Awareness Day (October)</li> <li>AKA Caregivers' Day (November)</li> </ul> Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®, Eta Omega Omega Chapter, Donna Joseph, President, Saudah Muhammad, Chapter Historian Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1964–present Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Mixed media collection Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context MS-AKAHOO Moving Image A series of visual representations imparting an impression of motion when shown in succession. Examples include animations, movies, television programs, videos, zoetropes, or visual output from a simulation. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data MOV Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 00:16:11 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Compilation of oral histories from Eta Omega Omega Chapter Subject The topic of the resource Eta Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Bronx African American History Project Brown, Jacqueline Everette Jackson, Sheila Myers, Anne Best King, LaVerne D. Scott, Dr. Candice Tanner, Marietta Bowman, Carolyn Clement, Irma Description An account of the resource Compilation of oral histories from Eta Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. prepared for "A Preservation of History: Archival/Repository Collection, 1964–Present" event at Wave Hill, The Bronx, New York, September 26, 2021, 12:00–2:30pm Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Bronx African American History Project Payne, Steven Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2021 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource MOV Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history compilation Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context MS-AKAHOO.BD.005 https://digital.bronxhistoricalsociety.org/files/original/6bb88b9c49f560db9acd557ab0de391f.mp4 a14b644c3d39503b9c8c5fcc4fd7810c Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®, Eta Omega Omega Chapter Records Subject The topic of the resource Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® Bronx African American History Project Eta Omega Omega Bronx Graduate Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® Wheeler, Wilson & Johnson Community Projects, Inc. Wheeler, Wilson & Johnson Community Projects, Inc. Description An account of the resource Eta Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated® was chartered on May 23, 1964, by twelve members. The chapter celebrates a rich history of service, philanthropy, and scholarship for the Bronx community. From its inception, programs of service were launched to enhance the quality of life for residents of The Bronx. Specific emphasis was placed on engaging youth, working with developmentally disabled children, and providing services to the elderly. Eta Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated® provides volunteer services to vulnerable and underserved communities. One of the first programs started by the chapter was a garden project at the Southeast Neighborhood Center for developmentally disabled adults. Since then, the chapter has initiated several other service projects, including Impact Days, Earth Day and Akarosa Adopt A Highway beautification initiatives, financial literacy workshops, Alzheimer's awareness projects, mental health support projects, and healthy heart initiatives. The chapter also spearheads the MLK Day of Service project, various toy drives, collaborative Global Impact Day with South Africa and St, Croix members as well as a host of other programs that demonstrate a strong commitment to serving the Bronx community. In addition to serving the community, members also participate in weekly prayer calls, leadership enrichment opportunities, membership and sisterly relations activities that are intergenerational, like book, movie, exercise, and travel clubs. Eta Omega Omega chartered Xi Xi chapter, an undergraduate chapter at Lehman College on June 25, 1983, and members of that chapter have participated in many of the projects. Eta Omega Omega chapter's signature program is the Rites of Passage Mentoring Program. This program provides high school girls with year-long intensive workshops on personal development, ancestral history, interpersonal relations, etiquette, and goal setting. Since 1991 this program has guided young girls towards their transition into womanhood by fostering a sense of responsibility, sisterhood, and self-pride. The chapter will continue the Rites of Passage Program in collaboration with ((#CAP℠), the current administration’s College Admissions Process program ((#CAP℠), designed to assist students in their efforts to enter college. As a result of the work that Eta Omega Omega has done, the chapter has earned many national and international accolades and awards. Some awards earned were Small and Medium Chapter of the Year, the Spirit Award, Membership, Connection, and Star Award for Outstanding Programs. On a regional level, several chapter members have been recognized for their outstanding service in leadership. Members were honored as Basileus of the year, Silver Star of the year, Graduate Advisor of the year, and the Idell Pugh Angel Award. In 1994, the Chapter established a not-for-profit corporation and later changed the name of this corporation to Wheeler, Wilson and Johnson Community Projects, Inc. The corporation was organized exclusively for educational and charitable purposes within Bronx County. Through the foundation the chapter hosts an annual holiday toy drive, leads peace walks, and donates dorm baskets to students leaving for college. In addition, the Chapter annually gives over $10,000 in scholarships to support youth attending two-year, four year, and HBCU colleges. As a large-sized chapter, with 129 members, Eta Omega Omega is one of seventeen exceptional graduate chapters in Cluster III of the Notable North Atlantic Region. Many members have moved up in leadership. Eta Omega Omega members have served as Cluster and Regional Committee Chairman and Cluster Co-Coordinators. Chapter member Soror Joy Elaine Daley has served previously as the North Atlantic Regional Director and currently serves as the International Regional Director. Eta Omega Omega Members continue to exemplify the ideals that Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated® was founded on well over 110 years ago.  Through the direction of our 30th International President, Dr. Glenda Glover, the Chapter has implemented the 2018–2022 International Program under the theme, "Exemplifying Excellence Through Sustainable Service." The International Program includes five program targets designed to advance the mission of Alpha Kappa Alpha with excellence and underscore a commitment to sustainable service. The five program targets for 2018–2022 are: <ol> <li><a>HBCU for Life: A Call to Action</a></li> <li><a>Women's Healthcare and Wellness</a></li> <li><a>Building Your Economic Legacy</a></li> <li><a>The Arts!</a></li> <li><a>Global Impact</a></li> </ol> In addition, Eta Omega Omega members implement International Community Service Days annually to highlight the organization's collective impact in program target areas: <ul> <li>Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service (January)</li> <li>Pink Goes Red for Heart Health Day (February)</li> <li>AKA Global Impact Day (April)</li> <li>AKA International Day of Prayer (August)</li> <li>AKA HBCU Day (September)</li> <li>Breast Cancer Awareness Day (October)</li> <li>AKA Caregivers' Day (November)</li> </ul> Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®, Eta Omega Omega Chapter, Donna Joseph, President, Saudah Muhammad, Chapter Historian Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1964–present Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Mixed media collection Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context MS-AKAHOO Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data MP4 Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 01:03:26 Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Naison, Mark Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Brown, Jacqueline Everett Interview Format Audio or Video Video Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Bronx African American History Project Oral History with Charter Member Jacqueline Everette Brown Subject The topic of the resource Brown, Jacqueline Everette Bronx African American History Project Eta Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Charter members of Eta Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Description An account of the resource Oral history of Jacqueline Everette Brown, a Charter Member of Eta Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., recorded for the Bronx African American History Project in August 2020. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Brown, Jacqueline Everette Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource August 2020 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource MP4 Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context MS-AKAHOO.BD.010 https://digital.bronxhistoricalsociety.org/files/original/92a08a9cd90929736ad4f294e47b9d45.mp4 d6948974f14a190126ee8ac0e9351910 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®, Eta Omega Omega Chapter Records Subject The topic of the resource Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® Bronx African American History Project Eta Omega Omega Bronx Graduate Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® Wheeler, Wilson & Johnson Community Projects, Inc. Wheeler, Wilson & Johnson Community Projects, Inc. Description An account of the resource Eta Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated® was chartered on May 23, 1964, by twelve members. The chapter celebrates a rich history of service, philanthropy, and scholarship for the Bronx community. From its inception, programs of service were launched to enhance the quality of life for residents of The Bronx. Specific emphasis was placed on engaging youth, working with developmentally disabled children, and providing services to the elderly. Eta Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated® provides volunteer services to vulnerable and underserved communities. One of the first programs started by the chapter was a garden project at the Southeast Neighborhood Center for developmentally disabled adults. Since then, the chapter has initiated several other service projects, including Impact Days, Earth Day and Akarosa Adopt A Highway beautification initiatives, financial literacy workshops, Alzheimer's awareness projects, mental health support projects, and healthy heart initiatives. The chapter also spearheads the MLK Day of Service project, various toy drives, collaborative Global Impact Day with South Africa and St, Croix members as well as a host of other programs that demonstrate a strong commitment to serving the Bronx community. In addition to serving the community, members also participate in weekly prayer calls, leadership enrichment opportunities, membership and sisterly relations activities that are intergenerational, like book, movie, exercise, and travel clubs. Eta Omega Omega chartered Xi Xi chapter, an undergraduate chapter at Lehman College on June 25, 1983, and members of that chapter have participated in many of the projects. Eta Omega Omega chapter's signature program is the Rites of Passage Mentoring Program. This program provides high school girls with year-long intensive workshops on personal development, ancestral history, interpersonal relations, etiquette, and goal setting. Since 1991 this program has guided young girls towards their transition into womanhood by fostering a sense of responsibility, sisterhood, and self-pride. The chapter will continue the Rites of Passage Program in collaboration with ((#CAP℠), the current administration’s College Admissions Process program ((#CAP℠), designed to assist students in their efforts to enter college. As a result of the work that Eta Omega Omega has done, the chapter has earned many national and international accolades and awards. Some awards earned were Small and Medium Chapter of the Year, the Spirit Award, Membership, Connection, and Star Award for Outstanding Programs. On a regional level, several chapter members have been recognized for their outstanding service in leadership. Members were honored as Basileus of the year, Silver Star of the year, Graduate Advisor of the year, and the Idell Pugh Angel Award. In 1994, the Chapter established a not-for-profit corporation and later changed the name of this corporation to Wheeler, Wilson and Johnson Community Projects, Inc. The corporation was organized exclusively for educational and charitable purposes within Bronx County. Through the foundation the chapter hosts an annual holiday toy drive, leads peace walks, and donates dorm baskets to students leaving for college. In addition, the Chapter annually gives over $10,000 in scholarships to support youth attending two-year, four year, and HBCU colleges. As a large-sized chapter, with 129 members, Eta Omega Omega is one of seventeen exceptional graduate chapters in Cluster III of the Notable North Atlantic Region. Many members have moved up in leadership. Eta Omega Omega members have served as Cluster and Regional Committee Chairman and Cluster Co-Coordinators. Chapter member Soror Joy Elaine Daley has served previously as the North Atlantic Regional Director and currently serves as the International Regional Director. Eta Omega Omega Members continue to exemplify the ideals that Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated® was founded on well over 110 years ago.  Through the direction of our 30th International President, Dr. Glenda Glover, the Chapter has implemented the 2018–2022 International Program under the theme, "Exemplifying Excellence Through Sustainable Service." The International Program includes five program targets designed to advance the mission of Alpha Kappa Alpha with excellence and underscore a commitment to sustainable service. The five program targets for 2018–2022 are: <ol> <li><a>HBCU for Life: A Call to Action</a></li> <li><a>Women's Healthcare and Wellness</a></li> <li><a>Building Your Economic Legacy</a></li> <li><a>The Arts!</a></li> <li><a>Global Impact</a></li> </ol> In addition, Eta Omega Omega members implement International Community Service Days annually to highlight the organization's collective impact in program target areas: <ul> <li>Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service (January)</li> <li>Pink Goes Red for Heart Health Day (February)</li> <li>AKA Global Impact Day (April)</li> <li>AKA International Day of Prayer (August)</li> <li>AKA HBCU Day (September)</li> <li>Breast Cancer Awareness Day (October)</li> <li>AKA Caregivers' Day (November)</li> </ul> Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®, Eta Omega Omega Chapter, Donna Joseph, President, Saudah Muhammad, Chapter Historian Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1964–present Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Mixed media collection Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context MS-AKAHOO Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data MP4 Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 00:53:42 Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Naison, Mark Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Clement, Irma Interview Format Audio or Video Video Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Bronx African American History Project Oral History with Irma Clement Subject The topic of the resource Clement, Irma Bronx African American History Project Eta Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Description An account of the resource Oral history of Irma Clement, member of Eta Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., recorded for the Bronx African American History Project in July 2020. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Clement, Irma Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource July 2020 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource MP4 Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context MS-AKAHOO.BD.011 https://digital.bronxhistoricalsociety.org/files/original/828bc49d10c1908505575443b5f28aab.mp4 bd717eebaf3c837487368c5fbd5bea3a Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®, Eta Omega Omega Chapter Records Subject The topic of the resource Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® Bronx African American History Project Eta Omega Omega Bronx Graduate Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® Wheeler, Wilson & Johnson Community Projects, Inc. Wheeler, Wilson & Johnson Community Projects, Inc. Description An account of the resource Eta Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated® was chartered on May 23, 1964, by twelve members. The chapter celebrates a rich history of service, philanthropy, and scholarship for the Bronx community. From its inception, programs of service were launched to enhance the quality of life for residents of The Bronx. Specific emphasis was placed on engaging youth, working with developmentally disabled children, and providing services to the elderly. Eta Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated® provides volunteer services to vulnerable and underserved communities. One of the first programs started by the chapter was a garden project at the Southeast Neighborhood Center for developmentally disabled adults. Since then, the chapter has initiated several other service projects, including Impact Days, Earth Day and Akarosa Adopt A Highway beautification initiatives, financial literacy workshops, Alzheimer's awareness projects, mental health support projects, and healthy heart initiatives. The chapter also spearheads the MLK Day of Service project, various toy drives, collaborative Global Impact Day with South Africa and St, Croix members as well as a host of other programs that demonstrate a strong commitment to serving the Bronx community. In addition to serving the community, members also participate in weekly prayer calls, leadership enrichment opportunities, membership and sisterly relations activities that are intergenerational, like book, movie, exercise, and travel clubs. Eta Omega Omega chartered Xi Xi chapter, an undergraduate chapter at Lehman College on June 25, 1983, and members of that chapter have participated in many of the projects. Eta Omega Omega chapter's signature program is the Rites of Passage Mentoring Program. This program provides high school girls with year-long intensive workshops on personal development, ancestral history, interpersonal relations, etiquette, and goal setting. Since 1991 this program has guided young girls towards their transition into womanhood by fostering a sense of responsibility, sisterhood, and self-pride. The chapter will continue the Rites of Passage Program in collaboration with ((#CAP℠), the current administration’s College Admissions Process program ((#CAP℠), designed to assist students in their efforts to enter college. As a result of the work that Eta Omega Omega has done, the chapter has earned many national and international accolades and awards. Some awards earned were Small and Medium Chapter of the Year, the Spirit Award, Membership, Connection, and Star Award for Outstanding Programs. On a regional level, several chapter members have been recognized for their outstanding service in leadership. Members were honored as Basileus of the year, Silver Star of the year, Graduate Advisor of the year, and the Idell Pugh Angel Award. In 1994, the Chapter established a not-for-profit corporation and later changed the name of this corporation to Wheeler, Wilson and Johnson Community Projects, Inc. The corporation was organized exclusively for educational and charitable purposes within Bronx County. Through the foundation the chapter hosts an annual holiday toy drive, leads peace walks, and donates dorm baskets to students leaving for college. In addition, the Chapter annually gives over $10,000 in scholarships to support youth attending two-year, four year, and HBCU colleges. As a large-sized chapter, with 129 members, Eta Omega Omega is one of seventeen exceptional graduate chapters in Cluster III of the Notable North Atlantic Region. Many members have moved up in leadership. Eta Omega Omega members have served as Cluster and Regional Committee Chairman and Cluster Co-Coordinators. Chapter member Soror Joy Elaine Daley has served previously as the North Atlantic Regional Director and currently serves as the International Regional Director. Eta Omega Omega Members continue to exemplify the ideals that Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated® was founded on well over 110 years ago.  Through the direction of our 30th International President, Dr. Glenda Glover, the Chapter has implemented the 2018–2022 International Program under the theme, "Exemplifying Excellence Through Sustainable Service." The International Program includes five program targets designed to advance the mission of Alpha Kappa Alpha with excellence and underscore a commitment to sustainable service. The five program targets for 2018–2022 are: <ol> <li><a>HBCU for Life: A Call to Action</a></li> <li><a>Women's Healthcare and Wellness</a></li> <li><a>Building Your Economic Legacy</a></li> <li><a>The Arts!</a></li> <li><a>Global Impact</a></li> </ol> In addition, Eta Omega Omega members implement International Community Service Days annually to highlight the organization's collective impact in program target areas: <ul> <li>Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service (January)</li> <li>Pink Goes Red for Heart Health Day (February)</li> <li>AKA Global Impact Day (April)</li> <li>AKA International Day of Prayer (August)</li> <li>AKA HBCU Day (September)</li> <li>Breast Cancer Awareness Day (October)</li> <li>AKA Caregivers' Day (November)</li> </ul> Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®, Eta Omega Omega Chapter, Donna Joseph, President, Saudah Muhammad, Chapter Historian Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1964–present Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Mixed media collection Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context MS-AKAHOO Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data MP4 Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 00:37:52 Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Naison, Mark Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Jackson, Sheila Myers, Anne Interview Format Audio or Video Video Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Bronx African American History Project Oral History with Sheila Jackson and Anne Myers Subject The topic of the resource Jackson, Sheila Myers, Anne Eta Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Bronx African American History Project Description An account of the resource Oral history of Sheila Jackson and Anne Myers, members of Eta Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., recorded for the Bronx African American History Project in 2020. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Jackson, Sheila Myers, Anne Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource MP4 Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context MS-AKAHOO.BD.014 https://digital.bronxhistoricalsociety.org/files/original/20be87ef3a6584d00a2c0975142d6956.jpg 9021f16e5546bc753675788fdfac0040 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®, Eta Omega Omega Chapter Records Subject The topic of the resource Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® Bronx African American History Project Eta Omega Omega Bronx Graduate Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® Wheeler, Wilson & Johnson Community Projects, Inc. Wheeler, Wilson & Johnson Community Projects, Inc. Description An account of the resource Eta Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated® was chartered on May 23, 1964, by twelve members. The chapter celebrates a rich history of service, philanthropy, and scholarship for the Bronx community. From its inception, programs of service were launched to enhance the quality of life for residents of The Bronx. Specific emphasis was placed on engaging youth, working with developmentally disabled children, and providing services to the elderly. Eta Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated® provides volunteer services to vulnerable and underserved communities. One of the first programs started by the chapter was a garden project at the Southeast Neighborhood Center for developmentally disabled adults. Since then, the chapter has initiated several other service projects, including Impact Days, Earth Day and Akarosa Adopt A Highway beautification initiatives, financial literacy workshops, Alzheimer's awareness projects, mental health support projects, and healthy heart initiatives. The chapter also spearheads the MLK Day of Service project, various toy drives, collaborative Global Impact Day with South Africa and St, Croix members as well as a host of other programs that demonstrate a strong commitment to serving the Bronx community. In addition to serving the community, members also participate in weekly prayer calls, leadership enrichment opportunities, membership and sisterly relations activities that are intergenerational, like book, movie, exercise, and travel clubs. Eta Omega Omega chartered Xi Xi chapter, an undergraduate chapter at Lehman College on June 25, 1983, and members of that chapter have participated in many of the projects. Eta Omega Omega chapter's signature program is the Rites of Passage Mentoring Program. This program provides high school girls with year-long intensive workshops on personal development, ancestral history, interpersonal relations, etiquette, and goal setting. Since 1991 this program has guided young girls towards their transition into womanhood by fostering a sense of responsibility, sisterhood, and self-pride. The chapter will continue the Rites of Passage Program in collaboration with ((#CAP℠), the current administration’s College Admissions Process program ((#CAP℠), designed to assist students in their efforts to enter college. As a result of the work that Eta Omega Omega has done, the chapter has earned many national and international accolades and awards. Some awards earned were Small and Medium Chapter of the Year, the Spirit Award, Membership, Connection, and Star Award for Outstanding Programs. On a regional level, several chapter members have been recognized for their outstanding service in leadership. Members were honored as Basileus of the year, Silver Star of the year, Graduate Advisor of the year, and the Idell Pugh Angel Award. In 1994, the Chapter established a not-for-profit corporation and later changed the name of this corporation to Wheeler, Wilson and Johnson Community Projects, Inc. The corporation was organized exclusively for educational and charitable purposes within Bronx County. Through the foundation the chapter hosts an annual holiday toy drive, leads peace walks, and donates dorm baskets to students leaving for college. In addition, the Chapter annually gives over $10,000 in scholarships to support youth attending two-year, four year, and HBCU colleges. As a large-sized chapter, with 129 members, Eta Omega Omega is one of seventeen exceptional graduate chapters in Cluster III of the Notable North Atlantic Region. Many members have moved up in leadership. Eta Omega Omega members have served as Cluster and Regional Committee Chairman and Cluster Co-Coordinators. Chapter member Soror Joy Elaine Daley has served previously as the North Atlantic Regional Director and currently serves as the International Regional Director. Eta Omega Omega Members continue to exemplify the ideals that Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated® was founded on well over 110 years ago.  Through the direction of our 30th International President, Dr. Glenda Glover, the Chapter has implemented the 2018–2022 International Program under the theme, "Exemplifying Excellence Through Sustainable Service." The International Program includes five program targets designed to advance the mission of Alpha Kappa Alpha with excellence and underscore a commitment to sustainable service. The five program targets for 2018–2022 are: <ol> <li><a>HBCU for Life: A Call to Action</a></li> <li><a>Women's Healthcare and Wellness</a></li> <li><a>Building Your Economic Legacy</a></li> <li><a>The Arts!</a></li> <li><a>Global Impact</a></li> </ol> In addition, Eta Omega Omega members implement International Community Service Days annually to highlight the organization's collective impact in program target areas: <ul> <li>Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service (January)</li> <li>Pink Goes Red for Heart Health Day (February)</li> <li>AKA Global Impact Day (April)</li> <li>AKA International Day of Prayer (August)</li> <li>AKA HBCU Day (September)</li> <li>Breast Cancer Awareness Day (October)</li> <li>AKA Caregivers' Day (November)</li> </ul> Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®, Eta Omega Omega Chapter, Donna Joseph, President, Saudah Muhammad, Chapter Historian Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1964–present Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Mixed media collection Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context MS-AKAHOO Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data JPG Physical Dimensions The actual physical size of the original image 1241x354px Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Reflection by Dr. Mark Naison of Fordham University on Bronx African American History Project Oral History with Dr. Candice Scott Subject The topic of the resource Scott, Dr. Candice Bronx African American History Project Eta Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Naison, Mark Description An account of the resource Screenshot of email by Dr. Mark Naison of Fordham University reflecting on oral history with Dr. Candice Scott, member of Eta Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., recorded for the Bronx African American History Project in 2020. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Naison, Mark Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPG Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Still image Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context MS-AKAHOO.BD.018 https://digital.bronxhistoricalsociety.org/files/original/4c4309bc81cd91ee2d4ff1c8b50f65fe.pdf c5f4ddf5c454af733d318cd13683d336 PDF Text Text THE BRONX COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY JOURNAL Volume LIX Numbers 1–2 Spring/Fall 2022 The Bronx County Historical Society JOURNAL ��The Bronx County Historical Society JOURNAL Volume LIX Numbers 1–2 Spring/Fall 2022 EDITORIAL BOARD G. Hermalyn Elizabeth Beirne Jacqueline Kutner Patrick Logan Steven Payne Gil Walton Roger Wines © 2022 by The Bronx County Historical Society, Inc. The Bronx County Historical Society Journal is published by The Bronx County Historical Society, Inc. All correspondence should be addressed to 3309 Bainbridge Avenue, The Bronx, New York, 10467. Articles appearing in this Journal are abstracted and indexed in America: History and Life, Periodical Source Index, and Recent Scholarship Online. The Journal and its editors disclaim responsibility for statements made by the contributors. ISSN 0007-2249 Articles in The Bronx County Historical Journal can also be found on EBSCO host research databases and on our website under “Collections.” www.bronxhistoricalsociety.org �THE BRONX COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY TRUSTEES Jacqueline Kutner, President Anthony Morante, Vice President Patrick Logan, Treasurer Gil Walton, Secretary Steve Baktidy, Trustee Robert Esnard, Trustee Mei Sei Fong, Trustee Dr. G. Hermalyn, Trustee Joel Podgor, Trustee Lloyd Ultan, Trustee Jac Zadrima, Trustee EX-OFFICIO Hon. Eric Adams Mayor of New York City Hon. Vanessa Gibson Bronx Borough President Hon. Sue Donaghue Commissioner, New York City Department of Parks & Recreation Hon. Laurie Cumbo Commissioner, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs STAFF Dr. G. Hermalyn, Chief Executive Officer Dr. Steven Payne, Director Teresa Brown, Chief Administrative Officer Clarence Addo-Yobo, Museum of Bronx History Senior Interpreter Pastor Crespo, Jr., Research Librarian Roger McCormack, Director of Education Chris Padilla, Bookstore Manager Valerie Blain, Archival Intern Kathleen A. McCauley, Curator Emerita Dr. Mark Naison, Bronx African American History Project Consultant ii �Volume LIX Numbers 1–2 Spring/Fall 2022 CONTENTS A Note from the Editors.......................................................................................................v ARTICLES Titi: An Oral History of Dr. Evelina Antonetty..................................................1 Edited and introduction by Steven Payne Kingsbridge Vignettes............................................................................................................19 By Richard Baum Allerton in the 1940s and 1950s........................................................................................29 By Robert Weiss A Tribute to Bob Gumbs and Harriet McFeeters.............................................39 By Mark Naison About the Authors..................................................................................................................44 FROM THE ARCHIVES Afro-Cuban Jazz in The Bronx......................................................................................45 From the David M. Carp Papers on Latin Jazz REVIEWS Cope, Power Hungry (2022)................................................................................................69 By Pastor Crespo, Jr. Sammartino, Freedomland (2022)...................................................................................72 By Roger McCormack iii �ENDOWED FUNDS The Bronx County Historical Society encourages the establishment of named endowment funds. Funds may be created to support the many different programs of The Society or may be established for restricted use. The funds appear permanently on the financial records of the Historical Society in recognition of their ongoing support of its work. Named endowment funds are established for a gift of $5000 or more and once begun, additional contributions may be made at any time. The following funds currently support our work: Astor Fund Bingham Fund Elbaum Fund Fernandez Fund General Board Fund Gordon Fund Gouverneur Morris Fund Halpern Memorial Fund Hermalyn Institute Fund Isabelle Fund Khan Fund Lampell Fund Library Fund Parisse Fund Sander Fund Ultan Fund For further details, contact: Mr. Joel Podgor, CPA Treasurer Emeritus 718-881-8900 �A NOTE FROM THE EDITORS Volume 59 of The Bronx County Historical Society Journal represents a milestone in the history of this storied periodical, which has been published continuously since 1964. In many respects, the COVID-19 pandemic hit The Bronx County Historical Society with a vengeance. Our two historic house museums were closed for the majority of 2020 and the entirety of 2021 and only started to reopen on a limited basis in 2022. Revenue from museum visits, tours, and inperson purchases all experienced a sharp decline and are only beginning to bounce back. Yet on other important fronts, particularly those of collection acquistion, archival processing, and oral history recording, The Society’s activities picked up as never before. The Society recorded over 100 oral histories during these pandemic years across The Bronx African American History Project, The Bronx Latino History Project, and The Bronx Aerosol Arts Documentary Project. The Society acquired 43 new archival collections during this same period, and over 100 of the 163 collections currently housed in The Bronx County Archives were fully processed and inventoried and are now available to researchers and the wider public. This volume of our Journal contains some of the first fruits of these pandemic labors, including an edited oral history collection from the Bronx Latino History Project around the life and legacy of Dr. Evelina Antonetty (1910–1984), a pivotal Bronx human rights activist, and an archival manuscript of a lengthy but groundbreaking study of Afro-Cuban jazz from the David M. Carp papers on Latin jazz in The Bronx County Archives. This volume, while longer than many previous volumes, is meant to highlight the recent work of The Society while motioning towards our ever-expanding role as a world-class center of community-based historical documentation and scholarship. v �ISABELLE HERMALYN BOOK AWARD IN NEW YORK URBAN HISTORY Presented annually to an author of a distinguished work in New York urban history. 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 Annotated Primary Source 2009 Documents, vol. 2, Roger McCormack 2008 BASEBALL The New York Game, Anthony Morante Hudson’s River, G. Hermalyn and Sidney Horenstein, The 2007 Bronx County Historical Society Concrete Jungle, Niles Eldrige 2006 and Sidney Horenstein, University of California Press Digging The Bronx, Alan 2005 Gilbert, The Bronx County Historical Society 2004 The New York Botanical Garden, Gregory Long and Todd A. Forest, Abrams Books 2003 The Bronx Artist Documentary Project, Judith C. Lane and 2002 Daniel Hauben An Irrepressible Conflict, 2001 Jennifer A. Lemak et al., SUNY Press Supreme City, Donald Miller, 2000 Simon & Schuster Humans of New York, 1999 Brandon Stanton, St. Martin's Press The Impeachment of Governor 1998 Salzer, Matthew L. Lifflander, SUNY Press 1997 Freedomland, Robert McLaughlin and Frank Adamo, Arcadia Publishers Band of Union, Gerard T. Koppel, Da Capa Press Manahatta, Eric W. Sanderson, Abrams Books The New York, Westchester & Boston Railway, Herbert Harwood, Indiana University Press Trying Leviathan, D. Graham Burnett, Princeton University Press Ladies and Gentlemen, The Bronx is Burning, Jonathan Mahler, Ferrar, Strauss & Giroux The Devil’s Own Work, Barnett Schecter, Walker & Co. The Island at the Center of the World, Russell Shorto, Doubleday Capital City, Thomas Kessner, Simon & Schuster Tunneling to the Future, Peter Derrick, NYU Press The Monied Metropolis, Sven Beckert, Cambridge University Press Bronx Accent, Lloyd Ultan and Barbara Unger, Rutgers Press The Neighborhoods of Brooklyn, John Manbeck and Zella Jones American Metropolis, George Lankevich, NYU Press Elected Public Officials of The Bronx Since 1898, Laura Tosi and G. Hermalyn, The Bronx County Historical Society �TITI: AN ORAL HISTORY OF DR. EVELINA ANTONETTY EDITED AND INTRODUCTION BY STEVEN PAYNE I. Introduction Dr. Evelina Antonetty (1922–1984), a proud Bronxite, was among the most prolific human rights activists of the twentieth century. Over the course of more than four decades of activism, Evelina struggled for an end to racial and national discrimination against Puerto Ricans, African Americans, and other racially and nationally oppressed peoples; quality, affordable housing for all; culturally relevant and bilingual public education; full employment with livable wages, especially for youth; robust funding for after-school programs and community centers; healthcare equity; peace and disarmament; and much more. On the occasion of Evelina’s centenary, as part of “Evelina 100,” a week-long celebration of her life and legacy, on Friday, September 16, 2022, The Bronx County Historical Society screened TITI: An Oral History of Dr. Evelina Antonetty, an edited oral history collection, at Pregones/Puero Rican Travelling Theater in The Bronx. Section 2 of this article provides a brief biography of Evelina to orient readers who might not be as familiar with her work. Section 3 contains a list of narrators included in the edited oral history collection, together with references to the full-length oral histories recorded by the Historical Society for the Bronx Latino History Project and the Bronx African American History Project. Section 4 reproduces the transcript of TITI: An Oral History of Dr. Evelina Antonetty in its entirety. Although representing only a sampling of the significant oral history collecting that is taking place around Evelina’s life and legacy, the selections transcribed in the final section of this article demonstrate the multi-layered, complex, emotionally laden, and politically significant impact Evelina continues to have among Titi: An Oral History of Dr. Evelina Antonetty 1 �family members, friends, and the wider Bronx community. Although physically absent, Evelina continues to shape the way that The Bronx and its people struggle for and think about a more livable, sustainable present and future. II. Brief Biography of Dr. Evelina Antonetty Dr. Evelina Antonetty (née López) was born on September 19, 1922 in Salinas, Puerto Rico.1 Her mother, Eva Cruz, raised Evelina and her two younger sisters, Lillian and Elba. Evelina’s aunt and uncle, Vicenta and Enrique Godreau, had relocated to New York City in 1923. A decade later, in 1933, they sent for Evelina to live with them. Evelina left Puerto Rico soon after her youngest sister Elba was born, on September 10, 1933. After arriving in New York on El Ponce, Evelina lived with her aunt and uncle in El Barrio until her mother and sisters could join her. This they did two years later, in 1935, and the entire family lived together in successive East Harlem apartments. Vicenta and Enrique—known to most simply as “Godreau”— had already established extensive ties within the community by the time Evelina’s family arrived. Vicenta was a political activist with close ties to the LaGuardia and Roosevelt administrations. Godreau was a music promoter and numbers runner who regularly socialized with the likes of Machito and Tito Puente. Those close to Evelina while she was growing up remember her as actively engaged in transforming the world and her place within it 1 For longer biographical treatments of Dr. Evelina Antonetty, some more reliable than others, see, for example, Nicholasa Mohr, All for the Better (Austin, TX: Steck-Vaughn, 1993); “Guide to the Records of United Bronx Parents, Inc 1966–1989 (Bulk 1970s–1983),” Centro de Estudios Puertorriqueños, Hunter College, CUNY, 2005 https://centropr-archive.hunter.cuny.edu/sites/default/files/faids/ubpf.html; Nélida Pérez, “Antonetty, Evelina López (1922–1984),” pp. 48–49 in Latinas in the United States: A Historical Encyclopedia (Indiana University Press, 2006); and Nydia Edgecombe, “‘The Hell Lady from the Bronx’ Evelina López Antonetty, el activismo comunitario de una puertorriqueña en la diáspora del Sur del Bronx” (PhD dissertation, El Centro de Estudios Avanzados de Puerto Rico y El Caribe, 2018). 2 STEVEN PAYNE �from an early age. One of her friends from childhood, Dolores Roque, remembers a pageant that she and Evelina organized in elementary school in Puerto Rico. It was the largest pageant in the school’s history up to that point.2 In New York City, at the age of sixteen, Evelina joined the Young Communist League, the youth wing of the Communist Party USA (CPUSA), a formidable force in the 1940s in progressive, anti-racist, labor, and anti-colonial struggles. Evelina was speaking at mass meetings citywide by the time she was in her late teens. Her youngest sister Elba, for instance, remembers Evelina speaking at a large American Labor Party rally in New York City during the early 1940s in support of the U.S.’s anti-fascist war efforts (as World War II was explicitly characterized at the time). During this rally, as a testament to her ability and reputation, a young Evelina was on the rostrum with Jesús Colón (1901–1974), one of the leading Puerto Rican activists of the day and more than 20 years Evelina’s senior. Evelina also worked very closely with Vito Marcantonio, a progressive Italian politician from East Harlem who built close ties with both Italian and Puerto Rican communities in the neighborhood and around New York. Evelina became a postal worker for a period of time during the war, and it was during these years that she met and married her first husband and moved to Jackson Avenue in The Bronx. Evelina gave birth to her first daughter, Lorraine, in 1943. For a number of years after the war, Evelina worked for District 65 of the Retail, Wholesale, and Department Store Union (RWDSU), one of the more militant unions that fell under close scrutiny during the McCarthy era.3 Evelina recruited for the local among Puerto Ricans and other people of color who were still discriminated against in many unions 2 See Section 4 below for the transcription of this story from Dolores Roque’s oral history recorded for the Bronx Latino History Project. 3 District 65 of the RWDSU eventually merged with the United Auto Workers (UAW) and became a local affiliated with that union. For a historical overview of this union, see “Guide to the United Automobile Workers of America, District 65 Records WAG.006,” Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archive, Elmer Holmes Bobst Library, NYU, 2019, https://dlib.nyu.edu/findingaids/ html/tamwag/wag_006/bioghist.html; and Minna P. Ziskind, “Labor Conflict in the Titi: An Oral History of Dr. Evelina Antonetty 3 �at the time. By this point, Evelina’s mother, two sisters, and some of her extended family had also moved to The Bronx, settling nearby on Concord Avenue. During these years, Evelina divorced her first husband and married Donato Antonetty, with whom she had her second daughter, Anita, and her only son Donald. Navigating the public school system with her three children and other parents in the neighborhood convinced Evelina that education advocacy was an urgent and much needed area of struggle, both in The Bronx and citywide. With community and family members, Evelina founded an organization called United Bronx Parents (UBP) in 1965 in order to train Bronx parents to advocate for their children’s language, cultural, and nourishment needs. Additionally, UBP organized bilingual adult education classes, served as a community center, offered a variety of employment and job training opportunities to youth, became involved in local struggles for healthcare justice, and fought for the people of The Bronx in a variety of other ways. UBP quickly grew to become one of New York City’s leading community organizations. By the early 1970s, UBP was distributing two meals a day to thousands of children in all five boroughs for the city’s new free summer breakfast and lunch program. Both through UBP and independently Evelina was deeply engaged in her community. After youth involvement in gangs experienced an uptick in The Bronx during the late 1960s and early 1970s, Evelina began approaching known gang leaders, befriending them, arranging for their employment, and supporting them throughout their rehabilitation. Additionally, Evelina and other community members drew attention to the abhorrent healthcare being provided at Lincoln Hospital and other “ghetto hospitals” (as they were called at the time). She and others, including groups like the Young Lords and Suburbs: Organizing Retail in Metropolitan New York, 1954–1958,” International Labor and Working‐Class History 64 (2003): 55–79. 4 STEVEN PAYNE �the Black Panthers, advocated for community control of these healthcare facilities.4 Evelina also supported Dr. Helen RodríguezTrías (1929–2001) and others at Lincoln Hospital who opposed the appointment of Dr. Antonio Silva, a doctor with a known history of mass sterilization of women in Puerto Rico.5 When the South Bronx and its people were depicted in racist and dehumanizing ways in films like Fort Apache, The Bronx (1981), Evelina hit the streets in protest, always sticking up for her community.6 In short, Evelina was a loving sister, mother, and aunt, a fierce fighter, a mentor to many, an incredibly active and brilliant human being who loved The Bronx, its people, and all oppressed peoples worldwide. III. Oral History Narrators TITI: An Oral History of Dr. Evelina Antonetty contains selections from the oral histories of the following narrators, alphabetized by last name, all of whom have recorded at least one oral history for either the Bronx Latino History Project or the Bronx African American History Project. References to these oral histories are provided to facilitate further research about the life and legacy of Dr. Evelina Antonetty. ANITA ANTONETTY is the daughter of Evelina and Donato Anto4 For recent treatments of struggles for community control of healthcare facilities in The Bronx, see Rachel Pagones, Acupuncture as Revolution: Suffering, Liberation, and Love (London: Brevis, 2021), especially chs. 1 and 3; and Johanna Fernández, The Young Lords: A Radical History (Chapel Hill, NC: The University of North Carolina Press, 2020), 271–304. 5 For a general history of mass sterlization campaigns among Puerto Ricans, see Laura Briggs, Reproducing Empire: Race, Sex, Science, and U.S. Imperialism in Puerto Rico (Berkeley/Los Angeles: University of California Press, 2002), 142–161. A biography of Dr. Helen Rodríguez-Trías can be found in Joyce Wilcox, “The Face of Women’s Health: Helen Rodriguez Trias,” American Journal of Public Health (2002): 566–569. 