00:00:03.470 - 00:00:19.430

All right. So can you state your full name and even spell it for us if you would, please. My name is ePub or Rogers II period,

00:00:19.430 - 00:00:35.950

POP PA or excuse me, or GRS. Sr. Sr. Yeah. Alright. I just want to do so. And do you need me say my name.

00:00:35.950 - 00:00:45.680

We get okay. Let's start with your early biographical information about you,

00:00:45.680 - 00:00:53.150

if your family, mom, dad, siblings, and where you lived in Wyoming. Same when you come when did

00:00:53.150 - 00:01:10.040

you come to vomiting? Okay. I am more from my mother was item may Rogers, killer hair stolons loan me.

00:01:10.040 - 00:01:28.370

She had 15 children. And she was also a civil rights activists. She's known around dough, whereas one of the mothers,

00:01:28.370 - 00:01:44.660

the welfare rights movement of delaware, along with let me let me just I can't just a kid just drop her name. Was dropping.

00:01:44.660 - 00:02:07.200

The other name's Helen Chambers. Nanny called Kathy French. Emily young, elizabeth tiny, Henry, Betty Brown.

00:02:07.200 - 00:02:21.710

Those were the mothers of the movement, of the welfare rights movement and the civil right. The beginning of my knowledge

00:02:21.710 - 00:02:33.890

of the civil rights movement, they were in the forefront of the movement at the time, you know, not to name, you know,

00:02:33.890 - 00:02:56.880

that there were others. Men. Howard Brown and welcome. Bill young, who is surname noun units. Kemal. Who at that time,

00:02:56.880 - 00:03:14.960

his name was Albert. Albert parks. These are these are the folks that I come up binder and come up in a time.

00:03:14.960 - 00:03:25.200

When there were there was a lot of struggling. Particularly just to just to talk about my family.

00:03:25.200 - 00:03:35.450

There was a great need for my family to be a part of the movement. And that was because my mother had 15 children.

00:03:35.450 - 00:03:50.000

You can imagine united that time there was not a whole lot of help in her trying to figure out what can I do to make life better for my children.

00:03:50.000 - 00:04:04.750

She joined the movement that was like in 19, actually gone back to 1966 when she first volunteered. And she volunteered at

00:04:04.750 - 00:04:13.670

a police car that we call our Nika. It was northeast Conservation Association of America.

00:04:13.670 - 00:04:25.740

And they had these Conservation Association of America. They had them set up on in each little pocket or community,

00:04:25.740 - 00:04:38.420

meaning east, south, west side, Northeast, and the South side. And what would happen if these were this was hubs,

00:04:38.420 - 00:04:49.500

where where you would go and you would join and try to figure out how you can help the community. So my mother, she,

00:04:49.500 - 00:05:07.970

she's joined joined in and 66 are remember. That was a starting point for us. It was many marches. We've we went from

00:05:07.970 - 00:05:23.460

Wilmington to Dover to Washington. My mother was very active and very active and she was very sincere about anything. She put her hands on.

00:05:27.640 - 00:05:41.610

I remember a few incidents. One that happened in Wilmington, my sister, she was the merit the time John Berry, there are barriers.

00:05:41.610 - 00:05:56.210

Private secretary and R. Remember embarking on the mayor's office and a pitcher that the News Journal printed that

00:05:56.210 - 00:06:05.770

next morning after that after that demonstration, it was like my mother and sister look like they were going

00:06:05.770 - 00:06:18.140

look like they were going at each other. But that wasn't the case. My mother, my sister doing our job, and my mother persistent

00:06:18.140 - 00:06:27.800

and it was almost like they knew the light, the light the news journal knew that, hey, look, this is a good story because look,

00:06:27.800 - 00:06:41.450

this is mother and daughter, even though it looks like these opposites or right corner coming together. That was something that, you know,

00:06:41.450 - 00:06:52.550

we got to laugh about a little later, you know, because according to how you looked at the picture. Yeah. Well, you read into the story.

00:06:52.550 - 00:07:13.580

But also I remember wrong. In 1967, down at the, down at, down in Dover, We were on a welfare rights demonstration.

00:07:13.580 - 00:07:26.470

And at the end of the at the end of the day, I think it's about maybe for Friday. The word came out that, look, you guys,

00:07:26.470 - 00:07:33.070

you all better get out of here. If y'all get out of here, they were going to send in a nurse I mean, not domestic guardian.