6 See box 1, folder 3, “Committee Against Fort Apache,” The Gelvin Stevenson papers on Arson and Housing Abandonment, The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library. Titi: An Oral History of Dr. Evelina Antonetty 5 �netty.7 DONALD ANTONETTY is the son of Evelina and Donato Antonetty.8 ELBA CABRERA is the youngest sister of Evelina.9 JOE CONZO, JR. is the grandson of Evelina and the son of Lorraine Montenegro, who was the oldest daughter of Evelina.10 CARINA MONDESIRE is the daughter of Paul Mondesire, the granddaughter of Elba Cabrera, and the great niece of Evelina.11 PAUL MONDESIRE is the younger son of Elba Cabrera and a nephew of Evelina.12 ANTONIO MONDESÍRE-CABRERA is the older son of Elba Cabrera and a nephew of Evelina.13 7 “Oral History of Anita and Donald Antonetty,” April 13, 2022, interviewed by Steven Payne, The Bronx Latino History Project, The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library. 8 “Oral History of Anita and Donald Antonetty.” 9 “Oral History of Elba Cabrera, Part 1,” November 16, 2021; “Oral History of Elba Cabrera, Part 2,” November 30, 2021; “Oral History of Elba Cabrera, Part 3,” December 6, 2021; “Oral History of Elba Cabrera, Part 4,” December 14, 2021; “Oral History of Elba Cabrera, Part 5,” December 22, 2021; “Oral History of Elba Cabrera, Part 6,” December 28, 2021; interviewed by Steven Payne, The Bronx Latino History Project, The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library. 10 “Oral History of Joe Conzo, Jr.,” May 9, 2006, interviewed by Mark Naison, The Bronx African American History Project, The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library. 11 “Oral History of Carina Mondesire,” December 14, 2021, interviewed by Steven Payne, The Bronx Latino History Project, The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library. 12 “Oral History of Paul Mondesire, Part 1,” February 1, 2022, interviewed by Steven Payne, The Bronx Latino History Project, The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library. 13 “Oral History of Babá Antonio Mondesire-Cabrera, Part 1,” June 16, 2022, interviewed by Steven Payne; “Oral History of Babá Antonio Mondesire-Cabrera, Part 2,” September 22, 2022, interviewed by Steven Payne and Pastor Crespo, Jr., The Bronx Latino History Project, The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical 6 STEVEN PAYNE �DOLORES ROQUE is a childhood friend of Evelina who went to elementary school with her in Puerto Rico.14 CLEO SILVERS is a community and labor organizer who was mentored by Evelina as a young activist in the South Bronx in the late 1960s and early 1970s.15 VIVIAN VÁSQUEZ IRIZARRY is an award-winning documentary filmmaker who frequented UBP when she was growing up.16 IV. Transcript of TITI: An Oral History of Dr. Evelina Antonetty The transcribed oral history collection below is organized into three sections: 1. Evelina’s Life, which includes selected narrations of different aspects of Evelina’s life, from early childhood through adulthood; 2. Evelina’s Struggles, comprised of selected narrations of activist struggles Evelina engaged in from the 1940s until her passing in 1984, with pride of place falling to UBP; and 3. Evelina’s Legacies, which contains selected narrations of the many legacies left behind in Evelina’s wake—from a passion for education to gang rehabilitation to mentoring and inspiring generations of community activists, family members, and Bronxites in general. Society Research Library. 14 “Oral History of Dolores Roque,” February 11, 2022, interviewed by Steven Payne, The Bronx Latino History Project, The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library. 15 “Oral History of Cleo Silvers, Part 1,” February 21, 2007; “Oral History of Cleo Silvers, Part 2,” March 12, 2007; interviewed by Mark Naison, The Bronx Latino History Project, The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library. 16 “Oral History of Vivian Vásquez Irizarry,” February 18, 2022, interviewed by Steven Payne, The Bronx Latino History Project, The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library. Titi: An Oral History of Dr. Evelina Antonetty 7 �1. Evelina’s Life ELBA CABRERA: Well, I came to this country in 1935. My sister Evelina had—I was born, I was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico. And the day I was born, Evelina left to come to New York. She actually saw me— she saw my mother giving birth to me. And she said it was the hardest thing for her to leave, to leave her new baby sister. But my aunt [Vicenta Godreau], who had come to New York from Puerto Rico in 1923, had sent for her. And so, she was leaving. And that was actually September 10, 1933 that Evelina came to this country. And she was with my aunt. She landed in the Brooklyn Navy Yards, I think it was. And the boat was the, El Ponce. That was the name of the boat—boat or ship. When, when Evelina came, she went to live at 117th Street, in East Harlem. And it was, I think, off Fifth Avenue, I think. Because, you know, this is all what I’ve heard, you know. I wasn’t around. And so anyway, two years later, my aunt sent for us, sent for me and my mom and Lillian. And we came on the same ship and landed in Brooklyn as well. And we went to live with my aunt, and this was extended family living in Spanish Harlem. ANITA ANTONETTY: Well, how my mother [Evelina Antonetty] and my father [Donato Antonetty] ended up in The Bronx: well, my mother, when, when she came to this country, she lived in El Barrio in Harlem, East Harlem, New York, with her aunt, and then I believe what she told us was that when she, she got married to her first husband, she, they moved to The Bronx. That seemed to be the place people were going, a lot of people were coming to the Bronx, so they were in the South Bronx, Jackson Avenue. So, and then after she divorced her first husband, she and my, my sister Lorraine, were still there in Jackson Avenue. And her mother and her two sisters followed her to the, to The Bronx. That’s Elba 8 STEVEN PAYNE �and Lillian. And they lived on Concord Avenue, which was a block away from Jackson Avenue. My father came later, I think, around ’55 or so, came to New York. And, and his family also had come to, some of them had already come to New York—my aunt Santos and my other aunt Margo, came, came to New York. Santos lived in the same building, Jackson Avenue. Margo lived in Concord as well. So, we had, we had, we had family all around us. There was other friends also that lived [in] Union Avenue: Tini, Carmen. Carmen Muñoz was godmother to Donny. My, my godmother, Celia Avilés, at the time, lived in, in Jackson Avenue, 625 Jackson, [inaudible], too. So, it was a real family neighborhood, you know, besides being blood relatives, we were close to everybody. It was a very mixed neighborhood. It was, you know, Puerto Ricans, African Americans that came from the South. There were others: Irish; Jewish, mostly from, from Russia; and Chinese. There were Chinese people that lived in the neighborhood, too. So, it was a very mixed neighborhood, very working-class neighborhood. PAUL MONDESIRE: So, the anchor of our family was Titi—everybody called her “Titi.” That would be Dr. Evelina Antonetty. Titi and her family, when I was really, really, really young, they lived, I think it was there on Jackson Avenue. The address I’m remembering: 625 Jackson Avenue. But we used to go visit them all the time. We used to visit Aunt Lilly a lot. She and, she and my grandmother lived in the then new Bridge Apartments, there at 111 Wadsworth, in, you know, technically that’s Man-, Washington Heights. The Bridge Apartments at that time were brand, brand new. They, this was before they kind of turned into a sewer, you know, because that, that turned into a very harsh neighborhood. But Aunt Lilly moved out of there before then. Titi: An Oral History of Dr. Evelina Antonetty 9 �But, so, we would visit Titi and Aunt Lilly a lot. Lorraine and her kids. I mean, well, Titi was kind of the, she was the fulcrum. So, everybody went to Titi’s house, no matter what. Right? So, you know, holidays were spent going to Titi’s a lot. DOLORES ROQUE: Let me tell you: one time I went to get together, and we tried to make a pageant. And we made a pageant. And I say, “You know what? We’re gonna have Alma.” Alma was a girl, she was very nice, cute, but she had a cross-eye, and was cross-eyed. Her mother was separating from her father. But Titi and me, we decided to make the pageant. And I made the pageant. So, this man, he was a big man with money, like Alma’s father. They worked in the, in the corporation that then built [inaudible]. And this guy came over to me, and he says, “How much money do you need to make my daughter the queen?” The ticket was two cents —two cents, the ticket! Just [to] buy the stuff for the pageant, and, you know, for the—. So, and then we say, “No, we want to have —Alma will be the president.” And I said [to Titi], “You’re gonna be the, the princess.” So, we made the pageant, okay—the teacher doesn't know anything about it. We’re doing everything behind the teacher’s back. But it happened so that was the biggest event the school has, okay? Titi was the princess, and we made Alma the queen. That was Evelina and me in school, okay? They had a garden. And there we had a, they had a teacher. Mostly for the boys. For teaching gardening and stuff like that. And Titi and me went to see how they seed, plant the tomatoes, just to see. We don’t want to do it, but they don’t allow girls. It was only for the boys. We had to do something else. And Titi and me were there looking to see. And then I said, “I can do it.” Titi said, “I can do it.” 10 STEVEN PAYNE �2. Evelina’s Struggles ELBA CABRERA: This [pointing to a photograph] was during World War Two. We used to have rallies for the war effort, and Evelina was one of the main speakers [for an American Labor Party rally] with Jesús Colón, and two other women. And I have a cute story about that. I was, I was about, I don’t know, maybe seven, eight years old. And I was in the audience with Lillian, with my sister Lillian, and all of a sudden, the rains came. And I had this, they had given me like a costume with crepe paper, color, and the rains came, and all this dye came all over me. And I started crying out for Evelina. We used to call her “Titi.” I said, “Titi!” And, and Lillian says, “You can’t, she can’t come down, just stay with me.” But I’ll never forget that day. Above: Dr. Evelina Antonetty, 1980, Frank Espada, photographer, National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; acquisition made possible through the Smithsonian Latino Initiatives Pool, administered by the Smithsonian Latino Center. Titi: An Oral History of Dr. Evelina Antonetty 11 �PAUL MONDESIRE: I think the most important thing to recall about those years was Titi’s attitude was not by any means necessary. It was by every means necessary, okay? She worked with city, city administrations. She worked with folks that had less than savory reputations in certain places, because that’s what you had to do. But her personal integrity on this was unquestioned. Like I said, she wouldn’t mess around with those SEBCO [South East Bronx Community Organization] people, and they wouldn’t mess around with her. Think about, think about that. The mob wouldn’t f—k with Titi. The mob would not f—k with Titi. And yeah, I said it just like that. Yeah, that’s the kind of powerful person that she was. When she started United Bronx Parents [in 1965], it was first United Bronx Parents, as the, as the, you know, education advocacy organization. Then she started the daycare center, and the daycare center grew into, you know, ultimately serving, you know, all kinds of populations, you know, the, you know, folks that were, you know, recovering from drugs. And later on, when Lorraine was running the organization, she got into helping, you know, creating the women’s shelter. I don’t know as much about the details there. ANITA ANTONETTY: Besides being at Bank Street, after school, we were in United Bronx Parents. And, and since my mother’s consultations moved out of the house, we had to learn how to answer the phone properly. Take messages, all of that. And then in, in, in the office, we, if there was an event going on, and flyers were being run off, we, and we needed to collate material, it was all done by hand, machines, at the time, to do it. So, we were put to work. And we also learned how to sit at the switchboard and transfer calls and all of that. DONALD ANTONETTY: And Elba was the, the office manager. 12 STEVEN PAYNE �ANITA ANTONETTY: The office manager. DONALD ANTONETTY: She was a drill sergeant. ANITA ANTONETTY: She wouldn’t, she wouldn’t take anything from anybody. But we had, we had the run of the place pretty much. But we were in the middle of everything. DONALD ANTONETTY: But we were always expected to work. Always. Matter of fact, my father used to tell us, you know, since this is, you know, since it’s family-run, you’re expected to do more than anybody who was an employee there. Okay. Okay. Always. Always. ANITA ANTONETTY: [Our father] was integral to the operation. DONALD ANTONETTY: He used to translate all the documents into Spanish—like from Spanish to English, or mostly English to Spanish. So, all the, all the materials for the parents organizing, organizing, he would translate it. We always put out everything in English and Spanish. ANITA ANTONETTY: And by hand because it was two dictionaries and two thesauruses, and then just going back and forth. He would spend, spend nights doing that. And then if anything broke, he was fixing it. The machines broke, he would fix them. If, if something had, shelves had to be built, he was building them. But what was good about him is that he was working with people, and especially younger people, and showing them how to do: this is how you measure, this is how you cut, this is how you put it together, and all of that. Estella Rodríguez was the fiscal officer for the organization. She was a good friend. Titi: An Oral History of Dr. Evelina Antonetty 13 �DONALD ANTONETTY: She knew where every penny was. ANITA ANTONETTY: She made sure every penny was accounted for. Because in those days, you had to, because otherwise they’d shut you down in a minute. And I, I remember, she, one day her outrage, because they said, you know, they wanted all of the records. The next day, like nine o’clock in the morning, outraged that it was, anything would be wrong, but she made sure everything was right. Every payroll was met. Never, never missed the payroll. DONALD ANTONETTY: They had a great relationship with the banks, a great relationship with the banks. VIVIAN VÁSQUEZ IRIZARRY: Well, the main community center that we were a part of was United Bronx Parents. So, I remember when we were young, we would go to St. Mary’s Park, and, you know, swim in the swimming pool at certain times of the year, but our, my, our main place was UBP. UBP—and, and for a little bit, St. Margaret’s, but not so much—UBP was a place where my sister, my oldest sister, worked year-round. And I worked there as a summer youth employment. But even going before that, you know—and I had not made this link until long afterwards—was that UBP provided free lunch, free breakfast and lunch. And so there were times during the summer where my mother would say, “Okay, go over there and go to 1-, PS 130. And get your lunch and your breakfast, you know, and bring, take—.” So, there were five of us. So, the five of us would go and, and get our sandwiches and our lunch. And you know, it was really great. And, you know, at that time, I don’t think I knew where that was coming from. But then eventually, you know, as I worked for the Summer Youth Employment Program, I think I worked for UBP, summer, maybe three years. And, and you know, we worked, we cleaned up the park and we, we went on trips, and it was the first 14 STEVEN PAYNE �time I think I went to Coney Island. You know, we were exposed to different places throughout the city. We had what I’ll call counseling sessions. At that time, they were called “rap sessions,” you know, where the older employees at UBP, the, the counselors would sit us down and talk to us about what was going on in our lives and, you know, build relationships with us so that I guess we could feel safe. I feel like that was important, you know, looking back, going to a safe place every day in the summer, you know, making friends, having fun, being engaged in, in fun activities, was, was important, was really important to me. DONALD ANTONETTY: But also, when they, you know, they, there was some mass sterilization program going on in Puerto Rico. The one heading that program, when he left there, he went to be the director of Lincoln Hospital. Keep up the “good” work. So, there was a lot of protest about that, a lot organizing about that. ANITA ANTONETTY: And then the stereotypes from Hollywood, so —that’s Fort Apache. That was a big deal, too. We were in the street every single day, every single day. DONALD ANTONETTY: It was the filming crew. One time we saw Paul Newman downtown. We chased him, saying, “Stop the racist movie!” 3. Evelina’s Legacies ANTONIO MONDESIRE-CABRERA: And Titi and Aunt Lilly, through embracing education—education is a universal, when we start understanding other people’s cultures, history, you get past all this stuff. Titi was very much influenced by [Vito] Marcantonio from, from, and LaGuardia, from East Harlem, Italian-American men who had a vision of a larger expanse. She loved Malcolm X. Don Pedro Albizu Campos. So, and of course, Aunt Lilly exposed me to so much. So, I’m trying to say is my formative years were very Titi: An Oral History of Dr. Evelina Antonetty 15 �diverse, very rich, and allowed me—I’m very blessed, man. And I would like, I like to pass that on to people, because we’re living in very testy times now, very testy times. JOE CONZO, JR.: My grandmother never shunned or ran away from any community problems. And yes, there were a lot of gang problems at the time. She took in people like Benji Melendez from the Ghetto Brothers, the president of the Ghetto Brothers, she took in people from the Savage Skulls, all these community people. So, I knew them growing up. She, she involved them in her work and gave them their jobs, gave them jobs. Benji Melendez, you know, who, who had a brigade of, of gang members, who in, you know, a couple of thousand, will tell anybody today how Evelina Antonetty walked into their gang house, pointed them out, and said, “You want a job? Go home, take a bath, shave, and come see me.” And gave him his first job. But that’s how, she—she wasn’t afraid of anybody, because she was doing something for her people, her community. ESPERANZA MARTELL: I began doing activism in The Bronx with, I guess, the, the—’cause I’m trying to really place myself, right? So, in the late, I would say like in the late ’60s. When folks were fighting for community control, bilingual education, and childcare, basically. So, folks like Evelina Antonetty was the leading person in a lot of those struggles. She did a lot of coalition work, and was part of Brown vs. [Board of Education], right? So, you know, I was young, I was in my early 20s, or late teens, and I would come and support actions. CLEO SILVERS: Evelina Antonetty was the leader of United Bronx Parents. She organized all around the South Bronx [for] better education. Now, she had a team of people that worked with her. Ellen Lurie and Kathy Goldman. And Ellen and Kathy did the research. They gave the information to Evelina. She [made it where] parents could understand it and organized around absolute 16 STEVEN PAYNE �conditions inside of the schools, inside of the classrooms—they had information about what was going on inside each classroom. It was one of the most wonderful experiences that I had with Evelina. ELBA CABRERA: The losses for me, you know, my sisters, you know, it’s been really tough. It’s, it’s been a little hard. And especially when I start talking about them. But I have such good, good memories. So yes, so, at any rate, let me, let me backtrack a little bit with Lillian and Evelina, cause it’s important. They, they were my role models. And they, they felt that I, that I could do anything, but I didn’t feel that way. You know, they really, you know, nurtured me and helped me, and I appreciate that till now and forever. So, when Evelina comes to The Bronx now, you know, she’s already, she’s an adult, and she’s very clear as to what’s to be done. So, she gets, you know, she got involved with people, especially when she went to work at the union, too. Because she also was recruiting, recruiting Puerto Rican and other Latinos to work in the industries that they serviced. And she, she was there for quite a few years. I would say something like four years. Before that she had worked in the post office as well. Yeah, during the war. And then she worked at the union. So, you know, she was pretty active in, in her thoughts, you know, because she, she really, you know, I think she was born with, with her knowledge of people and what had to be done, I really do. I don’t think people can learn that, I think it has to come within you, you know, has to be something, your passion. And she had the passion for people. CARINA MONDESIRE: Really, where a lot of the voices [for change] are going to come from are, you know, really, from, like, people like Evelina, you know, who were out here speaking up for us, to make it better. So, I, it’s, maybe I, maybe I [should] just follow in her footsteps and start talking more, you know, but it’s, I don’t know. I guess it’s, it’s like I’ve seen, you know—again, I wasn’t, I wasn’t born Titi: An Oral History of Dr. Evelina Antonetty 17 �for a lot of the struggles that they had to, you know, I wasn’t around a lot of the struggles they had to deal with. So, in a way, I’m ignorant, because I wasn’t, you know, I wasn’t here. And I, you know, I’m lucky enough that, like, my family, you know, for the most part, we haven’t had to have been in the situation where we’re seeing the really hard times that you can face. I mean, the pandemic also showed a lot of that to me. You know, and I, and this is when I started hearing more stories of people struggling. So, I think that like, the hope is that we continue to, I guess, grow, but I don’t know if that’s the right word that I’m looking for. But it’s like we need better, and I—for sure Evelina was on track, and my grandmother [Elba] and Lillian for what they contributed, for sure, are, you know, some of the catalysts for creating that change. And I think we definitely need to keep going, you know. It’s one of those journeys, one of those journeys that doesn’t stop, you know, it’s like we have to keep going, and there’s gonna be a lot of things that we, I guess, face that, you know, are I guess—I guess “adversity,” if that’s the word? And, I mean, I don’t want to say that it’s okay. But that’s a part of it. So, going forward hopefully it’s just better, you know. 18 STEVEN PAYNE �KINGSBRIDGE VIGNETTES BY RICHARD L. BAUM I. Home Number 3P, 225 West 232nd Street—the three-room apartment located in the Kingsbridge section of The Bronx, where I grew up with my parents and two sisters from the late 1940s into 1959, was often without heat in the winter. Cold enough that I slept wearing extra layers of clothing and heavy socks. On many winter mornings, my mother would ritually bang on the steam pipes in the vain hope that the super would see fit to raise the level of heat or repair the errant coal furnace. In 1959, after many years in 3P, we moved up, literally, into apartment 6D, a four-room apartment on the sixth and top floor, at the monthly rate of $100.12, a not inconsequential sum at that time. There had been an earlier opportunity to get a four-room apartment. Some years before, my father left a deposit with the building’s super for an apartment that had become available. Shortly thereafter, during my father’s weekly Gin Rummy card game, he mentioned his imminent move to the other players. Not long after, the super returned the deposit, stating that someone else got the apartment. This person turned out to be Mr. Rogers, an electrician, who had been one of the Gin Rummy players. Our new sixth-floor apartment allowed my parents to move out of the living room into their own bedroom. By this time, we were four souls, as my eldest sister Vilma had married two years earlier. Though Vilma missed the joy of this sunny, spacious apartment, our new living space had disabilities that 3P had not had, and Vilma escaped suffering these. The environmental conditions in this sixth-floor space were more Kingsbridge Vignettes 19 �severe than those in 3P. The new apartment was at the southeast corner of the building and overlooked a large open area that was intersected by the Broadway IRT elevated line. When we first moved in, the sound of the trains running along the track, up and down Broadway, interfered with both my studying and sleeping. After some time, I was able to develop the skill of filtering out the clickity-clack of the subway cars running along the glistening steel tracks. If a train was off schedule, however, its delay caused me to look up from whatever I was doing and anxiously wait for the sound of its approach. It was as if the world was out of balance without the sound of the train’s rhythmic passage occurring on cue. In the summer, the new apartment’s orientation, together with its open windows, allowed a crosswind partially to cool the apartment, which was excessively heated by the tarred roof directly above our apartment’s ceiling. The building’s electrical wiring was insufficient for window air conditioning, which was not yet common. Instead, we augmented the crosswind with a water-fed air conditioner that sat on a stand in the middle of the living room and cooled things a bit but added to the humidity. Despite the crosswind and the airconditioner, summer days in that apartment felt as if one were living in a broiler. The winter brought radically different conditions. Perversely, the refreshing summer crosswind was transformed, even with the windows closed, into a malevolent, howling wind that conspired with the rotten wooden window frames to cause severe freezing conditions in the apartment. It was as if there were no windows at all! Stuffing towels along the edges of the window frames seemed to have no measurable effect. On one particularly cold morning, after I had the courage to stick my head out from under my blanket, I scanned the room through the fog of my breath, and my gaze fell upon a square pane of glass. It 20 RICHARD L. BAUM �was frosted over by Jack, hanging by one corner from a wooden slat, swaying lazily in the breeze. Rather than take the chance that I might knock the pane to the street, I called my father. He casually entered the room while tucking his starched white shirt into his pants, immediately sized up the problem, cinched his belt, and slowly reached for the glass pane. As his fingers closed around the glass, the pane, as if in spite, suddenly slipped. Before he could react, it plummeted to the street six stories below, tumbling, flat-end over flat-end, into the distance. Luckily, it was about 7:15 in the morning, and only one person was on the way to work. To our relief, the pedestrian, who was on the opposite side of the street, did not react to the sound of the glass shattering on the sidewalk. II. Play On school-day afternoons, my friends and I would play in front of our building, which was sandwiched on a steep hill between Broadway on the east and Kingsbridge Avenue on the west. The girls would jump rope (sometimes double-dutch) to the rhythm of sung doggerel, or play Potsy, a variation of Hopscotch, tossing house keys into numbered rectangles chalked onto the sidewalk. The boys devoted their free time either to curb ball or to hide-and-seek. Other kids donned roller skates, consisting of four metal wheels, metal tabs, extending outward from the base of the skate, fitted onto the soles of one’s leather shoes (sneakers would not work) and tightened in place with a key. Every now and again, while we were peacefully engrossed in play, kids from Godwin Terrace, sensing an opportunity, would gather into a mob and run full tilt toward us in an attempt to disrupt our fun. Godwin Terrace was perpendicular to our street and, invariably, we spotted the growing mob and would run into the lobby of our Kingsbridge Vignettes 21 �building, locking the heavy iron and glass door behind us. There came a time when I was fed up and, as the mob galloped down Godwin Terrace towards number 225, I refused to flee, despite the entreaties of my friends cowering in the lobby. Just as my friends slammed the heavy metal door shut, the gang rolled over me, like an ocean storm wave, pummeling me with projectiles from peashooters and zip guns. I was hit in the face but stoically kept my ground, standing upright and facing my tormentors, too small to hit back effectively. III. Halloween Halloween was a particularly risky time to be on neighborhood streets. In 1952, when I was eight, I happened to have an early evening dentist appointment with Dr. Cacecci, whose office was on the northwest corner of Kingsbridge Avenue and 231st Street (in later years it became the community office for Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz). The route to the dentist, south along Kingsbridge Avenue, took me past a row of bushes, directly opposite Naples Terrace, that concealed an empty lot. In late October it was already dark at 5:00 PM at that latitude of The Bronx. The depth of the darkness was compounded since that area of the borough is in a valley formed by the Riverdale Ridge to the west and the Fordham Ridge overlooking Bailey Avenue, east of Broadway. I was alone on the avenue. As I approached the darkened lot, the bushes ominously rustling by the breeze, I was overcome by a sense of foreboding. With images of the headless horseman and Ichabod Crane haunting my thoughts, I increased my pace to get past the shadowy bushes. Forewarned too late by muffled giggling coming from behind the bushes, I was set upon by several boys armed with pastel chalk who proceeded to throw me to the ground. They held me down while they basted me from head to toe, front to back, with purple, green, red, blue, and yellow pastel chalk. Not an inch of 22 RICHARD L. BAUM �my clothing, hair, hands, or face was spared. Satisfied with their handiwork, the boys let me up. Otherwise not worse for the experience, I scurried off to a worse fate at the dentist. IV. Neighbors In about 1951, during the Korean War, a Chinese family, consisting of two parents, a daughter, and a son, moved into the neighborhood, opening a laundry a short distance west of Broadway on the north side of 232nd Street, just as the street began to rise toward Kingsbridge Avenue. I became friendly with the family’s son. On his birthday, soon after the family had moved in, his parents decided to buy him a miniature gas station he had spied in a candy store on the northern side of 231st Street, just east of Kingsbridge Avenue. I was invited to come along with the entire family on their buying expedition. The parents wanted to take the short route to the store that would take them up (i.e., south) along Godwin Terrace and then down a flight of steps to West 231st Street, rather than walking south along the busier Broadway to 231st Street and then west to the candy store. I tried to dissuade them from the Godwin Terrace route, as I was well aware that the kids on Godwin Terrace did not take kindly to outsiders. However, due to the parents’ not taking a child’s concerns seriously, they confidently led our little group along the most logical path. As we passed along Godwin Terrace, I continuously glanced left and right, on the lookout for trouble. The outbound trip turned out to be uneventful. However, the brutes that lived along our route had been alerted by the passage of our defenseless squad. While returning, our small party being distracted by the birthday toy gas station, the “Godwin Terrace Gang,” now organized, pounced. We were forced to flee towards the laundry with projectiles buzzing through the air. It was only upon entering the store that I saw my friend’s mother bleeding profusely from a cut in the fleshy part of her face just below her eye. She was lucky: a Kingsbridge Vignettes 23 �little bit higher and she might have lost that eye. With the assault continuing, I ran from the store in an attempt to get help, but not being successful, I rejoined my friends to share their fate. A few days after the assault, I returned to their store to visit. The store was dark and deserted. Sadly, the Chinese family was gone. V. School Public School 7 is the successor to Grammar School 66. Located at the northwest corner of Church Street and Weber’s Lane, today’s Kingsbridge Avenue and 232nd Street, PS 7 opened for classes on November 11, 1895. This structure was made of what appears to be, to a non-geologist such as myself, reddish-brown sandstone. There was a medieval-looking tower dominating the main entrance. When I attended the school, beginning in 1949, the school had clearly been expanded. There was an enclosed, brick bridge connecting a brick building to the old sandstone structure. The entire complex was raised above street level and accessed by twin staircases leading to two large schoolyards. The school grounds extended from Kingsbridge Avenue west to Corlear Avenue and north to 233rd Street. If one looked carefully, one could see that some doors leading into the school had the word “Girls” inscribed over it, and others were labeled “Boys.” The north yard was the boys’ yard where they lined up every school-day morning waiting for their teachers to lead them to their classrooms. The south yard, known as the girls’ yard, was where the girls lined up for classes. Only the youngest children were intermingled, boys with girls. On rainy or snowy days, we lined up in the indoor yard, the boys on one side and the girls on the other. The indoor space doubled as the hot-lunch room and always had a strong, almost nauseating, smell of oranges and tomato soup. Most children walked home for lunch, since families in which both 24 RICHARD L. BAUM �parents worked were in the minority in the neighborhood. Those few children who could not go home were doomed to eat in that odiferous atmosphere. Sometime in the 1950s the influence of our Puritan past began to wane, and boys and girls were allowed to line up together in the south yard. The north yard was reserved for the upper grades. It was a great thrill when I was finally old enough to be in the north schoolyard. I was fascinated by the large, faded, white circle painted on the north yard’s pavement, with the names of countries printed along its radii. I was instantly attracted to the name Turkey, which I was certain was a bird! To my knowledge, neither teacher nor students ever used this circle, which lay there, mute, like an ancient artifact, its function lost to the ages. Above: View looking northwest to the corner of Kingsbridge Avenue and 230th Street, a couple blocks south of the author’s apartment, 1981. From the AF705–Kingsbridge Avenue–230th St. folder, Photograph Collection, The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library. Kingsbridge Vignettes 25 �A fence of black, cast-iron bars stood guard around the perimeter of the school’s two concrete yards. The tip of each bar was shaped into a spike to discourage trespassers. After school and during summer, when the gates were closed, the local kids, myself included, undiscouraged by the quiet threat of the spikes, would confidently climb over the spiked fence to get into the schoolyard in order to play either basketball or stickball. The schoolyard was the site of the sole neighborhood basketball hoops. Stickball could not be played with pitching in the street because the ball would be too easily lost. In the schoolyard, we played stickball by pitching a pink Spalding —pronounced in the local vernacular as “spaldeen”—against a wall which was inscribed with a chalked rectangular strike zone as a backstop. During my earliest years at the school, I learned how to churn butter in Miss Minahan’s class, went on nature walks around the neighborhood, and listened, enthralled, to stories read by my teacher in the quiet of the cool, shady children’s library, then on Kingsbridge Avenue adjacent to St. John’s Church. Each school-day morning I would look forward to arriving at PS 7, a short walk from where I lived, because it was always warm there. After the mid-morning milk break, it was my task to collect and carry the students’ empty waxed cardboard half-pint milk cartons to the basement coal-burning furnace for incineration. The janitor always allowed me to sit on an upturned wooden milk crate placed in front of the furnace’s open door and luxuriate in the warmth of the heat radiating from the glowing orange-red stones of coal that were uniformly spread on the furnace bed. After a few short minutes I had to be on my way back to the classroom, otherwise I would be missed. By three in the afternoon, however, it was a great relief to be crossing Kingsbridge Avenue and heading eastward down the hill towards home. 26 RICHARD L. BAUM �I walked to school with Stanley and Peter. These two boys lived in my building and were my best friends. Each school morning, as we reached Kingsbridge Avenue, a half block from where we lived, we had to wait for the school crossing guard to allow us to cross. The guard, an older boy, wore a broad white belt that wound its way around his waist and diagonally across his chest, and to which was attached an official, gleaming metal badge. The crossing guard was responsible for the safety of children crossing the intersection. One autumn school morning, the raw gusts of wind swirled brittle brown leaves around our feet as the three of us approached the Kingsbridge intersection. The traffic light changed from green to red. The guard dutifully put his arms out to prevent us from crossing. Peter, a sensitive boy, became upset at having his path blocked and began to cry and scream for his mother. He turned and ran hysterically down the long hill toward Broadway, which his mother was approaching after having just left us in front of our building. Peter’s mother, with Peter in tow, walked the two blocks uphill to where Stanley, the crossing-guard, and I were standing, stunned and frozen in place at this unfathomable display. His mother, on reaching us, calmly asked me for an explanation and then, satisfied that nothing untoward had caused Peter’s upset, said goodbye and went on her way, leaving us to finish our trip. Peter later attended MIT and went on to obtain a PhD in Physics from Brown University. One of the most profound lessons I learned at PS 7 occurred on the first day of school, at the start of fifth grade, in the north schoolyard. In a moment of idleness and indiscretion, while waiting on line with the other students to be escorted to our classroom by our new teacher, Miss Scanlon, I puffed up my cheeks! Miss Scanlon took umbrage at the pair of distended organs, distorting the otherwise perfectly straight line of children, and declared that if the culprit did not reveal himself, the entire class would be kept after school. Kingsbridge Vignettes 27 �Mean-spiritedness, pettiness, group responsibility for the acts of individual members of the group, and the threat of peer revenge were the lessons of the day, distasteful lessons that I have not yet forgotten. In the sixth grade, I achieved a score on the Iowa Achievement Exam equivalent to that expected in the tenth grade in English and in the twelfth grade in Mathematics. My teacher, Mrs. Curley, surprised at this result (as was I), called me to her desk in the front of the room and charged me with cheating by copying from Richard C. This was patently absurd. Richard C. was illiterate. At dinner that night, I told my father what had happened in the childish expectation that he would be enraged and defend my honor to the death. However, without raising his head from Life Magazine, and between swallows of his evening fare, he calmly, and with then unappreciated wisdom, advised me to tell the teacher to give me the test again. Mrs. Curley declined his suggestion. At the end of the term the good teacher assuaged her guilt at making a false charge by presenting me with an award, signed by the principal, Carmela Nesi, for the student who improved the most during the school year. At home, I was about to tear up the award when my mother grabbed it from me and kept it for herself for decades. I found it among her papers after she passed away. In respect of her wishes, I have continued to preserve the award. 28 RICHARD L. BAUM �ALLERTON IN THE 1940S AND 1950S BY ROBERT WEISS The time period about which I am writing encompasses the midforties to the mid-fifties. Much of which characterized that period, for the most part, has been swept away by time, never to return.1 I. Streets Allerton Avenue was bordered on either side by perpendicular side streets bearing such names as Mace, Barnes, and Holland. I never knew how these streets were named. To the east, Allerton crossed Boston Road, a very busy road, the crossing of which required pedestrians to take their life into their hands. Walking under the elevated train tracks, heading in a westerly direction, one would encounter Bronx Park, our neighborhood’s lush, flora- and faunafilled boundary. The avenue and perpendicular side streets broke the neighborhood up into blocks. The actual size of the avenue covered an area of about 24 of these rectangular blocks. The whole thing could easily be walked in a relatively short time. Two blocks were divided in half by alleyways. Bordering either side of these dirt roads were the rear entrances of the block’s row houses, gardens, and garages. The alleys also permitted the Allerton Avenue inhabitants to take a mid-block shortcut by car or foot. For us kids, they were our country dirt roads. II. Hanging Around A well-known singing group performed a song entitled “Old Folks,” the lyrics of which paint a vivid picture of elderly people sitting on park benches, enshrouded in oversized overcoats with newspapers 1 This article is excerpted from selections of an unpublished manuscript by the author about his childhood growing up in the Allerton section of The Bronx. Readers interested in obtaining additional selections or the manuscript itself should write to the author at BRRS137@AOL.COM. Allerton in the 1940s and 1950s 29 �blowing around tips of high black shoes. These lyrics captured what I would see in my neighborhood on almost any winter’s day. Wooden boxes, however, were more the seat of choice, primarily because of their portability and easy access. These boxes could be strategically positioned in front of neighborhood stores or a sunny avenue spot. The tops of these crude seats were usually covered with newspapers, providing some degree of cleanliness and protection from splinters, the titles of which included: The Daily News, The New York Post, The World Telegram and Sun, The Freiheit, The Daily Worker, The Forverts (The Jewish Forward), The Herald Tribune, The Daily Mirror, or The New York Times. In addition to newspapers, other convenient forms of printed material were drafted into service. Above: Allerton Avenue, looking west from Barnes Avenue, 1993, showing various more recent shops. Although the kosher delis and appetizing stores have disappeared, along with much of the Jewish community in the neighborhood, Allerton Avenue is still lined with stores and restaurants to this day. From the AF19–Allerton Avenue–Barnes Avenue folder, Photograph Collection, The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library. 30 ROBERT WEISS �These crude seat boxes usually weren’t schlepped home. Rather, they were left behind to provide another elderly person with a place to perch. III. Kosher Deli Then there was the Kosher delicatessen or deli, as it was commonly called. Such delicacies as pastrami, hot dogs, corned beef, mustard, and sauerkraut were available to be ordered by a waiter and eaten off a square table. The waiter would walk up to the table. Usually he was a gray-haired, balding, old guy. He wore a white apron with stains. The waiter was boss. He would look down at you and command, in his heavy accent, “So vot do you vant?” As he reached across the table, distributing metal eating implements, his sleeve would ride up, sometimes exposing numbers across his wrist. At that time, I never knew where he got the number tattoo. Regular hot dogs might be wrapped in two types of casings. One was real cow’s intestine and the other casings were made in a plastics factory. “Specials” were super-duper fat hot dogs. Both hot dogs and “specials” were attached to their own kind by either string or twisted extensions of the casing. This enabled the franks to be hung along with the Kosher salami on the rear wall behind the counter man. Should you decide “take out,” the accompanying deli mustard was stored in a stiff cone-shaped piece of shiny, stiff paper. To release the spicy yellow-brown mustard, the rolled-up tube was squeezed while the tube tip rested on whatever was to be covered. Sour pickles were found on all the tables, which caused the whole joint to wreak of garlic. Kosher salami seemed to contain about thirty percent meat, seventy percent fat. After eating a salami sandwich on rye with mustard, it might be stored in the body for an untold period of time. You were reminded of this by the repeated belching and acidic regurgitation during repetitive garlicky heart-burn episodes. Allerton in the 1940s and 1950s 31 �A favorite side dish was something called kishke, the more sophisticated Jewish name for stuffed derma. Kishke was made by stuffing cow’s intestines with some kind of yellowish, grainy, fatty, garlickytype of substance. It was served as fried slices. The casing was eaten along with the stuffing. Again, a health department genius came up with the idea that eating cow intestines was not good for you. Consequently, most kishke factories, like the hot dog factories, replaced the animal intestine with a casing made of plastic. Before consuming the kishke, the plastic had to be peeled off and placed on the side. I am sure that at some time, in some deli somewhere, this plastic caused choking or inadvertently was used as dental floss. In addition to laws preventing the shaking of dust mops and the burning of leaves, and doing away with intestine casings, a law should have been passed stipulating a label to accompany plasticwrapped delicacies. The label would have read: “Warning! Remove the plastic ring before eating the kishke or hot dogs or you run the risk of dying.” Before the lights went out, there would be an old man in a dirty apron standing over the gasping patron making a loud official announcement: “Pay up front.” As previously mentioned, people never gave much thought about eating healthy. If you wanted to see an unhealthy, happy person, go to a Kosher deli and look at the regulars. They often tipped the scale at about 300 pounds. “Spit Puss” owned the only Jewish appetizing store on the avenue. The Legend of Spit Puss originated with the recognition of the accumulation of foamy spit at the corners of his mouth. He never seemed to object to the name. It was almost a form of homey marketing. Spit Puss’s appetizing store was about the size of a large walk-in closet. The outside of the store had windows opaque with filth. If the name of the appetizing store wasn’t written on the front, one would think that an illegal card game was going on the other side of the front wall. 32 ROBERT WEISS �Looking through the front during a hot summer day, I could see old people, the women with their house dresses and the men clutching their wife’s shopping list. The women all had raised fists grasping shopping lists, eagerly trying to push in front of the other 99 patrons. The floor creaked under the load. The place was always wall-to-wall people as the merchandise hung or fell off the rickety shelves. The shelved packages consisted of canned foods, cellophane bags, and bottled liquids. When you walked through the entrance of the store, immediately to your left was something like a counter with glass display cases. Only a limited area of about five feet was used for business transactions. Inside the display cases were such exotic delicacies as smoked sturgeon, smoked carp, lox, pickled herring in sour cream and onions, pickled herring without sour cream, just onions, jars of salmon caviar, smoked white fish, and sable. There was no doubt that the display case contained the body or body parts of dead animals. Some of the smoked fish still had their heads, sunken eyes, gills, mouths including teeth and fins. The guts were removed prior to the smoking process, as viewed through an abdominal slit. Also, occupying space behind the counter sat bulk cream cheese, something called pot cheese, butter, and farmer cheese. Except for the caviar, all others were out of package lying in pans or on clean white pieces of packaging paper. I remember the store, stinking of a pungent fishy, pickley, garlicy odor. No other store on the avenue could claim that distinct stink. The Jewish deli odor was far different from the scent of stinky feet imported from Italy. Spit Puss would yell over the counter, “Vot you vant?” Behind the counter display cases, Spit Puss marched back and forth with his belly polishing the steel molding of the counter as he fulfilled the orders shot at him from the opposite side. The orders were to Spit Puss like a starting gun to a runner. He would run from one section of the counter to the other with a “clop! clop!” sound emanating from the soles of his feet as they struck the wooden floor boards behind the counter. The sharp eyes of Spit Puss’s customers could Allerton in the 1940s and 1950s 33 �clearly see what they were ordering. In heavy accents, you could hear, “Dalink, you should slice me quarter pound lox, a nice piece of carp, not the end, the middle, and I vant a small vite fish.” “Dalink, the lox you should give me: Belly, not Novi. It’s too expensive.” “Don’t give me any bleck pieces and the vite fish, not dat vun, da fet vun.” The orders were put on the scale and a price was determined. The items were then wrapped in yellowish white wrapping paper and secured with cellophane tape. They were handed across the counter or placed on top of the display case. “So how moch I owe you?” the customer would yell out. A tally was made by using a pencil, pulled from Spit Puss’s ear. The numbers were scribbled and summed up on the brown paper bag, into which the filled order was to be placed. A monetary exchange, and “Next!” Spit Puss yelled out. Sometimes, this started an all-out war. Mostly, the women would start bellowing phrases such as, “Vot are you doink, it is my toin.” “No it’s not your toin.” “I’m next!” a voice somewhere in the crowd would spring forth from the crowd. “I was here foist,” someone else would yell. A brief skirmish might ensue. In the name of fairness and to break up the log-jam, a small jury would form, providing patrons the opportunity to invest their two cents. “I tink she vus here foist,” an arbitrator would announce. The offended customer would respond with a, “I neva hoid soch a thing!” “Next!” Spit Puss would once again yell out to his audience. He was protected by this no man’s land of counter space and display cases. Spit Puss never got involved in the store wars. Everyone knew where Spit Puss’s appetizing store was located. The whole front of the store and somewhat extending outside was a stink that no other avenue store possessed. On the sidewalk, in front of the store, were these four-foot-high, brown, grungy-looking wooden barrels. One barrel contained very sour pickles, another barrel contained not-so-sour pickles, and the third barrel contained a 34 ROBERT WEISS �powerfully strong, fishy-smelling stuff. Floating in this barrel were what appeared to be rotten fish in an equally putrid looking liquid. This was the schmaltz herring barrel. The last barrel contained madjes herring. The contents of this barrel contained what looked like reddish-colored schmaltz herrings. It had the “fency” name: “Herring in wine sauce.” Eventually, the health department deemed that the outside uncovered barrels were a health hazard. It did make some sense. The fact that they were open to the public made the barrels a target for all kinds of foreign stuff. Should anything be thrown or dropped in, like bird shit, no one would have been the wiser. Spit Puss was now required, by law, to store all barreled products inside closed plastic containers inside the store. The familiar and odd aroma that diffused from the appetizing store and into the neighborhood declined significantly. This was a small price to pay for the fact that the people of our neighborhood, both consumers and just plain “sniffers,” were, once again, saved from some horrific disease. Allerton Avenue was getting safer and safer as a result of these various health regulations. Everything in the Jewish appetizing store took on its unique garlicky odor, including the people who worked there. A good friend, Dave Leher, may he rest in peace, worked all day in an appetizing store. After work, he would drop by our clubroom, of which he was a member. This was usually a pre-shower visit. He wore the same stained apron from work into our subterranean clubroom. The air was unusually close, in that the basement room had no windows. Needless to say, when Dave paid us a visit, he brought with him every possible garlicky, fishy stink that pervaded his workplace. Upon his entrance, the appetizing molecules would release themselves from Dave and diffuse into the surrounding clubroom atmosphere. This would create a great uproar punctuated by a barrage of curses such as, “Dave, get the f—k out of here.” Dave Allerton in the 1940s and 1950s 35 �would stand his ground with a self-satisfied toothy grin on his face. We couldn’t decide whether to kick him above ground, rip his clothes off, or put him on a bagel with cream cheese and eat him. IV. Our Bronx Park Oasis We lived close to a New York oasis rivaled only by the forests, fields, streams, and lakes of Central Park in Manhattan. What Central Park was to Manhattan, Bronx Park was, and still is, to The Bronx. All we had to do was walk six blocks west from my apartment house to the Bronx Park perimeter. The park stretches approximately two-thirds the length of The Bronx. The northern part sits close to the borders of suburban Westchester. Southern Bronx Park dipped into what might presently be described as the more congested and industrial area of The Bronx. Most of the buildings consisted of old, pre-war apartment houses interspersed with private homes. Going back in time, the inhabitants were made up of Black, Puerto Rican, Jewish, Italian, and Irish immigrants. Many were poor, lower-middle-, and working-class people. It could be said that Bronx Park was an emerald-green oasis that was divided into three main sections. The northernmost part is Bronx Park proper. Traveling southward, the park included the Botanical Garden, which merged with the Bronx Zoo. The Bronx Zoo had fences that defined its borders. Bronx Park proper and the Botanical Garden had no such barriers of demarcation. Each melded into the other. I could ride my bike and enter without paying a penny through Bronx Park proper and continue “freely” into the Botanical Gardens and finally into the Bronx Zoo. Within park sections, one could find small lakes, large rock outcroppings, caves, streams, a river, swamps, fields, waterfalls, forests, ball fields, playgrounds, bicycle paths, hiking paths and handball courts. Bicycle paths enabled us to gain access to everywhere. 36 ROBERT WEISS �The lakes and the surrounding parkland contained various forms of animal life. Varieties of fish included perch, eels, bass, sunfish, carp, and minnows. Amphibians included frogs and salamanders. Reptiles included varieties of snakes and turtles. Many of these beasts were caught and kept as pets. We frequently saw mammals rushing the leaves such as water rats, musk rats, plain-old rat rats, mice, moles, rabbits, squirrels, and chipmunks, and finally birds, the listing of which would be too numerous. V. The Grand Finale As time moved on, values and behaviors changed frequently. These changes occurred subconsciously. It was after Buzz’s and my high school graduation, when he turned to me and said, “We are getting to be too old to do some of the things we use to do.” After all the sloppy kisses and well wishes finished, we ran home, pulled off our suit, tie, and fancy shirt and replaced them with old jeans, sneakers, and tee shirts. RoRo, the family dog, was leashed, and off to the park we went. We ended up at the bank of the Bronx River. Sitting on the shore, we spotted a muddy and rusted cement bin, the kind construction workers mix cement in. After a moment of planning, we slipped it into the river and each of us, including RoRo, gingerly climbed in. With a stick, we pushed off from shore. Slowly we drifted downstream, for the first time seeing the park from a different vantage point. Here we were, the three of us together, “Rub a dub, dub, three schmucks in a tub.” Suddenly, for some reason, only the golfball-sized brain of the dog understood. RoRo decided to abandon ship. In his enthusiasm to leap, he flipped the cement bin. While on board, a careful balance was maintained. Once the dog left, there was no more careful balance. Buzz and I became a part of the floating wood, leaves, and other debris in the river. It was easy enough to get to shore. The river was never very wide. Climbing onto shore was another matter. The bank was slippery with muddy, grey silt. By the time we reached a solid grassy area, we were soaked, Allerton in the 1940s and 1950s 37 �but even worse, we were covered from head to toe with caked mud. Outfitted in our muddy attire, we walked right down the center of Allerton Avenue. It was a spectacle that captured a lot of attention: muddy me, Buzzy, and RoRo. Here we were, high school graduates, looking more like smelly rock people that appeared in an old Flash Gordon movie. It would be impossible for me to describe the expression on Lena and Mom’s face when they confronted the three of us in the street. Lena laughed. Mom, with a serious, straight face asked, “When are you kids going to grow up? You’re too old to be doing this nonsense. Look how filthy you are, and you stink!” 38 ROBERT WEISS �A TRIBUTE TO BOB GUMBS AND HARRIET MCFEETERS BY MARK NAISON I. Bob Gumbs (1939–2022) Bob Gumbs was a brilliant graphic designer and publisher who played a pioneering role in the Black Arts movement in the 1950s and early 1960s, and then 40 years later, played a central role in the creation of The Bronx African American History Project. Brought up on Lymon Place, a small street in the Morrisania section of The Bronx that played an important part in American jazz history because jazz pianists Elmo and Bertha Hope resided there and Thelonious Monk visited regularly, Bob was part of a small group of young Bronxites who sponsored jazz concerts in the borough in the middle of the 1950s to call attention to jazz as an art form of African origin. Even in later years when he moved to Harlem and became a graphic designer whose work highlighted Black history and culture, The Bronx held a special place in his heart, and when he read an article about a Fordham professor who started an oral history project with Black residents of the Patterson Houses, he contacted that professor to urge him to include Morrisania, which he called “The Harlem of The Bronx.” This began a 20-year collaboration that turned The Bronx African American History Project into one of the premier community-based oral history projects in the nation. Bob helped organize over a hundred oral history interviews, participated in scores of community tours, was responsible for landmarking several streets and parks in the Morrisania neighborhood, and collaborated on Before The Fires: An Oral History of African American Life in the Bronx from the 1930s to the 1960s (Fordham University Press, 2016), which transformed the dominant narrative of Bronx history to include Black experiences and perspectives. Bob also appeared on numerous radio and teleA Tribute to Bob Gumbs and Harriet McFeeters 39 �vision shows highlighting Black contributions to Bronx history, and helped create an exhibit at The Bronx County Historical Society with that as its theme! Finally, at a time when the world honors The Bronx’s role in the creation of hip hop, Bob made sure, through his joyous but relentless activism, that the world also recognized The Bronx’s contribution to jazz from the mid ’40s through the late ’60s, not only as a place where the most important jazz artists of that era performed regularly but also where many of them lived. Bob Gumbs was one of those rare individuals who changed the way people defined themselves and interpreted their own histories. As a creative artist and community historian, he helped people see The Bronx as a site of unparalleled cultural creativity and a true melting pot for peoples of the African Diaspora. The Bronx African American History Project would not have had a fraction of its influence and historic reach without Bob Gumbs’s guidance. He will be sorely missed by family, friends, and all his collaborators in the Black Arts movement and The Bronx African American History Project. II. Harriet McFeeters (1926–2022) Harriet McFeeters was one of The Bronx’s greatest educators and a driving force behind the creation of The Bronx African American History Project. A graduate of Hunter College who lived her entire adult life in her family’s brownstone on 168th Street between Union and Prospect Avenues in the Morrisania section, Harriet was a fixture in Bronx schools for almost 50 years, serving as a teacher, principal, staff developer, and assistant district superintendent. 40 MARK NAISON �Harriet, who was as passionate about learning as she was about teaching and who was deeply committed to the children of The Bronx, left an indelible mark on everyone who encountered her. More than 300 people, most of them fellow educators, came to her 90th birthday celebration several years ago and spoke of her with reverence and affectionate humor, as Harriet was a person who commanded every room she was in. But though Harriet radiated intellect and power, she also was a kind, generous person who created a sense of community among those she worked with, and her friends represented every cultural group in The Bronx. My own connection with Harriet came in the spring of 2003 when we started The Bronx African American History Project. I was put in touch with Harriet by her brother, Jim Pruitt, former director of the Upward Bound Program, who told me that Harriet, who had recently retired, was passionately interested in Bronx African American history and would have a lot to contribute to our research. That proved to be a considerable understatement. Once she discovered what we were trying to do, Harriet literally took command of The Bronx African American History Project’s research on Morrisania, helping us recruit interview subjects, identifying important community institutions, and holding events at her home on 168th Street, where she took a particular interest in the brilliant young research assistants I hired, to whom Harriet became a surrogate grandmother. Along with Bob Gumbs, another brilliant product of the Black Morrisania community, Harriet helped recover the lost history of a Black community in The Bronx, which produced several generations of professionals in a wide number of fields and created as many varieties of popular music as any neighborhood in the United States. It was Harriet who introduced us to Valerie Capers, the great jazz pianist, educator, and composer, whose concerts and performances became a fixture for The Bronx African American History Project’s A Tribute to Bob Gumbs and Harriet McFeeters 41 �staff, and who alerted us to the significance of St. Augustine Presbyterian Church and its brilliant minister Rev. Edler Hawkins, who mentored so many of the great leaders who came out of Morrisania. Until her health began to falter a few years ago, Harriet was a fixture at The Bronx African American History Project’s conferences, concerts, and interviews at Fordham, where she was as commanding a presence as she was in Bronx public schools. She also made a huge contribution to the Project via our fundraising, both through her individual donations and by encouraging others to contribute. As I write this tribute, with tears in my eyes, I will close with this final comment. Although Harriet’s degrees were in education, not history, and although she spent her life working in public schools, Harriet was as much a historian as any professor working at our most distinguished universities. When I first learned that Morrisania was the community where The Bronx African American History Project should concentrate its research, it was Harriet who told us how the community evolved, who its most important leaders were, which schools and churches we should focus on, and who we should interview. Of the more than 100 interviews we did with Morrisania residents past and present, more than half came through Harriet. Without her guidance, the Project would not have had the fraction of the influence it ultimately attained. We can learn so much from the example Harriet McFeeters set. Harriet was passionately devoted to learning about and teaching Black history. She fought hard to have it included in public school curricula and made it an integral part of her pedagogy. But she did so in a way that drew everyone around her in, insisting that Black history was everyone’s history, that learning it would uplift all who possessed that knowledge and would help people from all backgrounds better understand their American journey. That is one of the reasons why so many teachers who were Jewish, Italian, Irish, 42 MARK NAISON �and Puerto Rican joined their Black fellow educators in paying tribute to Harriet at her 90th birthday celebration. Harriet spread knowledge but she also spread love. She embodied the highest values of The Bronx and its people. She may have passed on, but her spirit lives in the tens of thousands of people she touched as an educator and in the publications and digital archive of The Bronx African American History Project, where Harriet McFeeters’s vision of community history has been brought to life. Above: Members of The Bronx African American History Project at Harriet McFeeters’s family home on East 168th Street in Morrisania, December 2003. Pictured in front row, left to right, are Michelle Tollinici, Harriet PruitMcFeeters, Joyce Tolliver, and Kevin Ross. Pictured in back row, left to right, are Bess Pruitt, Mark Naison, Claude Mangum, Bob Gumbs, Patricia Wright, and Candace Lee. Courtesy of the author. A Tribute to Bob Gumbs and Harriet McFeeters 43 �ABOUT THE AUTHORS STEVEN PAYNE is Director of The Bronx County Historical Society and social historian whose interests in Bronx history span community activism; underground music and art cultures; organized labor; race, class, and gender; housing struggles, and more. He records oral histories for The Bronx African American History Project, The Bronx Latino History Project, and The Bronx Aerosol Arts Documentary Project. RICHARD BAUM grew up in the Kingsbridge section of The Bronx during the 1950s and 1960s and writes about his experiences growing up in the neighborhood. ROBERT WEISS, who came of age in the Allerton neighborhood of The Bronx during the 1940s and 1950s, has authored an unpublished manuscript about his childhood in Allerton, selections of which are printed here. MARK NAISON, Professor of African American Studies and History at Fordham University, is the c0-founder of The Bronx African American History Project, one of the largest community-based oral history projects in the nation. Dr. Naison has authored seven books and over 300 articles on African American politics, labor history, popular culture, and education policy. �FROM THE ARCHIVES A HISTORY OF AFRO-CUBAN JAZZ IN THE BRONX FROM THE DAVID M. CARP PAPERS ON LATIN JAZZ Editor’s Note: The below piece comes from an untitled, unpublished, and unatributed manuscript included in the David M. Carp papers on Latin Jazz in The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library. Slight edits have been made for style and clarity throughout and are indicated by text in [brackets].1 I. Introduction New York City is among the most ethnically diverse places in the entire world. Since it was founded, New York has served as the chief center for immigration in the country, and its population continues to grow and diversify. Without a doubt, the largest percentage of immigrants in New York speaks Spanish. In the borough of The Bronx, Latinos make up half of the population, far more than any other demographic. Latino immigrants have always blessed New York City with their culture and traditions, music and art. The story of Afro-Cuban jazz in Manhattan and The Bronx illustrates the marriage of traditional Latino customs and the native music of New York City. During the early years of the twentieth century, music in Cuba was a 1 A note at the bottom of the manuscript reads: “All information used for this ar- ticle came from interviews from the David Carp Collection, courtesy Bronx County Historical Society. The following interviews were conducted by David Carp unless otherwise noted: Mario Bauzá, 2/8/89; Mario Bauzá, 4/18/91; Willie Colón (undated); José Curbelo, 10/3/93; Graciela Pérez (interviewed by Max Salazar), 5/10/85; Joe Orange, 2/6/99; José Mangual, Jr., 11/8/98; Eddie Palmieri, 8/13/98; Frank Rivera, 6/8/97; Mark Weinstein 11/24/96.” A History of Afro‐Cuban Jazz in The Bronx 45 �way of life. Parents would teach their children the basics of Cuban music as a birthright. The people of Cuba would take up every street corner, playing congas, timbales, and bongos. Children would buy sheep skins from local markets and stretch them over drums made by hand. Cuba was music. By embracing their African roots, Cubans would distinguish their music from the rest of Latin America by making the terms “Cuban roots music” and “Afro-Cuban music” synonymous. Musicians from the most prestigious conservatories as well as working men and women who relaxed on the street with a conga or djembe—all began to embrace the sounds of Cuban son and danzon. By the 1920s and ’30s, American musical influence would begin to find its way to Cuba. Radio stations from Miami and New Orleans would start to become popular on the island. Music fans would tune into American jazz stations on short-wave radio to try and absorb the latest musical trends. Musicians and music fans would begin to collect records from the United States and remind anyone who ventured north to bring the latest jazz albums back to Cuba. Shortly after, the finest musicians from the most prestigious conservatories and orchestras would slowly [immigrate] to America’s birthplace and home for jazz, New York City. Jazz would never be the same. Cubans, or Afro-Cubans, made a huge impact on American jazz. Jazz had a huge effect on Afro-Cuban musical traditions as well. Before long, a new type of music would emerge and take New York City by storm—Latin jazz. Not exclusively drawing from Cuban musical traditions, Latin jazz would incorporate traditions from all over Latin America and would inspire [traditional] jazz bands to expand their repertoires and include more global sounds. Eventually, the scene was huge. Ballrooms and dance halls like the Palladium and [the] Savoy in Manhattan and the Hunts Point Palace and Tritons Club in The Bronx would serve as key centers for jazz acts from 46 FROM THE DAVID M. CARP PAPERS ON LATIN JAZZ �Charlie Parker to Tito Puente. Latinos in The Bronx would be affected forever. Following the closing of the Palladium, the major Latin jazz scene would pick up in The Bronx. Kids on the streets would embrace Latin jazz and appreciate the African roots behind it. Bands and orchestras would spring up all over The Bronx, and the borough would soon produce some of the most prominent names of Latin jazz in all of New York City. From a couple of key figures moving from Cuba to New York in the ’30s, through the Palladium era, to Latinos setting up crude drum sets and playing along with the radio, Latin jazz remains a vital part of life for many Latin American immigrants today as well as New Yorkers and music fans. II. Afro‐Cuban Jazz Begins in Cuba: Mario Bauzá, José Curbelo, Graciela Pérez The story of Afro-Cuban jazz in New York begins in Havana. Music was everywhere in the ghettos and crowded streets of Cuba’s capital. Street vendors would line the markets with animal skins for drums, musicians would play on the street, and families would sit on their porch and jam with bongos, congas, and hand drums. Classical forms of Cuban music mixed European instruments with African drums, embracing traditions from both the African slaves and rich Europeans who inhabited the colony of Cuba since it was founded. As years developed, more variations, new instrumentation, and a finer-tuned orchestration would build on the rich foundation of Afro-Cuban traditions. Pioneers like Arsenio Rodríguez would add new elements to traditional Cuban son, like African percussion and A History of Afro‐Cuban Jazz in The Bronx 47 �syncopation. Eventually, Afro-Cuban music became the music of the people and Cubans were introduced to this tradition at an early age. This is the setting in which Mario Bauzá was raised. Bauzá, who would later become the most important figure in the fusion of Afro-Cuban and American jazz, started in Havana as a child. I tell you how everything happen. I was about five years old. My godfather used to teach the kids in my neighborhood in Cuba solfeggio. And I used to hear the kid try to sing those lesson, good intonation. And they have so much problem. So, one day I said to my godfather, “How come those kids have so much trouble with that lesson.” He say, “How do you know?” I said, “Well I think I know all those lessons.” He said, “You know lessons now?” I said, “Yeah, I think I know.” . . . He said, “I don’t want you to be an ear musician, so I’m gonna get a teacher for you.” So, he got me a teacher, I was in solfeggio for two years. And then I went to the Conservatory and . . . the first instrument they give me was the oboe. I didn’t like it. I heard the man play the clarinet, and I fell in love with the sound he produced. I said, “I would like to play that instrument.” And that’s how I become . . . a clarinet player. With Bauzá learning more and more music, his special ability became more apparent. Bauzá would excel at the Havana Conservatory and began to gain esteem from his colleagues. Soon, his teachers and fellow musicians helped him cultivate his talent. When I was a graduate, the Havana Philharmonic, they need a bass clarinet. And they approach me, I say, “Well, I’m willing to play, but somebody have to buy the instrument.” So, they sent to France for a bass clarinet. So, they brought it, they give it to me and say, “You practice, when you think you ready, let us know.” So, I 48 FROM THE DAVID M. CARP PAPERS ON LATIN JAZZ �took my bass clarinet home, I start fooling around, it was the same thing, embouchure a little different and sound was kind of peculiar. When I thought I was ready, I came to one of the rehearsals . . . that’s how I (became) a bass clarinet and a clarinet player. Mario Bauzá was not the only person at this time to truly embrace his musical talents. A few years down the line a woman singer would join Bauzá’s Machito Orchestra in New York. Graciela Pérez would sing along with her brother Machito over the unique Afro-Cuban jazz sound Bauzá perfected. Graciela Pérez also began her music career at a young age in Cuba. Her father, an avid musician, would constantly have musicians to his house, and one day Graciela stayed up past her bedtime to enjoy one of them. I was born in Cuba. In Havana, el barrio Jesús María. . . . There were six of us. When I was four years old . . . there was a lot of music and (my father) bring some cantadores en la casa like (vocalist) María Teresa Vera . . . and the other kids in my house are still in bed . . . and then María Teresa Vera sees my finger doing the clave and María Teresa Vera said to my father, “You see, Graciela is going to be a singer.” Pérez’s father was reluctant, at first, to allow Graciela to sing. However, he would continue to inspire his daughter by having more and more musical guests come in and out of the Pérez home. Graciela remembers Septeto Nacional, in particular. Septeto Nacional . . . was to play because my father, the only party (that) was at my house was my mother’s birthday, and at my house was Septeto Nacional. . . . They was in my house, in my neighborhood nobody came then, you know, in that time. In my house was Nacional. As they grew up, Pérez and her brother Machito began to nurture A History of Afro‐Cuban Jazz in The Bronx 49 �her gift little by little, until she had completely been absorbed by the music. Pérez would sing everywhere she went and join several groups thanks [to] Machito’s familiarity with the local music scene. Still, her father didn’t want her to sing professionally, and Graciela would have to sneak out at nights. One night while working as a delivery man, Pérez’s father recognized the voice coming from a club across the street from where he was working. He was staying over there, and he sees me singing and everybody applauds me. “Ohh, Graciela!” And then (at the house) he don’t say nothing to my mother, to nobody. Then he was waiting when I go hiding, when I go to working and (he said), “I know Chela, she’s singing in Alai de Libre in El Prado because I heard her last night. It’s alright, she sings beautiful.” Graciela Pérez had her father’s blessing and began to truly excel as a singer free from any restrictions. She would travel to South America with Al Anacaona and eventually move to Harlem in the 1930s, where she would meet up with Bauzá and Machito to start the AfroCuban Orchestra. A third key figure in the fusion of Afro-Cuban and American jazz is José Curbelo. Curbelo, who would manage and book Afro-Cuban jazz bands, was among the top performers in New York City during the Palladium Era. Curbelo’s uniquely vibrant sounds would place him in the highest echelon of Latin jazz performers along with Machito, Tito Puente, and Tito Rodríguez. Curbelo, the son of a musician, started as a classically trained pianist and musician in Cuba. I (was) born in Havana, Cuba (on) February 18, 1917. Pedro Menéndez was my teacher, piano teacher in Cuba. He used to be the piano player in my father’s orchestra, at one time. So, he was my private teacher in piano. . . . I went to the school of music in Cuba, to the Academy of 50 FROM THE DAVID M. CARP PAPERS ON LATIN JAZZ �Music to study. And I had different teachers like in voice and harmony and whatever, you know, different types of technique, et cetera. . . . My father was a fine violinist, he played for the Philharmonic Orchestra in Cuba, first violin. And . . . he was a bandleader, he had his own orchestra where he played all the famous nightclub and supper club and casino in Cuba. . . . I’m talking (about) the late ’20s and the early ’30s. And then he play the most typical Cuban music, with the charanga music that used to be played, what they call in Cuba the “Academias.” . . . The real Cuban music at that time was charanga bands. It’s not with saxophones and trumpets. . . . Cuban music is the charanga sound—violins and flute and rhythm. That is what the real nitty-gritty of the Cuban music is. . . . And it’s really Afro-Cuban music. Because the Negro slaves that came to Cuba from Africa, they brought the rhythm. And in Cuba they put the voicings out, the melody and harmony. . . . But that was, still is, the real Cuban music should be called not salsa [but] Afro-Cuban music. Curbelo would develop into a finely trained musical genius. He began to master the curriculum of the Academy of Music and decided to enter Cuba’s prestigious Molinas Conservatory. Like his contemporary Mario Bauzá, Curbelo became fascinated with new forms of music, in particular American jazz. His understanding and love for music fueled his passion for exploration, and American jazz was exciting and fresh. Curbelo and Bauzá both became obsessed with jazz. In the ’20s I was a very young kid. But I always was a fan, and my favorite music always has been jazz. . . . I find that jazz is the most interesting music that is, as far as popular music is concerned, I love it . . . in Cuba I used to have records from Chick Webb where Mario Bauzá, A History of Afro‐Cuban Jazz in The Bronx 51 �when he came to United States, he was the first trumpet. Bauzá remembers listening to his favorite American jazz musicians on the radio in Cuba. Duke Ellington used to (broadcast) almost every night from the Cotton Club. And I used to catch that in Havana through short-wave radio. And that music was so fascinating, was so different. All different jazz— completely different. And I always said, “That’s AfricanAmerican music, that’s Africa.” The sound of the music, the way he uses harmony, he give you that color. And I was dying to get into New York. Bauzá would get a taste of the New York jazz scene shortly after, by happenstance. He got his break after going into his favorite music store in Havana and meeting bandleader Antonio Romeu. I used to go practically almost every day. I go to the music store to see what new records came and what piece come. So, when I got there, the head man said, “Mario, I want to try this clarinet that just came out from France, a Buffet Crampon, I want you (to) try.” So, I was practicing clarinet over there, you know, testing the clarinet, and Romeu was there. . . . He said, “You don’t mind play this one with me?” I said, “No.” He said, “But do you know how to transpose from clarinet to—?” I said, “Oh, yeah.” So, I played the danzon with him and he was (amazed). . . . About two weeks later he found my telephone number and called my father. He said, “I would like to take Mario to New York to record with me, my orchestra.” Bauzá went to record with Romeu and his orchestra in New York and was blown away by the live jazz musicianship he encountered. Upon seeing saxophonist Frankie Tumbaur, Bauzá’s attention shifted to a new instrument. He fell in love with the saxophone and 52 FROM THE DAVID M. CARP PAPERS ON LATIN JAZZ �would take it up immediately upon returning to Cuba. The saxophone would provide an outlet for Bauzá to grow musically, and it provided more opportunities to gain exposure in the Havana music scene. Though it was hard for a dark-skinned musician to find work, Bauzá still managed to make a name for himself. He recalls the racial inequities in Havana at the time. When they heard me play . . . that’s when I got the opportunity to get a first-class job in Havana. Up to then, no, because the average musician on the big-time job over there was white. . . . That country is no different than Mississippi was . . . not much different. We had that problem, still have that problem, and gonna have that problem. . . . So, we are still fighting those problems . . . the only discrimination there in those days when I was a young kid, like you go in the interior of Havana and the colored people walk on . . . one side of the park. Don’t allowed to go on the other side with the white people. That’s the way, you know. You go in the barber shop, you had to go to the Black barber shop. But the trouble with my country is so much mixture. Because after all, how the Cuban race was produced? By Spaniard and African womans. After finally gaining acceptance in the Havana music scene, both Curbelo and Bauzá would look to the future. Each of them saw himself as a jazz musician waiting to break out and creatively explore his musicianship. Both Curbelo and Bauzá decided the only way to truly embrace their passion for music was by going to [the] hottest music spot in the world, the home of jazz, New York City. Everybody talk about Mario, Mario, Mario, clarinet player and saxophone player. So, I said, “Well the next stop gotta be the United States,” come to the Mecca of jazz . . . nothing else I can learn in Cuba. A History of Afro‐Cuban Jazz in The Bronx 53 �III. Cuba Comes to New York: The Palladium Era Once in the United States, Mario Bauzá’s first order of business was to learn yet another instrument. It was rough because when I got here it was in the heart of the Depression. And I’m lucky that I was, I met Benny Carter and he gave me advice . . . (and) there was another fella that came here on the boat with me with the Don Azpiazu Orchestra by the name of Antonio Machin. . . . So, I used to go into his house every day, to listen to rehearsals, (one day) I say, “I have no problem to play the music the way you want to. . . . I don’t play trumpet, but I think if you buy me a trumpet, I think I can do the job.” So, we went to the pawnshop and bought a cheap trumpet for fifteen bucks or something like that. So, I took it home and I start, I knew the positions and all I had to do was to get some embouchure, and that was that. Said, “Mario, I only got . . . fifteen days to recording.” I said, “Well, you ain’t got nobody. If you give me the opportunity, I think I can do it, otherwise I wouldn’t even talk about it.” So, I start practicing, practicing, practicing, practicing. So finally, we go into the recording. . . . Then I fell in love with the trumpet. And then I figured I had a better chance with the trumpet than I did with the saxophone to join one of those jazz bands. Bauzá quickly became known around jazz circles, and his rise to prominence was fast. First, Bauzá joined the Chick Webb Band, where under the wing of bandleader Chick Webb he would gain a vast knowledge of jazz. Webb opened up doors for Bauzá and introduced him to some of the biggest names in the New York jazz scene. Bauzá played with countless musicians from Webb to Cab Calloway to Ella Fitzgerald. All over New York from the Apollo to 54 FROM THE DAVID M. CARP PAPERS ON LATIN JAZZ �the Savoy Ballroom, Bauzá spread his love for jazz as he collaborated with a myriad of jazz legends. In addition to the various collaborations that were taking place, another tradition of the era was the Battle of the Bands. Two bands would play the same hall or ballroom and try to show one another up. This is when Afro-Cuban rhythms really stood out, earning Afro-Cubans a reputation for their showmanship. Mario Bauzá remembers battling Benny Goodman in the late 1930s with the Chick Webb Band. The Savoy Ballroom was pack(ed) around five o’clock in the afternoon, they had to close the door. . . . Benny Goodman playe(ed) the first set . . . they close with “Big John Special.” So, Chick say, “What’choo gonna play?” I say, “How about the same number, gonna play ‘Big John Special’ . . . and close with ‘Harlem Conga?’” . . . The battle of music was through in the first set. The band was too powerful for Benny. Benny’s band was too light for that, that and especially with that crowd. When that band hit, it was something else. This period of the 1930s was essential to the birth of Latin jazz music. Pioneers like Bauzá were becoming big names and starting to influence the music scene. By adding elements from their [strong] background in Cuban music, people like Bauzá, Curbelo, Tito Puente, and Tito Rodríguez would usher in a new form of music —Afro-Cuban jazz. In 1940, Bauzá hooked up with his brother-inlaw, Machito, and together they created Machito’s Afro-Cuban Orchestra, along with Graciela Pérez. Despite initial skepticism about the use of the name “Afro-Cuban,” Latinos, Blacks, and even whites would enjoy the music. When I started Machito Orchestra, whole lot of Puerto Rican people reject my music. They say I use bongo and that was a disgrace, that was “nanigo” music, “Negroes A History of Afro‐Cuban Jazz in The Bronx 55 �from Africa” music. They didn’t go for that. But in the new generation, Puerto Rican born in New York begin to like what I was doin’. Soon there was a huge following for the acts and the premiere venue was Manhattan’s Palladium Ballroom. The Palladium was an important institution that would operate from 1949 to 1966, delighting fans of mambo and jazz alike. Celebrities like Marlon Brando and Bob Hope as well as everyday working-class immigrants would crowd the Palladium. With unparalleled integration, it became the single most important place for Latin jazz music in New York City. The rise of the Palladium marked a turning point in New York’s music scene. Tastes were beginning to change and people were becoming more and more intrigued with the new Afro-Cuban jazz sound. Afro-Cubans were gaining acceptance and earning respect. Along with Afro-Cuban jazz, many of the Latino musicians involved collaborated with American jazz artists. Bauzá himself broke in legend Dizzy Gillespie, with whom he teamed up Machito percussionist Chano Pozo. And then I brought Dizzy into the band. . . . I went and got a hold of Dizzy: “Dizzy, bring your trumpet with a mute. I want you to play anything you want on top of that.” . . . Rhythm crazy. And he can dance. I got a videotape they made in Havana. . . . And when he came out there and dancing, dance a rumba. It’s amazin’! And Dizzy, Dizzy, Dizzy’s, Dizzy all right! Helluva fellow. . . . I love the guy, my son. The language barrier illustrates the connection Afro-Cubans made with American jazz musicians. Dizzy Gillespie and Chano Pozo made terrific music and rose to the top of the jazz world in New York City, but Pozo didn’t speak a word of English. 56 FROM THE DAVID M. CARP PAPERS ON LATIN JAZZ �You know the only word that Chano (could speak) to Dizzy? “Hundred dollar.” That’s all. Despite the cultural differences and language barrier, Gillespie found a niche in Latin jazz. In 1947, the two were set to perform a number called the “Afro-Cuban Drums Suite” at Carnegie Hall. The show was instrumental in bringing Latin jazz into mainstream awareness. Additionally, Gillespie’s improvisation added a whole new dimension to jazz. Gillespie’s musicianship became the groundwork for later improvisation such as bee bop and the music of greats like Charlie Parker and Miles Davis. By 1950, Machito, Tito Puente, and Tito Rodríguez were among the biggest names in all of New York. Collaborations would continue, and Charlie Parker would get into the act, teaming up with pianist Norman Granz and Bauzá on one of the best examples of Latin jazz, “The Peanut Vendor.” Charlie Parker made a very big impression on Bauzá, and that would lead to partnership on the song “Mango Mangue.” People might think that Charlie Parker play because he was high, or—no, no, no, no. He knew everything he would do in the music, and nobody told him how to do it. That was his own creation, his own mentality, his own approach about music. . . . He says, “Oh man, play anything, let me hear the arrangement.” . . . When we play the arrangement, he say, “I like that.” I said, “But it’s a vocal.” He say, “All you gotta do, when the vocal supposed to be sing, tell ’em ‘don’t sing’ and gimme the cue, I’ll play.” . . . He went through that number like nothing, back to the montuno, and . . . “Oh my goodness!” I say, “this man is a genius!” As Afro-Cuban jazz’s popularity grew, more and more great bandleaders would emerge, and great musicians would flourish in the new form. José Curbelo’s orchestra was one of the bands that A History of Afro‐Cuban Jazz in The Bronx 57 �benefited the most from the success of the other Afro-Cuban performers. Curbelo’s success came at a time when the music that was originally confined to Harlem began to spread downtown to places like the Palladium and uptown to The Bronx, again thanks to the success of Tito Puente and Tito Rodríguez, but mainly because of Bauzá’s Machito Orchestra. Curbelo explains the phenomenon. That was Machito and his Afro-Cubans . . . because when you hit Broadway you did the biggest, the Broadway show, the Strand Theater, the Capitol Theater, the Paramount Theater. All the big theaters, the big ballrooms, the Roseland, the Arcadia, everything was on Broadway between 42nd, the Astor Roof, and 54th, where the Palladium was. And the first band, Black, to come from El Barrio . . . was a great accomplishment. After Machito broke through to the mainstream, Afro-Cuban jazz exploded. The 1950s saw more and more Afro-Cuban jazz bands sprouting up, and the phenomenon became insanely popular. The Palladium was at its peak as a venue, consistently packing the house to see Tito Puente or Machito. At the height of the Palladium era, people of all races, backgrounds, and ethnicities came together to enjoy the music. IV. The Late Palladium Era: Afro‐Cubans in The Bronx The exposure Afro-Cuban jazz was experiencing affected all of New York, but no borough embraced the tradition like The Bronx. Just over the river from the “Mecca of Jazz,” Harlem, The Bronx served as the next major center for music in New York. At that time, clubs and dance halls in The Bronx would attract the biggest names in Afro-Cuban jazz, mambo, and American jazz. Venues like the Hunts Point Palace, the Tritons Club, and the Rockland Palace would put The Bronx on the map as the place to see Afro-Cuban music. While the main forum was still the Palladium, many people would look no 58 FROM THE DAVID M. CARP PAPERS ON LATIN JAZZ �further than The Bronx for a quality Afro-Cuban jazz experience. Bronxites would go to have a good time, get down, and listen to some amazing music from the greats. Machito, Tito Puente, José Curbelo (before becoming a manager), Tito Rodríguez, and even Charlie Parker would play at Bronx clubs during the late 1950s. New bands started to come out of the borough as a result of the developing Afro-Cuban jazz scene in The Bronx. Young Bronxites would pack the clubs to get a glimpse of their favorite bands, go home, and try to imitate their sound. Afro-Cuban records were played from every window in every Latino neighborhood in The Bronx, and a new generation of Afro-Cuban jazz lovers would emerge. This new wave of Afro-Cuban jazz buffs would see music any chance they had. Joe Orange, Bronx native and jazz trombonist who played with Herbie Mann and Eddie Palmieri, recalls students at his high school going all the way downtown to see Afro-Cuban music. When I was going to Morris (High School) there was a whole group of kids that used to go to the Palladium and they used to come to school talkin’ about, “Man, last Saturday night at the Palladium. Tito Puente did this and Tito Rodríguez—.” And I (was) kind of like, “Give me a break!” But there was a real strong interest in Latin music. Even the non-musicians, Latin dance was like a craze that was going on you know, ’57, ’58, when I was in high school. The Bronx would serve as a breeding ground for some of the freshest talent in Latin jazz and this was, in part, due to the emergence of Afro-Cuban jazz’s popularity in the latter half of the 1950s. Willie Colón, one of the foremost innovators of Latin music in the late 1960s, remembers going to the Hunts Point Palace when he was thirteen. In those days you had to have a cabaret license, so I had a A History of Afro‐Cuban Jazz in The Bronx 59 �friend who was older and he had one, (gave) me his and we kind of doctored it up and put my picture in it. . . . I grew a mustache as soon as possible, and I used to smoke cigars to try to look older, you know. I even used to put frosting on my hair sometimes, it must have been pretty pathetic but I got away with it most of the time. And yeah, we used to go to the Hunts Point Palace, which is now like an office building. . . . They would have like fourteen bands and the poster, you know, just looked like a checkerboard, it had so many faces and stuff on it. . . . And you would go in and I think you’d pay something like five dollars, and you’d be able to see twenty something orchestras. . . . There was a big boom at one time. The popularity of the local venues was apparent by the amount of talent that came onto the Afro-Cuban scene in the late 1950s and early ’60s. One of the premiere acts that came from The Bronx at the time was Eddie Palmieri and his conjunto La Perfecta. My mother arrived in New York in 1925, that’s how it all starts. . . . She came here with an uncle and an aunt, and there was another uncle and aunt here. . . . And then my father followed a year later on a boat. . . . In 1926, they married, my brother was born in ’27, and I was born in ’36 . . . on 112th Street . . . between Madison and Park. We moved from there when I was five years old, and then we went right to Kelly Street between Longwood and Intervale, known now and later as the South Bronx. Palmieri’s extended family had also immigrated to The Bronx and would introduce Eddie to music as a child. His uncle had his own traditional band and encouraged Eddie and his older brother Charlie to take up the piano but emphasized the importance of traditional Latin percussion instruments. But Eddie Palmieri was a piano player. A prodigy, Palmieri played Carnegie Hall at the age of eleven. By 60 FROM THE DAVID M. CARP PAPERS ON LATIN JAZZ �thirteen he had joined up with his uncle, as a percussionist. By the time I was fifteen I sold my timbales back to my uncle, (and) went back on the piano, which I’m still playing to this day. Like Willie Colon, Palmieri also gained a lot of musical knowledge by going to shows in The Bronx. Palmieri attributes his start as a serious pianist to seeing bands and orchestras at Bronx clubs and dance halls in the 1950s. I saw Charlie Parker, and that was at the Rockland Palace. He would get gigs like that because he used to work for a promoter, that was a Black promoter called Cecil Bowen. At the Hunts Point Palace I know I saw Charlie Parker and I didn’t know who he was but I saw rubber bands and band-aids on the saxophone, alto. I saw different groups but my main interest was to try to play the piano. ’Cause I hadn’t been reading music, I was playing timbales with my uncle, folkloric band, and then it was very difficult to get back to reading. Palmieri would get his break in 1955 playing with Eddie Forrestier’s Orchestra and would even play with the legendary Tito Rodríguez for a year before starting La Perfecta in 1961. Palmieri’s orchestra was fresh and new, replacing trumpets with trombones. The innovative La Perfecta became the key attraction in Latin music during the 1960s. By assembling some of the greatest musicians in all of New York, the Bronx-based conjunto