00:07:33.070 - 00:07:44.640

I'm sorry. They were going to send them the state police. And that they did. I remember I remember

00:07:44.830 - 00:08:04.890

my I remember my grandmother had been thrown down the steps. And I remember a young man, Willy, I forgot his last name. Carter.

00:08:05.500 - 00:08:17.890

So this is in Dover. This was in Dover. Yeah. I get emotional about that genome because I'm only thinking,

00:08:17.890 - 00:08:29.330

you know, it Willy not have been there, you know, my grandmother would not have survived that the way through it. I understand those are

00:08:29.330 - 00:08:45.440

some brutal times and brutal things going on. But just to give you some little later on where where where, you know, how we got in and how we fit it in.

00:08:45.440 - 00:08:55.370

And where were you living at the time? I was living over our 11th Street Bridge. In the 11th Street Bridge, that's the Northeast the Northeast section.

00:08:55.370 - 00:09:07.880

A woman. I wasn't born I was born actually in male side. It's right off. It doesn't leave if if

00:09:07.880 - 00:09:21.360

you if anybody noticed that area. Actually, they were the first projects, you know, which I've figured out and found out later.

00:09:22.390 - 00:09:35.270

But from there we moved to 11 Street Bridge and we moved in that area and that's where S Where are my mother's career took off

00:09:35.270 - 00:09:49.220

and lower her career. You know, it it boosted boosted us into into activism because we were and we did take

00:09:49.220 - 00:09:58.250

inactive our role in all that was going on during those times. And how old were you at your earliest memories about

00:09:58.250 - 00:10:07.280

being a part of the movement, being pirated protests? How how old? At about ten? Yeah, about ten.

00:10:07.280 - 00:10:19.440

Need a lot of older brother and sister. Your mother was active, so they were already active in the movement? Well, my mother was

00:10:19.440 - 00:10:32.280

the basis of our activism, guys. You say, at that time, were mother, her being a single mother and you know, when

00:10:32.280 - 00:10:44.450

When she said move you move them in. Wherever she said, that's what we did because I know people that community said

00:10:44.450 - 00:10:57.570

that we were more or less like she was more or less like the mother, the mother duck and she got all the ducklings.

00:10:57.700 - 00:11:08.910

That to the community. They loved and respected her enough to every time we moved, we had we had

00:11:08.910 - 00:11:26.070

half the community moving with us. And that was the reason of a village sort of sort of situation. So we we we

00:11:26.070 - 00:11:36.210

we just kinda moved together, moving together. So when April 4, 1968 and Dr. King is slaughtered,

00:11:36.210 - 00:11:45.760

assassinated, do you remember where you were to remember it, the actual pivotal moment? Yeah, I do remember where I was.

00:11:45.760 - 00:12:03.350

I was actually up the street from my house. I was with some friends or their friends. And we were sitting with looking at looking at TV.

00:12:03.350 - 00:12:12.950

And in order to hear that, even though at that, at that moment, you know, you really didn't get the impact of

00:12:12.950 - 00:12:30.430

it until you went outside. When you went outside, it was like it was like all hell broke loose. And it was like we got it.

00:12:30.430 - 00:12:44.800

We got it. We got to get on. We gotta get it. It really I think the powder keg had finally burst because we looked

00:12:44.800 - 00:13:00.160

at we looked at looked at the whole Wilmington. We were in, we were in a cake. It was the police brutality was real.

00:13:00.160 - 00:13:15.130

And and folks had gotten sick and tired that one of the one of the biggest family fights in Wilmington with the poor woman Tim.

00:13:15.130 - 00:13:32.480

Police happened in my neighborhood. That was at was prior to 68. That happened in December of 67 in the Richard's family.

00:13:32.480 - 00:13:46.660

In echoes that cause like a major major riot within the community. But it was just to say that, you know, defaults were tired of

00:13:46.660 - 00:14:01.920

the way they were they were treated. But getting back to getting back to able to afford, that was a dark day, you know,

00:14:01.920 - 00:14:14.120

as as we came out you now, now in this, things just happened so fast. You know, you just started seeing stores go into business,

00:14:14.120 - 00:14:30.290

has gone up, cars been overturned. In that dead time. It was before the 495 freeway. So folks only have one way in, one way out.

00:14:30.290 - 00:14:39.440

Some of the biggest industries there at that time was lectured hose and rubber. And the other one I think

00:14:39.440 - 00:14:55.870

was Delaware Berlin drum. And they, they sit adjacent to to the noun Gan to heal prison. Again. But at our any, any given,

00:14:55.870 - 00:15:10.280

any given time you had maybe about three or 3300 people exchanging. And at the end of shift. So it's just people

00:15:10.280 - 00:15:21.900

who just shifting, leaving the factories. And even in fact, yes, yes, leaving the factories. Now, they were basically locked in, you know,

00:15:21.900 - 00:15:44.630

it was excuse me. It was it was really volatile volatile situation, you know. My mother. We grew

00:15:44.630 - 00:16:00.160

up not to look at one's color. We looked at how you treated us on a particular street. Did I lived on

00:16:00.160 - 00:16:12.910

You know, it was it was mixed. It was it was black, was white. White folks treated us like we treated them and they treated

00:16:12.910 - 00:16:24.610

us and we treated them like, you know, vice versa. So we didn't really see up in up in that particular area

00:16:24.610 - 00:16:43.250

of the lemon Street Bridge. We didn't we didn't see a whole lot of mess. Unless we went into the say the other side of the 12th Street.

00:16:43.250 - 00:16:58.010

When you got on the other side of the street, that's that's where all the major clubs were. Black clubs like the Thai heat is the Django. You know, that's where

00:16:58.010 - 00:17:15.650

those clothes were being noted. So there was a lot of emphasis. Please. Emphasis in those areas. You know, that day

00:17:15.650 - 00:17:27.380

was the day that I was probably there if it yet. Because even within that day, all the stores in

00:17:27.380 - 00:17:39.830

the community with burnt out. But one. And that one store was surely blacks. And you might ask, well,

00:17:39.830 - 00:17:52.400

why did they leave her? Well, because she almost seem fair in the community. That's where everybody has where he had

00:17:52.400 - 00:18:02.900

a little store bills or whatever she would let you go, You know, she seemed to be fair. You understand, but all the rest of them,

00:18:02.900 - 00:18:13.130

they brand them out. Can you tell me a little about the Blackhawks? The black hole here, rolling it.

00:18:13.130 - 00:18:27.560

Yeah, The Blackhawks. Well, the Blackhawks go beyond, you know, I've always been affiliated during that time.

00:18:27.560 - 00:18:38.070

I've always been affiliated to now, move into a neighborhood that dead time. You know, you are affiliated with the neighborhood and

00:18:38.070 - 00:18:49.940

moving them and neighborhood. First and foremost, there was our big brothers. They were, they were falcons.

00:18:49.940 - 00:19:05.450

So we were falcons. And then after that, you know, we we we we were doing your tightens. You know, the,

00:19:05.450 - 00:19:19.310

the the Blackhawks that was finding our own identity. But they were the Blackhawks. We just again, you know,

00:19:19.310 - 00:19:30.170

and then we later became we went from a gas to a club under the leadership of well-mixed Sanderson,

00:19:30.170 - 00:19:40.730

whom the center on the west side is named after. He told us he took his sin and he mentored us.

00:19:40.730 - 00:19:57.110

And he taught us how to, how to be not a gang, but to be organized club. And one thing that I really appreciated about

00:19:57.110 - 00:20:12.770

him was the fact that you're not in teaching us. He not only, he not only said things, he spoke things into N2,

00:20:12.770 - 00:20:30.980

into your, your your your existence power. Exactly. He he taught us business. We were the first we would have first set a young foods

00:20:30.980 - 00:20:47.090

that were able to bring a variety show even to the King Center. And I remember that she'll like yesterday was the Chichi and Pepe.

00:20:47.090 - 00:20:59.090

You might not see TFF. And it was another group that we brought there called the futures in the futures.

00:20:59.090 - 00:21:10.340

And he taught as a business. But most of all, you know, one of the things that he would do is he would fire up far up on us.

00:21:10.340 - 00:21:17.650

He will he will go to the schools and he would he would make sure that we were we supposed to be at dawn,

00:21:17.650 - 00:21:32.380

we supposed to be doing in that. It produced. Some good people. So during the fires and the Blackhawks,

00:21:32.380 - 00:21:42.590

you said one store was saved and was that decision under Black cost? No. No. Because say you have to understand

00:21:42.590 - 00:21:50.510

one thing that the Blackhawks, we were the youngest. The youngest grew to over top of you was the Falcons.

00:21:50.510 - 00:22:05.450

Over-the-top. Know, the Falcons. Falcons later evolved into enter the type things and they, they kind of split. They evolved into the Titans and then to

00:22:05.450 - 00:22:19.530

the Hornets under the Tools or manner Jones. And they haven't northeast, right? And so the black Blacks were over in the West side?