was wildly popular and virtually unrivaled for the better part of the decade. To a large degree, the success of La Perfecta was truly a group effort, and the band incorporated one of the most influential musicians in the history of New York, trombonist Barry Rogers. Described as a true “renaissance man,” Rogers came out of a Jewish community in The Bronx and was an avid car mechanic, musician, writer, and most A History of Afro‐Cuban Jazz in The Bronx 61 �prominently, a lover of all music. Mark Weinstein recalls Barry’s knack at instrumentation well beyond the trombone, including the folkloric double string guitar from Cuba known as the tres. “Barry was a great tres player. Barry was one of the better tres players in the city of New York.” Peers remember the late Barry Rogers spending hours upon hours listening to records and playing music. Rogers’s distinct trombone sound was of paramount importance in the development of Latin music from Afro-Cuban revivalist jazz to salsa. Known for his incessant writing, and re-writing, of charts, almost obsessive personality, and perfectionism, Rogers put all he had into Latin music. When asked about the influence Barry Rogers had on him, Eddie Palmieri remembers Rogers’s uniqueness. Those trombones, when they used to get into a riff behind the flute they don’t stop, and then Barry just takes off and keeps going and we just kept pushing and pushing, and that instrument is not an instrument to be able to do that with and they did it. . . . (I remember) his preparation, his musical knowledge, of all different kinds of music. With Rogers’s innovation and virtuosity with the trombone and Eddie Palmieri leading the band behind the piano, La Perfecta soon found themselves playing with the greats. Eddie Palmieri remembers the circumstances in which he played alongside legends at the Palladium. Oh, Machito, Tito Rodríguez, Tito Puente, La Perfecta dealt with each and every one one-on-one. No quarter taken. There was four sets, you did sixteen sets a week at the Palladium for 72 dollars, before taxes. . . . They had lost their liquor license and now they gave me 90 engagements, so once they give you the 90 engagements, then anybody that wants to book you out would have to 62 FROM THE DAVID M. CARP PAPERS ON LATIN JAZZ �pay more and that was the deal, you know, and José Curbelo handled that pretty well. La Perfecta continued to thrive during the 1960s and played all over New York City, from the ritziest hotels to the local clubs of The Bronx. La Perfecta illustrates a rich history of music in The Bronx. While the music scene had always been big in places like Morrisania and Hunts Point, La Perfecta was one of the first real successful jazz bands to come out of The Bronx during the era. Mark Weinstein, second trombonist (with Barry Rogers) remembers playing in different clubs all over New York City. You couldn’t buy a second microphone, man! I mean the Hunts Point Palace, I don’t think they owned two microphones . . . and the trombone players would sweat, sweat blood. . . . Barry would catch the edge of the microphone by pointin’ his trombone towards (it). But because we were always playing during the montunos, the singer was in the way. . . . The Hunts Point was one of the bigger rooms, there were a couple other places. . . . The Palladium was a great room—Palladium was the best room to play, I loved the Palladium. . . . We played Birdland a couple of times, I mean then we’d have microphones. La Perfecta’s popularity soared in the ’60s. New Yorkers identified with both the jazz sound and the Latin roots. La Perfecta would draw from many musical traditions to form their unique sound. Mark Weinstein remembers The Bronx as one of the hottest spots for Afro-Cuban music. It was Cuban revivalist. I mean the amazing thing about playing with Eddie’s band was playing Latin music for people of Latino heritage, and this was basically the A History of Afro‐Cuban Jazz in The Bronx 63 �cultural revival that occurred at the Triton Club, I mean the Triton Club was the center of it . . . in The Bronx, Southern Boulevard, right next door to the Hunts Point Palace. . . . And the model of the trombone improvisation came from the way . . . the soloist would play against the trumpets. But then Barry extended that. That was the model. In 1966, La Perfecta played the Palladium for its final show. The Palladium Era had officially ended, but Latin music would continue to gain steam up in The Bronx. V. The Bronx and Latin Jazz: The 1950s, 1960s, and Beyond With the Palladium closed and other Manhattan dance halls following suit, Latin music still thrived in one place. The Bronx was now the center for Latin jazz in New York and would become a hotbed for talent. The biggest names in Latin music were coming from The Bronx because communities were raising their kids on music. The Bronx in the ’50s and ’60s was rich in musical traditions from all over Latin America, and residents would expose different types of music to one another. Vibrant neighborhoods like Hunts Point, Morrisania, and Longwood became a breeding ground for musical talent. The public schools provided instruments for students, neighbors sat on their stoops and jammed, and Latin and jazz music blared from every street corner. Frank Rivera was a resident of the Longwood community in the ’50s and ’60s and remembers the neighborhood as well as developing a love for dancing. It was real nice and everybody knew everybody in the neighborhood. . . . Some of ’em became teachers and musicians like Joe Loco, he lived in the corner by the drugstore . . . when we went to (PS) 42, that’s when they started to open the school at night and that’s when we 64 FROM THE DAVID M. CARP PAPERS ON LATIN JAZZ �started to have parties and dancing. . . . At that time it was more like they call “mambo”—mambo, not salsa like they call it now. Joe Orange, a longtime resident of Morrisania, remembers hearing music all over The Bronx when he was growing up. I was always hearing it. . . . I was always around it. My brother played conga. And there were all these bands, over at PS 99 they used talent shows. . . . You know, bands in junior high and high school, there were Latin bands all around me. . . . They used to have a place up in The Bronx on Boston Road that was really a great place for jam sessions when I was a kid. I was in high school and I would go in and listen . . . right where Boston and Prospect Avenue meet, and it was down in this little basement and I would sneak in there . . . it wasn’t open for very long but it was very popular. Orange contributes the large number of musicians who came out of The Bronx to a surrounding culture that nourished young musicians and helped to develop the talents of the community residents. I think the programs in the public schools had a lot to do with it. I started in (PS) 40, most of us started in 40 or one of those junior high schools. . . . PS 99 had that afterschool community center. We used to have talent shows once a week, some great things came through those talent shows! Because of the rich cultural environment, young kids on the street would aspire for musical greatness. Latinos and African Americans would all embrace the various sounds of Latin music, thanks to the diversity of The Bronx, and lively musicians would surface all over the borough. Willie Colón was one such musician. A History of Afro‐Cuban Jazz in The Bronx 65 �The South Bronx in the ’50s . . . was exactly like a town in Puerto Rico or any other Latin American country. . . . There were domino games on the sidewalks and there were bembes, which is a group of guys playing congas . . . and we’d sing choruses and maybe some of the hit songs of the day. From that upbringing, Colón embraced both Puerto Rican and Cuban son, and became a trombonist in his own band. Mark Weinstein attributes youth interest in Latin music to the popularity of Barry Rogers. There was LeBron Brothers and there was Willie Colón, I mean both Barry and I were very, very arrogant about what was happening with the trombone. ’Cause both of us had come to Latin music from very rich trombone traditions whereas all the kids who were comin’ up had learned to play trombone by listening to Barry essentially. Regardless of who influenced him, Willie Colón was a young upstart trombonist and he teamed up with a beautiful voice, [a] soñero named Héctor Lavoe. The two delighted fans with songs like trombone anthem with a Panamanian sound “La Murga,” or with the album El Malo, named after the persona Colón would embrace as a rough kid from The Bronx. Ushering the newly dubbed “boogaloo” style, El Malo and Lavoe would travel all over the world with their exciting, trombone-driven sound until Lavoe unfortunately fell victim to heroin and began showing up late for gigs and acting out. In 1973, Colón was forced to fire Lavoe, ending their six-year partnership. Colón would continue to write and record music, and his name became synonymous with salsa music. Colón has written socially conscious songs like “El General” and “Si La Ves,” has sold over 30 66 FROM THE DAVID M. CARP PAPERS ON LATIN JAZZ �million records worldwide, and has amassed fifteen gold and five platinum records since his humble beginning in The Bronx. VI. One Last Word From the start in Cuba, through the coalescence with jazz in Manhattan, to the popularization in The Bronx, Afro-Cuban and Latin jazz has become one of the most important cultural phenomena in the history of New York. The various musical forms from Cuba, Puerto Rico, Panama, and other Caribbean nations illustrate the diversity of the city. The story of Afro-Cuban music’s popularity in New York is a microcosm of all the wonderful things that make the city uniquely diverse. The way this music was embraced by native New Yorkers as well as [more recent] immigrants is an amazing tribute to the capital of the world, New York. Musical geniuses brought their incredibly well-trained and knowledgeable background to New York, where they mixed with the native population of jazz musicians, and history was made. The importance of The Bronx in all of this cannot be emphasized enough. It’s because of the borough’s love for Latin music that other musical forms could thrive and be introduced. The music served as a familiar reminder that The Bronx was a place for all people from all over the world. Though many, like Mario Bauzá, detest the term “Latin jazz,” the music itself tells the important story of two cultures merging to form great art. A History of Afro‐Cuban Jazz in The Bronx 67 �BRONX BUSINESS LEADERS OF THE YEAR AWARD Presented to Bronx business leaders who support the humanities and the arts. 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 Ram Gupta, Chatam 2000 Management Co., Inc. Michael Max Knobbe, BronxNet 1999 Richard Legnini, Bronx Ad Group 1998 John Calvelli, Bronx Zoo James H. Alston, McCalls 1997 Bronxwood Funeral Home Steve Baktidy, S&T Auto Body 1996 Shop 1995 Matthew Engel, Langsam Property Services Greg Gonzalez, Manhattan Parking Group Steve Tisso, Teddy Nissan Joseph Kelleher, Hutchinson Metro Center Adam Green, Rocking the Boat Anthony Mormile, Hudson Valley Bank Lenny Caro, Bronx Chamber of Commerce Katherine Gleeson, Goldman Sachs Sandra Erickson, Erickson Real Estate Cecil P. Joseph, McDonald’s Frank Cassano, New Bronx Chamber of Commerce Dart Westphal, Norwood News James J. Houlihan, HoulihanParnes David Greco, Mike’s Deli & Caterers Peter Madonia, Madonia Brothers Bakery 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987 John Reilly, Fordham-Bedford Housing Corp. Mario Procida, Procida Construction Corp. Veronica M. White, NYC Housing Partnership Dr. Spencer Foreman, Montefiore Medical Center Monroe Lovinger, CPA Gil and Jerry Beautus, Walton Press William O’Meara, Greentree Restaurant Larry Barazzoto, Soundview Discount Muffler Gail McMillan, Con Edison Susan E. Goldy, ERA Susan Goldy & Co. Mike Nuñez, Bronx Venture Group Mark Engel, Langsam Property Services Carlos Nazario, Metro Beer & Soda Joel Fishman, Nehring Brother Realty Co. Michael Durso, Dollar Dry Dock Savings Bank Elias Karmon, EMK Enterprises �REVIEWS Cope, Suzanne. Power Hungry: Women of the Black Panther Party and Freedom Summer and Their Fight to Feed a Movement. Chicago: Lawrence Hill Books, 2022. 304 pp. ISBN: 9781641604529. $27.99. Suzanne Cope’s expertly written, extensively researched book chronicles the Civil Rights Movement in the United States through the lived experiences of two unacknowledged Black women champions of the movement, Aylene Quin and Cleo Silvers. Cope is a writer, professor, narrative journalist, and scholar. She earned a PhD in Adult Learning from Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts and is currently a Clinical Assistant Professor at New York University, where she is a “food studies scholar with a focus on food as a tool for social and political change.” Cope’s work illuminates the stories of “unsung leaders . . . mainly women of color who are left out of history,” individuals who “elevate women’s work” through their uses of food as a “political tool.” Cope does a magnificent job at presenting this historical survey of the Civil Rights Movement in an easy-to-read manner that metaphorically transplants the reader to a stool at Aylene Quin’s food counter. In 22 short and detailed chapters, Power Hungry recounts the dual narratives of Aylene Quin’s community organizing and voter rights’ activism out of her McComb, Mississippi restaurant and tavern South of the Border during the Freedom Summer of 1964, on the one hand, and Cleo Silvers’s organizing in the South Bronx, first through VISTA1 and then with the Black Panther Party shortly after the start of the New York Chapter’s Children’s Free Breakfast Program in 1969, on the other. Cope argues that the two womens’ significance to the Civil Rights Movement is not reflected accurate1 VISTA: Volunteers in Service to America, part of President Johnson’s AntiPoverty program and predecesser to today’s AmeriCorps. Cope, Power Hungry 69 �ly in the historical record, in which such activity as cooking, if included at all, occurs as footnotes. As a tribute to the scholars whose research has inspired and informed her own work, Cope provides the bibliographical citations preceding her prologue. Aylene Quin, or “Mama Quin” as she was affectionately known in her community of McComb, Mississippi, was a pivotal figure in the local and state-wide civil rights and voter registration efforts. Power Hungry vividly recounts Mama Quin’s story through the events of 1961 leading up to the Freedom Summer of 1964 and beyond. The book captures Mama Quin’s personal sacrifices in preparing and delivering meals to activists jailed, in one case for attempting to stage a sit-in at the McComb Woolworth’s food counter and in another for participating in a high school walk-out and march to the County Hall. Although a visible staple of the community, Mama Quin even took part in the latter as a show of support, alongside her daughter Jacqueline. Cope details the many other civil rights actions supported by Mama Quin, like holding secret meetings of the local Black middle-class and business people at her restaurant (who would arrive in the back of delivery trucks) and feeding civil rights workers, such as the SNCC Freedom Riders, and the community at large. 2 Cope describes Mama Quin’s efforts at feeding civil rights activists and the wider community as “community building, done around the kitchen tables rather than on the front lines.” As Cope emphasizes, Mama Quin’s independent “financial means,” as a self-employed business owner, gave her the ability to support the movement without direct consequence to her employment status (which was not the case with many others). Cope introduces Cleo Silvers in chapter 4. She affably details Cleo’s beginnings in her hometown of Philadelphia while growing up enjoying Sunday meals at her grandmother’s house. The experience of social gatherings around meals influenced Cleo’s love for what 2 SNCC: The Student Non-Violenct Coordinating Committee, one of the leading student groups of the Civil Rights Movement. 70 PASTOR CRESPO, JR. �Cope describes as “culinary diplomacy.” Cope expounds on the myriad ways that Cleo hosted and prepared gatherings around food at her apartment in the South Bronx (and elsewhere over the years), not only to garner financial support for the Black Panther Party but as a mentoring tool for what Cleo called her “Black and Brown cadre.” Cope cogently presents the lessons that Aylene Quin and Cleo Silvers provide as the “power of community organizing” and “the power of food to help create community among activists and local people.” At the same time, Cope takes care to ensure that the reader understands Cleo’s accomplishments in the contexts of navigating patriarchy within the Black Panther Party, on the one hand, and enduring extensive FBI efforts to “neutralize and destroy” the Party’s leaders and the brutality of local law enforcement, on the other. As Cope eloquently posits, “This is the insidious nature of white supremacy, particularly when it infiltrates every nook and cranny of governmental power.” Drawing attention to Mama Quin’s context in Mississippi, Cope warns also of the terroristic lengths white supremacy is willing to go to maintain a racist system—drive-by shootings, drive-by bombings, firebombs, and economic sanctions. Power Hun‐ gry is a testament to the strength and perseverance of countless unknown, unrecognized, and uncredited African American women leaders and their use of varied foodways to build and feed the community. This is an absolutely captivating book that is a must read. Pastor Crespo, Jr. The Bronx, New York Cope, Power Hungry 71 �Sammartino, Annemarie. Freedomland: Co‐Op City and The Story of New York. Ithaca/London: Three Hills/Cornell University Press, 2022. 320 pp. ISBN: 9781501716430. $32.95. As its title suggests, Freedomland: Co‐Op City and the Story of New York frames the history of Co-op City, the largest cooperative housing development in the U.S., as a microcosm of wider twentiethcentury New York City history. Co-Op City was constructed at the end of the 1960s in the far reaches of the northeast Bronx, carved out of swampland along the Hutchinson River. The title derives from the ill-fated amusement park, Freedomland, which during the first half of the 1960s occupied a portion of the land on which Co-Op City was built. At the same time, the title evokes the promise of Co-Op City: a place where affordable housing and a cohesive community life would be available to residents without necessitating a move to the suburbs. Here was a place where working- and middle-class New Yorkers could flourish and share in the American dream of home-own-ership. The cooperative housing movement in New York City, of which Coop City was a part, emerged in the early twentieth century among progressive Jewish and other trade unionists. Tenants, or “cooperators,” would purchase equity shares in an apartment upon move-in and would receive the amount back, plus interest, when vacating the apartment. Early cooperative housing in New Yorkwith pronounced leftwing influence such as the Allerton Coops in The Bronx had some of the first racially integrated housing in New York City. Other cooperatives had a less than stellar record in this regard, and this is a part of the story of Co-op City as well. Co-Op City was built by the United Housing Foundation (UHF), a nonmarket housing corporation known for cooperative projects like 72 ROGER MCCORMACK �the Amalgamated Housing Co-operative in The Bronx, opened in 1927, and Rochdale Village in Queens, opened in 1963. Co-op City, whose first apartments opened in 1968, provided middle-income housing at a time when many middle-class New Yorkers had decamped for the suburbs. All of these UHF developments served as crucibles for the inexorable demographic and economic changes buffeting New York City in the second half of the twentieth century —not least because in the late 1960s the UHF was mandated by the state to conform to non-discriminatory housing policies. Racial integration was not without tension in these developments, particularly as the original goals of the cooperative movement lost their luster amid rising crime and the racialized perception among many that an influx of Blacks and Puerto Ricans to Co-Op City heralded the demise of the neighborhood in the late 1970s and 1980s. According to Sammartino, however, Co-Op City never succumbed to New York’s vituperative racial politics to the same extent as Rochdale Village did, with the latter coming apart over busing and integration in the 1970s. UHF initially stressed a homogenously middle-class community at Co-op City and refused to jettison the middle-income requirement to appeal to more Blacks and Latinos, who were on average employed in jobs that paid them less for comparable work done by whites and experienced higher rates of unemployment. The approach of UHF created tension with prominent city agencies and Mayor Lindsay’s administration, which advocated—at least on paper—various policies to uplift Black and Latino populations in the 1960s. According to Sammartino, the common socio-economic level of Co-Op City nourished racial integration, subduing racial tension and rancor at a time when such tensions were high elsewhere in New York. Sammartino argues for Co-Op City’s unusual role within New York City: problems found in the rest of the city, though perceptible in Co-Op City, were diminished by the middle-class character of the development and the ideology of the “cooperators” or residents of Co-Op City, stressing, Sammartino, Freedomland 73 �as it did, shared ownership and the diminution of the profit motive in real estate. Other critics of Co-Op City at the time drew attention to its “Towers in the park” model. Towering residential skyscrapers, these critics argued, contributed to urban alienation and malaise. In this telling, Co-Op City would never be able to achieve a spontaneous community. Architectural and urban planners—chief among them Jane Jacobs—celebrated the community life of old, smaller-scale neighborhoods and were quick to denounce massive urban development projects like Co-Op City. Sammartino argues that this portrayal of Co-Op City was false, citing a number of anecdotes from her own life and from other residents highlighting the robustness of community in Co-Op City. Community life was, in fact, celebrated by people of varying ethnicities and backgrounds, most notably Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who moved to Co-Op City as a young girl. Here, Sammartino probably overstates her thesis. While her anecdotes of vibrant community life in Co-Op City are nonetheless true, the development to this day remains isolated from the rest of The Bronx and New York City (many plans for a subway line to Co-Op City have proved abortive), making the development convenient primarily for automobile drivers. Sammartino masterfully describes the ethos of the cooperative’s founders, the United Housing Foundation, and their utopian aims for cooperative housing, desiring nothing less than a wholesale reevaluation of how New Yorkers envisioned housing. She is also unsparing in detailing the corruption of the Mitchell-Lama program (and probably the UHF) and the enormous cost overruns during the construction of Co-Op City, overruns eventually paid for by increases in “carrying charges,” or rents, by the development’s residents. The increase in carrying charges and resentment towards the UHF’s 74 ROGER MCCORMACK �perceived corruption culminated in the rent strike of 1975–1976, the longest and largest so far in U.S. history. Led by the bombastic labor organizer Charles Rosen—dubbed by the Village Voice “the Lenin of the North Bronx”—Co-Op City cooperators eventually gained board control of Co-Op City but remained bedeviled by the same financial problems the UHF faced. The strike destroyed the UHF: it would never build another cooperative housing complex after the imbroglios involved in the construction and maintenance of Co-Op City. Here, Sammartino uses the example of Co-Op City to chart the history of New York’s social welfare apparatus, where robust funding was provided for education, housing, and a variety of other urban programs in the 1930s and 1940s. By the 1970s, this model was in desuetude. Instead, the ruling governing philosophy became “neoliberalism,” which Sammartino defines as market-based solutions to urban problems, and austerity, encapsulated by the federal government’s refusal to bail out New York City during the fiscal crisis of the 1970s (and symbolized by the New York Post’s famous headline, “Ford to New York—Drop Dead!”). Co-Op City, though, founded just prior to the high-water point of these policies in New York City, offered a rival conception of housing, with its roots in the social welfare model of the 1930s and ’40s and the tenant activism of the Lower East Side and The Bronx of this same era. Initially a safe-haven for Jews leaving once prosperous ethnic neighborhoods in the West Bronx, Co-Op City was widely seen as part of The Bronx and yet distinct from older neighborhoods not only because of its far-flung location and towering skyscrapers but also because of the absence of crime and urban blight. Complicating narratives of white flight and twentieth-century urban histories, Sammartino argues against Co-Op City as having a decisive destructive impact on the west Bronx. According to a standard narrative, Co-Op City exacerbated white flight from west Bronx neighborhoods and was one of the main contributors to urban decay in the borough. But, Professor Sammartino notes, many Jewish Sammartino, Freedomland 75 �residents of the Grand Concourse had already left for the suburbs of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut before the construction of Co-Op City was finished in 1968. In her view, Co-Op City simply reinforced a social trend already underway. The book also benefits from Sammartino’s measured appraisal of the reasons for the Jewish exodus from the west Bronx. Many previously storied west Bronx neighborhoods had begun to experience decreases in city services and overall building maintenance, and new arrivals to Co-Op City cited actual crimes and a perceived decline in their old neighborhoods. For a time, Co-Op City was seen as an escape from such blight. Unlike many other scholars of this period, however, Sammartino is similarly careful to weigh the largely manufactured fears of white residents of an increase in crime in Co-Op City in the 1980s and 1990s. Sammartino concludes her commendable volume with a paean to Co-Op City’s multicultural identity, even as demographics in the development have shifted, and to its continued existence as a middle-class neighborhood for newer populations of Bronxites. Roger McCormack The Bronx, New York 76 ROGER MCCORMACK �SELECT PUBLICATIONS AND GIFTS OF THE BRONX COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY The below items, and additional publications and gifts, are available for purchase in-person at any of our locations; by mail, through writing to The Bronx County Historical Society at 3309 Bainbridge Avenue, The Bronx, NY 10467; or online, at www.bronxhistoricalsociety.org/store. Life in The Bronx Series Lloyd Ultan and G. Hermalyn, The Birth of The Bronx: 1609–1900 $30.00 Lloyd Ultan and G. Hermalyn, The Bronx in the Innocent Years: $25.00 1890–1925 Lloyd Ultan and G. Hermalyn, The Bronx: It Was Only Yesterday, $25.00 1935–1965 Lloyd Ultan, The Beautiful Bronx: 1920–1950 $25.00 Life in The Bronx, four-volume set $90.00 History of The Bronx Nicholas DiBrino, History of Morris Park Racecourse $10.00 Allan S. Gilbert (ed.), Digging The Bronx $25.00 G. Hermalyn et al., A Historical Sketch of The Bronx, 2nd edition $15.00 G. Hermalyn and Thomas X. Casey, Bronx Views $12.00 G. Hermalyn and Anthony Greene, Yankee Stadium: 1923–2008 $22.00 G. Hermalyn and Robert Kornfeld, Landmarks of The Bronx $15.00 Kathleen A. McAuley, Westchester Town: Bronx Beginnings $15.00 Kathleen A. McAuley and G. Hermalyn, The Bronx: Then and Now $22.00 John McNamara, History in Asphalt: The Origin of Bronx Street and Place Names (encyclopedia), 3rd edition $30.00 John McNamara, McNamara’s Old Bronx $20.00 Rubio P. Mendez, A History of the Riverdale Yacht Club $20.00 Michael Miller, Theatres of The Bronx $5.00 �Lloyd Ultan, Blacks in the Colonial Bronx: A Documentary History $18.00 Lloyd Ultan, The Bronx in the Frontier Era $20.00 Lloyd Ultan, Legacy of the Revolution $15.00 Lloyd Ultan, The Northern Borough: A History of The Bronx $28.00 George Zoebelein, The Bronx: A Struggle for County Government $15.00 History of New York City Elizabeth Beirne, The Greater New York Centennial $20.00 Peter Derrick, Tunneling to the Future $20.00 G. Hermalyn, Morris High School and the Creation of the New York City Public High School System $34.00 George Lankevich, New York City: A Short History $20.00 Lawrence Stelter, By the El: Third Avenue and Its El at Mid‐Century $20.00 History of New York State G. Hermalyn and Sidney Horenstein, Hudson’s River $20.00 Elizabeth Beirne, The Hudson River $20.00 Douglas Lazars et al., Re‐inspired: The Erie Canal $20.00 Roots of the Republic Series George Lankevich, Chief Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court $20.00 George Lankevich, The First House of Representatives and $20.00 the Bill of Rights Edward Quinn, The Signers of the Constitution of the United States $20.00 Edward Quinn, The Signers of the Declaration of Independence $20.00 Richard Streb, The First Senate of the United States $20.00 Lloyd Ultan, Presidents of the United States $20.00 Roots of the Republic Series, six-volume set $99.00 Educational Material Anthony Greene, Annotated Primary Source Documents, vol. 1 $20.00 Roger McCormack, Annotated Primary Source Documents, vol. 2 $22.00 Dan Eisenstein, Local History Classroom Resource Guide $15.00 �Lisa Garrison, The South Bronx and the Founding of America $15.00 G. Hermalyn, The Study and Writing of History $20.00 Samuel Hopkins, West Farms Local History Curriculum Guide $15.00 Alonso Serrano, Latin Bicentennial, comic book $5.00 The Bronx County Historical Society Journal Back issues of The Bronx County Historical Society Journal, 1963–2021, are available for purchase for $15.00 an issue, excepting special issues like the Centennial of The Bronx issue, available for purchase for $20.00. Research Center Dominick Caldiero et al., Newspaper Titles of The Bronx $15.00 G. Hermalyn, Publications and Other Media of The Bronx County Historical Society Since 1955 $5.00 G. Hermalyn et al., The Bronx in Print $10.00 G. Hermalyn et al., Education and Culture in The Bronx $20.00 G. Hermalyn and Laura Tosi, Genealogy of The Bronx $10.00 Kathleen A. McAuley, A Guide to the Collections of The Bronx County Archives $20.00 Laura Tosi et al., Ethnic Groups in The Bronx $20.00 Laura Tosi et al., Index to The Sheet Map Collection of The Bronx County Historical Society $20.00 Laura Tosi and G. Hermalyn, Elected Public Officials of The Bronx Since 1898 $15.00 Laura Tosi and G. Hermalyn, Guide to The Atlas Collection of The Bronx County Historical Society $10.00 Laura Tosi and G. Hermalyn, Guide to The Microfilm/Microfiche Collection of The Bronx County Historical Society $10.00 Laura Tosi and G. Hermalyn, Guide to The Bronx County Historical Society Media Collection $10.00 Laura Tosi and G. Hermalyn, Guide to The Bronx County Historical Society Video Collection $10.00 �Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe Cottage, a documentary on DVD $20.00 Elizabeth Beirne, Poems and Tales of Edgar Allan Poe at Fordham $20.00 Kathleen A. McAuley, Edgar Allan Poe at Fordham $15.00 Special Interest Peter Derrick and G. Hermalyn, The Bronx Cookbook $15.00 Remember The Bronx, Bronx history calendar for 2023 $12.00 Gifts The Beautiful Bronx coffee mug $7.95 The Bronx Afghan, washable cotton blanket, 50" x 65" $50.00 The Bronx River Parkway, c. 1915, poster, 20.5" x 29.5" $20.00 Edgar Allan Poe coffee mug The Grand Concourse, 1892, poster, 25" x 12" $7.95 $20.00 The Bronx Comfort gift set, includes The Bronx Cookbook, the Bronx Afghan, and The Beautiful Bronx coffee mug $60.00 �THE BRONX COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY PRESIDENTS Jacqueline Kutner, 1993– Robert R. Hall, 1986–1993 Raymond F. Crapo, 1976–1986 Robert Farkas, 1976 Lloyd Ultan, 1971–1976 Ronald Schliessman, 1969–1971 Roger Arcara 1967–1969 Thomas J. Mullins, 1964–1967 George J. Fluhr, 1963–1964 Ray D. Kelly, 1963 Fred E. J. Kracke, 1960–1963 Joseph Duffy, 1958–1960 Dr. Theodore Kazimiroff, 1955–1958 LIFE MEMBERS Dr. Elizabeth Beirne Louis H. Blumegarten Adolfo Carrión Sam Chermin James Conroy Dorothy Curran John Dillon Dan Eisenstein Mark Engel Natalie and Robert Esnard Ken Fisher Fordham Hill Owner’s Co. Katherine Gleeson Greg Gonzalez David Greco Robert Hall Daniel Hauben Dr. Gary Hermalyn James Houlihan Marsha Horenstein Dr. Reintraut E. Jonsson Cecil P. Joseph Joseph Kelleher Mark Lampell Douglas Lazarus Maralyn May Kathleen A. McAuley Steven A. Ostrow Alan Parisse Jane Mead Peter Joel Podgor Steve Baktidy Marilyn and Morris Sopher Elizabeth Stone Henry G. Stroobants Susan Tane Lloyd Ultan Van Courtlandt Village CC Jac Zadrima HONORARY MEMBERS Robert Abrams Jorge L. Batista Michael Benedetto Lorraine Cortez-Vazquez Gloria Davis Hector Diaz Ruben Díaz, Jr. Jeffrey Dinowitz Eliot Engel Carmen Fariña Dr. Joseph A. Fernandez Fernando Ferrer George Friedman Robert T. Johnson Stephen Kaufman Jeff Klein Joel I. Klein G. Oliver Koppell Jeffrey Korman Lawrence Levine Harold O. Levy Michael M. Lippman James J. Periconi Ricardo Oquendo Nathan Quinoñes Roberto Ramírez Carl E. Heastie Lee Holtzman Gustavo Rivera Joel Rivera José Rivera Ninfa Segarra José E. Serrano Stanley Simon Thomas Sobol ��THE BRONX COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY 3309 Bainbridge Avenue The Bronx, New York 10467 718-881-8900 www.bronxhistoricalsociety.org The publication of this volume was made possible, in part, through the generous support of The National Realty Club Foundation. The Bronx County Historical Society is supported through funds and services provided by: New York City Department of Cultural Affairs New York City Department of Parks and Recreation Historic House Trust of New York City New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation The Bronx Delegation of the New York City Council The Office of the President of the Borough of The Bronx The Bronx Delegation of the New York State Assembly The Bronx Delegation of the New York State Senate The H. W. Wilson Foundation The Astor Fund The Isabelle Fund The Elbaum Fund The Ultan Fund The Lucius N. Littauer Foundation The S. Hermalyn Institute The New Yankee Stadium Community Benefits Fund, Inc. The Susan Tane Foundation The New York Public Library The New York Community Trust The National Realty Club Foundation �THE BRONX COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY JOURNAL Volume LIX Numbers 1–2 Spring/Fall 2022 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Bronx County Historical Society Journal Description An account of the resource The repository for digital editions of the full run of The Bronx County Historical Society Journal, 1962–present, the premier publication on Bronx history and culture. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Bronx County Historical Society Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Bronx County Historical Society Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1966–present Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource © The Bronx County Historical Society Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Periodical Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context BCHSJOUR Periodical Text Any textual data included in the document The Bronx County Historical Society JOURNAL The Bronx County Historical Society JOURNAL Volume LIX Numbers 1–2 Spring/Fall 2022 EDITORIAL BOARD G. Hermalyn Elizabeth Beirne Jacqueline Kutner Patrick Logan Steven Payne Gil Walton Roger Wines © 2022 by The Bronx County Historical Society, Inc. The Bronx County Historical Society Journal is published by The Bronx County Historical Society, Inc. All correspondence should be addressed to 3309 Bainbridge Avenue, The Bronx, New York, 10467. Articles appearing in this Journal are abstracted and indexed in America: History and Life, Periodical Source Index, and Recent Scholarship Online. The Journal and its editors disclaim responsibility for statements made by the contributors. ISSN 0007-2249 Articles in The Bronx County Historical Journal can also be found on EBSCO host research databases and on our website under “Collections.” www.bronxhistoricalsociety.org THE BRONX COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY TRUSTEES Jacqueline Kutner, President Patrick Logan, Treasurer Steve Baktidy, Trustee Mei Sei Fong, Trustee Joel Podgor, Trustee Jac Zadrima, Trustee Hon. Eric Adams Mayor of New York City Hon. Sue Donaghue Commissioner, New York City Department of Parks & Recreation Dr. G. Hermalyn, Chief Executive Officer Dr. Steven Payne, Director Teresa Brown, Chief Administrative Officer Clarence Addo-Yobo, Museum of Bronx History Senior Interpreter Pastor Crespo, Jr., Research Librarian Roger McCormack, Director of Education Chris Padilla, Bookstore Manager Valerie Blain, Archival Intern Kathleen A. McCauley, Curator Emerita Dr. Mark Naison, Bronx African American History Project Consultant Anthony Morante, Vice President Gil Walton, Secretary Robert Esnard, Trustee Dr. G. Hermalyn, Trustee Lloyd Ultan, Trustee EX-OFFICIO Hon. Vanessa Gibson Bronx Borough President Hon. Laurie Cumbo Commissioner, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs STAFF ii Volume LIX Numbers 1–2 Spring/Fall 2022 CONTENTS A Note from the Editors.......................................................................................................v ARTICLES Titi: An Oral History of Dr. Evelina Antonetty..................................................1 Edited and introduction by Steven Payne Kingsbridge Vignettes............................................................................................................19 By Richard Baum Allerton in the 1940s and 1950s........................................................................................29 By Robert Weiss A Tribute to Bob Gumbs and Harriet McFeeters.............................................39 By Mark Naison About the Authors..................................................................................................................44 FROM THE ARCHIVES Afro-Cuban Jazz in The Bronx......................................................................................45 From the David M. Carp Papers on Latin Jazz REVIEWS Cope, Power Hungry (2022)................................................................................................69 By Pastor Crespo, Jr. Sammartino, Freedomland (2022)...................................................................................72 By Roger McCormack iii ENDOWED FUNDS The Bronx County Historical Society encourages the esta- blishment of named endowment funds. Funds may be created to support the many different pro- grams of The Society or may be established for restricted use. The funds appear permanently on the financial records of the Historical Society in recognition of their ongoing su- pport of its work. Named endowment funds are established for a gift of $5000 or more and once begun, additional con- tributions may be made at any time. The following funds currently Astor Fund Bingham Fund Elbaum Fund Fernandez Fund General Board Fund Gordon Fund Gouverneur Morris Fund Halpern Memorial Fund support our work: Hermalyn Institute Fund Isabelle Fund Khan Fund Lampell Fund Library Fund Parisse Fund Sander Fund Ultan Fund For further details, contact: Mr. Joel Podgor, CPA Treasurer Emeritus 718-881-8900 A NOTE FROM THE EDITORS Volume 59 of The Bronx County Historical Society Journal represents a milestone in the history of this storied periodical, which has been published continuously since 1964. In many respects, the COVID-19 pandemic hit The Bronx County Historical Society with a ven- geance. Our two historic house museums were closed for the ma- jority of 2020 and the entirety of 2021 and only started to reopen on a limited basis in 2022. Revenue from museum visits, tours, and in- person purchases all experienced a sharp decline and are only beginning to bounce back. Yet on other important fronts, particularly those of collection acquistion, archival processing, and oral history recording, The Society’s activities picked up as never before. The Society recorded over 100 oral histories during these pandemic years across The Bronx African American History Project, The Bronx Latino History Project, and The Bronx Aerosol Arts Documentary Project. The Society acquired 43 new archival collec- tions during this same period, and over 100 of the 163 collections currently housed in The Bronx County Archives were fully processed and inventoried and are now available to researchers and the wider public. This volume of our Journal contains some of the first fruits of these pandemic labors, including an edited oral history collection from the Bronx Latino History Project around the life and legacy of Dr. Evelina Antonetty (1910–1984), a pivotal Bronx human rights activist, and an archival manuscript of a lengthy but ground- breaking study of Afro-Cuban jazz from the David M. Carp papers on Latin jazz in The Bronx County Archives. This volume, while longer than many previous volumes, is meant to highlight the recent work of The Society while motioning towards our ever-expanding role as a world-class center of community-based historical docu- mentation and scholarship. v ISABELLE HERMALYN BOOK AWARD IN NEW YORK URBAN HISTORY Presented annually to an author of a distinguished work in New York urban history. 2022 Annotated Primary Source 2009 Documents, vol. 2, Roger McCormack 2008 2021 BASEBALL The New York Game, Anthony Morante 2020 Hudson’s River, G. Hermalyn and Sidney Horenstein, The 2007 Bronx County Historical Society 2019 Concrete Jungle, Niles Eldrige 2006 and Sidney Horenstein, University of California Press 2018 Digging The Bronx, Alan 2005 Gilbert, The Bronx County Historical Society 2004 2017 The New York Botanical Garden, Gregory Long and Todd A. Forest, Abrams Books 2003 2016 The Bronx Artist Documentary Project, Judith C. Lane and 2002 Daniel Hauben 2015 An Irrepressible Conflict, 2001 Jennifer A. Lemak et al., SUNY Press 2014 Supreme City, Donald Miller, 2000 Simon & Schuster 2013 Humans of New York, 1999 Brandon Stanton, St. Martin's Press 2012 The Impeachment of Governor 1998 Salzer, Matthew L. Lifflander, SUNY Press 1997 2011 Freedomland, Robert McLaughlin and Frank Adamo, Arcadia Publishers 2010 Band of Union, Gerard T. Manahatta, Eric W. Sanderson, Abrams Books The New York, Westchester & Boston Railway, Herbert Harwood, Indiana University Press Trying Leviathan, D. Graham Burnett, Princeton University Press Ladies and Gentlemen, The Bronx is Burning, Jonathan Mahler, Ferrar, Strauss & Giroux The Devil’s Own Work, Barnett Schecter, Walker & Co. The Island at the Center of the World, Russell Shorto, Doubleday Capital City, Thomas Kessner, Simon & Schuster Tunneling to the Future, Peter Derrick, NYU Press The Monied Metropolis, Sven Beckert, Cambridge University Press Bronx Accent, Lloyd Ultan and Barbara Unger, Rutgers Press The Neighborhoods of Brooklyn, John Manbeck and Zella Jones American Metropolis, George Lankevich, NYU Press Elected Public Officials of The Bronx Since 1898, Laura Tosi and G. Hermalyn, The Bronx County Historical Society Koppel, Da Capa Press TITI: AN ORAL HISTORY OF DR. EVELINA ANTONETTY EDITED AND INTRODUCTION BY STEVEN PAYNE I. Introduction Dr. Evelina Antonetty (1922–1984), a proud Bronxite, was among the most prolific human rights activists of the twentieth century. Over the course of more than four decades of activism, Evelina struggled for an end to racial and national discrimination against Puerto Ricans, African Americans, and other racially and nationally oppressed peoples; quality, affordable housing for all; culturally relevant and bilingual public education; full employment with livable wages, especially for youth; robust funding for after-school programs and community centers; healthcare equity; peace and disarmament; and much more. On the occasion of Evelina’s cen- tenary, as part of “Evelina 100,” a week-long celebration of her life and legacy, on Friday, September 16, 2022, The Bronx County Historical Society screened TITI: An Oral History of Dr. Evelina Antonetty, an edited oral history collection, at Pregones/Puero Rican Travelling Theater in The Bronx. Section 2 of this article provides a brief biography of Evelina to orient readers who might not be as familiar with her work. Section 3 contains a list of narrators included in the edited oral history collection, together with references to the full-length oral histories recorded by the Historical Society for the Bronx Latino History Project and the Bronx African American History Project. Section 4 reproduces the transcript of TITI: An Oral History of Dr. Evelina Antonetty in its entirety. Although representing only a sampling of the significant oral his- tory collecting that is taking place around Evelina’s life and legacy, the selections transcribed in the final section of this article demonstrate the multi-layered, complex, emotionally laden, and politically significant impact Evelina continues to have among Titi: An Oral History of Dr. Evelina Antonetty 1 family members, friends, and the wider Bronx community. Although physically absent, Evelina continues to shape the way that The Bronx and its people struggle for and think about a more livable, sustainable present and future. II. Brief Biography of Dr. Evelina Antonetty Dr. Evelina Antonetty (née López) was born on September 19, 1922 in Salinas, Puerto Rico.1 Her mother, Eva Cruz, raised Evelina and her two younger sisters, Lillian and Elba. Evelina’s aunt and uncle, Vi- centa and Enrique Godreau, had relocated to New York City in 1923. A decade later, in 1933, they sent for Evelina to live with them. Evelina left Puerto Rico soon after her youngest sister Elba was born, on September 10, 1933. After arriving in New York on El Ponce, Evelina lived with her aunt and uncle in El Barrio until her mother and sisters could join her. This they did two years later, in 1935, and the entire family lived together in successive East Harlem apart- ments. Vicenta and Enrique—known to most simply as “Godreau”— had already established extensive ties within the community by the time Evelina’s family arrived. Vicenta was a political activist with close ties to the LaGuardia and Roosevelt administrations. Godreau was a music promoter and numbers runner who regularly socialized with the likes of Machito and Tito Puente. Those close to Evelina while she was growing up remember her as actively engaged in transforming the world and her place within it 1 For longer biographical treatments of Dr. Evelina Antonetty, some more reliable than others, see, for example, Nicholasa Mohr, All for the Better (Austin, TX: Steck-Vaughn, 1993); “Guide to the Records of United Bronx Parents, Inc 1966–1989 (Bulk 1970s–1983),” Centro de Estudios Puertorriqueños, Hunter College, CUNY, 2005 https://centropr-archive.hunter.cuny.edu/sites/default/files/faids/ubpf.html; Nélida Pé- rez, “Antonetty, Evelina López (1922–1984),” pp. 48–49 in Latinas in the United States: A Historical Encyclopedia (Indiana University Press, 2006); and Nydia Edgecombe, “‘The Hell Lady from the Bronx’ Evelina López Antonetty, el activismo comunitario de una puertorriqueña en la diáspora del Sur del Bronx” (PhD dissertation, El Centro de Estudios Avanzados de Puerto Rico y El Caribe, 2018). 2 STEVEN PAYNE from an early age. One of her friends from childhood, Dolores Roque, remembers a pageant that she and Evelina organized in ele- mentary school in Puerto Rico. It was the largest pageant in the school’s history up to that point.2 In New York City, at the age of sixteen, Evelina joined the Young Communist League, the youth wing of the Communist Party USA (CPUSA), a formidable force in the 1940s in progressive, anti-racist, labor, and anti-colonial struggles. Evelina was speaking at mass meetings citywide by the time she was in her late teens. Her youngest sister Elba, for instance, remembers Evelina speaking at a large American Labor Party rally in New York City during the early 1940s in support of the U.S.’s anti-fascist war efforts (as World War II was explicitly characterized at the time). During this rally, as a testament to her ability and reputation, a young Evelina was on the rostrum with Jesús Colón (1901–1974), one of the leading Puerto Rican activists of the day and more than 20 years Evelina’s senior. Evelina also worked very closely with Vito Marcantonio, a progressive Italian politician from East Harlem who built close ties with both Italian and Puerto Rican communities in the neighborhood and around New York. Evelina became a postal worker for a period of time during the war, and it was during these years that she met and married her first husband and moved to Jackson Avenue in The Bronx. Evelina gave birth to her first daughter, Lorraine, in 1943. For a number of years after the war, Evelina worked for District 65 of the Retail, Whole- sale, and Department Store Union (RWDSU), one of the more militant unions that fell under close scrutiny during the McCarthy era.3 Evelina recruited for the local among Puerto Ricans and other people of color who were still discriminated against in many unions 2 See Section 4 below for the transcription of this story from Dolores Roque’s oral history recorded for the Bronx Latino History Project. 