00:22:19.530 - 00:22:31.160

There was West Side. Okay. Okay. I got you. Then after the fires started and then Governor Terry calls

00:22:31.160 - 00:22:38.630

up the National Guard. Do you remember seeing them industries, you remember the presence of the National Guardsmen Wilmington?

00:22:38.630 - 00:22:55.210

Oh, absolutely. Not only see him in the street, you know, I remember, you know, tartan, you know, I mean, we were young.

00:22:55.210 - 00:23:10.270

That's right. You know, but we had hard. I'm saying. When I look at when I look at the West Bank, you ever see you ever see

00:23:10.270 - 00:23:25.060

the kids throwing rocks and stuff? Yes. As soldiers with guns, right? Yeah. I'm trying to think. Just in my psychic.

00:23:25.060 - 00:23:45.860

I kind of believed that the world saw what was happening in 68. You now. And to see, to see these, to see us go up against the mighty giant.

00:23:45.860 - 00:23:57.080

You have to understand too, that during that time America was fighting two wars. We're fighting one war in

00:23:57.080 - 00:24:08.730

Northeast Asia and then the other war on these age or any other war they were fighting was right here in its own infrastructure,

00:24:08.730 - 00:24:21.770

you know, because they never relieved that, you know, we would rise to that point. But it was a bubbling point. It was, it was a time that

00:24:21.770 - 00:24:28.990

calls for noun or never, instead of on governance area at the time says that the reason why the National Guard was called that

00:24:28.990 - 00:24:38.470

was to restore law and order, that the bubble had burst and it was restoring order, order to protect. Do you think Who

00:24:38.470 - 00:24:49.720

was the national guard protecting? Did you fit the neighborhood, feel protected? Well, they weren't predicting our neighborhood because we

00:24:49.720 - 00:25:04.170

always had had a handle on neighborhoods. Because the men in our neighborhoods during that time, you know, our neighborhood respected.

00:25:04.170 - 00:25:15.230

We respect to ourselves. The children, respect to the adults. And the adults respected and taught to children.

00:25:15.230 - 00:25:27.640

So we didn't need to be protected against what I guess ourselves know. Why were they there, in your opinion?

00:25:27.640 - 00:25:37.010

They weren't there to protect you. And I think they were just there in the city to protect white folks in and that's

00:25:37.010 - 00:25:51.980

just that was the that was the outlaw. Because if you remember, I told you about the blockage in terms of one way in,

00:25:51.980 - 00:25:59.600

one way out and turns in, one way in and one way out. You say, you know. So in my neighborhood,

00:25:59.600 - 00:26:11.260

they had to come to our white folks had began to work. And that was another thing. It wasn't a whole lot of us.

00:26:11.260 - 00:26:23.750

It was maybe one maybe one working in both of those plants. You understand what I'm saying? So, you know, I think it was more a lot

00:26:23.750 - 00:26:43.560

more less to protect to protect them. You know, as as time went on, the even the businesses and Wilmington had Employ the,

00:26:43.560 - 00:26:55.850

the, the governor to remove the troops. Even the mayor, mayor had eventually, after a few weeks, lifted the curfew and Wilmington,

00:26:55.850 - 00:27:04.650

but Governor Terry would not live the curfew cross state, which also include keeping the guards and the streets.

00:27:04.650 - 00:27:13.580

He refused. He believed that woman Tim was a hotbed for actually national insurrection. And it went on

00:27:13.580 - 00:27:26.270

for nine, nine-and-a-half months. And the response to that from the community was what? It wasn't one week, two weeks.

00:27:26.270 - 00:27:32.480

It was long as occupation and the whole country. And did you have no awareness that it was longer hear that anywhere?

00:27:32.480 - 00:27:48.650

Absolutely. Absolutely. And you know, that's what they did. Our pride in. Our pride. Awesome. Because it to me,

00:27:48.650 - 00:27:59.160

You know what, That's it. That's it. This they said, You know, you better watch your back. You understand because you had to understand.

00:28:00.430 - 00:28:14.900

Terry was not he was not your ideal our governor. He had and to this day, you know, he's probably one

00:28:14.900 - 00:28:23.360

of the worst is governors that we ever seen in the state. Because, you know, if you go back to what I was just telling you,

00:28:23.360 - 00:28:43.280

he called in column in the state. And this is this scene that still plays in my mind over 50 years, you know, uh, my grades

00:28:43.280 - 00:28:50.090

and my grandmother being thrown down the steps as something of a Southern seen. You understand what I'm saying?

00:28:50.090 - 00:29:08.070

So, you know, to me at a Southern mentality, now, it just speaks for who he was. And so in order to move around Wilmington

00:29:08.070 - 00:29:16.090

at the time of the occupation, if you weren't going to work, if you weren't going to school, You weren't allowed any streets

00:29:16.090 - 00:29:24.170

at a certain time, right? Right. And that was told by someone and they even when it's when it's young people who are going to

00:29:24.170 - 00:29:32.480

school in the Garza industry that they actually, it wasn't just they were around. There was a presence that it may

00:29:32.480 - 00:29:43.900

be we're aware or maybe you weren't. There was an over presents and they require the students to walk and a single file to school.

00:29:43.900 - 00:29:54.730

Well, yeah. That was so but also you have to remember too, you could not walk.

00:29:54.730 - 00:30:10.890

And more than a group of two? Yeah. You say, you know, or that might be consider again. He understands that that's as Atwood.

00:30:10.890 - 00:30:28.850

Because the have you arrested? But two, I left here. My mother, my mother and my brother ac my brother Frankie,

00:30:28.850 - 00:30:48.150

myself, and my oldest brother buster. We left here are in May of 68. You know, where were we would join the Poor People's Campaign. United unit.

00:30:48.150 - 00:31:06.400

Well well, no, that was the less organized movement of Dr. King's, you know, which was led by rubber and Ralph David Abernathy.

00:31:07.430 - 00:31:15.850

We live here and we went to, we want to wash it, then we join the Poor People's Campaign. But even then we come

00:31:15.850 - 00:31:33.000

back to gourd still on the street. So it was like it was like, man, you know, we just had a free pass to get out to get out of the zone.

00:31:33.000 - 00:31:45.020

Though to me, it was like a pass to get out of the zone, you know, but even still that, you know, that was that was

00:31:45.020 - 00:31:55.310

an opportunity to spotlight on what was going on. Stealing Wilmington that dead time. Now, when it's a part of

00:31:55.310 - 00:32:02.780

the Poor People's Campaign and you think about all the different. Movements at the time, even assassination of Dr. King.

00:32:02.780 - 00:32:18.340

And we later learned about the COINTELPRO program at the FBI. There's one camp says that the movement dissolve because people became

00:32:18.340 - 00:32:28.550

apathetic and gave up. And there's another camp that says, no, this is a systematic destruction of an organized movement,

00:32:28.550 - 00:32:43.850

including the assassination of Dr. King. Feelings around that, especially being so active in the movement. At that time, you didn't

00:32:43.850 - 00:32:58.670

know the word was revolution. Now, as you know, we had we had these community leaders that was

00:32:58.670 - 00:33:08.900

leading the effort and didn't lead the movement. They were leading the way. And then that, you know,

00:33:08.900 - 00:33:21.840

they had won the hearts of the people on him for some of them, I think, for me, I would say sellout because

00:33:22.540 - 00:33:35.540

it gave them a better position and a better place for themselves and their families. But for the masses.

00:33:35.540 - 00:33:47.640

They will laugh. You saying that there was a organized, concentrated effort to go into the movement is selected.

00:33:47.860 - 00:33:58.400

A few. Pick them out for them to be successful, give them a certain kind of position or job. And that they turn there.

00:33:58.400 - 00:34:07.150

And for that reason they, they, they turned their backs on their masses because they were given, it was selected to get a little slice,

00:34:07.150 - 00:34:17.120

slice of the pie, so to speak. Well, that would be my tea. And I know the people would probably they would

00:34:17.120 - 00:34:31.060

probably have different from what I'm saying, you know, but it just seems like that's what happened, you know, because even even when you look at,

00:34:31.060 - 00:34:43.790

even my take is when you look at the fact that the people hungry and thirsty and at that time and at

00:34:43.790 - 00:35:00.630

that point, they wanted changed. And at that point they would do anything for the change. And so they, you know, they, they,

00:35:00.630 - 00:35:16.380

they they clumped up wonder folks that they thought that was sincere. And in trying to make things happen.