3 District 65 of the RWDSU eventually merged with the United Auto Workers (UAW) and became a local affiliated with that union. For a historical overview of this union, see “Guide to the United Automobile Workers of America, District 65 Records WAG.006,” Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archive, Elmer Holmes Bobst Library, NYU, 2019, https://dlib.nyu.edu/findingaids/ html/tamwag/wag_006/bioghist.html; and Minna P. Ziskind, “Labor Conflict in the Titi: An Oral History of Dr. Evelina Antonetty 3 at the time. By this point, Evelina’s mother, two sisters, and some of her extended family had also moved to The Bronx, settling nearby on Concord Avenue. During these years, Evelina divorced her first husband and married Donato Antonetty, with whom she had her second daughter, Anita, and her only son Donald. Navigating the public school system with her three children and other parents in the neighborhood convinced Evelina that education advocacy was an urgent and much needed area of struggle, both in The Bronx and citywide. With community and family members, Evelina founded an organi- zation called United Bronx Parents (UBP) in 1965 in order to train Bronx parents to advocate for their children’s language, cultural, and nourishment needs. Additionally, UBP organized bilingual adult education classes, served as a community center, offered a variety of employment and job training opportunities to youth, became in- volved in local struggles for healthcare justice, and fought for the people of The Bronx in a variety of other ways. UBP quickly grew to become one of New York City’s leading community organi- zations. By the early 1970s, UBP was distributing two meals a day to thousands of children in all five boroughs for the city’s new free summer breakfast and lunch program. Both through UBP and independently Evelina was deeply engaged in her community. After youth involvement in gangs experienced an uptick in The Bronx during the late 1960s and early 1970s, Evelina began approaching known gang leaders, befriending them, arranging for their employment, and supporting them throughout their rehabilitation. Additionally, Evelina and other community members drew attention to the abhorrent healthcare being provided at Lincoln Hospital and other “ghetto hospitals” (as they were called at the time). She and others, including groups like the Young Lords and Suburbs: Organizing Retail in Metropolitan New York, 1954–1958,” International Labor and Working‐Class History 64 (2003): 55–79. 4 STEVEN PAYNE the Black Panthers, advocated for community control of these healthcare facilities.4 Evelina also supported Dr. Helen Rodríguez- Trías (1929–2001) and others at Lincoln Hospital who opposed the appointment of Dr. Antonio Silva, a doctor with a known history of mass sterilization of women in Puerto Rico.5 When the South Bronx and its people were depicted in racist and dehumanizing ways in films like Fort Apache, The Bronx (1981), Evelina hit the streets in protest, always sticking up for her community.6 In short, Evelina was a loving sister, mother, and aunt, a fierce fighter, a mentor to many, an incredibly active and brilliant human being who loved The Bronx, its people, and all oppressed peoples worldwide. III. Oral History Narrators TITI: An Oral History of Dr. Evelina Antonetty contains selections from the oral histories of the following narrators, alphabetized by last name, all of whom have recorded at least one oral history for either the Bronx Latino History Project or the Bronx African American History Project. References to these oral histories are pro- vided to facilitate further research about the life and legacy of Dr. Evelina Antonetty. ANITA ANTONETTY is the daughter of Evelina and Donato Anto- 4 For recent treatments of struggles for community control of healthcare facilities in The Bronx, see Rachel Pagones, Acupuncture as Revolution: Suffering, Liberation, and Love (London: Brevis, 2021), especially chs. 1 and 3; and Johanna Fernández, The Young Lords: A Radical History (Chapel Hill, NC: The University of North Carolina Press, 2020), 271–304. 5 For a general history of mass sterlization campaigns among Puerto Ricans, see Laura Briggs, Reproducing Empire: Race, Sex, Science, and U.S. Imperialism in Puerto Rico (Berkeley/Los Angeles: University of California Press, 2002), 142–161. A biography of Dr. Helen Rodríguez-Trías can be found in Joyce Wilcox, “The Face of Women’s Health: Helen Rodriguez Trias,” American Journal of Public Health (2002): 566–569. 6 See box 1, folder 3, “Committee Against Fort Apache,” The Gelvin Stevenson papers on Arson and Housing Abandonment, The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library. Titi: An Oral History of Dr. Evelina Antonetty 5 netty.7 DONALD ANTONETTY is the son of Evelina and Donato Antonetty.8 ELBA CABRERA is the youngest sister of Evelina.9 JOE CONZO, JR. is the grandson of Evelina and the son of Lorraine Montenegro, who was the oldest daughter of Evelina.10 CARINA MONDESIRE is the daughter of Paul Mondesire, the grand- daughter of Elba Cabrera, and the great niece of Evelina.11 PAUL MONDESIRE is the younger son of Elba Cabrera and a nephew of Evelina.12 ANTONIO MONDESÍRE-CABRERA is the older son of Elba Cabrera and a nephew of Evelina.13 7 “Oral History of Anita and Donald Antonetty,” April 13, 2022, interviewed by Steven Payne, The Bronx Latino History Project, The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library. 8 “Oral History of Anita and Donald Antonetty.” 9 “Oral History of Elba Cabrera, Part 1,” November 16, 2021; “Oral History of Elba Cabrera, Part 2,” November 30, 2021; “Oral History of Elba Cabrera, Part 3,” December 6, 2021; “Oral History of Elba Cabrera, Part 4,” December 14, 2021; “Oral History of Elba Cabrera, Part 5,” December 22, 2021; “Oral History of Elba Cabrera, Part 6,” December 28, 2021; interviewed by Steven Payne, The Bronx Latino History Project, The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library. 10 “Oral History of Joe Conzo, Jr.,” May 9, 2006, interviewed by Mark Naison, The Bronx African American History Project, The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library. 11 “Oral History of Carina Mondesire,” December 14, 2021, interviewed by Steven Payne, The Bronx Latino History Project, The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library. 12 “Oral History of Paul Mondesire, Part 1,” February 1, 2022, interviewed by Steven Payne, The Bronx Latino History Project, The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library. 13 “Oral History of Babá Antonio Mondesire-Cabrera, Part 1,” June 16, 2022, interviewed by Steven Payne; “Oral History of Babá Antonio Mondesire-Cabrera, Part 2,” September 22, 2022, interviewed by Steven Payne and Pastor Crespo, Jr., The Bronx Latino History Project, The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical 6 STEVEN PAYNE DOLORES ROQUE is a childhood friend of Evelina who went to elementary school with her in Puerto Rico.14 CLEO SILVERS is a community and labor organizer who was men- tored by Evelina as a young activist in the South Bronx in the late 1960s and early 1970s.15 VIVIAN VÁSQUEZ IRIZARRY is an award-winning documentary filmmaker who frequented UBP when she was growing up.16 IV. Transcript of TITI: An Oral History of Dr. Evelina Antonetty The transcribed oral history collection below is organized into three sections: 1. Evelina’s Life, which includes selected narrations of different aspects of Evelina’s life, from early childhood through adulthood; 2. Evelina’s Struggles, comprised of selected narrations of activist struggles Evelina engaged in from the 1940s until her passing in 1984, with pride of place falling to UBP; and 3. Evelina’s Legacies, which contains selected narrations of the many legacies left behind in Evelina’s wake—from a passion for education to gang rehabilitation to mentoring and inspiring generations of community activists, family members, and Bronxites in general. Society Research Library. 14 “Oral History of Dolores Roque,” February 11, 2022, interviewed by Steven Payne, The Bronx Latino History Project, The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library. 15 “Oral History of Cleo Silvers, Part 1,” February 21, 2007; “Oral History of Cleo Silvers, Part 2,” March 12, 2007; interviewed by Mark Naison, The Bronx Latino History Project, The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library. 16 “Oral History of Vivian Vásquez Irizarry,” February 18, 2022, interviewed by Steven Payne, The Bronx Latino History Project, The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library. Titi: An Oral History of Dr. Evelina Antonetty 7 1. Evelina’s Life ELBA CABRERA: Well, I came to this country in 1935. My sister Evelina had—I was born, I was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico. And the day I was born, Evelina left to come to New York. She actually saw me— she saw my mother giving birth to me. And she said it was the hardest thing for her to leave, to leave her new baby sister. But my aunt [Vicenta Godreau], who had come to New York from Puerto Rico in 1923, had sent for her. And so, she was leaving. And that was actually September 10, 1933 that Evelina came to this country. And she was with my aunt. She landed in the Brooklyn Navy Yards, I think it was. And the boat was the, El Ponce. That was the name of the boat—boat or ship. When, when Evelina came, she went to live at 117th Street, in East Harlem. And it was, I think, off Fifth Avenue, I think. Because, you know, this is all what I’ve heard, you know. I wasn’t around. And so anyway, two years later, my aunt sent for us, sent for me and my mom and Lillian. And we came on the same ship and landed in Brooklyn as well. And we went to live with my aunt, and this was extended family living in Spanish Harlem. ANITA ANTONETTY: Well, how my mother [Evelina Antonetty] and my father [Donato Antonetty] ended up in The Bronx: well, my mother, when, when she came to this country, she lived in El Barrio in Harlem, East Harlem, New York, with her aunt, and then I believe what she told us was that when she, she got married to her first husband, she, they moved to The Bronx. That seemed to be the place people were going, a lot of people were coming to the Bronx, so they were in the South Bronx, Jackson Avenue. So, and then after she divorced her first husband, she and my, my sister Lorraine, were still there in Jackson Avenue. And her mother and her two sisters followed her to the, to The Bronx. That’s Elba 8 STEVEN PAYNE and Lillian. And they lived on Concord Avenue, which was a block away from Jackson Avenue. My father came later, I think, around ’55 or so, came to New York. And, and his family also had come to, some of them had already come to New York—my aunt Santos and my other aunt Margo, came, came to New York. Santos lived in the same building, Jackson Avenue. Margo lived in Concord as well. So, we had, we had, we had family all around us. There was other friends also that lived [in] Union Avenue: Tini, Carmen. Carmen Muñoz was godmother to Donny. My, my godmother, Celia Avilés, at the time, lived in, in Jackson Avenue, 625 Jackson, [inaudible], too. So, it was a real family neighborhood, you know, besides being blood relatives, we were close to everybody. It was a very mixed neighborhood. It was, you know, Puerto Ricans, African Americans that came from the South. There were others: Irish; Jewish, mostly from, from Russia; and Chinese. There were Chinese people that lived in the neighborhood, too. So, it was a very mixed neighborhood, very working-class neighborhood. PAUL MONDESIRE: So, the anchor of our family was Titi—everybody called her “Titi.” That would be Dr. Evelina Antonetty. Titi and her family, when I was really, really, really young, they lived, I think it was there on Jackson Avenue. The address I’m remembering: 625 Jackson Avenue. But we used to go visit them all the time. We used to visit Aunt Lilly a lot. She and, she and my grandmother lived in the then new Bridge Apartments, there at 111 Wadsworth, in, you know, technically that’s Man-, Washington Heights. The Bridge Apartments at that time were brand, brand new. They, this was before they kind of turned into a sewer, you know, because that, that turned into a very harsh neighborhood. But Aunt Lilly moved out of there before then. Titi: An Oral History of Dr. Evelina Antonetty 9 But, so, we would visit Titi and Aunt Lilly a lot. Lorraine and her kids. I mean, well, Titi was kind of the, she was the fulcrum. So, everybody went to Titi’s house, no matter what. Right? So, you know, holidays were spent going to Titi’s a lot. DOLORES ROQUE: Let me tell you: one time I went to get together, and we tried to make a pageant. And we made a pageant. And I say, “You know what? We’re gonna have Alma.” Alma was a girl, she was very nice, cute, but she had a cross-eye, and was cross-eyed. Her mother was separating from her father. But Titi and me, we decided to make the pageant. And I made the pageant. So, this man, he was a big man with money, like Alma’s father. They worked in the, in the corporation that then built [inaudible]. And this guy came over to me, and he says, “How much money do you need to make my daughter the queen?” The ticket was two cents —two cents, the ticket! Just [to] buy the stuff for the pageant, and, you know, for the—. So, and then we say, “No, we want to have —Alma will be the president.” And I said [to Titi], “You’re gonna be the, the princess.” So, we made the pageant, okay—the teacher doesn't know anything about it. We’re doing everything behind the teacher’s back. But it happened so that was the biggest event the school has, okay? Titi was the princess, and we made Alma the queen. That was Evelina and me in school, okay? They had a garden. And there we had a, they had a teacher. Mostly for the boys. For teaching gardening and stuff like that. And Titi and me went to see how they seed, plant the tomatoes, just to see. We don’t want to do it, but they don’t allow girls. It was only for the boys. We had to do something else. And Titi and me were there looking to see. And then I said, “I can do it.” Titi said, “I can do it.” 10 STEVEN PAYNE 2. Evelina’s Struggles ELBA CABRERA: This [pointing to a photograph] was during World War Two. We used to have rallies for the war effort, and Evelina was one of the main speakers [for an American Labor Party rally] with Jesús Colón, and two other women. And I have a cute story about that. I was, I was about, I don’t know, maybe seven, eight years old. And I was in the audience with Lillian, with my sister Lillian, and all of a sudden, the rains came. And I had this, they had given me like a costume with crepe paper, color, and the rains came, and all this dye came all over me. And I started crying out for Evelina. We used to call her “Titi.” I said, “Titi!” And, and Lillian says, “You can’t, she can’t come down, just stay with me.” But I’ll never forget that day. Above: Dr. Evelina Antonetty, 1980, Frank Espada, photographer, National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; acquisition made possible through the Smithsonian Latino Initiatives Pool, administered by the Smithsonian Latino Center. Titi: An Oral History of Dr. Evelina Antonetty 11 PAUL MONDESIRE: I think the most important thing to recall about those years was Titi’s attitude was not by any means necessary. It was by every means necessary, okay? She worked with city, city administrations. She worked with folks that had less than savory reputations in certain places, because that’s what you had to do. But her personal integrity on this was unquestioned. Like I said, she wouldn’t mess around with those SEBCO [South East Bronx Community Organization] people, and they wouldn’t mess around with her. Think about, think about that. The mob wouldn’t f—k with Titi. The mob would not f—k with Titi. And yeah, I said it just like that. Yeah, that’s the kind of powerful person that she was. When she started United Bronx Parents [in 1965], it was first United Bronx Parents, as the, as the, you know, education advocacy organization. Then she started the daycare center, and the daycare center grew into, you know, ultimately serving, you know, all kinds of populations, you know, the, you know, folks that were, you know, recovering from drugs. And later on, when Lorraine was running the organization, she got into helping, you know, creating the women’s shelter. I don’t know as much about the details there. ANITA ANTONETTY: Besides being at Bank Street, after school, we were in United Bronx Parents. And, and since my mother’s con- sultations moved out of the house, we had to learn how to answer the phone properly. Take messages, all of that. And then in, in, in the office, we, if there was an event going on, and flyers were being run off, we, and we needed to collate material, it was all done by hand, machines, at the time, to do it. So, we were put to work. And we also learned how to sit at the switchboard and transfer calls and all of that. DONALD ANTONETTY: And Elba was the, the office manager. 12 STEVEN PAYNE ANITA ANTONETTY: The office manager. DONALD ANTONETTY: She was a drill sergeant. ANITA ANTONETTY: She wouldn’t, she wouldn’t take anything from anybody. But we had, we had the run of the place pretty much. But we were in the middle of everything. DONALD ANTONETTY: But we were always expected to work. Always. Matter of fact, my father used to tell us, you know, since this is, you know, since it’s family-run, you’re expected to do more than any- body who was an employee there. Okay. Okay. Always. Always. ANITA ANTONETTY: [Our father] was integral to the operation. DONALD ANTONETTY: He used to translate all the documents into Spanish—like from Spanish to English, or mostly English to Spanish. So, all the, all the materials for the parents organizing, organizing, he would translate it. We always put out everything in English and Spanish. ANITA ANTONETTY: And by hand because it was two dictionaries and two thesauruses, and then just going back and forth. He would spend, spend nights doing that. And then if anything broke, he was fixing it. The machines broke, he would fix them. If, if something had, shelves had to be built, he was building them. But what was good about him is that he was working with people, and especially younger people, and showing them how to do: this is how you measure, this is how you cut, this is how you put it together, and all of that. Estella Rodríguez was the fiscal officer for the organization. She was a good friend. Titi: An Oral History of Dr. Evelina Antonetty 13 DONALD ANTONETTY: She knew where every penny was. ANITA ANTONETTY: She made sure every penny was accounted for. Because in those days, you had to, because otherwise they’d shut you down in a minute. And I, I remember, she, one day her outrage, because they said, you know, they wanted all of the records. The next day, like nine o’clock in the morning, outraged that it was, anything would be wrong, but she made sure everything was right. Every payroll was met. Never, never missed the payroll. DONALD ANTONETTY: They had a great relationship with the banks, a great relationship with the banks. VIVIAN VÁSQUEZ IRIZARRY: Well, the main community center that we were a part of was United Bronx Parents. So, I remember when we were young, we would go to St. Mary’s Park, and, you know, swim in the swimming pool at certain times of the year, but our, my, our main place was UBP. UBP—and, and for a little bit, St. Margaret’s, but not so much—UBP was a place where my sister, my oldest sister, worked year-round. And I worked there as a summer youth employment. But even going before that, you know—and I had not made this link until long afterwards—was that UBP provided free lunch, free breakfast and lunch. And so there were times during the summer where my mother would say, “Okay, go over there and go to 1-, PS 130. And get your lunch and your breakfast, you know, and bring, take—.” So, there were five of us. So, the five of us would go and, and get our sandwiches and our lunch. And you know, it was really great. And, you know, at that time, I don’t think I knew where that was coming from. But then eventually, you know, as I worked for the Summer Youth Employment Program, I think I worked for UBP, summer, maybe three years. And, and you know, we worked, we cleaned up the park and we, we went on trips, and it was the first 14 STEVEN PAYNE time I think I went to Coney Island. You know, we were exposed to different places throughout the city. We had what I’ll call counseling sessions. At that time, they were called “rap sessions,” you know, where the older employees at UBP, the, the counselors would sit us down and talk to us about what was going on in our lives and, you know, build relationships with us so that I guess we could feel safe. I feel like that was important, you know, looking back, going to a safe place every day in the summer, you know, making friends, having fun, being engaged in, in fun activities, was, was important, was really important to me. DONALD ANTONETTY: But also, when they, you know, they, there was some mass sterilization program going on in Puerto Rico. The one heading that program, when he left there, he went to be the director of Lincoln Hospital. Keep up the “good” work. So, there was a lot of protest about that, a lot organizing about that. ANITA ANTONETTY: And then the stereotypes from Hollywood, so —that’s Fort Apache. That was a big deal, too. We were in the street every single day, every single day. DONALD ANTONETTY: It was the filming crew. One time we saw Paul Newman downtown. We chased him, saying, “Stop the racist movie!” 3. Evelina’s Legacies ANTONIO MONDESIRE-CABRERA: And Titi and Aunt Lilly, through embracing education—education is a universal, when we start understanding other people’s cultures, history, you get past all this stuff. Titi was very much influenced by [Vito] Marcantonio from, from, and LaGuardia, from East Harlem, Italian-American men who had a vision of a larger expanse. She loved Malcolm X. Don Pedro Albizu Campos. So, and of course, Aunt Lilly exposed me to so much. So, I’m trying to say is my formative years were very Titi: An Oral History of Dr. Evelina Antonetty 15 diverse, very rich, and allowed me—I’m very blessed, man. And I would like, I like to pass that on to people, because we’re living in very testy times now, very testy times. JOE CONZO, JR.: My grandmother never shunned or ran away from any community problems. And yes, there were a lot of gang problems at the time. She took in people like Benji Melendez from the Ghetto Brothers, the president of the Ghetto Brothers, she took in people from the Savage Skulls, all these community people. So, I knew them growing up. She, she involved them in her work and gave them their jobs, gave them jobs. Benji Melendez, you know, who, who had a brigade of, of gang members, who in, you know, a couple of thousand, will tell anybody today how Evelina Antonetty walked into their gang house, pointed them out, and said, “You want a job? Go home, take a bath, shave, and come see me.” And gave him his first job. But that’s how, she—she wasn’t afraid of anybody, because she was doing something for her people, her community. ESPERANZA MARTELL: I began doing activism in The Bronx with, I guess, the, the—’cause I’m trying to really place myself, right? So, in the late, I would say like in the late ’60s. When folks were fighting for community control, bilingual education, and childcare, basically. So, folks like Evelina Antonetty was the leading person in a lot of those struggles. She did a lot of coalition work, and was part of Brown vs. [Board of Education], right? So, you know, I was young, I was in my early 20s, or late teens, and I would come and support actions. CLEO SILVERS: Evelina Antonetty was the leader of United Bronx Parents. She organized all around the South Bronx [for] better education. Now, she had a team of people that worked with her. Ellen Lurie and Kathy Goldman. And Ellen and Kathy did the research. They gave the information to Evelina. She [made it where] parents could understand it and organized around absolute 16 STEVEN PAYNE conditions inside of the schools, inside of the classrooms—they had information about what was going on inside each classroom. It was one of the most wonderful experiences that I had with Evelina. ELBA CABRERA: The losses for me, you know, my sisters, you know, it’s been really tough. It’s, it’s been a little hard. And especially when I start talking about them. But I have such good, good memories. So yes, so, at any rate, let me, let me backtrack a little bit with Lillian and Evelina, cause it’s important. They, they were my role models. And they, they felt that I, that I could do anything, but I didn’t feel that way. You know, they really, you know, nurtured me and helped me, and I appreciate that till now and forever. So, when Evelina comes to The Bronx now, you know, she’s already, she’s an adult, and she’s very clear as to what’s to be done. So, she gets, you know, she got involved with people, especially when she went to work at the union, too. Because she also was recruiting, recruiting Puerto Rican and other Latinos to work in the industries that they serviced. And she, she was there for quite a few years. I would say something like four years. Before that she had worked in the post office as well. Yeah, during the war. And then she worked at the union. So, you know, she was pretty active in, in her thoughts, you know, because she, she really, you know, I think she was born with, with her knowledge of people and what had to be done, I really do. I don’t think people can learn that, I think it has to come within you, you know, has to be something, your passion. And she had the passion for people. CARINA MONDESIRE: Really, where a lot of the voices [for change] are going to come from are, you know, really, from, like, people like Evelina, you know, who were out here speaking up for us, to make it better. So, I, it’s, maybe I, maybe I [should] just follow in her footsteps and start talking more, you know, but it’s, I don’t know. I guess it’s, it’s like I’ve seen, you know—again, I wasn’t, I wasn’t born Titi: An Oral History of Dr. Evelina Antonetty 17 for a lot of the struggles that they had to, you know, I wasn’t around a lot of the struggles they had to deal with. So, in a way, I’m ignorant, because I wasn’t, you know, I wasn’t here. And I, you know, I’m lucky enough that, like, my family, you know, for the most part, we haven’t had to have been in the situation where we’re seeing the really hard times that you can face. I mean, the pandemic also showed a lot of that to me. You know, and I, and this is when I started hearing more stories of people struggling. So, I think that like, the hope is that we continue to, I guess, grow, but I don’t know if that’s the right word that I’m looking for. But it’s like we need better, and I—for sure Evelina was on track, and my grandmother [Elba] and Lillian for what they contributed, for sure, are, you know, some of the catalysts for creating that change. And I think we definitely need to keep going, you know. It’s one of those journeys, one of those journeys that doesn’t stop, you know, it’s like we have to keep going, and there’s gonna be a lot of things that we, I guess, face that, you know, are I guess—I guess “adversity,” if that’s the word? And, I mean, I don’t want to say that it’s okay. But that’s a part of it. So, going forward hopefully it’s just better, you know. 18 STEVEN PAYNE KINGSBRIDGE VIGNETTES BY RICHARD L. BAUM I. Home Number 3P, 225 West 232nd Street—the three-room apartment located in the Kingsbridge section of The Bronx, where I grew up with my parents and two sisters from the late 1940s into 1959, was often without heat in the winter. Cold enough that I slept wearing extra layers of clothing and heavy socks. On many winter mornings, my mother would ritually bang on the steam pipes in the vain hope that the super would see fit to raise the level of heat or repair the errant coal furnace. In 1959, after many years in 3P, we moved up, literally, into apartment 6D, a four-room apartment on the sixth and top floor, at the monthly rate of $100.12, a not inconsequential sum at that time. There had been an earlier opportunity to get a four-room apartment. Some years before, my father left a deposit with the building’s super for an apartment that had become available. Shortly thereafter, during my father’s weekly Gin Rummy card game, he mentioned his imminent move to the other players. Not long after, the super returned the deposit, stating that someone else got the apartment. This person turned out to be Mr. Rogers, an electrician, who had been one of the Gin Rummy players. Our new sixth-floor apartment allowed my parents to move out of the living room into their own bedroom. By this time, we were four souls, as my eldest sister Vilma had married two years earlier. Though Vilma missed the joy of this sunny, spacious apartment, our new living space had disabilities that 3P had not had, and Vilma escaped suffering these. The environmental conditions in this sixth-floor space were more Kingsbridge Vignettes 19 severe than those in 3P. The new apartment was at the southeast corner of the building and overlooked a large open area that was intersected by the Broadway IRT elevated line. When we first moved in, the sound of the trains running along the track, up and down Broadway, interfered with both my studying and sleeping. After some time, I was able to develop the skill of filtering out the clickity-clack of the subway cars running along the glistening steel tracks. If a train was off schedule, however, its delay caused me to look up from whatever I was doing and anxiously wait for the sound of its approach. It was as if the world was out of balance without the sound of the train’s rhythmic passage occurring on cue. In the summer, the new apartment’s orientation, together with its open windows, allowed a crosswind partially to cool the apartment, which was excessively heated by the tarred roof directly above our apartment’s ceiling. The building’s electrical wiring was insufficient for window air conditioning, which was not yet common. Instead, we augmented the crosswind with a water-fed air conditioner that sat on a stand in the middle of the living room and cooled things a bit but added to the humidity. Despite the crosswind and the air- conditioner, summer days in that apartment felt as if one were living in a broiler. The winter brought radically different conditions. Perversely, the refreshing summer crosswind was transformed, even with the win- dows closed, into a malevolent, howling wind that conspired with the rotten wooden window frames to cause severe freezing con- ditions in the apartment. It was as if there were no windows at all! Stuffing towels along the edges of the window frames seemed to have no measurable effect. On one particularly cold morning, after I had the courage to stick my head out from under my blanket, I scanned the room through the fog of my breath, and my gaze fell upon a square pane of glass. It 20 RICHARD L. BAUM was frosted over by Jack, hanging by one corner from a wooden slat, swaying lazily in the breeze. Rather than take the chance that I might knock the pane to the street, I called my father. He casually entered the room while tucking his starched white shirt into his pants, immediately sized up the problem, cinched his belt, and slowly reached for the glass pane. As his fingers closed around the glass, the pane, as if in spite, suddenly slipped. Before he could react, it plummeted to the street six stories below, tumbling, flat-end over flat-end, into the distance. Luckily, it was about 7:15 in the morning, and only one person was on the way to work. To our relief, the pedestrian, who was on the opposite side of the street, did not react to the sound of the glass shattering on the sidewalk. II. Play On school-day afternoons, my friends and I would play in front of our building, which was sandwiched on a steep hill between Broadway on the east and Kingsbridge Avenue on the west. The girls would jump rope (sometimes double-dutch) to the rhythm of sung doggerel, or play Potsy, a variation of Hopscotch, tossing house keys into numbered rectangles chalked onto the sidewalk. The boys devoted their free time either to curb ball or to hide-and-seek. Other kids donned roller skates, consisting of four metal wheels, metal tabs, extending outward from the base of the skate, fitted onto the soles of one’s leather shoes (sneakers would not work) and tightened in place with a key. Every now and again, while we were peacefully engrossed in play, kids from Godwin Terrace, sensing an opportunity, would gather into a mob and run full tilt toward us in an attempt to disrupt our fun. Godwin Terrace was perpendicular to our street and, invariably, we spotted the growing mob and would run into the lobby of our Kingsbridge Vignettes 21 building, locking the heavy iron and glass door behind us. There came a time when I was fed up and, as the mob galloped down Godwin Terrace towards number 225, I refused to flee, despite the entreaties of my friends cowering in the lobby. Just as my friends slammed the heavy metal door shut, the gang rolled over me, like an ocean storm wave, pummeling me with projectiles from peashooters and zip guns. I was hit in the face but stoically kept my ground, standing upright and facing my tormentors, too small to hit back effectively. III. Halloween Halloween was a particularly risky time to be on neighborhood streets. In 1952, when I was eight, I happened to have an early evening dentist appointment with Dr. Cacecci, whose office was on the northwest corner of Kingsbridge Avenue and 231st Street (in later years it became the community office for Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz). The route to the dentist, south along Kingsbridge Avenue, took me past a row of bushes, directly opposite Naples Terrace, that concealed an empty lot. In late October it was already dark at 5:00 PM at that latitude of The Bronx. The depth of the darkness was compounded since that area of the borough is in a valley formed by the Riverdale Ridge to the west and the Fordham Ridge overlooking Bailey Avenue, east of Broadway. I was alone on the avenue. As I approached the darkened lot, the bushes ominously rustling by the breeze, I was overcome by a sense of foreboding. With images of the headless horseman and Ichabod Crane haunting my thoughts, I increased my pace to get past the shadowy bushes. Forewarned too late by muffled giggling coming from behind the bushes, I was set upon by several boys armed with pastel chalk who proceeded to throw me to the ground. They held me down while they basted me from head to toe, front to back, with purple, green, red, blue, and yellow pastel chalk. Not an inch of 22 RICHARD L. BAUM my clothing, hair, hands, or face was spared. Satisfied with their handiwork, the boys let me up. Otherwise not worse for the experience, I scurried off to a worse fate at the dentist. IV. Neighbors In about 1951, during the Korean War, a Chinese family, consisting of two parents, a daughter, and a son, moved into the neighborhood, opening a laundry a short distance west of Broadway on the north side of 232nd Street, just as the street began to rise toward Kingsbridge Avenue. I became friendly with the family’s son. On his birthday, soon after the family had moved in, his parents decided to buy him a miniature gas station he had spied in a candy store on the northern side of 231st Street, just east of Kingsbridge Avenue. I was invited to come along with the entire family on their buying expedition. The parents wanted to take the short route to the store that would take them up (i.e., south) along Godwin Terrace and then down a flight of steps to West 231st Street, rather than walking south along the busier Broadway to 231st Street and then west to the candy store. I tried to dissuade them from the Godwin Terrace route, as I was well aware that the kids on Godwin Terrace did not take kindly to outsiders. However, due to the parents’ not taking a child’s concerns seriously, they confidently led our little group along the most logical path. As we passed along Godwin Terrace, I con- tinuously glanced left and right, on the lookout for trouble. The outbound trip turned out to be uneventful. However, the brutes that lived along our route had been alerted by the passage of our defenseless squad. While returning, our small party being distracted by the birthday toy gas station, the “Godwin Terrace Gang,” now organized, pounced. We were forced to flee towards the laundry with projectiles buzzing through the air. It was only upon entering the store that I saw my friend’s mother bleeding profusely from a cut in the fleshy part of her face just below her eye. She was lucky: a Kingsbridge Vignettes 23 little bit higher and she might have lost that eye. With the assault continuing, I ran from the store in an attempt to get help, but not being successful, I rejoined my friends to share their fate. A few days after the assault, I returned to their store to visit. The store was dark and deserted. Sadly, the Chinese family was gone. V. School Public School 7 is the successor to Grammar School 66. Located at the northwest corner of Church Street and Weber’s Lane, today’s Kingsbridge Avenue and 232nd Street, PS 7 opened for classes on November 11, 1895. This structure was made of what appears to be, to a non-geologist such as myself, reddish-brown sandstone. There was a medieval-looking tower dominating the main entrance. When I attended the school, beginning in 1949, the school had clearly been expanded. There was an enclosed, brick bridge con- necting a brick building to the old sandstone structure. The entire complex was raised above street level and accessed by twin staircases leading to two large schoolyards. The school grounds extended from Kingsbridge Avenue west to Corlear Avenue and north to 233rd Street. If one looked carefully, one could see that some doors leading into the school had the word “Girls” inscribed over it, and others were labeled “Boys.” The north yard was the boys’ yard where they lined up every school-day morning waiting for their teachers to lead them to their classrooms. The south yard, known as the girls’ yard, was where the girls lined up for classes. Only the youngest children were intermingled, boys with girls. On rainy or snowy days, we lined up in the indoor yard, the boys on one side and the girls on the other. The indoor space doubled as the hot-lunch room and always had a strong, almost nauseating, smell of oranges and tomato soup. Most children walked home for lunch, since families in which both 24 RICHARD L. BAUM parents worked were in the minority in the neighborhood. Those few children who could not go home were doomed to eat in that odiferous atmosphere. Sometime in the 1950s the influence of our Puritan past began to wane, and boys and girls were allowed to line up together in the south yard. The north yard was reserved for the upper grades. It was a great thrill when I was finally old enough to be in the north schoolyard. I was fascinated by the large, faded, white circle painted on the north yard’s pavement, with the names of countries printed along its radii. I was instantly attracted to the name Turkey, which I was certain was a bird! To my knowledge, neither teacher nor students ever used this circle, which lay there, mute, like an ancient artifact, its function lost to the ages. Above: View looking northwest to the corner of Kingsbridge Avenue and 230th Street, a couple blocks south of the author’s apartment, 1981. From the AF705–Kingsbridge Avenue–230th St. folder, Photograph Collection, The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library. Kingsbridge Vignettes 25 A fence of black, cast-iron bars stood guard around the perimeter of the school’s two concrete yards. The tip of each bar was shaped into a spike to discourage trespassers. After school and during summer, when the gates were closed, the local kids, myself included, undiscouraged by the quiet threat of the spikes, would confidently climb over the spiked fence to get into the schoolyard in order to play either basketball or stickball. The schoolyard was the site of the sole neighborhood basketball hoops. Stickball could not be played with pitching in the street because the ball would be too easily lost. In the schoolyard, we played stickball by pitching a pink Spalding —pronounced in the local vernacular as “spaldeen”—against a wall which was inscribed with a chalked rectangular strike zone as a backstop. During my earliest years at the school, I learned how to churn butter in Miss Minahan’s class, went on nature walks around the neigh- borhood, and listened, enthralled, to stories read by my teacher in the quiet of the cool, shady children’s library, then on Kingsbridge Avenue adjacent to St. John’s Church. Each school-day morning I would look forward to arriving at PS 7, a short walk from where I lived, because it was always warm there. After the mid-morning milk break, it was my task to collect and carry the students’ empty waxed cardboard half-pint milk cartons to the basement coal-burning furnace for incineration. The janitor always allowed me to sit on an upturned wooden milk crate placed in front of the furnace’s open door and luxuriate in the warmth of the heat radiating from the glowing orange-red stones of coal that were uniformly spread on the furnace bed. After a few short minutes I had to be on my way back to the classroom, otherwise I would be missed. By three in the afternoon, however, it was a great relief to be crossing Kingsbridge Avenue and heading eastward down the hill towards home. 26 RICHARD L. BAUM I walked to school with Stanley and Peter. These two boys lived in my building and were my best friends. Each school morning, as we reached Kingsbridge Avenue, a half block from where we lived, we had to wait for the school crossing guard to allow us to cross. The guard, an older boy, wore a broad white belt that wound its way around his waist and diagonally across his chest, and to which was attached an official, gleaming metal badge. The crossing guard was responsible for the safety of children crossing the intersection. One autumn school morning, the raw gusts of wind swirled brittle brown leaves around our feet as the three of us approached the Kingsbridge intersection. The traffic light changed from green to red. The guard dutifully put his arms out to prevent us from crossing. Peter, a sensitive boy, became upset at having his path blocked and began to cry and scream for his mother. He turned and ran hysterically down the long hill toward Broadway, which his mother was approaching after having just left us in front of our building. Peter’s mother, with Peter in tow, walked the two blocks uphill to where Stanley, the crossing-guard, and I were standing, stunned and frozen in place at this unfathomable display. His mo- ther, on reaching us, calmly asked me for an explanation and then, satisfied that nothing untoward had caused Peter’s upset, said goodbye and went on her way, leaving us to finish our trip. Peter later attended MIT and went on to obtain a PhD in Physics from Brown University. One of the most profound lessons I learned at PS 7 occurred on the first day of school, at the start of fifth grade, in the north school- yard. In a moment of idleness and indiscretion, while waiting on line with the other students to be escorted to our classroom by our new teacher, Miss Scanlon, I puffed up my cheeks! Miss Scanlon took umbrage at the pair of distended organs, distorting the otherwise perfectly straight line of children, and declared that if the culprit did not reveal himself, the entire class would be kept after school. Kingsbridge Vignettes 27 Mean-spiritedness, pettiness, group responsibility for the acts of individual members of the group, and the threat of peer revenge were the lessons of the day, distasteful lessons that I have not yet forgotten. In the sixth grade, I achieved a score on the Iowa Achievement Exam equivalent to that expected in the tenth grade in English and in the twelfth grade in Mathematics. My teacher, Mrs. Curley, surprised at this result (as was I), called me to her desk in the front of the room and charged me with cheating by copying from Richard C. This was patently absurd. Richard C. was illiterate. At dinner that night, I told my father what had happened in the childish expectation that he would be enraged and defend my honor to the death. However, without raising his head from Life Magazine, and between swallows of his evening fare, he calmly, and with then unappreciated wisdom, advised me to tell the teacher to give me the test again. Mrs. Curley declined his suggestion. At the end of the term the good teacher assuaged her guilt at making a false charge by presenting me with an award, signed by the principal, Carmela Nesi, for the student who improved the most during the school year. At home, I was about to tear up the award when my mother grabbed it from me and kept it for herself for decades. I found it among her papers after she passed away. In respect of her wishes, I have continued to preserve the award. 28 RICHARD L. BAUM ALLERTON IN THE 1940S AND 1950S BY ROBERT WEISS The time period about which I am writing encompasses the mid- forties to the mid-fifties. Much of which characterized that period, for the most part, has been swept away by time, never to return.1 I. Streets Allerton Avenue was bordered on either side by perpendicular side streets bearing such names as Mace, Barnes, and Holland. I never knew how these streets were named. To the east, Allerton crossed Boston Road, a very busy road, the crossing of which required pedestrians to take their life into their hands. Walking under the elevated train tracks, heading in a westerly direction, one would encounter Bronx Park, our neighborhood’s lush, flora- and fauna- filled boundary. The avenue and perpendicular side streets broke the neighborhood up into blocks. The actual size of the avenue covered an area of about 24 of these rectangular blocks. The whole thing could easily be walked in a relatively short time. Two blocks were divided in half by alleyways. Bordering either side of these dirt roads were the rear entrances of the block’s row houses, gardens, and garages. The alleys also permitted the Allerton Avenue inhabitants to take a mid-block shortcut by car or foot. For us kids, they were our country dirt roads. II. Hanging Around A well-known singing group performed a song entitled “Old Folks,” the lyrics of which paint a vivid picture of elderly people sitting on park benches, enshrouded in oversized overcoats with newspapers 1 This article is excerpted from selections of an unpublished manuscript by the author about his childhood growing up in the Allerton section of The Bronx. Readers interested in obtaining additional selections or the manuscript itself should write to the author at BRRS137@AOL.COM. Allerton in the 1940s and 1950s 29 blowing around tips of high black shoes. These lyrics captured what I would see in my neighborhood on almost any winter’s day. Wooden boxes, however, were more the seat of choice, primarily because of their portability and easy access. These boxes could be strategically positioned in front of neighborhood stores or a sunny avenue spot. The tops of these crude seats were usually covered with newspapers, providing some degree of cleanliness and protection from splinters, the titles of which included: The Daily News, The New York Post, The World Telegram and Sun, The Freiheit, The Daily Worker, The Forverts (The Jewish Forward), The Herald Tribune, The Daily Mirror, or The New York Times. In addition to newspapers, other convenient forms of printed material were drafted into service. Above: Allerton Avenue, looking west from Barnes Avenue, 1993, showing various more recent shops. Although the kosher delis and appetizing stores have disappeared, along with much of the Jewish community in the neighborhood, Allerton Avenue is still lined with stores and restaurants to this day. From the AF19–Allerton Avenue–Barnes Avenue folder, Photograph Collection, The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library. 