00:35:17.290 - 00:35:33.920

And just looking at, you know, how did how did they Quill the people? Well, that's where drugs came

00:35:33.920 - 00:35:48.500

in and they came in free and and, you know, some folks who are party to that. So when you said it came in free, can you relate the story that you relate

00:35:48.500 - 00:35:58.070

to me about your experience, about, about I'm talking about disorders that are more suited to being in a place

00:35:58.070 - 00:36:12.830

and seeing folks come back from. So SETT meetings, power meetings. But not necessarily power means unit and come back

00:36:12.830 - 00:36:27.770

with defiled bags for drugs, you know. And then you give them out in the community. Gave him out, didn't sell a given them out in the community.

00:36:27.770 - 00:36:39.260

And you look at the community, you know, and you look at their sensational movies and stuff, you know, that, that are you seeing that at that time,

00:36:39.260 - 00:36:52.310

super fly and the Mac, stuff like that. It was easy To talk to people because there was hooked on there,

00:36:52.310 - 00:37:11.480

hooked on a site and hold on. What we got to be a new feeling. So I think that we had a hand in and what's going on today through that.

00:37:11.480 - 00:37:25.510

Do the equivalent of the people doing 68. Just to keep, just to keep the uprising at a minimum. Naturally you think still lingers from that.

00:37:25.510 - 00:37:40.220

That's what they brought forward. I think the drug, the so-called drug epidemic today was planted in our community.

00:37:40.220 - 00:37:50.840

And when it was in our community, there was nothing. There was nothing to be said about. It was alright.

00:37:50.840 - 00:38:01.770

Now that we have in, in, in, in other communities, now there's such a problem with it wasn't a problem when it was in our communities.

00:38:04.180 - 00:38:19.550

So tell me when we imagine for a moment that we fast forward another 50, 60, 70 years. And somebody's listening to this recording that many generations removed.

00:38:19.550 - 00:38:27.840

But maybe they connected to the Rogers family and your great, great granddaughter. And listening to this recording,

00:38:27.840 - 00:38:39.170

what would you want to impart on? I'm that person that you're connected to, that they absolutely want them to know that they may nap.

00:38:39.170 - 00:38:47.640

They're not going to find in the news journal clippings. Not going to find in a book written by somebody outside of the community.

00:38:47.640 - 00:39:03.790

You know, I would just, rather than just like say for a while there I lost I lost my way. You understand what I always have

00:39:03.790 - 00:39:18.920

my mother to connect to and understand in her work. Understanding what she stood for, understanding that there was not one day,

00:39:18.920 - 00:39:33.410

they wouldn't pass, that. She didn't show who she was using. So I would say what I would want for them is to connect to the ancestors.

00:39:33.410 - 00:39:42.380

Connect to mom about this word, to her work and what does she stand for? Well, how would you calculate that? What what did he stand for?

00:39:42.380 - 00:39:56.490

Well, she's she's due for community. She stood for the good of all. Just wasn't listening. My mother my mother was in or the surface.

00:39:56.490 - 00:40:09.560

Let me just share this with you. I remember my best friend. One of my best friends is a Caucasian. And and with that,

00:40:09.560 - 00:40:20.480

I remember doing during the 68 riots. I brought him home. You know, I brought him home. Now, mind you, he grew

00:40:20.480 - 00:40:39.560

up just over the bridge, over over it and on the east side. Right. But it was it was that at that time, folks didn't look at who you were.

00:40:39.560 - 00:40:54.230

And if you were struggling like they were they just seeing that she was in the same color. But I remember I remember a group of

00:40:54.230 - 00:41:03.110

guys knocking on my door and saying to my mother, said, Miss automate, you better get you ready to

00:41:03.110 - 00:41:12.600

get that white boy out of here. You know, my mother to start talking about what they've got to do.

00:41:12.600 - 00:41:28.430

And she said, you and what Army? Mine just 15 of us. You and went on me. So she stood up for human, right?

00:41:28.430 - 00:41:41.970

Yes. Yes. So my big brother came to the door and he said, No. You all would get away from me and you all know you all know what day it is.

00:41:41.970 - 00:41:52.310

Now with the sand way back in. So that ain't bad news saying, you know what time it is, you never did it. But he reads, uh,

00:41:52.310 - 00:42:01.460

you know what day it is, you know, my my big brother. He didn't eat a hanging mass around you. And honor, and I

00:42:01.460 - 00:42:12.680

respect him because of who he is, because he stood up. He stood up. He was like the man of the house, me. And he was young.

00:42:12.680 - 00:42:31.160

He is only about six years older than me, but he stood up as the man in the house. And he told her, he said, Are you all know what time it is? Let's go.

00:42:31.160 - 00:42:40.380

Alright, And he started naming them by name if anything happened to him. I'll come in after you. You you, you know.