30 ROBERT WEISS These crude seat boxes usually weren’t schlepped home. Rather, they were left behind to provide another elderly person with a place to perch. III. Kosher Deli Then there was the Kosher delicatessen or deli, as it was commonly called. Such delicacies as pastrami, hot dogs, corned beef, mustard, and sauerkraut were available to be ordered by a waiter and eaten off a square table. The waiter would walk up to the table. Usually he was a gray-haired, balding, old guy. He wore a white apron with stains. The waiter was boss. He would look down at you and command, in his heavy accent, “So vot do you vant?” As he reached across the table, distributing metal eating implements, his sleeve would ride up, sometimes exposing numbers across his wrist. At that time, I never knew where he got the number tattoo. Regular hot dogs might be wrapped in two types of casings. One was real cow’s intestine and the other casings were made in a plastics factory. “Specials” were super-duper fat hot dogs. Both hot dogs and “specials” were attached to their own kind by either string or twisted extensions of the casing. This enabled the franks to be hung along with the Kosher salami on the rear wall behind the counter man. Should you decide “take out,” the accompanying deli mustard was stored in a stiff cone-shaped piece of shiny, stiff paper. To release the spicy yellow-brown mustard, the rolled-up tube was squeezed while the tube tip rested on whatever was to be covered. Sour pickles were found on all the tables, which caused the whole joint to wreak of garlic. Kosher salami seemed to contain about thirty percent meat, seventy percent fat. After eating a salami sandwich on rye with mustard, it might be stored in the body for an untold period of time. You were reminded of this by the repeated belching and acidic regurgitation during repetitive garlicky heart-burn episodes. Allerton in the 1940s and 1950s 31 A favorite side dish was something called kishke, the more sophis- ticated Jewish name for stuffed derma. Kishke was made by stuffing cow’s intestines with some kind of yellowish, grainy, fatty, garlicky- type of substance. It was served as fried slices. The casing was eaten along with the stuffing. Again, a health department genius came up with the idea that eating cow intestines was not good for you. Consequently, most kishke factories, like the hot dog factories, replaced the animal intestine with a casing made of plastic. Before consuming the kishke, the plastic had to be peeled off and placed on the side. I am sure that at some time, in some deli somewhere, this plastic caused choking or inadvertently was used as dental floss. In addition to laws preventing the shaking of dust mops and the burning of leaves, and doing away with intestine casings, a law should have been passed stipulating a label to accompany plastic- wrapped delicacies. The label would have read: “Warning! Remove the plastic ring before eating the kishke or hot dogs or you run the risk of dying.” Before the lights went out, there would be an old man in a dirty apron standing over the gasping patron making a loud official announcement: “Pay up front.” As previously mentioned, people never gave much thought about eating healthy. If you wanted to see an unhealthy, happy person, go to a Kosher deli and look at the regulars. They often tipped the scale at about 300 pounds. “Spit Puss” owned the only Jewish appetizing store on the avenue. The Legend of Spit Puss originated with the recognition of the accumulation of foamy spit at the corners of his mouth. He never seemed to object to the name. It was almost a form of homey mar- keting. Spit Puss’s appetizing store was about the size of a large walk-in closet. The outside of the store had windows opaque with filth. If the name of the appetizing store wasn’t written on the front, one would think that an illegal card game was going on the other side of the front wall. 32 ROBERT WEISS Looking through the front during a hot summer day, I could see old people, the women with their house dresses and the men clutching their wife’s shopping list. The women all had raised fists grasping shopping lists, eagerly trying to push in front of the other 99 patrons. The floor creaked under the load. The place was always wall-to-wall people as the merchandise hung or fell off the rickety shelves. The shelved packages consisted of canned foods, cellophane bags, and bottled liquids. When you walked through the entrance of the store, immediately to your left was something like a counter with glass display cases. Only a limited area of about five feet was used for business transactions. Inside the display cases were such exotic delicacies as smoked sturgeon, smoked carp, lox, pickled her- ring in sour cream and onions, pickled herring without sour cream, just onions, jars of salmon caviar, smoked white fish, and sable. There was no doubt that the display case contained the body or body parts of dead animals. Some of the smoked fish still had their heads, sunken eyes, gills, mouths including teeth and fins. The guts were removed prior to the smoking process, as viewed through an abdominal slit. Also, occupying space behind the counter sat bulk cream cheese, something called pot cheese, butter, and farmer cheese. Except for the caviar, all others were out of package lying in pans or on clean white pieces of packaging paper. I remember the store, stinking of a pungent fishy, pickley, garlicy odor. No other store on the avenue could claim that distinct stink. The Jewish deli odor was far different from the scent of stinky feet imported from Italy. Spit Puss would yell over the counter, “Vot you vant?” Behind the counter display cases, Spit Puss marched back and forth with his belly polishing the steel molding of the counter as he fulfilled the orders shot at him from the opposite side. The orders were to Spit Puss like a starting gun to a runner. He would run from one section of the counter to the other with a “clop! clop!” sound emanating from the soles of his feet as they struck the wooden floor boards behind the counter. The sharp eyes of Spit Puss’s customers could Allerton in the 1940s and 1950s 33 clearly see what they were ordering. In heavy accents, you could hear, “Dalink, you should slice me quarter pound lox, a nice piece of carp, not the end, the middle, and I vant a small vite fish.” “Dalink, the lox you should give me: Belly, not Novi. It’s too expensive.” “Don’t give me any bleck pieces and the vite fish, not dat vun, da fet vun.” The orders were put on the scale and a price was determined. The items were then wrapped in yellowish white wrapping paper and secured with cellophane tape. They were handed across the counter or placed on top of the display case. “So how moch I owe you?” the customer would yell out. A tally was made by using a pencil, pulled from Spit Puss’s ear. The numbers were scribbled and summed up on the brown paper bag, into which the filled order was to be placed. A monetary exchange, and “Next!” Spit Puss yelled out. Sometimes, this started an all-out war. Mostly, the women would start bellowing phrases such as, “Vot are you doink, it is my toin.” “No it’s not your toin.” “I’m next!” a voice somewhere in the crowd would spring forth from the crowd. “I was here foist,” someone else would yell. A brief skirmish might ensue. In the name of fairness and to break up the log-jam, a small jury would form, providing patrons the opportunity to invest their two cents. “I tink she vus here foist,” an arbitrator would announce. The offended customer would respond with a, “I neva hoid soch a thing!” “Next!” Spit Puss would once again yell out to his audience. He was protected by this no man’s land of counter space and display cases. Spit Puss never got involved in the store wars. Everyone knew where Spit Puss’s appetizing store was located. The whole front of the store and somewhat extending outside was a stink that no other avenue store possessed. On the sidewalk, in front of the store, were these four-foot-high, brown, grungy-looking wooden barrels. One barrel contained very sour pickles, another barrel contained not-so-sour pickles, and the third barrel contained a 34 ROBERT WEISS powerfully strong, fishy-smelling stuff. Floating in this barrel were what appeared to be rotten fish in an equally putrid looking liquid. This was the schmaltz herring barrel. The last barrel contained madjes herring. The contents of this barrel contained what looked like reddish-colored schmaltz herrings. It had the “fency” name: “Herring in wine sauce.” Eventually, the health department deemed that the outside uncovered barrels were a health hazard. It did make some sense. The fact that they were open to the public made the barrels a target for all kinds of foreign stuff. Should anything be thrown or dropped in, like bird shit, no one would have been the wiser. Spit Puss was now required, by law, to store all barreled products inside closed plastic containers inside the store. The familiar and odd aroma that diffused from the appetizing store and into the neighborhood declined significantly. This was a small price to pay for the fact that the people of our neighborhood, both consumers and just plain “sniffers,” were, once again, saved from some horrific disease. Allerton Avenue was getting safer and safer as a result of these various health regulations. Everything in the Jewish appetizing store took on its unique garlicky odor, including the people who worked there. A good friend, Dave Leher, may he rest in peace, worked all day in an appetizing store. After work, he would drop by our clubroom, of which he was a member. This was usually a pre-shower visit. He wore the same stained apron from work into our subterranean clubroom. The air was unusually close, in that the basement room had no windows. Needless to say, when Dave paid us a visit, he brought with him every possible garlicky, fishy stink that pervaded his workplace. Upon his entrance, the appetizing molecules would release themselves from Dave and diffuse into the surrounding clubroom atmosphere. This would create a great uproar punctuated by a barrage of curses such as, “Dave, get the f—k out of here.” Dave Allerton in the 1940s and 1950s 35 would stand his ground with a self-satisfied toothy grin on his face. We couldn’t decide whether to kick him above ground, rip his clothes off, or put him on a bagel with cream cheese and eat him. IV. Our Bronx Park Oasis We lived close to a New York oasis rivaled only by the forests, fields, streams, and lakes of Central Park in Manhattan. What Central Park was to Manhattan, Bronx Park was, and still is, to The Bronx. All we had to do was walk six blocks west from my apartment house to the Bronx Park perimeter. The park stretches approximately two-thirds the length of The Bronx. The northern part sits close to the borders of suburban Westchester. Southern Bronx Park dipped into what might presently be described as the more congested and industrial area of The Bronx. Most of the buildings consisted of old, pre-war apartment houses interspersed with private homes. Going back in time, the inhabitants were made up of Black, Puerto Rican, Jewish, Italian, and Irish immigrants. Many were poor, lower-middle-, and working-class people. It could be said that Bronx Park was an emerald-green oasis that was divided into three main sections. The northernmost part is Bronx Park proper. Traveling southward, the park included the Botanical Garden, which merged with the Bronx Zoo. The Bronx Zoo had fences that defined its borders. Bronx Park proper and the Botanical Garden had no such barriers of demarcation. Each melded into the other. I could ride my bike and enter without paying a penny through Bronx Park proper and continue “freely” into the Botanical Gardens and finally into the Bronx Zoo. Within park sections, one could find small lakes, large rock outcroppings, caves, streams, a river, swamps, fields, waterfalls, forests, ball fields, playgrounds, bicycle paths, hiking paths and handball courts. Bicycle paths en- abled us to gain access to everywhere. 36 ROBERT WEISS The lakes and the surrounding parkland contained various forms of animal life. Varieties of fish included perch, eels, bass, sunfish, carp, and minnows. Amphibians included frogs and salamanders. Reptiles included varieties of snakes and turtles. Many of these beasts were caught and kept as pets. We frequently saw mammals rushing the leaves such as water rats, musk rats, plain-old rat rats, mice, moles, rabbits, squirrels, and chipmunks, and finally birds, the listing of which would be too numerous. V. The Grand Finale As time moved on, values and behaviors changed frequently. These changes occurred subconsciously. It was after Buzz’s and my high school graduation, when he turned to me and said, “We are getting to be too old to do some of the things we use to do.” After all the sloppy kisses and well wishes finished, we ran home, pulled off our suit, tie, and fancy shirt and replaced them with old jeans, sneakers, and tee shirts. RoRo, the family dog, was leashed, and off to the park we went. We ended up at the bank of the Bronx River. Sitting on the shore, we spotted a muddy and rusted cement bin, the kind construction workers mix cement in. After a moment of planning, we slipped it into the river and each of us, including RoRo, gingerly climbed in. With a stick, we pushed off from shore. Slowly we drif- ted downstream, for the first time seeing the park from a different vantage point. Here we were, the three of us together, “Rub a dub, dub, three schmucks in a tub.” Suddenly, for some reason, only the golfball-sized brain of the dog understood. RoRo decided to ab- andon ship. In his enthusiasm to leap, he flipped the cement bin. While on board, a careful balance was maintained. Once the dog left, there was no more careful balance. Buzz and I became a part of the floating wood, leaves, and other debris in the river. It was easy enough to get to shore. The river was never very wide. Climbing onto shore was another matter. The bank was slippery with muddy, grey silt. By the time we reached a solid grassy area, we were soaked, Allerton in the 1940s and 1950s 37 but even worse, we were covered from head to toe with caked mud. Outfitted in our muddy attire, we walked right down the center of Allerton Avenue. It was a spectacle that captured a lot of attention: muddy me, Buzzy, and RoRo. Here we were, high school graduates, looking more like smelly rock people that appeared in an old Flash Gordon movie. It would be impossible for me to describe the expression on Lena and Mom’s face when they confronted the three of us in the street. Lena laughed. Mom, with a serious, straight face asked, “When are you kids going to grow up? You’re too old to be doing this nonsense. Look how filthy you are, and you stink!” 38 ROBERT WEISS A TRIBUTE TO BOB GUMBS AND HARRIET MCFEETERS BY MARK NAISON I. Bob Gumbs (1939–2022) Bob Gumbs was a brilliant graphic designer and publisher who played a pioneering role in the Black Arts movement in the 1950s and early 1960s, and then 40 years later, played a central role in the creation of The Bronx African American History Project. Brought up on Lymon Place, a small street in the Morrisania section of The Bronx that played an important part in American jazz history because jazz pianists Elmo and Bertha Hope resided there and Thelonious Monk visited regularly, Bob was part of a small group of young Bronxites who sponsored jazz concerts in the borough in the middle of the 1950s to call attention to jazz as an art form of African origin. Even in later years when he moved to Harlem and became a graphic designer whose work highlighted Black history and culture, The Bronx held a special place in his heart, and when he read an article about a Fordham professor who started an oral history project with Black residents of the Patterson Houses, he contacted that professor to urge him to include Morrisania, which he called “The Harlem of The Bronx.” This began a 20-year collaboration that turned The Bronx African American History Project into one of the premier community-based oral history projects in the nation. Bob helped organize over a hun- dred oral history interviews, participated in scores of community tours, was responsible for landmarking several streets and parks in the Morrisania neighborhood, and collaborated on Before The Fires: An Oral History of African American Life in the Bronx from the 1930s to the 1960s (Fordham University Press, 2016), which transformed the dominant narrative of Bronx history to include Black experiences and perspectives. Bob also appeared on numerous radio and tele- A Tribute to Bob Gumbs and Harriet McFeeters 39 vision shows highlighting Black contributions to Bronx history, and helped create an exhibit at The Bronx County Historical Society with that as its theme! Finally, at a time when the world honors The Bronx’s role in the creation of hip hop, Bob made sure, through his joyous but relentless activism, that the world also recognized The Bronx’s contribution to jazz from the mid ’40s through the late ’60s, not only as a place where the most important jazz artists of that era performed regularly but also where many of them lived. Bob Gumbs was one of those rare individuals who changed the way people defined themselves and interpreted their own histories. As a creative artist and community historian, he helped people see The Bronx as a site of unparalleled cultural creativity and a true melting pot for peoples of the African Diaspora. The Bronx African American History Project would not have had a fraction of its influence and historic reach without Bob Gumbs’s guidance. He will be sorely missed by family, friends, and all his collaborators in the Black Arts movement and The Bronx African American History Project. II. Harriet McFeeters (1926–2022) Harriet McFeeters was one of The Bronx’s greatest educators and a driving force behind the creation of The Bronx African American History Project. A graduate of Hunter College who lived her entire adult life in her family’s brownstone on 168th Street between Union and Prospect Avenues in the Morrisania section, Harriet was a fixture in Bronx schools for almost 50 years, serving as a teacher, principal, staff developer, and assistant district superintendent. 40 MARK NAISON Harriet, who was as passionate about learning as she was about teaching and who was deeply committed to the children of The Bronx, left an indelible mark on everyone who encountered her. More than 300 people, most of them fellow educators, came to her 90th birthday celebration several years ago and spoke of her with reverence and affectionate humor, as Harriet was a person who commanded every room she was in. But though Harriet radiated intellect and power, she also was a kind, generous person who created a sense of community among those she worked with, and her friends represented every cultural group in The Bronx. My own connection with Harriet came in the spring of 2003 when we started The Bronx African American History Project. I was put in touch with Harriet by her brother, Jim Pruitt, former director of the Upward Bound Program, who told me that Harriet, who had recently retired, was passionately interested in Bronx African American history and would have a lot to contribute to our research. That proved to be a considerable understatement. Once she dis- covered what we were trying to do, Harriet literally took command of The Bronx African American History Project’s research on Morrisania, helping us recruit interview subjects, identifying important community institutions, and holding events at her home on 168th Street, where she took a particular interest in the brilliant young research assistants I hired, to whom Harriet became a surrogate grandmother. Along with Bob Gumbs, another brilliant product of the Black Morrisania community, Harriet helped recover the lost history of a Black community in The Bronx, which produced several generations of professionals in a wide number of fields and created as many varieties of popular music as any neighborhood in the United States. It was Harriet who introduced us to Valerie Capers, the great jazz pianist, educator, and composer, whose concerts and performances became a fixture for The Bronx African American History Project’s A Tribute to Bob Gumbs and Harriet McFeeters 41 staff, and who alerted us to the significance of St. Augustine Presbyterian Church and its brilliant minister Rev. Edler Hawkins, who mentored so many of the great leaders who came out of Morrisania. Until her health began to falter a few years ago, Harriet was a fixture at The Bronx African American History Project’s conferences, concerts, and interviews at Fordham, where she was as commanding a presence as she was in Bronx public schools. She also made a huge contribution to the Project via our fundraising, both through her individual donations and by encouraging others to contribute. As I write this tribute, with tears in my eyes, I will close with this final comment. Although Harriet’s degrees were in education, not history, and although she spent her life working in public schools, Harriet was as much a historian as any professor working at our most distinguished universities. When I first learned that Morrisania was the community where The Bronx African American History Project should concentrate its research, it was Harriet who told us how the community evolved, who its most important leaders were, which schools and churches we should focus on, and who we should interview. Of the more than 100 interviews we did with Morrisania residents past and present, more than half came through Harriet. Without her guidance, the Project would not have had the fraction of the influence it ultimately attained. We can learn so much from the example Harriet McFeeters set. Harriet was passionately devoted to learning about and teaching Black history. She fought hard to have it included in public school curricula and made it an integral part of her pedagogy. But she did so in a way that drew everyone around her in, insisting that Black history was everyone’s history, that learning it would uplift all who possessed that knowledge and would help people from all back- grounds better understand their American journey. That is one of the reasons why so many teachers who were Jewish, Italian, Irish, 42 MARK NAISON and Puerto Rican joined their Black fellow educators in paying tribute to Harriet at her 90th birthday celebration. Harriet spread knowledge but she also spread love. She embodied the highest values of The Bronx and its people. She may have passed on, but her spirit lives in the tens of thousands of people she touched as an educator and in the publications and digital archive of The Bronx African American History Project, where Harriet McFeeters’s vision of community history has been brought to life. Above: Members of The Bronx African American History Project at Harriet McFeeters’s family home on East 168th Street in Morrisania, December 2003. Pictured in front row, left to right, are Michelle Tollinici, Harriet Pruit- McFeeters, Joyce Tolliver, and Kevin Ross. Pictured in back row, left to right, are Bess Pruitt, Mark Naison, Claude Mangum, Bob Gumbs, Patricia Wright, and Candace Lee. Courtesy of the author. A Tribute to Bob Gumbs and Harriet McFeeters 43 ABOUT THE AUTHORS STEVEN PAYNE is Director of The Bronx County Historical Society and social historian whose interests in Bronx history span commu- nity activism; underground music and art cultures; organized labor; race, class, and gender; housing struggles, and more. He records oral histories for The Bronx African American History Project, The Bronx Latino History Project, and The Bronx Aerosol Arts Docu- mentary Project. RICHARD BAUM grew up in the Kingsbridge section of The Bronx during the 1950s and 1960s and writes about his experiences growing up in the neighborhood. ROBERT WEISS, who came of age in the Allerton neighborhood of The Bronx during the 1940s and 1950s, has authored an unpublished manuscript about his childhood in Allerton, selections of which are printed here. MARK NAISON, Professor of African American Studies and History at Fordham University, is the c0-founder of The Bronx African American History Project, one of the largest community-based oral history projects in the nation. Dr. Naison has authored seven books and over 300 articles on African American politics, labor history, popular culture, and education policy. FROM THE ARCHIVES A HISTORY OF AFRO-CUBAN JAZZ IN THE BRONX FROM THE DAVID M. CARP PAPERS ON LATIN JAZZ Editor’s Note: The below piece comes from an untitled, unpublished, and unatributed manuscript included in the David M. Carp papers on Latin Jazz in The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library. Slight edits have been made for style and clarity throughout and are indicated by text in [brackets].1 I. Introduction New York City is among the most ethnically diverse places in the entire world. Since it was founded, New York has served as the chief center for immigration in the country, and its population continues to grow and diversify. Without a doubt, the largest percentage of immigrants in New York speaks Spanish. In the borough of The Bronx, Latinos make up half of the population, far more than any other demographic. Latino immigrants have always blessed New York City with their culture and traditions, music and art. The story of Afro-Cuban jazz in Manhattan and The Bronx illustrates the marriage of traditional Latino customs and the native music of New York City. During the early years of the twentieth century, music in Cuba was a 1 A note at the bottom of the manuscript reads: “All information used for this ar- ticle came from interviews from the David Carp Collection, courtesy Bronx County Historical Society. The following interviews were conducted by David Carp unless otherwise noted: Mario Bauzá, 2/8/89; Mario Bauzá, 4/18/91; Willie Colón (undated); José Curbelo, 10/3/93; Graciela Pérez (interviewed by Max Salazar), 5/10/85; Joe Orange, 2/6/99; José Mangual, Jr., 11/8/98; Eddie Palmieri, 8/13/98; Frank Rivera, 6/8/97; Mark Weinstein 11/24/96.” A History of Afro‐Cuban Jazz in The Bronx 45 way of life. Parents would teach their children the basics of Cuban music as a birthright. The people of Cuba would take up every street corner, playing congas, timbales, and bongos. Children would buy sheep skins from local markets and stretch them over drums made by hand. Cuba was music. By embracing their African roots, Cubans would distinguish their music from the rest of Latin America by making the terms “Cuban roots music” and “Afro-Cuban music” synonymous. Musicians from the most prestigious conservatories as well as working men and wo- men who relaxed on the street with a conga or djembe—all began to embrace the sounds of Cuban son and danzon. By the 1920s and ’30s, American musical influence would begin to find its way to Cuba. Radio stations from Miami and New Orleans would start to become popular on the island. Music fans would tune into American jazz stations on short-wave radio to try and absorb the latest musical trends. Musicians and music fans would begin to collect records from the United States and remind anyone who ven- tured north to bring the latest jazz albums back to Cuba. Shortly after, the finest musicians from the most prestigious conservatories and orchestras would slowly [immigrate] to America’s birthplace and home for jazz, New York City. Jazz would never be the same. Cubans, or Afro-Cubans, made a huge impact on American jazz. Jazz had a huge effect on Afro-Cuban musical traditions as well. Before long, a new type of music would emerge and take New York City by storm—Latin jazz. Not exclusively drawing from Cuban musical traditions, Latin jazz would incorporate traditions from all over Latin America and would inspire [traditional] jazz bands to expand their repertoires and include more global sounds. Eventually, the scene was huge. Ballrooms and dance halls like the Palladium and [the] Savoy in Manhattan and the Hunts Point Palace and Tritons Club in The Bronx would serve as key centers for jazz acts from 46 FROM THE DAVID M. CARP PAPERS ON LATIN JAZZ Charlie Parker to Tito Puente. Latinos in The Bronx would be af- fected forever. Following the closing of the Palladium, the major Latin jazz scene would pick up in The Bronx. Kids on the streets would embrace Latin jazz and appreciate the African roots behind it. Bands and orchestras would spring up all over The Bronx, and the borough would soon produce some of the most prominent names of Latin jazz in all of New York City. From a couple of key figures moving from Cuba to New York in the ’30s, through the Palladium era, to Latinos setting up crude drum sets and playing along with the radio, Latin jazz remains a vital part of life for many Latin American immigrants today as well as New Yorkers and music fans. II. Afro‐Cuban Jazz Begins in Cuba: Mario Bauzá, José Curbelo, Graciela Pérez The story of Afro-Cuban jazz in New York begins in Havana. Music was everywhere in the ghettos and crowded streets of Cuba’s capital. Street vendors would line the markets with animal skins for drums, musicians would play on the street, and families would sit on their porch and jam with bongos, congas, and hand drums. Classical forms of Cuban music mixed European instruments with African drums, embracing traditions from both the African slaves and rich Europeans who inhabited the colony of Cuba since it was founded. As years developed, more variations, new instrumentation, and a finer-tuned orchestration would build on the rich foundation of Afro-Cuban traditions. Pioneers like Arsenio Rodríguez would add new elements to traditional Cuban son, like African percussion and A History of Afro‐Cuban Jazz in The Bronx 47 syncopation. Eventually, Afro-Cuban music became the music of the people and Cubans were introduced to this tradition at an early age. This is the setting in which Mario Bauzá was raised. Bauzá, who would later become the most important figure in the fusion of Afro-Cuban and American jazz, started in Havana as a child. I tell you how everything happen. I was about five years old. My godfather used to teach the kids in my neighborhood in Cuba solfeggio. And I used to hear the kid try to sing those lesson, good intonation. And they have so much problem. So, one day I said to my godfather, “How come those kids have so much trouble with that lesson.” He say, “How do you know?” I said, “Well I think I know all those lessons.” He said, “You know lessons now?” I said, “Yeah, I think I know.” . . . He said, “I don’t want you to be an ear musician, so I’m gonna get a teacher for you.” So, he got me a teacher, I was in solfeggio for two years. And then I went to the Conservatory and . . . the first instrument they give me was the oboe. I didn’t like it. I heard the man play the clarinet, and I fell in love with the sound he produced. I said, “I would like to play that instrument.” And that’s how I become . . . a clarinet player. With Bauzá learning more and more music, his special ability became more apparent. Bauzá would excel at the Havana Conservatory and began to gain esteem from his colleagues. Soon, his teachers and fellow musicians helped him cultivate his talent. When I was a graduate, the Havana Philharmonic, they need a bass clarinet. And they approach me, I say, “Well, I’m willing to play, but somebody have to buy the instrument.” So, they sent to France for a bass clarinet. So, they brought it, they give it to me and say, “You practice, when you think you ready, let us know.” So, I 48 FROM THE DAVID M. CARP PAPERS ON LATIN JAZZ took my bass clarinet home, I start fooling around, it was the same thing, embouchure a little different and sound was kind of peculiar. When I thought I was ready, I came to one of the rehearsals . . . that’s how I (became) a bass clarinet and a clarinet player. Mario Bauzá was not the only person at this time to truly embrace his musical talents. A few years down the line a woman singer would join Bauzá’s Machito Orchestra in New York. Graciela Pérez would sing along with her brother Machito over the unique Afro-Cuban jazz sound Bauzá perfected. Graciela Pérez also began her music ca- reer at a young age in Cuba. Her father, an avid musician, would constantly have musicians to his house, and one day Graciela stayed up past her bedtime to enjoy one of them. I was born in Cuba. In Havana, el barrio Jesús María. . . . There were six of us. When I was four years old . . . there was a lot of music and (my father) bring some cantadores en la casa like (vocalist) María Teresa Vera . . . and the other kids in my house are still in bed . . . and then María Teresa Vera sees my finger doing the clave and María Teresa Vera said to my father, “You see, Graciela is going to be a singer.” Pérez’s father was reluctant, at first, to allow Graciela to sing. However, he would continue to inspire his daughter by having more and more musical guests come in and out of the Pérez home. Graciela remembers Septeto Nacional, in particular. Septeto Nacional . . . was to play because my father, the only party (that) was at my house was my mother’s birthday, and at my house was Septeto Nacional. . . . They was in my house, in my neighborhood nobody came then, you know, in that time. In my house was Nacional. As they grew up, Pérez and her brother Machito began to nurture A History of Afro‐Cuban Jazz in The Bronx 49 her gift little by little, until she had completely been absorbed by the music. Pérez would sing everywhere she went and join several groups thanks [to] Machito’s familiarity with the local music scene. Still, her father didn’t want her to sing professionally, and Graciela would have to sneak out at nights. One night while working as a delivery man, Pérez’s father recognized the voice coming from a club across the street from where he was working. He was staying over there, and he sees me singing and everybody applauds me. “Ohh, Graciela!” And then (at the house) he don’t say nothing to my mother, to nobody. Then he was waiting when I go hiding, when I go to working and (he said), “I know Chela, she’s singing in Alai de Libre in El Prado because I heard her last night. It’s alright, she sings beautiful.” Graciela Pérez had her father’s blessing and began to truly excel as a singer free from any restrictions. She would travel to South America with Al Anacaona and eventually move to Harlem in the 1930s, where she would meet up with Bauzá and Machito to start the Afro- Cuban Orchestra. A third key figure in the fusion of Afro-Cuban and American jazz is José Curbelo. Curbelo, who would manage and book Afro-Cuban jazz bands, was among the top performers in New York City during the Palladium Era. Curbelo’s uniquely vibrant sounds would place him in the highest echelon of Latin jazz performers along with Machito, Tito Puente, and Tito Rodríguez. Curbelo, the son of a musician, started as a classically trained pianist and musician in Cuba. I (was) born in Havana, Cuba (on) February 18, 1917. Pedro Menéndez was my teacher, piano teacher in Cuba. He used to be the piano player in my father’s orchestra, at one time. So, he was my private teacher in piano. . . . I went to the school of music in Cuba, to the Academy of 50 FROM THE DAVID M. CARP PAPERS ON LATIN JAZZ Music to study. And I had different teachers like in voice and harmony and whatever, you know, different types of technique, et cetera. . . . My father was a fine violinist, he played for the Philharmonic Orchestra in Cuba, first violin. And . . . he was a bandleader, he had his own or- chestra where he played all the famous nightclub and supper club and casino in Cuba. . . . I’m talking (about) the late ’20s and the early ’30s. And then he play the most typical Cuban music, with the charanga music that used to be played, what they call in Cuba the “Academias.” . . . The real Cuban music at that time was charanga bands. It’s not with saxophones and trump- ets. . . . Cuban music is the charanga sound—violins and flute and rhythm. That is what the real nitty-gritty of the Cuban music is. . . . And it’s really Afro-Cuban music. Because the Negro slaves that came to Cuba from Africa, they brought the rhythm. And in Cuba they put the voicings out, the melody and harmony. . . . But that was, still is, the real Cuban music should be called not salsa [but] Afro-Cuban music. Curbelo would develop into a finely trained musical genius. He began to master the curriculum of the Academy of Music and decided to enter Cuba’s prestigious Molinas Conservatory. Like his contemporary Mario Bauzá, Curbelo became fascinated with new forms of music, in particular American jazz. His understanding and love for music fueled his passion for exploration, and American jazz was exciting and fresh. Curbelo and Bauzá both became obsessed with jazz. In the ’20s I was a very young kid. But I always was a fan, and my favorite music always has been jazz. . . . I find that jazz is the most interesting music that is, as far as popular music is concerned, I love it . . . in Cuba I used to have records from Chick Webb where Mario Bauzá, A History of Afro‐Cuban Jazz in The Bronx 51 when he came to United States, he was the first trumpet. Bauzá remembers listening to his favorite American jazz musicians on the radio in Cuba. Duke Ellington used to (broadcast) almost every night from the Cotton Club. And I used to catch that in Havana through short-wave radio. And that music was so fascinating, was so different. All different jazz— completely different. And I always said, “That’s African- American music, that’s Africa.” The sound of the music, the way he uses harmony, he give you that color. And I was dying to get into New York. Bauzá would get a taste of the New York jazz scene shortly after, by happenstance. He got his break after going into his favorite music store in Havana and meeting bandleader Antonio Romeu. I used to go practically almost every day. I go to the music store to see what new records came and what piece come. So, when I got there, the head man said, “Mario, I want to try this clarinet that just came out from France, a Buffet Crampon, I want you (to) try.” So, I was prac- ticing clarinet over there, you know, testing the clarinet, and Romeu was there. . . . He said, “You don’t mind play this one with me?” I said, “No.” He said, “But do you know how to transpose from clarinet to—?” I said, “Oh, yeah.” So, I played the danzon with him and he was (amazed). . . . About two weeks later he found my tele- phone number and called my father. He said, “I would like to take Mario to New York to record with me, my orchestra.” Bauzá went to record with Romeu and his orchestra in New York and was blown away by the live jazz musicianship he encountered. Upon seeing saxophonist Frankie Tumbaur, Bauzá’s attention shifted to a new instrument. He fell in love with the saxophone and 52 FROM THE DAVID M. CARP PAPERS ON LATIN JAZZ would take it up immediately upon returning to Cuba. The sax- ophone would provide an outlet for Bauzá to grow musically, and it provided more opportunities to gain exposure in the Havana music scene. Though it was hard for a dark-skinned musician to find work, Bauzá still managed to make a name for himself. He recalls the racial inequities in Havana at the time. When they heard me play . . . that’s when I got the op- portunity to get a first-class job in Havana. Up to then, no, because the average musician on the big-time job ov- er there was white. . . . That country is no different than Mississippi was . . . not much different. We had that prob- lem, still have that problem, and gonna have that prob- lem. . . . So, we are still fighting those problems . . . the only discrimination there in those days when I was a young kid, like you go in the interior of Havana and the colored people walk on . . . one side of the park. Don’t allowed to go on the other side with the white people. That’s the way, you know. You go in the barber shop, you had to go to the Black barber shop. But the trouble with my country is so much mixture. Because after all, how the Cuban race was produced? By Spaniard and African womans. After finally gaining acceptance in the Havana music scene, both Curbelo and Bauzá would look to the future. Each of them saw himself as a jazz musician waiting to break out and creatively explore his musicianship. Both Curbelo and Bauzá decided the only way to truly embrace their passion for music was by going to [the] hottest music spot in the world, the home of jazz, New York City. Everybody talk about Mario, Mario, Mario, clarinet player and saxophone player. So, I said, “Well the next stop gotta be the United States,” come to the Mecca of jazz . . . nothing else I can learn in Cuba. A History of Afro‐Cuban Jazz in The Bronx 53 III. Cuba Comes to New York: The Palladium Era Once in the United States, Mario Bauzá’s first order of business was to learn yet another instrument. It was rough because when I got here it was in the heart of the Depression. And I’m lucky that I was, I met Benny Carter and he gave me advice . . . (and) there was another fella that came here on the boat with me with the Don Azpiazu Orchestra by the name of Antonio Machin. . . . So, I used to go into his house every day, to listen to rehearsals, (one day) I say, “I have no problem to play the music the way you want to. . . . I don’t play trumpet, but I think if you buy me a trumpet, I think I can do the job.” So, we went to the pawnshop and bought a cheap trumpet for fifteen bucks or something like that. So, I took it home and I start, I knew the positions and all I had to do was to get some em- bouchure, and that was that. Said, “Mario, I only got . . . fifteen days to recording.” I said, “Well, you ain’t got nobody. If you give me the opportunity, I think I can do it, otherwise I wouldn’t even talk about it.” So, I start practicing, practicing, practicing, practicing. So finally, we go into the recording. . . . Then I fell in love with the trumpet. And then I figured I had a better chance with the trumpet than I did with the saxophone to join one of those jazz bands. Bauzá quickly became known around jazz circles, and his rise to prominence was fast. First, Bauzá joined the Chick Webb Band, where under the wing of bandleader Chick Webb he would gain a vast knowledge of jazz. Webb opened up doors for Bauzá and introduced him to some of the biggest names in the New York jazz scene. Bauzá played with countless musicians from Webb to Cab Calloway to Ella Fitzgerald. All over New York from the Apollo to 54 FROM THE DAVID M. CARP PAPERS ON LATIN JAZZ the Savoy Ballroom, Bauzá spread his love for jazz as he collaborated with a myriad of jazz legends. In addition to the various collaborations that were taking place, another tradition of the era was the Battle of the Bands. Two bands would play the same hall or ballroom and try to show one another up. This is when Afro-Cuban rhythms really stood out, earning Afro-Cubans a reputation for their showmanship. Mario Bauzá re- members battling Benny Goodman in the late 1930s with the Chick Webb Band. The Savoy Ballroom was pack(ed) around five o’clock in the afternoon, they had to close the door. . . . Benny Goodman playe(ed) the first set . . . they close with “Big John Special.” So, Chick say, “What’choo gonna play?” I say, “How about the same number, gonna play ‘Big John Special’ . . . and close with ‘Harlem Conga?’” . . . The battle of music was through in the first set. The band was too powerful for Benny. Benny’s band was too light for that, that and especially with that crowd. When that band hit, it was something else. This period of the 1930s was essential to the birth of Latin jazz music. Pioneers like Bauzá were becoming big names and starting to influence the music scene. By adding elements from their [strong] background in Cuban music, people like Bauzá, Curbelo, Tito Puente, and Tito Rodríguez would usher in a new form of music —Afro-Cuban jazz. In 1940, Bauzá hooked up with his brother-in- law, Machito, and together they created Machito’s Afro-Cuban Orchestra, along with Graciela Pérez. Despite initial skepticism about the use of the name “Afro-Cuban,” Latinos, Blacks, and even whites would enjoy the music. When I started Machito Orchestra, whole lot of Puerto Rican people reject my music. They say I use bongo and that was a disgrace, that was “nanigo” music, “Negroes A History of Afro‐Cuban Jazz in The Bronx 55 from Africa” music. They didn’t go for that. But in the new generation, Puerto Rican born in New York begin to like what I was doin’. Soon there was a huge following for the acts and the premiere venue was Manhattan’s Palladium Ballroom. The Palladium was an important institution that would operate from 1949 to 1966, delighting fans of mambo and jazz alike. Celebrities like Marlon Brando and Bob Hope as well as everyday working-class immigrants would crowd the Palladium. With unparalleled integration, it be- came the single most important place for Latin jazz music in New York City. The rise of the Palladium marked a turning point in New York’s music scene. Tastes were beginning to change and people were be- coming more and more intrigued with the new Afro-Cuban jazz sound. Afro-Cubans were gaining acceptance and earning respect. Along with Afro-Cuban jazz, many of the Latino musicians involved collaborated with American jazz artists. Bauzá himself broke in legend Dizzy Gillespie, with whom he teamed up Machito percussionist Chano Pozo. And then I brought Dizzy into the band. . . . I went and got a hold of Dizzy: “Dizzy, bring your trumpet with a mute. I want you to play anything you want on top of that.” . . . Rhythm crazy. And he can dance. I got a videotape they made in Havana. . . . And when he came out there and dancing, dance a rumba. It’s amazin’! And Dizzy, Dizzy, Dizzy’s, Dizzy all right! Helluva fellow. . . . I love the guy, my son. The language barrier illustrates the connection Afro-Cubans made with American jazz musicians. Dizzy Gillespie and Chano Pozo made terrific music and rose to the top of the jazz world in New York City, but Pozo didn’t speak a word of English. 