00:42:40.380 - 00:42:57.930

So so that's that's what I want you to take. I want you to take that. That's that that's who we are as family. And that's what we'll always be. No.

00:42:58.300 - 00:43:08.720

Thank you so much. Anything you want to ask David, what do you think is the lasting legacy of what

00:43:08.720 - 00:43:18.440

happened in 1968 as a city, as a whole for the communities that you're familiar with. Because, you know, some narratives

00:43:18.440 - 00:43:31.730

say that because of 1968, there's this deeply rooted fear right? Downtown area. And that explains to this day,

00:43:31.730 - 00:43:43.610

the extent to which people don't come down right after certain business hours. I also heard many stories in many ways what happened

00:43:43.610 - 00:43:50.890

in 19 se for their communities. And that galvanized some community organizing for. So I see both

00:43:50.890 - 00:44:01.290

positive and negative as happening in people's memory of the long-lasting impact of 1960. So I just wanted to hear from you.

00:44:01.290 - 00:44:17.570

Taking that 50-year reflective, long history perspective, what do you think the long-lasting? No. I guess when

00:44:17.570 - 00:44:40.000

I want to put it all together and, you know, as far as business-wise, I just think that until the city becomes more balance,

00:44:40.000 - 00:44:59.360

you know, that you're not going to have the necessary, necessary. We don't want to say here, You're not going to

00:44:59.360 - 00:45:15.500

have the necessary cohesion. Okay. And I don't know when I when I look at what's happening today in the city,

00:45:15.500 - 00:45:38.400

you know, there's gentrification movement. And that might be something that's going to reflect what happened is 68. Because folks are gonna get tired.

00:45:39.640 - 00:45:58.280

You have grandmothers and mothers that, and grandfathers in families that have invested so much in a much. But what they got is

00:45:58.280 - 00:46:16.880

there's this Eleanor, I'm saying. But in that, in that you have a movement of developers that are trying to push out,

00:46:16.880 - 00:46:26.980

push out these folks that worked so hard for what they have. They don't want no, they don't want no problems.

00:46:26.980 - 00:46:41.810

You know, all they want to do is just to give you understand what I'm saying. But folks suggests always so busy. You know, some folks are afraid to come into

00:46:41.810 - 00:46:52.190

the city because they understand the way that people feel. You understand what I'm saying. If it wasn't so much,

00:46:52.190 - 00:47:07.170

I guess maybe for trying to trying to undermine people in and steal, you know, because basically that's what it is.

00:47:07.170 - 00:47:17.430

I look in some communities in the city and I see where, you know, some folks have moved, moved in a community.

00:47:17.430 - 00:47:28.750

And they have created their own housing codes to push to push decent folks out there on their life, you know?

00:47:28.750 - 00:47:43.200

And and sooner or later that all powder keg is going to unite again. Because these young folks

00:47:43.200 - 00:47:52.790

who aren't afraid of anything. You understand what I'm saying? They enter free to die, let alone go to jail or anything else.

00:47:52.790 - 00:48:06.610

But when you step on them, you take their rights. You know, you've got things, you know. And and I take that from

00:48:06.610 - 00:48:21.410

less from last year mean in 50 years ago. And I equated to today. And I'm looking at the same thing, just at a different eyes, older eyes.

00:48:21.410 - 00:48:41.030

You know. I hope that answered your question. Absolutely. Right off for answering. Anything else you'd like to cover.

00:48:41.030 - 00:48:50.500

It could be like the micro, what happened in 1968 to the macro, just anything that you'd like to add in the official records are

00:48:50.500 - 00:48:58.100

kept of the history and personal stories that you shared with us today? Yeah. Well, I appreciate

00:48:58.100 - 00:49:18.750

you guys giving me an opportunity to reflect. Well, when just to kind of sermons or anything, then I need to say.

00:49:18.850 - 00:49:38.440

I'd just like to see people and honest way and not to reflect all of the seat is going on.

00:49:38.440 - 00:49:55.530

You know, especially in a city a woman to, you know, you can ask yourself, why are the young people? Why are they sweat arms?

00:49:55.530 - 00:50:12.910

Why? What is it that's causing them to be the way that they are so hateful and so willing to be destructive.

00:50:12.910 - 00:50:27.020

Number one, they were taught that act. And number two is because there's simple fact that you paint them into a corner.