56 FROM THE DAVID M. CARP PAPERS ON LATIN JAZZ You know the only word that Chano (could speak) to Dizzy? “Hundred dollar.” That’s all. Despite the cultural differences and language barrier, Gillespie found a niche in Latin jazz. In 1947, the two were set to perform a number called the “Afro-Cuban Drums Suite” at Carnegie Hall. The show was instrumental in bringing Latin jazz into mainstream awareness. Additionally, Gillespie’s improvisation added a whole new dimension to jazz. Gillespie’s musicianship became the groundwork for later improvisation such as bee bop and the music of greats like Charlie Parker and Miles Davis. By 1950, Machito, Tito Puente, and Tito Rodríguez were among the biggest names in all of New York. Collaborations would continue, and Charlie Parker would get into the act, teaming up with pianist Norman Granz and Bauzá on one of the best examples of Latin jazz, “The Peanut Vendor.” Charlie Parker made a very big impression on Bauzá, and that would lead to partnership on the song “Mango Mangue.” People might think that Charlie Parker play because he was high, or—no, no, no, no. He knew everything he would do in the music, and nobody told him how to do it. That was his own creation, his own mentality, his own approach about music. . . . He says, “Oh man, play any- thing, let me hear the arrangement.” . . . When we play the arrangement, he say, “I like that.” I said, “But it’s a vocal.” He say, “All you gotta do, when the vocal sup- posed to be sing, tell ’em ‘don’t sing’ and gimme the cue, I’ll play.” . . . He went through that number like nothing, back to the montuno, and . . . “Oh my goodness!” I say, “this man is a genius!” As Afro-Cuban jazz’s popularity grew, more and more great bandleaders would emerge, and great musicians would flourish in the new form. José Curbelo’s orchestra was one of the bands that A History of Afro‐Cuban Jazz in The Bronx 57 benefited the most from the success of the other Afro-Cuban performers. Curbelo’s success came at a time when the music that was originally confined to Harlem began to spread downtown to places like the Palladium and uptown to The Bronx, again thanks to the success of Tito Puente and Tito Rodríguez, but mainly because of Bauzá’s Machito Orchestra. Curbelo explains the phenomenon. That was Machito and his Afro-Cubans . . . because when you hit Broadway you did the biggest, the Broadway show, the Strand Theater, the Capitol Theater, the Paramount Theater. All the big theaters, the big ball- rooms, the Roseland, the Arcadia, everything was on Broadway between 42nd, the Astor Roof, and 54th, where the Palladium was. And the first band, Black, to come from El Barrio . . . was a great accomplishment. After Machito broke through to the mainstream, Afro-Cuban jazz exploded. The 1950s saw more and more Afro-Cuban jazz bands sprouting up, and the phenomenon became insanely popular. The Palladium was at its peak as a venue, consistently packing the house to see Tito Puente or Machito. At the height of the Palladium era, people of all races, backgrounds, and ethnicities came together to enjoy the music. IV. The Late Palladium Era: Afro‐Cubans in The Bronx The exposure Afro-Cuban jazz was experiencing affected all of New York, but no borough embraced the tradition like The Bronx. Just over the river from the “Mecca of Jazz,” Harlem, The Bronx served as the next major center for music in New York. At that time, clubs and dance halls in The Bronx would attract the biggest names in Afro-Cuban jazz, mambo, and American jazz. Venues like the Hunts Point Palace, the Tritons Club, and the Rockland Palace would put The Bronx on the map as the place to see Afro-Cuban music. While the main forum was still the Palladium, many people would look no 58 FROM THE DAVID M. CARP PAPERS ON LATIN JAZZ further than The Bronx for a quality Afro-Cuban jazz experience. Bronxites would go to have a good time, get down, and listen to some amazing music from the greats. Machito, Tito Puente, José Curbelo (before becoming a manager), Tito Rodríguez, and even Charlie Parker would play at Bronx clubs during the late 1950s. New bands started to come out of the borough as a result of the developing Afro-Cuban jazz scene in The Bronx. Young Bronxites would pack the clubs to get a glimpse of their favorite bands, go home, and try to imitate their sound. Afro-Cuban records were played from every window in every Latino neighborhood in The Bronx, and a new generation of Afro-Cuban jazz lovers would emerge. This new wave of Afro-Cuban jazz buffs would see music any chance they had. Joe Orange, Bronx native and jazz trombonist who played with Herbie Mann and Eddie Palmieri, recalls students at his high school going all the way downtown to see Afro-Cuban music. When I was going to Morris (High School) there was a whole group of kids that used to go to the Palladium and they used to come to school talkin’ about, “Man, last Saturday night at the Palladium. Tito Puente did this and Tito Rodríguez—.” And I (was) kind of like, “Give me a break!” But there was a real strong interest in Latin music. Even the non-musicians, Latin dance was like a craze that was going on you know, ’57, ’58, when I was in high school. The Bronx would serve as a breeding ground for some of the freshest talent in Latin jazz and this was, in part, due to the emergence of Afro-Cuban jazz’s popularity in the latter half of the 1950s. Willie Colón, one of the foremost innovators of Latin music in the late 1960s, remembers going to the Hunts Point Palace when he was thirteen. In those days you had to have a cabaret license, so I had a A History of Afro‐Cuban Jazz in The Bronx 59 friend who was older and he had one, (gave) me his and we kind of doctored it up and put my picture in it. . . . I grew a mustache as soon as possible, and I used to smoke cigars to try to look older, you know. I even used to put frosting on my hair sometimes, it must have been pretty pathetic but I got away with it most of the time. And yeah, we used to go to the Hunts Point Palace, which is now like an office building. . . . They would have like fourteen bands and the poster, you know, just looked like a checkerboard, it had so many faces and stuff on it. . . . And you would go in and I think you’d pay something like five dollars, and you’d be able to see twenty some- thing orchestras. . . . There was a big boom at one time. The popularity of the local venues was apparent by the amount of talent that came onto the Afro-Cuban scene in the late 1950s and early ’60s. One of the premiere acts that came from The Bronx at the time was Eddie Palmieri and his conjunto La Perfecta. My mother arrived in New York in 1925, that’s how it all starts. . . . She came here with an uncle and an aunt, and there was another uncle and aunt here. . . . And then my father followed a year later on a boat. . . . In 1926, they married, my brother was born in ’27, and I was born in ’36 . . . on 112th Street . . . between Madison and Park. We moved from there when I was five years old, and then we went right to Kelly Street between Longwood and Intervale, known now and later as the South Bronx. Palmieri’s extended family had also immigrated to The Bronx and would introduce Eddie to music as a child. His uncle had his own traditional band and encouraged Eddie and his older brother Charlie to take up the piano but emphasized the importance of traditional Latin percussion instruments. But Eddie Palmieri was a piano player. A prodigy, Palmieri played Carnegie Hall at the age of eleven. By 60 FROM THE DAVID M. CARP PAPERS ON LATIN JAZZ thirteen he had joined up with his uncle, as a percussionist. By the time I was fifteen I sold my timbales back to my uncle, (and) went back on the piano, which I’m still playing to this day. Like Willie Colon, Palmieri also gained a lot of musical knowledge by going to shows in The Bronx. Palmieri attributes his start as a serious pianist to seeing bands and orchestras at Bronx clubs and dance halls in the 1950s. I saw Charlie Parker, and that was at the Rockland Palace. He would get gigs like that because he used to work for a promoter, that was a Black promoter called Cecil Bowen. At the Hunts Point Palace I know I saw Charlie Parker and I didn’t know who he was but I saw rubber bands and band-aids on the saxophone, alto. I saw different groups but my main interest was to try to play the piano. ’Cause I hadn’t been reading music, I was playing timbales with my uncle, folkloric band, and then it was very difficult to get back to reading. Palmieri would get his break in 1955 playing with Eddie Forrestier’s Orchestra and would even play with the legendary Tito Rodríguez for a year before starting La Perfecta in 1961. Palmieri’s orchestra was fresh and new, replacing trumpets with trombones. The innovative La Perfecta became the key attraction in Latin music during the 1960s. By assembling some of the greatest musicians in all of New York, the Bronx-based conjunto was wildly popular and virtually unrivaled for the better part of the decade. To a large degree, the success of La Perfecta was truly a group effort, and the band incorporated one of the most influential musicians in the history of New York, trombonist Barry Rogers. Described as a true “renaissance man,” Rogers came out of a Jewish community in The Bronx and was an avid car mechanic, musician, writer, and most A History of Afro‐Cuban Jazz in The Bronx 61 prominently, a lover of all music. Mark Weinstein recalls Barry’s knack at instrumentation well beyond the trombone, including the folkloric double string guitar from Cuba known as the tres. “Barry was a great tres player. Barry was one of the better tres players in the city of New York.” Peers remember the late Barry Rogers spending hours upon hours listening to records and playing music. Rogers’s distinct trombone sound was of paramount importance in the development of Latin music from Afro-Cuban revivalist jazz to salsa. Known for his incessant writing, and re-writing, of charts, almost obsessive personality, and perfectionism, Rogers put all he had into Latin music. When asked about the influence Barry Rogers had on him, Eddie Palmieri remembers Rogers’s uniqueness. Those trombones, when they used to get into a riff behind the flute they don’t stop, and then Barry just takes off and keeps going and we just kept pushing and pushing, and that instrument is not an instrument to be able to do that with and they did it. . . . (I remember) his preparation, his musical knowledge, of all different kinds of music. With Rogers’s innovation and virtuosity with the trombone and Eddie Palmieri leading the band behind the piano, La Perfecta soon found themselves playing with the greats. Eddie Palmieri remembers the circumstances in which he played alongside legends at the Palladium. Oh, Machito, Tito Rodríguez, Tito Puente, La Perfecta dealt with each and every one one-on-one. No quarter taken. There was four sets, you did sixteen sets a week at the Palladium for 72 dollars, before taxes. . . . They had lost their liquor license and now they gave me 90 en- gagements, so once they give you the 90 engagements, then anybody that wants to book you out would have to 62 FROM THE DAVID M. CARP PAPERS ON LATIN JAZZ pay more and that was the deal, you know, and José Curbelo handled that pretty well. La Perfecta continued to thrive during the 1960s and played all over New York City, from the ritziest hotels to the local clubs of The Bronx. La Perfecta illustrates a rich history of music in The Bronx. While the music scene had always been big in places like Morrisania and Hunts Point, La Perfecta was one of the first real successful jazz bands to come out of The Bronx during the era. Mark Weinstein, second trombonist (with Barry Rogers) remembers playing in different clubs all over New York City. You couldn’t buy a second microphone, man! I mean the Hunts Point Palace, I don’t think they owned two microphones . . . and the trombone players would sweat, sweat blood. . . . Barry would catch the edge of the microphone by pointin’ his trombone towards (it). But because we were always playing during the montunos, the singer was in the way. . . . The Hunts Point was one of the bigger rooms, there were a couple other places. . . . The Palladium was a great room—Palladium was the best room to play, I loved the Palladium. . . . We played Birdland a couple of times, I mean then we’d have microphones. La Perfecta’s popularity soared in the ’60s. New Yorkers identified with both the jazz sound and the Latin roots. La Perfecta would draw from many musical traditions to form their unique sound. Mark Weinstein remembers The Bronx as one of the hottest spots for Afro-Cuban music. It was Cuban revivalist. I mean the amazing thing about playing with Eddie’s band was playing Latin music for people of Latino heritage, and this was basically the A History of Afro‐Cuban Jazz in The Bronx 63 cultural revival that occurred at the Triton Club, I mean the Triton Club was the center of it . . . in The Bronx, Southern Boulevard, right next door to the Hunts Point Palace. . . . And the model of the trombone improvisation came from the way . . . the soloist would play against the trumpets. But then Barry extended that. That was the model. In 1966, La Perfecta played the Palladium for its final show. The Palladium Era had officially ended, but Latin music would continue to gain steam up in The Bronx. V. The Bronx and Latin Jazz: The 1950s, 1960s, and Beyond With the Palladium closed and other Manhattan dance halls following suit, Latin music still thrived in one place. The Bronx was now the center for Latin jazz in New York and would become a hotbed for talent. The biggest names in Latin music were coming from The Bronx because communities were raising their kids on music. The Bronx in the ’50s and ’60s was rich in musical traditions from all over Latin America, and residents would expose different types of music to one another. Vibrant neighborhoods like Hunts Point, Morrisania, and Longwood became a breeding ground for musical talent. The public schools provided instruments for students, neighbors sat on their stoops and jammed, and Latin and jazz music blared from every street corner. Frank Rivera was a resident of the Longwood community in the ’50s and ’60s and remembers the neighborhood as well as developing a love for dancing. It was real nice and everybody knew everybody in the neighborhood. . . . Some of ’em became teachers and musicians like Joe Loco, he lived in the corner by the drugstore . . . when we went to (PS) 42, that’s when they started to open the school at night and that’s when we 64 FROM THE DAVID M. CARP PAPERS ON LATIN JAZZ started to have parties and dancing. . . . At that time it was more like they call “mambo”—mambo, not salsa like they call it now. Joe Orange, a longtime resident of Morrisania, remembers hearing music all over The Bronx when he was growing up. I was always hearing it. . . . I was always around it. My brother played conga. And there were all these bands, over at PS 99 they used talent shows. . . . You know, bands in junior high and high school, there were Latin bands all around me. . . . They used to have a place up in The Bronx on Boston Road that was really a great place for jam sessions when I was a kid. I was in high school and I would go in and listen . . . right where Boston and Pros- pect Avenue meet, and it was down in this little basement and I would sneak in there . . . it wasn’t open for very long but it was very popular. Orange contributes the large number of musicians who came out of The Bronx to a surrounding culture that nourished young musicians and helped to develop the talents of the community residents. I think the programs in the public schools had a lot to do with it. I started in (PS) 40, most of us started in 40 or one of those junior high schools. . . . PS 99 had that after- school community center. We used to have talent shows once a week, some great things came through those talent shows! Because of the rich cultural environment, young kids on the street would aspire for musical greatness. Latinos and African Americans would all embrace the various sounds of Latin music, thanks to the diversity of The Bronx, and lively musicians would surface all over the borough. Willie Colón was one such musician. A History of Afro‐Cuban Jazz in The Bronx 65 The South Bronx in the ’50s . . . was exactly like a town in Puerto Rico or any other Latin American country. . . . There were domino games on the sidewalks and there were bembes, which is a group of guys playing congas . . . and we’d sing choruses and maybe some of the hit songs of the day. From that upbringing, Colón embraced both Puerto Rican and Cuban son, and became a trombonist in his own band. Mark Weinstein attributes youth interest in Latin music to the popularity of Barry Rogers. There was LeBron Brothers and there was Willie Colón, I mean both Barry and I were very, very arrogant about what was happening with the trombone. ’Cause both of us had come to Latin music from very rich trombone traditions whereas all the kids who were comin’ up had learned to play trombone by listening to Barry essentially. Regardless of who influenced him, Willie Colón was a young upstart trombonist and he teamed up with a beautiful voice, [a] soñero named Héctor Lavoe. The two delighted fans with songs like trombone anthem with a Panamanian sound “La Murga,” or with the album El Malo, named after the persona Colón would embrace as a rough kid from The Bronx. Ushering the newly dubbed “boo- galoo” style, El Malo and Lavoe would travel all over the world with their exciting, trombone-driven sound until Lavoe unfortunately fell victim to heroin and began showing up late for gigs and acting out. In 1973, Colón was forced to fire Lavoe, ending their six-year partnership. Colón would continue to write and record music, and his name became synonymous with salsa music. Colón has written socially conscious songs like “El General” and “Si La Ves,” has sold over 30 66 FROM THE DAVID M. CARP PAPERS ON LATIN JAZZ million records worldwide, and has amassed fifteen gold and five platinum records since his humble beginning in The Bronx. VI. One Last Word From the start in Cuba, through the coalescence with jazz in Man- hattan, to the popularization in The Bronx, Afro-Cuban and Latin jazz has become one of the most important cultural phenomena in the history of New York. The various musical forms from Cuba, Puerto Rico, Panama, and other Caribbean nations illustrate the diversity of the city. The story of Afro-Cuban music’s popularity in New York is a microcosm of all the wonderful things that make the city uniquely diverse. The way this music was embraced by native New Yorkers as well as [more recent] immigrants is an amazing tribute to the capital of the world, New York. Musical geniuses brought their incredibly well-trained and knowledgeable background to New York, where they mixed with the native population of jazz musicians, and history was made. The importance of The Bronx in all of this cannot be emphasized enough. It’s because of the borough’s love for Latin music that other musical forms could thrive and be introduced. The music served as a familiar reminder that The Bronx was a place for all people from all over the world. Though many, like Mario Bauzá, detest the term “Latin jazz,” the music itself tells the important story of two cultures merging to form great art. A History of Afro‐Cuban Jazz in The Bronx 67 BRONX BUSINESS LEADERS OF THE YEAR AWARD Presented to Bronx business leaders who support the humanities and the arts. 2021 Ram Gupta, Chatam 2000 Management Co., Inc. 2020 Michael Max Knobbe, BronxNet 1999 2019 Richard Legnini, Bronx Ad Group 1998 2018 John Calvelli, Bronx Zoo 2017 James H. Alston, McCalls 1997 Bronxwood Funeral Home 2016 Steve Baktidy, S&T Auto Body 1996 Shop 1995 2015 Matthew Engel, Langsam Property Services 1994 2014 Greg Gonzalez, Manhattan Parking Group 1993 2013 Steve Tisso, Teddy Nissan 2012 Joseph Kelleher, Hutchinson 1992 Metro Center 1991 2011 Adam Green, Rocking the Boat 2010 Anthony Mormile, Hudson 1990 Valley Bank 2009 Lenny Caro, Bronx Chamber of 1989 Commerce 2008 Katherine Gleeson, Goldman Sachs 2007 Sandra Erickson, Erickson Real 1988 Estate 2006 Cecil P. Joseph, McDonald’s 2005 Frank Cassano, New Bronx Chamber of Commerce 1987 2004 Dart Westphal, Norwood News 2003 James J. Houlihan, Houlihan- Parnes 2002 David Greco, Mike’s Deli & Caterers 2001 Peter Madonia, Madonia Brothers Bakery John Reilly, Fordham-Bedford Housing Corp. Mario Procida, Procida Construction Corp. Veronica M. White, NYC Housing Partnership Dr. Spencer Foreman, Montefiore Medical Center Monroe Lovinger, CPA Gil and Jerry Beautus, Walton Press William O’Meara, Greentree Restaurant Larry Barazzoto, Soundview Discount Muffler Gail McMillan, Con Edison Susan E. Goldy, ERA Susan Goldy & Co. Mike Nuñez, Bronx Venture Group Mark Engel, Langsam Property Services Carlos Nazario, Metro Beer & Soda Joel Fishman, Nehring Brother Realty Co. Michael Durso, Dollar Dry Dock Savings Bank Elias Karmon, EMK Enterprises REVIEWS Cope, Suzanne. Power Hungry: Women of the Black Panther Party and Freedom Summer and Their Fight to Feed a Movement. Chicago: Lawrence Hill Books, 2022. 304 pp. ISBN: 9781641604529. $27.99. Suzanne Cope’s expertly written, extensively researched book chron- icles the Civil Rights Movement in the United States through the lived experiences of two unacknowledged Black women champions of the movement, Aylene Quin and Cleo Silvers. Cope is a writer, professor, narrative journalist, and scholar. She earned a PhD in Adult Learning from Lesley University in Cambridge, Massa- chusetts and is currently a Clinical Assistant Professor at New York University, where she is a “food studies scholar with a focus on food as a tool for social and political change.” Cope’s work illuminates the stories of “unsung leaders . . . mainly women of color who are left out of history,” individuals who “elevate women’s work” through their uses of food as a “political tool.” Cope does a magnificent job at presenting this historical survey of the Civil Rights Movement in an easy-to-read manner that meta- phorically transplants the reader to a stool at Aylene Quin’s food counter. In 22 short and detailed chapters, Power Hungry recounts the dual narratives of Aylene Quin’s community organizing and voter rights’ activism out of her McComb, Mississippi restaurant and tavern South of the Border during the Freedom Summer of 1964, on the one hand, and Cleo Silvers’s organizing in the South Bronx, first through VISTA1 and then with the Black Panther Party shortly after the start of the New York Chapter’s Children’s Free Breakfast Program in 1969, on the other. Cope argues that the two womens’ significance to the Civil Rights Movement is not reflected accurate- 1 VISTA: Volunteers in Service to America, part of President Johnson’s Anti- Poverty program and predecesser to today’s AmeriCorps. Cope, Power Hungry 69 ly in the historical record, in which such activity as cooking, if included at all, occurs as footnotes. As a tribute to the scholars whose research has inspired and informed her own work, Cope pro- vides the bibliographical citations preceding her prologue. Aylene Quin, or “Mama Quin” as she was affectionately known in her community of McComb, Mississippi, was a pivotal figure in the local and state-wide civil rights and voter registration efforts. Power Hungry vividly recounts Mama Quin’s story through the events of 1961 leading up to the Freedom Summer of 1964 and beyond. The book captures Mama Quin’s personal sacrifices in preparing and delivering meals to activists jailed, in one case for attempting to stage a sit-in at the McComb Woolworth’s food counter and in another for participating in a high school walk-out and march to the County Hall. Although a visible staple of the community, Mama Quin even took part in the latter as a show of support, alongside her daughter Jacqueline. Cope details the many other civil rights actions su- pported by Mama Quin, like holding secret meetings of the local Black middle-class and business people at her restaurant (who would arrive in the back of delivery trucks) and feeding civil rights wor- kers, such as the SNCC Freedom Riders, and the community at large. 2 Cope describes Mama Quin’s efforts at feeding civil rights activists and the wider community as “community building, done around the kitchen tables rather than on the front lines.” As Cope emphasizes, Mama Quin’s independent “financial means,” as a self-employed business owner, gave her the ability to support the movement with- out direct consequence to her employment status (which was not the case with many others). Cope introduces Cleo Silvers in chapter 4. She affably details Cleo’s beginnings in her hometown of Philadelphia while growing up enjoying Sunday meals at her grandmother’s house. The experience of social gatherings around meals influenced Cleo’s love for what 2 SNCC: The Student Non-Violenct Coordinating Committee, one of the leading student groups of the Civil Rights Movement. 70 PASTOR CRESPO, JR. Cope describes as “culinary diplomacy.” Cope expounds on the myriad ways that Cleo hosted and prepared gatherings around food at her apartment in the South Bronx (and elsewhere over the years), not only to garner financial support for the Black Panther Party but as a mentoring tool for what Cleo called her “Black and Brown cadre.” Cope cogently presents the lessons that Aylene Quin and Cleo Silvers provide as the “power of community organizing” and “the power of food to help create community among activists and local people.” At the same time, Cope takes care to ensure that the reader understands Cleo’s accomplishments in the contexts of navigating patriarchy within the Black Panther Party, on the one hand, and enduring extensive FBI efforts to “neutralize and destroy” the Party’s leaders and the brutality of local law enforcement, on the other. As Cope eloquently posits, “This is the insidious nature of white supremacy, particularly when it infiltrates every nook and cranny of governmental power.” Drawing attention to Mama Quin’s context in Mississippi, Cope warns also of the terroristic lengths white supre- macy is willing to go to maintain a racist system—drive-by shootings, drive-by bombings, firebombs, and economic sanctions. Power Hun‐ gry is a testament to the strength and perseverance of countless unknown, unrecognized, and uncredited African American women leaders and their use of varied foodways to build and feed the community. This is an absolutely captivating book that is a must read. Pastor Crespo, Jr. The Bronx, New York Cope, Power Hungry 71 Sammartino, Annemarie. Freedomland: Co‐Op City and The Story of New York. Ithaca/London: Three Hills/Cornell University Press, 2022. 320 pp. ISBN: 9781501716430. $32.95. As its title suggests, Freedomland: Co‐Op City and the Story of New York frames the history of Co-op City, the largest cooperative hou- sing development in the U.S., as a microcosm of wider twentieth- century New York City history. Co-Op City was constructed at the end of the 1960s in the far reaches of the northeast Bronx, carved out of swampland along the Hutch- inson River. The title derives from the ill-fated amusement park, Freedomland, which during the first half of the 1960s occupied a portion of the land on which Co-Op City was built. At the same time, the title evokes the promise of Co-Op City: a place where affordable housing and a cohesive community life would be avail- able to residents without necessitating a move to the suburbs. Here was a place where working- and middle-class New Yorkers could flourish and share in the American dream of home-own-ership. The cooperative housing movement in New York City, of which Co- op City was a part, emerged in the early twentieth century among progressive Jewish and other trade unionists. Tenants, or “co- operators,” would purchase equity shares in an apartment upon move-in and would receive the amount back, plus interest, when vacating the apartment. Early cooperative housing in New Yorkwith pronounced leftwing influence such as the Allerton Coops in The Bronx had some of the first racially integrated housing in New York City. Other cooperatives had a less than stellar record in this regard, and this is a part of the story of Co-op City as well. Co-Op City was built by the United Housing Foundation (UHF), a nonmarket housing corporation known for cooperative projects like 72 ROGER MCCORMACK the Amalgamated Housing Co-operative in The Bronx, opened in 1927, and Rochdale Village in Queens, opened in 1963. Co-op City, whose first apartments opened in 1968, provided middle-income housing at a time when many middle-class New Yorkers had decamped for the suburbs. All of these UHF developments served as crucibles for the inexorable demographic and economic changes buffeting New York City in the second half of the twentieth century —not least because in the late 1960s the UHF was mandated by the state to conform to non-discriminatory housing policies. Racial integration was not without tension in these developments, particularly as the original goals of the cooperative movement lost their luster amid rising crime and the racialized perception among many that an influx of Blacks and Puerto Ricans to Co-Op City heralded the demise of the neighborhood in the late 1970s and 1980s. According to Sammartino, however, Co-Op City never succumbed to New York’s vituperative racial politics to the same extent as Rochdale Village did, with the latter coming apart over busing and integration in the 1970s. UHF initially stressed a homogenously middle-class community at Co-op City and refused to jettison the middle-income requirement to appeal to more Blacks and Latinos, who were on average employed in jobs that paid them less for comparable work done by whites and experienced higher rates of unemployment. The approach of UHF created tension with prominent city agencies and Mayor Lindsay’s administration, which advocated—at least on paper—various policies to uplift Black and Latino populations in the 1960s. According to Sammartino, the common socio-economic level of Co-Op City nourished racial integration, subduing racial tension and rancor at a time when such tensions were high elsewhere in New York. Sammartino argues for Co-Op City’s unusual role within New York City: problems found in the rest of the city, though perceptible in Co-Op City, were diminished by the middle-class character of the development and the ideology of the “cooperators” or residents of Co-Op City, stressing, Sammartino, Freedomland 73 as it did, shared ownership and the diminution of the profit motive in real estate. Other critics of Co-Op City at the time drew attention to its “Tow- ers in the park” model. Towering residential skyscrapers, these critics argued, contributed to urban alienation and malaise. In this telling, Co-Op City would never be able to achieve a spontaneous community. Architectural and urban planners—chief among them Jane Jacobs—celebrated the community life of old, smaller-scale neighborhoods and were quick to denounce massive urban development projects like Co-Op City. Sammartino argues that this portrayal of Co-Op City was false, citing a number of anecdotes from her own life and from other residents highlighting the robustness of community in Co-Op City. Community life was, in fact, celebrated by people of varying ethnicities and backgrounds, most notably Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who moved to Co-Op City as a young girl. Here, Sammartino probably overstates her thesis. While her anecdotes of vibrant community life in Co-Op City are nonetheless true, the development to this day remains isolated from the rest of The Bronx and New York City (many plans for a subway line to Co-Op City have proved abortive), making the development convenient primarily for automobile drivers. Sammartino masterfully describes the ethos of the cooperative’s founders, the United Housing Foundation, and their utopian aims for cooperative housing, desiring nothing less than a wholesale reevaluation of how New Yorkers envisioned housing. She is also unsparing in detailing the corruption of the Mitchell-Lama program (and probably the UHF) and the enormous cost overruns during the construction of Co-Op City, overruns eventually paid for by increases in “carrying charges,” or rents, by the development’s res- idents. The increase in carrying charges and resentment towards the UHF’s 74 ROGER MCCORMACK perceived corruption culminated in the rent strike of 1975–1976, the longest and largest so far in U.S. history. Led by the bombastic labor organizer Charles Rosen—dubbed by the Village Voice “the Lenin of the North Bronx”—Co-Op City cooperators eventually gained board control of Co-Op City but remained bedeviled by the same financial problems the UHF faced. The strike destroyed the UHF: it would never build another cooperative housing complex after the imbroglios involved in the construction and maintenance of Co-Op City. Here, Sammartino uses the example of Co-Op City to chart the history of New York’s social welfare apparatus, where robust funding was provided for education, housing, and a variety of other urban programs in the 1930s and 1940s. By the 1970s, this model was in desuetude. Instead, the ruling governing philosophy became “neoliberalism,” which Sammartino defines as market-based solutions to urban problems, and austerity, encapsulated by the federal government’s refusal to bail out New York City during the fiscal crisis of the 1970s (and symbolized by the New York Post’s famous headline, “Ford to New York—Drop Dead!”). Co-Op City, though, founded just prior to the high-water point of these policies in New York City, offered a rival conception of housing, with its roots in the social welfare model of the 1930s and ’40s and the tenant activism of the Lower East Side and The Bronx of this same era. Initially a safe-haven for Jews leaving once prosperous ethnic neighborhoods in the West Bronx, Co-Op City was widely seen as part of The Bronx and yet distinct from older neighborhoods not only because of its far-flung location and towering skyscrapers but also because of the absence of crime and urban blight. Complicating narratives of white flight and twentieth-century urban histories, Sammartino argues against Co-Op City as having a decisive destructive impact on the west Bronx. According to a standard narrative, Co-Op City exacerbated white flight from west Bronx neighborhoods and was one of the main contributors to urban decay in the borough. But, Professor Sammartino notes, many Jewish Sammartino, Freedomland 75 residents of the Grand Concourse had already left for the suburbs of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut before the construction of Co-Op City was finished in 1968. In her view, Co-Op City simply reinforced a social trend already underway. The book also benefits from Sammartino’s measured appraisal of the reasons for the Jewish exodus from the west Bronx. Many previously storied west Bronx neighborhoods had begun to experience decreases in city services and overall building maintenance, and new arrivals to Co-Op City cited actual crimes and a perceived decline in their old neighborhoods. For a time, Co-Op City was seen as an escape from such blight. Unlike many other scholars of this period, however, Sammartino is similarly careful to weigh the largely manufactured fears of white residents of an increase in crime in Co-Op City in the 1980s and 1990s. Sammartino concludes her commendable volume with a paean to Co-Op City’s multicultural identity, even as demographics in the development have shifted, and to its continued existence as a middle-class neighborhood for newer populations of Bronxites. Roger McCormack The Bronx, New York 76 ROGER MCCORMACK SELECT PUBLICATIONS AND GIFTS OF THE BRONX COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY The below items, and additional publications and gifts, are available for purchase in-person at any of our locations; by mail, through writing to The Bronx County Historical Society at 3309 Bainbridge Avenue, The Bronx, NY 10467; or online, at www.bronxhistoricalsociety.org/store. Life in The Bronx Series Lloyd Ultan and G. Hermalyn, The Birth of The Bronx: 1609–1900 Lloyd Ultan and G. Hermalyn, The Bronx in the Innocent Years: 1890–1925 Lloyd Ultan and G. Hermalyn, The Bronx: It Was Only Yesterday, 1935–1965 Lloyd Ultan, The Beautiful Bronx: 1920–1950 Life in The Bronx, four-volume set History of The Bronx Nicholas DiBrino, History of Morris Park Racecourse Allan S. Gilbert (ed.), Digging The Bronx G. Hermalyn et al., A Historical Sketch of The Bronx, 2nd edition G. Hermalyn and Thomas X. Casey, Bronx Views G. Hermalyn and Anthony Greene, Yankee Stadium: 1923–2008 G. Hermalyn and Robert Kornfeld, Landmarks of The Bronx Kathleen A. McAuley, Westchester Town: Bronx Beginnings Kathleen A. McAuley and G. Hermalyn, The Bronx: Then and Now John McNamara, History in Asphalt: The Origin of Bronx Street and Place Names (encyclopedia), 3rd edition John McNamara, McNamara’s Old Bronx Rubio P. Mendez, A History of the Riverdale Yacht Club Michael Miller, Theatres of The Bronx $30.00 $25.00 $25.00 $25.00 $90.00 $10.00 $25.00 $15.00 $12.00 $22.00 $15.00 $15.00 $22.00 $30.00 $20.00 $20.00 $5.00 Lloyd Ultan, Blacks in the Colonial Bronx: A Documentary History Lloyd Ultan, The Bronx in the Frontier Era Lloyd Ultan, Legacy of the Revolution Lloyd Ultan, The Northern Borough: A History of The Bronx George Zoebelein, The Bronx: A Struggle for County Government History of New York City Elizabeth Beirne, The Greater New York Centennial Peter Derrick, Tunneling to the Future G. Hermalyn, Morris High School and the Creation of the New York City Public High School System George Lankevich, New York City: A Short History Lawrence Stelter, By the El: Third Avenue and Its El at Mid‐Century History of New York State G. Hermalyn and Sidney Horenstein, Hudson’s River Elizabeth Beirne, The Hudson River Douglas Lazars et al., Re‐inspired: The Erie Canal Roots of the Republic Series George Lankevich, Chief Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court George Lankevich, The First House of Representatives and the Bill of Rights Edward Quinn, The Signers of the Constitution of the United States Edward Quinn, The Signers of the Declaration of Independence Richard Streb, The First Senate of the United States Lloyd Ultan, Presidents of the United States Roots of the Republic Series, six-volume set Educational Material Anthony Greene, Annotated Primary Source Documents, vol. 1 Roger McCormack, Annotated Primary Source Documents, vol. 2 Dan Eisenstein, Local History Classroom Resource Guide $18.00 $20.00 $15.00 $28.00 $15.00 $20.00 $20.00 $34.00 $20.00 $20.00 $20.00 $20.00 $20.00 $20.00 $20.00 $20.00 $20.00 $20.00 $20.00 $99.00 $20.00 $22.00 $15.00 Lisa Garrison, The South Bronx and the Founding of America G. Hermalyn, The Study and Writing of History Samuel Hopkins, West Farms Local History Curriculum Guide Alonso Serrano, Latin Bicentennial, comic book The Bronx County Historical Society Journal $15.00 $20.00 $15.00 $5.00 Back issues of The Bronx County Historical Society Journal, 1963–2021, are available for purchase for $15.00 an issue, excepting special issues like the Centennial of The Bronx issue, available for purchase for $20.00. Research Center Dominick Caldiero et al., Newspaper Titles of The Bronx G. Hermalyn, Publications and Other Media of The Bronx County Historical Society Since 1955 G. Hermalyn et al., The Bronx in Print G. Hermalyn et al., Education and Culture in The Bronx G. Hermalyn and Laura Tosi, Genealogy of The Bronx Kathleen A. McAuley, A Guide to the Collections of The Bronx County Archives Laura Tosi et al., Ethnic Groups in The Bronx Laura Tosi et al., Index to The Sheet Map Collection of The Bronx County Historical Society Laura Tosi and G. Hermalyn, Elected Public Officials of The Bronx Since 1898 Laura Tosi and G. Hermalyn, Guide to The Atlas Collection of The Bronx County Historical Society Laura Tosi and G. Hermalyn, Guide to The Microfilm/Microfiche Collection of The Bronx County Historical Society Laura Tosi and G. Hermalyn, Guide to The Bronx County Historical Society Media Collection Laura Tosi and G. Hermalyn, Guide to The Bronx County Historical Society Video Collection $15.00 $5.00 $10.00 $20.00 $10.00 $20.00 $20.00 $20.00 $15.00 $10.00 $10.00 $10.00 $10.00 Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe Cottage, a documentary on DVD Elizabeth Beirne, Poems and Tales of Edgar Allan Poe at Fordham Kathleen A. McAuley, Edgar Allan Poe at Fordham Special Interest Peter Derrick and G. Hermalyn, The Bronx Cookbook Remember The Bronx, Bronx history calendar for 2023 Gifts The Beautiful Bronx coffee mug The Bronx Afghan, washable cotton blanket, 50" x 65" The Bronx River Parkway, c. 1915, poster, 20.5" x 29.5" Edgar Allan Poe coffee mug The Grand Concourse, 1892, poster, 25" x 12" The Bronx Comfort gift set, includes The Bronx Cookbook, the Bronx Afghan, and The Beautiful Bronx coffee mug $20.00 $20.00 $15.00 $15.00 $12.00 $7.95 $50.00 $20.00 $7.95 $20.00 $60.00 THE BRONX COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY PRESIDENTS Jacqueline Kutner, 1993– Robert R. Hall, 1986–1993 Raymond F. Crapo, 1976–1986 Robert Farkas, 1976 Lloyd Ultan, 1971–1976 Ronald Schliessman, 1969–1971 Roger Arcara 1967–1969 Thomas J. Mullins, 1964–1967 George J. Fluhr, 1963–1964 Ray D. Kelly, 1963 Fred E. J. Kracke, 1960–1963 Joseph Duffy, 1958–1960 Dr. Theodore Kazimiroff, 1955–1958 LIFE MEMBERS Dr. Elizabeth Beirne Louis H. Blumegarten Adolfo Carrión Sam Chermin James Conroy Dorothy Curran John Dillon Dan Eisenstein Mark Engel Natalie and Robert Esnard Ken Fisher Fordham Hill Owner’s Co. Katherine Gleeson Robert Abrams Jorge L. Batista Michael Benedetto Lorraine Cortez-Vazquez Gloria Davis Hector Diaz Ruben Díaz, Jr. Jeffrey Dinowitz Eliot Engel Carmen Fariña Dr. Joseph A. Fernandez Fernando Ferrer George Friedman Carl E. Heastie Lee Holtzman Greg Gonzalez David Greco Robert Hall Daniel Hauben Dr. Gary Hermalyn James Houlihan Marsha Horenstein Dr. Reintraut E. Jonsson Cecil P. Joseph Joseph Kelleher Mark Lampell Douglas Lazarus Maralyn May HONORARY MEMBERS Robert T. Johnson Stephen Kaufman Jeff Klein Joel I. Klein G. Oliver Koppell Jeffrey Korman Lawrence Levine Harold O. Levy Michael M. Lippman James J. Periconi Ricardo Oquendo Nathan Quinoñes Roberto Ramírez Gustavo Rivera Joel Rivera Kathleen A. McAuley Steven A. Ostrow Alan Parisse Jane Mead Peter Joel Podgor Steve Baktidy Marilyn and Morris Sopher Elizabeth Stone Henry G. Stroobants Susan Tane Lloyd Ultan Van Courtlandt Village CC Jac Zadrima José Rivera Ninfa Segarra José E. Serrano Stanley Simon Thomas Sobol THE BRONX COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY 3309 Bainbridge Avenue The Bronx, New York 10467 718-881-8900 www.bronxhistoricalsociety.org The publication of this volume was made possible, in part, through the generous support of The National Realty Club Foundation. The Bronx County Historical Society is supported through funds and services provided by: New York City Department of Cultural Affairs New York City Department of Parks and Recreation Historic House Trust of New York City New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation The Bronx Delegation of the New York City Council The Office of the President of the Borough of The Bronx The Bronx Delegation of the New York State Assembly The Bronx Delegation of the New York State Senate The H. W. Wilson Foundation The Astor Fund The Isabelle Fund The Elbaum Fund The Ultan Fund The Lucius N. Littauer Foundation The S. Hermalyn Institute The New Yankee Stadium Community Benefits Fund, Inc. The Susan Tane Foundation The New York Public Library The New York Community Trust The National Realty Club Foundation Volume/Issue Volume and Issue of a periodical. 59/1–2 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Bronx County Historical Society Journal, vol. 59, nos. 1–2, 2022 Subject The topic of the resource Antonetty, Evelina, 1922-1984 Kingsbridge (The Bronx, N.Y.) Allerton (The Bronx, N.Y.) Gumbs, Bob McFeeters, Harriet Bauzá, Mario, 1911-1993 Colón, Willie, 1950- Afro-Cuban Jazz Bronx African American History Project Bronx Latino History Project Bronx Aerosol Arts Documentary Project Racism Housing Education, Bilingual--New York (State)--New York Urban youth--Employment--United States Health equity United Bronx Parents (Organization) Bronx (New York, N.Y.)--Social conditions Puerto Ricans--New York (N.Y.) Kingsbridge (New York, N.Y.)--History Play (Recreation)--New York (State)--New York--1950-1960 School children--New York (State)--New York--1940-1950 Kosher food Bronx Zoo Bronx (New York, N.Y.)--Social life and customs--20th century Bronx (New York, N.Y.)--Race relations--History--20th century Black Arts movement Morrisania (New York, N.Y.) Latin jazz (The Bronx, N.Y.) Black people--Cuba--Songs and music Palladium (Dance hall) Quin, Aylene, 1920-2001 Silvers, Cleo Black Panther Party (The Bronx, N.Y.) Co-op City (New York, N.Y.) Description An account of the resource Vol. 59, nos. 1–2 of The Bronx County Historical Society Journal, published 2022. Contents: — Steven Payne, "Titi: An Oral History of Dr. Evelina Antonetty," p. 1 — Richard Baum, "Kingsbridge Vignettes," p. 19 — Robert Weiss, "Allerton in the 1940s and 1950s," p. 29 — Mark Naison, "A Tribute to Bob Gumbs and Harriet McFeeters," p. 39 — From the Archives, "Afro-Cuban Jazz in The Bronx," p. 45 — Pastor Crespo, Jr., Review of Cope, Power Hungry (2022), p. 69 — Roger McCormack, Review of Sammartino, Freedomland (2022), p. 72 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Bronx County Historical Society Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2022 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource ©2022, The Bronx County Historical Society Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Periodical Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Payne, Steven Weiss, Robert Naison, Mark Baum, Richard L. Crespo, Pastor, Jr. McCormack, Roger Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context BCHSJOUR.2022 https://digital.bronxhistoricalsociety.org/files/original/d31a42920929cc732df1837395851f2d.mp4 c2d779f4e343a9998b24c383532e9c87 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®, Eta Omega Omega Chapter Records Subject The topic of the resource Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® Bronx African American History Project Eta Omega Omega Bronx Graduate Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® Wheeler, Wilson & Johnson Community Projects, Inc. Wheeler, Wilson & Johnson Community Projects, Inc. Description An account of the resource Eta Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated® was chartered on May 23, 1964, by twelve members. The chapter celebrates a rich history of service, philanthropy, and scholarship for the Bronx community. From its inception, programs of service were launched to enhance the quality of life for residents of The Bronx. Specific emphasis was placed on engaging youth, working with developmentally disabled children, and providing services to the elderly. Eta Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated® provides volunteer services to vulnerable and underserved communities. One of the first programs started by the chapter was a garden project at the Southeast Neighborhood Center for developmentally disabled adults. Since then, the chapter has initiated several other service projects, including Impact Days, Earth Day and Akarosa Adopt A Highway beautification initiatives, financial literacy workshops, Alzheimer's awareness projects, mental health support projects, and healthy heart initiatives. The chapter also spearheads the MLK Day of Service project, various toy drives, collaborative Global Impact Day with South Africa and St, Croix members as well as a host of other programs that demonstrate a strong commitment to serving the Bronx community. In addition to serving the community, members also participate in weekly prayer calls, leadership enrichment opportunities, membership and sisterly relations activities that are intergenerational, like book, movie, exercise, and travel clubs. Eta Omega Omega chartered Xi Xi chapter, an undergraduate chapter at Lehman College on June 25, 1983, and members of that chapter have participated in many of the projects. Eta Omega Omega chapter's signature program is the Rites of Passage Mentoring Program. This program provides high school girls with year-long intensive workshops on personal development, ancestral history, interpersonal relations, etiquette, and goal setting. Since 1991 this program has guided young girls towards their transition into womanhood by fostering a sense of responsibility, sisterhood, and self-pride. The chapter will continue the Rites of Passage Program in collaboration with ((#CAP℠), the current administration’s College Admissions Process program ((#CAP℠), designed to assist students in their efforts to enter college. As a result of the work that Eta Omega Omega has done, the chapter has earned many national and international accolades and awards. Some awards earned were Small and Medium Chapter of the Year, the Spirit Award, Membership, Connection, and Star Award for Outstanding Programs. On a regional level, several chapter members have been recognized for their outstanding service in leadership. Members were honored as Basileus of the year, Silver Star of the year, Graduate Advisor of the year, and the Idell Pugh Angel Award. In 1994, the Chapter established a not-for-profit corporation and later changed the name of this corporation to Wheeler, Wilson and Johnson Community Projects, Inc. The corporation was organized exclusively for educational and charitable purposes within Bronx County. Through the foundation the chapter hosts an annual holiday toy drive, leads peace walks, and donates dorm baskets to students leaving for college. In addition, the Chapter annually gives over $10,000 in scholarships to support youth attending two-year, four year, and HBCU colleges. As a large-sized chapter, with 129 members, Eta Omega Omega is one of seventeen exceptional graduate chapters in Cluster III of the Notable North Atlantic Region. Many members have moved up in leadership. Eta Omega Omega members have served as Cluster and Regional Committee Chairman and Cluster Co-Coordinators. Chapter member Soror Joy Elaine Daley has served previously as the North Atlantic Regional Director and currently serves as the International Regional Director. Eta Omega Omega Members continue to exemplify the ideals that Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated® was founded on well over 110 years ago.  Through the direction of our 30th International President, Dr. Glenda Glover, the Chapter has implemented the 2018–2022 International Program under the theme, "Exemplifying Excellence Through Sustainable Service." The International Program includes five program targets designed to advance the mission of Alpha Kappa Alpha with excellence and underscore a commitment to sustainable service. The five program targets for 2018–2022 are: <ol> <li><a>HBCU for Life: A Call to Action</a></li> <li><a>Women's Healthcare and Wellness</a></li> <li><a>Building Your Economic Legacy</a></li> <li><a>The Arts!</a></li> <li><a>Global Impact</a></li> </ol> In addition, Eta Omega Omega members implement International Community Service Days annually to highlight the organization's collective impact in program target areas: <ul> <li>Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service (January)</li> <li>Pink Goes Red for Heart Health Day (February)</li> <li>AKA Global Impact Day (April)</li> <li>AKA International Day of Prayer (August)</li> <li>AKA HBCU Day (September)</li> <li>Breast Cancer Awareness Day (October)</li> <li>AKA Caregivers' Day (November)</li> </ul> Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®, Eta Omega Omega Chapter, Donna Joseph, President, Saudah Muhammad, Chapter Historian Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1964–present Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Mixed media collection Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context MS-AKAHOO Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data MP4 Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 00:45:40 Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Naison, Mark Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Scott, Dr. Candice Interview Format Audio or Video Video Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Bronx African American History Project Oral History with Dr. Candice Scott Subject The topic of the resource Scott, Dr. Candice Eta Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Bronx African American History Project Description An account of the resource Oral history of Dr. Candice Scott, member of Eta Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., recorded for the Bronx African American History Project in 2020. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Scott, Dr. Candice Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource MP4 Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context MS-AKAHOO.BD.016 https://digital.bronxhistoricalsociety.org/files/original/27357c007fe64351df1f6dbd02088f50.mp4 cc85f272eb091fa427a9fb3a09d42903 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®, Eta Omega Omega Chapter Records Subject The topic of the resource Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® Bronx African American History Project Eta Omega Omega Bronx Graduate Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® Wheeler, Wilson & Johnson Community Projects, Inc. Wheeler, Wilson & Johnson Community Projects, Inc. Description An account of the resource Eta Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated® was chartered on May 23, 1964, by twelve members. The chapter celebrates a rich history of service, philanthropy, and scholarship for the Bronx community. From its inception, programs of service were launched to enhance the quality of life for residents of The Bronx. Specific emphasis was placed on engaging youth, working with developmentally disabled children, and providing services to the elderly. Eta Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated® provides volunteer services to vulnerable and underserved communities. One of the first programs started by the chapter was a garden project at the Southeast Neighborhood Center for developmentally disabled adults. Since then, the chapter has initiated several other service projects, including Impact Days, Earth Day and Akarosa Adopt A Highway beautification initiatives, financial literacy workshops, Alzheimer's awareness projects, mental health support projects, and healthy heart initiatives. The chapter also spearheads the MLK Day of Service project, various toy drives, collaborative Global Impact Day with South Africa and St, Croix members as well as a host of other programs that demonstrate a strong commitment to serving the Bronx community. In addition to serving the community, members also participate in weekly prayer calls, leadership enrichment opportunities, membership and sisterly relations activities that are intergenerational, like book, movie, exercise, and travel clubs. Eta Omega Omega chartered Xi Xi chapter, an undergraduate chapter at Lehman College on June 25, 1983, and members of that chapter have participated in many of the projects. Eta Omega Omega chapter's signature program is the Rites of Passage Mentoring Program. This program provides high school girls with year-long intensive workshops on personal development, ancestral history, interpersonal relations, etiquette, and goal setting. Since 1991 this program has guided young girls towards their transition into womanhood by fostering a sense of responsibility, sisterhood, and self-pride. The chapter will continue the Rites of Passage Program in collaboration with ((#CAP℠), the current administration’s College Admissions Process program ((#CAP℠), designed to assist students in their efforts to enter college. As a result of the work that Eta Omega Omega has done, the chapter has earned many national and international accolades and awards. Some awards earned were Small and Medium Chapter of the Year, the Spirit Award, Membership, Connection, and Star Award for Outstanding Programs. On a regional level, several chapter members have been recognized for their outstanding service in leadership. Members were honored as Basileus of the year, Silver Star of the year, Graduate Advisor of the year, and the Idell Pugh Angel Award. In 1994, the Chapter established a not-for-profit corporation and later changed the name of this corporation to Wheeler, Wilson and Johnson Community Projects, Inc. The corporation was organized exclusively for educational and charitable purposes within Bronx County. Through the foundation the chapter hosts an annual holiday toy drive, leads peace walks, and donates dorm baskets to students leaving for college. In addition, the Chapter annually gives over $10,000 in scholarships to support youth attending two-year, four year, and HBCU colleges. As a large-sized chapter, with 129 members, Eta Omega Omega is one of seventeen exceptional graduate chapters in Cluster III of the Notable North Atlantic Region. Many members have moved up in leadership. Eta Omega Omega members have served as Cluster and Regional Committee Chairman and Cluster Co-Coordinators. Chapter member Soror Joy Elaine Daley has served previously as the North Atlantic Regional Director and currently serves as the International Regional Director. Eta Omega Omega Members continue to exemplify the ideals that Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated® was founded on well over 110 years ago.  Through the direction of our 30th International President, Dr. Glenda Glover, the Chapter has implemented the 2018–2022 International Program under the theme, "Exemplifying Excellence Through Sustainable Service." The International Program includes five program targets designed to advance the mission of Alpha Kappa Alpha with excellence and underscore a commitment to sustainable service. The five program targets for 2018–2022 are: <ol> <li><a>HBCU for Life: A Call to Action</a></li> <li><a>Women's Healthcare and Wellness</a></li> <li><a>Building Your Economic Legacy</a></li> <li><a>The Arts!</a></li> <li><a>Global Impact</a></li> </ol> In addition, Eta Omega Omega members implement International Community Service Days annually to highlight the organization's collective impact in program target areas: <ul> <li>Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service (January)</li> <li>Pink Goes Red for Heart Health Day (February)</li> <li>AKA Global Impact Day (April)</li> <li>AKA International Day of Prayer (August)</li> <li>AKA HBCU Day (September)</li> <li>Breast Cancer Awareness Day (October)</li> <li>AKA Caregivers' Day (November)</li> </ul> Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®, Eta Omega Omega Chapter, Donna Joseph, President, Saudah Muhammad, Chapter Historian Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1964–present Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Mixed media collection Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context MS-AKAHOO Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data MP4 Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 01:22:26 Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Naison, Mark Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Tanner, Marietta J. Interview Format Audio or Video Video Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Bronx African American History Project Oral History with Charter Member Marietta J. Tanner Subject The topic of the resource Tanner, Marietta J. Eta Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Bronx African American History Project Charter members of Eta Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Description An account of the resource Oral history of Marietta J. Tanner, a Charter Member of Eta Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., recorded for the Bronx African American History Project in July 2020. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Tanner, Marietta J. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource July 2020 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource MP4 Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context MS-AKAHOO.BD.019 https://digital.bronxhistoricalsociety.org/files/original/9695bfc660e6473aee475c4cb10106df.jpg 336fc0091aa9ee74b5028173f60ea3f6 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®, Eta Omega Omega Chapter Records Subject The topic of the resource Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® Bronx African American History Project Eta Omega Omega Bronx Graduate Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® Wheeler, Wilson & Johnson Community Projects, Inc. Wheeler, Wilson & Johnson Community Projects, Inc. Description An account of the resource Eta Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated® was chartered on May 23, 1964, by twelve members. The chapter celebrates a rich history of service, philanthropy, and scholarship for the Bronx community. From its inception, programs of service were launched to enhance the quality of life for residents of The Bronx. Specific emphasis was placed on engaging youth, working with developmentally disabled children, and providing services to the elderly. Eta Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated® provides volunteer services to vulnerable and underserved communities. One of the first programs started by the chapter was a garden project at the Southeast Neighborhood Center for developmentally disabled adults. Since then, the chapter has initiated several other service projects, including Impact Days, Earth Day and Akarosa Adopt A Highway beautification initiatives, financial literacy workshops, Alzheimer's awareness projects, mental health support projects, and healthy heart initiatives. The chapter also spearheads the MLK Day of Service project, various toy drives, collaborative Global Impact Day with South Africa and St, Croix members as well as a host of other programs that demonstrate a strong commitment to serving the Bronx community. In addition to serving the community, members also participate in weekly prayer calls, leadership enrichment opportunities, membership and sisterly relations activities that are intergenerational, like book, movie, exercise, and travel clubs. Eta Omega Omega chartered Xi Xi chapter, an undergraduate chapter at Lehman College on June 25, 1983, and members of that chapter have participated in many of the projects. Eta Omega Omega chapter's signature program is the Rites of Passage Mentoring Program. This program provides high school girls with year-long intensive workshops on personal development, ancestral history, interpersonal relations, etiquette, and goal setting. Since 1991 this program has guided young girls towards their transition into womanhood by fostering a sense of responsibility, sisterhood, and self-pride. The chapter will continue the Rites of Passage Program in collaboration with ((#CAP℠), the current administration’s College Admissions Process program ((#CAP℠), designed to assist students in their efforts to enter college. As a result of the work that Eta Omega Omega has done, the chapter has earned many national and international accolades and awards. Some awards earned were Small and Medium Chapter of the Year, the Spirit Award, Membership, Connection, and Star Award for Outstanding Programs. On a regional level, several chapter members have been recognized for their outstanding service in leadership. Members were honored as Basileus of the year, Silver Star of the year, Graduate Advisor of the year, and the Idell Pugh Angel Award. In 1994, the Chapter established a not-for-profit corporation and later changed the name of this corporation to Wheeler, Wilson and Johnson Community Projects, Inc. The corporation was organized exclusively for educational and charitable purposes within Bronx County. Through the foundation the chapter hosts an annual holiday toy drive, leads peace walks, and donates dorm baskets to students leaving for college. In addition, the Chapter annually gives over $10,000 in scholarships to support youth attending two-year, four year, and HBCU colleges. As a large-sized chapter, with 129 members, Eta Omega Omega is one of seventeen exceptional graduate chapters in Cluster III of the Notable North Atlantic Region. Many members have moved up in leadership. Eta Omega Omega members have served as Cluster and Regional Committee Chairman and Cluster Co-Coordinators. Chapter member Soror Joy Elaine Daley has served previously as the North Atlantic Regional Director and currently serves as the International Regional Director. Eta Omega Omega Members continue to exemplify the ideals that Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated® was founded on well over 110 years ago.  Through the direction of our 30th International President, Dr. Glenda Glover, the Chapter has implemented the 2018–2022 International Program under the theme, "Exemplifying Excellence Through Sustainable Service." The International Program includes five program targets designed to advance the mission of Alpha Kappa Alpha with excellence and underscore a commitment to sustainable service. The five program targets for 2018–2022 are: <ol> <li><a>HBCU for Life: A Call to Action</a></li> <li><a>Women's Healthcare and Wellness</a></li> <li><a>Building Your Economic Legacy</a></li> <li><a>The Arts!</a></li> <li><a>Global Impact</a></li> </ol> In addition, Eta Omega Omega members implement International Community Service Days annually to highlight the organization's collective impact in program target areas: <ul> <li>Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service (January)</li> <li>Pink Goes Red for Heart Health Day (February)</li> <li>AKA Global Impact Day (April)</li> <li>AKA International Day of Prayer (August)</li> <li>AKA HBCU Day (September)</li> <li>Breast Cancer Awareness Day (October)</li> <li>AKA Caregivers' Day (November)</li> </ul> Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®, Eta Omega Omega Chapter, Donna Joseph, President, Saudah Muhammad, Chapter Historian Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1964–present Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Mixed media collection Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context MS-AKAHOO Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data JPG Physical Dimensions The actual physical size of the original image 1192x803px Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Screenshot of Bronx African American History Project Oral History with LaVerne D. Best King Subject The topic of the resource Best King, LaVerne D. Bronx African American History Project Eta Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Description An account of the resource Screenshot of oral history of LaVerne D. Best King, member of Eta Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., recorded for the Bronx African American History Project in 2020. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPG Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Still image Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context MS-AKAHOO.BD.007 https://digital.bronxhistoricalsociety.org/files/original/16c45d0b0cfbbac2a32725416d859a52.jpg 17952ecfce069b0d62c5080d8569dd2a Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®, Eta Omega Omega Chapter Records Subject The topic of the resource Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® Bronx African American History Project Eta Omega Omega Bronx Graduate Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® Wheeler, Wilson & Johnson Community Projects, Inc. Wheeler, Wilson & Johnson Community Projects, Inc. Description An account of the resource Eta Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated® was chartered on May 23, 1964, by twelve members. The chapter celebrates a rich history of service, philanthropy, and scholarship for the Bronx community. From its inception, programs of service were launched to enhance the quality of life for residents of The Bronx. Specific emphasis was placed on engaging youth, working with developmentally disabled children, and providing services to the elderly. Eta Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated® provides volunteer services to vulnerable and underserved communities. One of the first programs started by the chapter was a garden project at the Southeast Neighborhood Center for developmentally disabled adults. Since then, the chapter has initiated several other service projects, including Impact Days, Earth Day and Akarosa Adopt A Highway beautification initiatives, financial literacy workshops, Alzheimer's awareness projects, mental health support projects, and healthy heart initiatives. The chapter also spearheads the MLK Day of Service project, various toy drives, collaborative Global Impact Day with South Africa and St, Croix members as well as a host of other programs that demonstrate a strong commitment to serving the Bronx community. In addition to serving the community, members also participate in weekly prayer calls, leadership enrichment opportunities, membership and sisterly relations activities that are intergenerational, like book, movie, exercise, and travel clubs. Eta Omega Omega chartered Xi Xi chapter, an undergraduate chapter at Lehman College on June 25, 1983, and members of that chapter have participated in many of the projects. Eta Omega Omega chapter's signature program is the Rites of Passage Mentoring Program. This program provides high school girls with year-long intensive workshops on personal development, ancestral history, interpersonal relations, etiquette, and goal setting. Since 1991 this program has guided young girls towards their transition into womanhood by fostering a sense of responsibility, sisterhood, and self-pride. The chapter will continue the Rites of Passage Program in collaboration with ((#CAP℠), the current administration’s College Admissions Process program ((#CAP℠), designed to assist students in their efforts to enter college. As a result of the work that Eta Omega Omega has done, the chapter has earned many national and international accolades and awards. Some awards earned were Small and Medium Chapter of the Year, the Spirit Award, Membership, Connection, and Star Award for Outstanding Programs. On a regional level, several chapter members have been recognized for their outstanding service in leadership. Members were honored as Basileus of the year, Silver Star of the year, Graduate Advisor of the year, and the Idell Pugh Angel Award. In 1994, the Chapter established a not-for-profit corporation and later changed the name of this corporation to Wheeler, Wilson and Johnson Community Projects, Inc. The corporation was organized exclusively for educational and charitable purposes within Bronx County. Through the foundation the chapter hosts an annual holiday toy drive, leads peace walks, and donates dorm baskets to students leaving for college. In addition, the Chapter annually gives over $10,000 in scholarships to support youth attending two-year, four year, and HBCU colleges. As a large-sized chapter, with 129 members, Eta Omega Omega is one of seventeen exceptional graduate chapters in Cluster III of the Notable North Atlantic Region. Many members have moved up in leadership. Eta Omega Omega members have served as Cluster and Regional Committee Chairman and Cluster Co-Coordinators. Chapter member Soror Joy Elaine Daley has served previously as the North Atlantic Regional Director and currently serves as the International Regional Director. Eta Omega Omega Members continue to exemplify the ideals that Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated® was founded on well over 110 years ago.  Through the direction of our 30th International President, Dr. Glenda Glover, the Chapter has implemented the 2018–2022 International Program under the theme, "Exemplifying Excellence Through Sustainable Service." The International Program includes five program targets designed to advance the mission of Alpha Kappa Alpha with excellence and underscore a commitment to sustainable service. The five program targets for 2018–2022 are: <ol> <li><a>HBCU for Life: A Call to Action</a></li> <li><a>Women's Healthcare and Wellness</a></li> <li><a>Building Your Economic Legacy</a></li> <li><a>The Arts!</a></li> <li><a>Global Impact</a></li> </ol> In addition, Eta Omega Omega members implement International Community Service Days annually to highlight the organization's collective impact in program target areas: <ul> <li>Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service (January)</li> <li>Pink Goes Red for Heart Health Day (February)</li> <li>AKA Global Impact Day (April)</li> <li>AKA International Day of Prayer (August)</li> <li>AKA HBCU Day (September)</li> <li>Breast Cancer Awareness Day (October)</li> <li>AKA Caregivers' Day (November)</li> </ul> Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®, Eta Omega Omega Chapter, Donna Joseph, President, Saudah Muhammad, Chapter Historian Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1964–present Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Mixed media collection Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context MS-AKAHOO Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data JPG Physical Dimensions The actual physical size of the original image 1192x687px Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Screenshot of Bronx African American History Project Oral History with First Initiate Carolyn Bowman Subject The topic of the resource Bowman, Carolyn Bronx African American History Project Eta Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Description An account of the resource Screenshot of oral history of Carolyn Bowman, first initiate into the Eta Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., recorded for the Bronx African American History Project in August 2020. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource August 2020 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPG Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Still image Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context MS-AKAHOO.BD.009 https://digital.bronxhistoricalsociety.org/files/original/1ca5157be5aec21296e85cd1a0a5d45d.jpg 26075163864a5480de1abb48a7744c3a Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®, Eta Omega Omega Chapter Records Subject The topic of the resource Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® Bronx African American History Project Eta Omega Omega Bronx Graduate Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® Wheeler, Wilson & Johnson Community Projects, Inc. Wheeler, Wilson & Johnson Community Projects, Inc. Description An account of the resource Eta Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated® was chartered on May 23, 1964, by twelve members. The chapter celebrates a rich history of service, philanthropy, and scholarship for the Bronx community. From its inception, programs of service were launched to enhance the quality of life for residents of The Bronx. Specific emphasis was placed on engaging youth, working with developmentally disabled children, and providing services to the elderly. Eta Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated® provides volunteer services to vulnerable and underserved communities. One of the first programs started by the chapter was a garden project at the Southeast Neighborhood Center for developmentally disabled adults. Since then, the chapter has initiated several other service projects, including Impact Days, Earth Day and Akarosa Adopt A Highway beautification initiatives, financial literacy workshops, Alzheimer's awareness projects, mental health support projects, and healthy heart initiatives. The chapter also spearheads the MLK Day of Service project, various toy drives, collaborative Global Impact Day with South Africa and St, Croix members as well as a host of other programs that demonstrate a strong commitment to serving the Bronx community. In addition to serving the community, members also participate in weekly prayer calls, leadership enrichment opportunities, membership and sisterly relations activities that are intergenerational, like book, movie, exercise, and travel clubs. Eta Omega Omega chartered Xi Xi chapter, an undergraduate chapter at Lehman College on June 25, 1983, and members of that chapter have participated in many of the projects. Eta Omega Omega chapter's signature program is the Rites of Passage Mentoring Program. This program provides high school girls with year-long intensive workshops on personal development, ancestral history, interpersonal relations, etiquette, and goal setting. Since 1991 this program has guided young girls towards their transition into womanhood by fostering a sense of responsibility, sisterhood, and self-pride. The chapter will continue the Rites of Passage Program in collaboration with ((#CAP℠), the current administration’s College Admissions Process program ((#CAP℠), designed to assist students in their efforts to enter college. As a result of the work that Eta Omega Omega has done, the chapter has earned many national and international accolades and awards. Some awards earned were Small and Medium Chapter of the Year, the Spirit Award, Membership, Connection, and Star Award for Outstanding Programs. On a regional level, several chapter members have been recognized for their outstanding service in leadership. Members were honored as Basileus of the year, Silver Star of the year, Graduate Advisor of the year, and the Idell Pugh Angel Award. In 1994, the Chapter established a not-for-profit corporation and later changed the name of this corporation to Wheeler, Wilson and Johnson Community Projects, Inc. The corporation was organized exclusively for educational and charitable purposes within Bronx County. Through the foundation the chapter hosts an annual holiday toy drive, leads peace walks, and donates dorm baskets to students leaving for college. In addition, the Chapter annually gives over $10,000 in scholarships to support youth attending two-year, four year, and HBCU colleges. As a large-sized chapter, with 129 members, Eta Omega Omega is one of seventeen exceptional graduate chapters in Cluster III of the Notable North Atlantic Region. Many members have moved up in leadership. Eta Omega Omega members have served as Cluster and Regional Committee Chairman and Cluster Co-Coordinators. Chapter member Soror Joy Elaine Daley has served previously as the North Atlantic Regional Director and currently serves as the International Regional Director. Eta Omega Omega Members continue to exemplify the ideals that Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated® was founded on well over 110 years ago.  Through the direction of our 30th International President, Dr. Glenda Glover, the Chapter has implemented the 2018–2022 International Program under the theme, "Exemplifying Excellence Through Sustainable Service." The International Program includes five program targets designed to advance the mission of Alpha Kappa Alpha with excellence and underscore a commitment to sustainable service. The five program targets for 2018–2022 are: <ol> <li><a>HBCU for Life: A Call to Action</a></li> <li><a>Women's Healthcare and Wellness</a></li> <li><a>Building Your Economic Legacy</a></li> <li><a>The Arts!</a></li> <li><a>Global Impact</a></li> </ol> In addition, Eta Omega Omega members implement International Community Service Days annually to highlight the organization's collective impact in program target areas: <ul> <li>Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service (January)</li> <li>Pink Goes Red for Heart Health Day (February)</li> <li>AKA Global Impact Day (April)</li> <li>AKA International Day of Prayer (August)</li> <li>AKA HBCU Day (September)</li> <li>Breast Cancer Awareness Day (October)</li> <li>AKA Caregivers' Day (November)</li> </ul> Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®, Eta Omega Omega Chapter, Donna Joseph, President, Saudah Muhammad, Chapter Historian Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1964–present Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Mixed media collection Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context MS-AKAHOO Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data JPG Physical Dimensions The actual physical size of the original image 560x328px Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Screenshot of the Bronx African American History Project oral history with Irma Clement Subject The topic of the resource Clement, Irma Bronx African American History Project Eta Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Joseph, Donna Naison, Mark Spencer, Corey Lionel Description An account of the resource Screenshot of the Bronx African American History Project oral history with Irma Clement, showing Irma Clement (bottom right), C. Lionel Spender (bottom left), Donna Joseph (top left), 19th President of Eta Omega Omega Chapter, and Dr. Mark Naison (top right). Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPG Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Still image Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context MS-AKAHOO.BD.012 https://digital.bronxhistoricalsociety.org/files/original/7558fdaf0fec1dce0b7765eb91793163.jpg 6ce750199539a1e236a172d8d065441f Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®, Eta Omega Omega Chapter Records Subject The topic of the resource Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® Bronx African American History Project Eta Omega Omega Bronx Graduate Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® Wheeler, Wilson & Johnson Community Projects, Inc. Wheeler, Wilson & Johnson Community Projects, Inc. Description An account of the resource Eta Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated® was chartered on May 23, 1964, by twelve members. The chapter celebrates a rich history of service, philanthropy, and scholarship for the Bronx community. From its inception, programs of service were launched to enhance the quality of life for residents of The Bronx. Specific emphasis was placed on engaging youth, working with developmentally disabled children, and providing services to the elderly. Eta Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated® provides volunteer services to vulnerable and underserved communities. One of the first programs started by the chapter was a garden project at the Southeast Neighborhood Center for developmentally disabled adults. Since then, the chapter has initiated several other service projects, including Impact Days, Earth Day and Akarosa Adopt A Highway beautification initiatives, financial literacy workshops, Alzheimer's awareness projects, mental health support projects, and healthy heart initiatives. The chapter also spearheads the MLK Day of Service project, various toy drives, collaborative Global Impact Day with South Africa and St, Croix members as well as a host of other programs that demonstrate a strong commitment to serving the Bronx community. In addition to serving the community, members also participate in weekly prayer calls, leadership enrichment opportunities, membership and sisterly relations activities that are intergenerational, like book, movie, exercise, and travel clubs. Eta Omega Omega chartered Xi Xi chapter, an undergraduate chapter at Lehman College on June 25, 1983, and members of that chapter have participated in many of the projects. Eta Omega Omega chapter's signature program is the Rites of Passage Mentoring Program. This program provides high school girls with year-long intensive workshops on personal development, ancestral history, interpersonal relations, etiquette, and goal setting. Since 1991 this program has guided young girls towards their transition into womanhood by fostering a sense of responsibility, sisterhood, and self-pride. The chapter will continue the Rites of Passage Program in collaboration with ((#CAP℠), the current administration’s College Admissions Process program ((#CAP℠), designed to assist students in their efforts to enter college. As a result of the work that Eta Omega Omega has done, the chapter has earned many national and international accolades and awards. Some awards earned were Small and Medium Chapter of the Year, the Spirit Award, Membership, Connection, and Star Award for Outstanding Programs. On a regional level, several chapter members have been recognized for their outstanding service in leadership. Members were honored as Basileus of the year, Silver Star of the year, Graduate Advisor of the year, and the Idell Pugh Angel Award. In 1994, the Chapter established a not-for-profit corporation and later changed the name of this corporation to Wheeler, Wilson and Johnson Community Projects, Inc. The corporation was organized exclusively for educational and charitable purposes within Bronx County. Through the foundation the chapter hosts an annual holiday toy drive, leads peace walks, and donates dorm baskets to students leaving for college. In addition, the Chapter annually gives over $10,000 in scholarships to support youth attending two-year, four year, and HBCU colleges. As a large-sized chapter, with 129 members, Eta Omega Omega is one of seventeen exceptional graduate chapters in Cluster III of the Notable North Atlantic Region. Many members have moved up in leadership. Eta Omega Omega members have served as Cluster and Regional Committee Chairman and Cluster Co-Coordinators. Chapter member Soror Joy Elaine Daley has served previously as the North Atlantic Regional Director and currently serves as the International Regional Director. Eta Omega Omega Members continue to exemplify the ideals that Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated® was founded on well over 110 years ago.  Through the direction of our 30th International President, Dr. Glenda Glover, the Chapter has implemented the 2018–2022 International Program under the theme, "Exemplifying Excellence Through Sustainable Service." The International Program includes five program targets designed to advance the mission of Alpha Kappa Alpha with excellence and underscore a commitment to sustainable service. The five program targets for 2018–2022 are: <ol> <li><a>HBCU for Life: A Call to Action</a></li> <li><a>Women's Healthcare and Wellness</a></li> <li><a>Building Your Economic Legacy</a></li> <li><a>The Arts!</a></li> <li><a>Global Impact</a></li> </ol> In addition, Eta Omega Omega members implement International Community Service Days annually to highlight the organization's collective impact in program target areas: <ul> <li>Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service (January)</li> <li>Pink Goes Red for Heart Health Day (February)</li> <li>AKA Global Impact Day (April)</li> <li>AKA International Day of Prayer (August)</li> <li>AKA HBCU Day (September)</li> <li>Breast Cancer Awareness Day (October)</li> <li>AKA Caregivers' Day (November)</li> </ul> Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®, Eta Omega Omega Chapter, Donna Joseph, President, Saudah Muhammad, Chapter Historian Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1964–present Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Mixed media collection Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context MS-AKAHOO Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data JPG Physical Dimensions The actual physical size of the original image 3310x1830px Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Screenshot of the Bronx African American History Project oral history with Irma Clement Subject The topic of the resource Clement, Irma Bronx African American History Project Eta Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Joseph, Donna Naison, Mark Description An account of the resource Screenshot of the Bronx African American History Project oral history with Irma Clement, showing Irma Clement (top left), Donna Joseph (top right), 19th President of Eta Omega Omega Chapter, and Dr. Mark Naison (bottom) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPG Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Still image Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context MS-AKAHOO.BD.013 https://digital.bronxhistoricalsociety.org/files/original/d154a1d523ecb45476869aac0ce8ab51.jpg 600245feac99ef5dce3690bed874e034 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®, Eta Omega Omega Chapter Records Subject The topic of the resource Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® Bronx African American History Project Eta Omega Omega Bronx Graduate Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® Wheeler, Wilson & Johnson Community Projects, Inc. Wheeler, Wilson & Johnson Community Projects, Inc. Description An account of the resource Eta Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated® was chartered on May 23, 1964, by twelve members. The chapter celebrates a rich history of service, philanthropy, and scholarship for the Bronx community. From its inception, programs of service were launched to enhance the quality of life for residents of The Bronx. Specific emphasis was placed on engaging youth, working with developmentally disabled children, and providing services to the elderly. Eta Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated® provides volunteer services to vulnerable and underserved communities. One of the first programs started by the chapter was a garden project at the Southeast Neighborhood Center for developmentally disabled adults. Since then, the chapter has initiated several other service projects, including Impact Days, Earth Day and Akarosa Adopt A Highway beautification initiatives, financial literacy workshops, Alzheimer's awareness projects, mental health support projects, and healthy heart initiatives. The chapter also spearheads the MLK Day of Service project, various toy drives, collaborative Global Impact Day with South Africa and St, Croix members as well as a host of other programs that demonstrate a strong commitment to serving the Bronx community. In addition to serving the community, members also participate in weekly prayer calls, leadership enrichment opportunities, membership and sisterly relations activities that are intergenerational, like book, movie, exercise, and travel clubs. Eta Omega Omega chartered Xi Xi chapter, an undergraduate chapter at Lehman College on June 25, 1983, and members of that chapter have participated in many of the projects. Eta Omega Omega chapter's signature program is the Rites of Passage Mentoring Program. This program provides high school girls with year-long intensive workshops on personal development, ancestral history, interpersonal relations, etiquette, and goal setting. Since 1991 this program has guided young girls towards their transition into womanhood by fostering a sense of responsibility, sisterhood, and self-pride. The chapter will continue the Rites of Passage Program in collaboration with ((#CAP℠), the current administration’s College Admissions Process program ((#CAP℠), designed to assist students in their efforts to enter college. As a result of the work that Eta Omega Omega has done, the chapter has earned many national and international accolades and awards. Some awards earned were Small and Medium Chapter of the Year, the Spirit Award, Membership, Connection, and Star Award for Outstanding Programs. On a regional level, several chapter members have been recognized for their outstanding service in leadership. Members were honored as Basileus of the year, Silver Star of the year, Graduate Advisor of the year, and the Idell Pugh Angel Award. In 1994, the Chapter established a not-for-profit corporation and later changed the name of this corporation to Wheeler, Wilson and Johnson Community Projects, Inc. The corporation was organized exclusively for educational and charitable purposes within Bronx County. Through the foundation the chapter hosts an annual holiday toy drive, leads peace walks, and donates dorm baskets to students leaving for college. In addition, the Chapter annually gives over $10,000 in scholarships to support youth attending two-year, four year, and HBCU colleges. As a large-sized chapter, with 129 members, Eta Omega Omega is one of seventeen exceptional graduate chapters in Cluster III of the Notable North Atlantic Region. Many members have moved up in leadership. Eta Omega Omega members have served as Cluster and Regional Committee Chairman and Cluster Co-Coordinators. Chapter member Soror Joy Elaine Daley has served previously as the North Atlantic Regional Director and currently serves as the International Regional Director. Eta Omega Omega Members continue to exemplify the ideals that Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated® was founded on well over 110 years ago.  Through the direction of our 30th International President, Dr. Glenda Glover, the Chapter has implemented the 2018–2022 International Program under the theme, "Exemplifying Excellence Through Sustainable Service." The International Program includes five program targets designed to advance the mission of Alpha Kappa Alpha with excellence and underscore a commitment to sustainable service. The five program targets for 2018–2022 are: <ol> <li><a>HBCU for Life: A Call to Action</a></li> <li><a>Women's Healthcare and Wellness</a></li> <li><a>Building Your Economic Legacy</a></li> <li><a>The Arts!</a></li> <li><a>Global Impact</a></li> </ol> In addition, Eta Omega Omega members implement International Community Service Days annually to highlight the organization's collective impact in program target areas: <ul> <li>Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service (January)</li> <li>Pink Goes Red for Heart Health Day (February)</li> <li>AKA Global Impact Day (April)</li> <li>AKA International Day of Prayer (August)</li> <li>AKA HBCU Day (September)</li> <li>Breast Cancer Awareness Day (October)</li> <li>AKA Caregivers' Day (November)</li> </ul> Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®, Eta Omega Omega Chapter, Donna Joseph, President, Saudah Muhammad, Chapter Historian Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1964–present Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Mixed media collection Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context MS-AKAHOO Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data JPG Physical Dimensions The actual physical size of the original image 1586x595px Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Screenshot of Bronx African American History Project Oral History with Sheila Jackson and Anne Myers Subject The topic of the resource Jackson, Sheila Bronx African American History Project Eta Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Myers, Anne Description An account of the resource Screetshot of oral history of Sheila Jackson and Anne Myers, members of Eta Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., recorded for the Bronx African American History Project in 2020. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPG Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Still image Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context MS-AKAHOO.BD.015 https://digital.bronxhistoricalsociety.org/files/original/0f6386210863fb36edc124a0a9e41c2e.jpg 3fb0904878ee9de0f624994f4ff9b652 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®, Eta Omega Omega Chapter Records Subject The topic of the resource Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® Bronx African American History Project Eta Omega Omega Bronx Graduate Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® Wheeler, Wilson & Johnson Community Projects, Inc. Wheeler, Wilson & Johnson Community Projects, Inc. Description An account of the resource Eta Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated® was chartered on May 23, 1964, by twelve members. The chapter celebrates a rich history of service, philanthropy, and scholarship for the Bronx community. From its inception, programs of service were launched to enhance the quality of life for residents of The Bronx. Specific emphasis was placed on engaging youth, working with developmentally disabled children, and providing services to the elderly. Eta Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated® provides volunteer services to vulnerable and underserved communities. One of the first programs started by the chapter was a garden project at the Southeast Neighborhood Center for developmentally disabled adults. Since then, the chapter has initiated several other service projects, including Impact Days, Earth Day and Akarosa Adopt A Highway beautification initiatives, financial literacy workshops, Alzheimer's awareness projects, mental health support projects, and healthy heart initiatives. The chapter also spearheads the MLK Day of Service project, various toy drives, collaborative Global Impact Day with South Africa and St, Croix members as well as a host of other programs that demonstrate a strong commitment to serving the Bronx community. In addition to serving the community, members also participate in weekly prayer calls, leadership enrichment opportunities, membership and sisterly relations activities that are intergenerational, like book, movie, exercise, and travel clubs. Eta Omega Omega chartered Xi Xi chapter, an undergraduate chapter at Lehman College on June 25, 1983, and members of that chapter have participated in many of the projects. Eta Omega Omega chapter's signature program is the Rites of Passage Mentoring Program. This program provides high school girls with year-long intensive workshops on personal development, ancestral history, interpersonal relations, etiquette, and goal setting. Since 1991 this program has guided young girls towards their transition into womanhood by fostering a sense of responsibility, sisterhood, and self-pride. The chapter will continue the Rites of Passage Program in collaboration with ((#CAP℠), the current administration’s College Admissions Process program ((#CAP℠), designed to assist students in their efforts to enter college. As a result of the work that Eta Omega Omega has done, the chapter has earned many national and international accolades and awards. Some awards earned were Small and Medium Chapter of the Year, the Spirit Award, Membership, Connection, and Star Award for Outstanding Programs. On a regional level, several chapter members have been recognized for their outstanding service in leadership. Members were honored as Basileus of the year, Silver Star of the year, Graduate Advisor of the year, and the Idell Pugh Angel Award. In 1994, the Chapter established a not-for-profit corporation and later changed the name of this corporation to Wheeler, Wilson and Johnson Community Projects, Inc. The corporation was organized exclusively for educational and charitable purposes within Bronx County. Through the foundation the chapter hosts an annual holiday toy drive, leads peace walks, and donates dorm baskets to students leaving for college. In addition, the Chapter annually gives over $10,000 in scholarships to support youth attending two-year, four year, and HBCU colleges. As a large-sized chapter, with 129 members, Eta Omega Omega is one of seventeen exceptional graduate chapters in Cluster III of the Notable North Atlantic Region. Many members have moved up in leadership. Eta Omega Omega members have served as Cluster and Regional Committee Chairman and Cluster Co-Coordinators. Chapter member Soror Joy Elaine Daley has served previously as the North Atlantic Regional Director and currently serves as the International Regional Director. Eta Omega Omega Members continue to exemplify the ideals that Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated® was founded on well over 110 years ago.  Through the direction of our 30th International President, Dr. Glenda Glover, the Chapter has implemented the 2018–2022 International Program under the theme, "Exemplifying Excellence Through Sustainable Service." The International Program includes five program targets designed to advance the mission of Alpha Kappa Alpha with excellence and underscore a commitment to sustainable service. The five program targets for 2018–2022 are: <ol> <li><a>HBCU for Life: A Call to Action</a></li> <li><a>Women's Healthcare and Wellness</a></li> <li><a>Building Your Economic Legacy</a></li> <li><a>The Arts!</a></li> <li><a>Global Impact</a></li> </ol> In addition, Eta Omega Omega members implement International Community Service Days annually to highlight the organization's collective impact in program target areas: <ul> <li>Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service (January)</li> <li>Pink Goes Red for Heart Health Day (February)</li> <li>AKA Global Impact Day (April)</li> <li>AKA International Day of Prayer (August)</li> <li>AKA HBCU Day (September)</li> <li>Breast Cancer Awareness Day (October)</li> <li>AKA Caregivers' Day (November)</li> </ul> Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®, Eta Omega Omega Chapter, Donna Joseph, President, Saudah Muhammad, Chapter Historian Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1964–present Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Mixed media collection Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context MS-AKAHOO Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data JPG Physical Dimensions The actual physical size of the original image 671x432px Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Screenshot of Bronx African American History Project Oral History with Dr. Candice Scott Subject The topic of the resource Scott, Dr. Candice Bronx African American History Project Eta Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Description An account of the resource Screenshot of oral history of Dr. Candice Scott, member of Eta Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., recorded for the Bronx African American History Project in 2020. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPG Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Still image Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context MS-AKAHOO.BD.017