00:50:27.020 - 00:50:40.540

You don't listen to them. It's now time to start listening. Especially we ask the older folks, we don't have all the answers

00:50:40.540 - 00:50:49.040

and we should not, we should not think that we have all the answers. It's time to start listening

00:50:49.040 - 00:51:02.990

because what used to be our world is now their world. And we need to begin to start teaching them how to govern

00:51:02.990 - 00:51:12.830

themselves in their own world. Sooner or later, we got to be gone. Now I look at it like this. You not I remember

00:51:12.830 - 00:51:27.060

I remember my father used to say every morning that you wake up, you have more time behind you, in front of you.

00:51:27.060 - 00:51:49.740

So for each day, live your life. Just like it's the last day on this, or enjoy yourself. Enjoy people love God. And that's it.

00:51:57.070 - 00:52:05.800

Thank you so much. Thank you. You're welcome so much. You're welcome. I hope I did a help to you,

00:52:05.800 - 00:52:23.130

a huge help, a huge help in. Very, very helpful. And I just want you to know that it's so, so important, which you've done it a day.

00:52:23.130 - 00:52:35.520

I mean, it really makes me emotional, but it really is, It really is really important. I guess I could say, you know, I'm here.

00:52:35.520 - 00:52:48.010

It'd be half all the people that came because it allowed people who didn't make it through, right? Somebody said recently and people will say,

00:52:48.010 - 00:52:56.670

with the things that are gone and said, they said they'll say, No, we black folks, we've been through a lot. This say nothing new. We've been further that

00:52:56.670 - 00:53:04.370

not all of us made it through this, right? Not always made it through. And so we have to acknowledge that and not just accept that

00:53:04.370 - 00:53:18.430

it's always just accept it. The action is needed. So thank you. Absolutely important stories and just, you know, I'm I'm.

00:53:18.430 - 00:53:30.650

I'm glad that you guys are doing this. I just hope. I mean, I just wish that you would and that's a word that I

00:53:30.650 - 00:53:44.390

really don't use. Like wish. I like, Whoa, wishing is like wishing his knife. Maybe. Maybe it's out there on the Cloud,

00:53:44.390 - 00:53:58.610

but hope is before you. So I just hope that maybe you guys could get into the community. There are some people out

00:53:58.610 - 00:54:15.150

there that can tell you. So stuff that I talked to you now from time to time. And the most the most gratifying conversation

00:54:15.150 - 00:54:27.380

for me is when I run into a brother or sister, or if I run into somebody. And we talked and all times.

00:54:27.380 - 00:54:41.390

My wife says this about me. She says, you know what? Used to look in the seventies. She tells me. She tells me,

00:54:41.390 - 00:54:53.720

I'm stuck into the seventies. I like, Oh, I like seventies music theory. Music sense, right? I'm always talking about,

00:54:53.720 - 00:55:09.980

I'm always talking about stuff that happened in the seventies, you know, because, you know, for, for what is worth for me those days.

00:55:09.980 - 00:55:21.780

Coming up, the best days of my life, even though, you know, and even though even though we went through

00:55:21.780 - 00:55:39.290

that era and everything, my mother or my parents, they shield us from a whole lot out of me. They shield us from a whole lot.

00:55:39.290 - 00:55:55.060

I mean, let me just tell you this. I remember Joe grab the yarn. That was John bab ERs, the merit, the time in 68.

00:55:55.060 - 00:56:13.800

That was his brother. I remember I remember. He called his brother Joe Bev, your own beer garden?

00:56:13.800 - 00:56:29.700

On the labyrinth and stature. You would probably know it as Cozy Corner. Okay. Okay. Well, Joe, Bob, your own debt, the mirrors, brother.

00:56:29.700 - 00:56:51.750

I remember I remember my mother loved her because she had she had a heart of a warrior. And I remember during that time,

00:56:53.830 - 00:57:17.140

maybe 60, 69, 69. I remember her gone into their beer garden. That time. It was deal. Not okay. You understand what I'm saying?

00:57:17.140 - 00:57:31.010

When I remember her going in there and she and these hand automate, you better get out of here. And she'd say, put me out.

00:57:31.010 - 00:57:51.530

I know Dan, police, heart of a warrior. Mrs. Joe called John Wright, who called my sister and said,

00:57:51.530 - 00:58:02.590

your mother is added again. Get it. She's down there and she's down at now. Mind you, we only live

00:58:02.590 - 00:58:18.870

two blocks from from the beer garden. And I think that's when reality first sent him to me about, about segregation.

00:58:18.910 - 00:58:33.480

Because I'm doing here in the liquor store and buy all the runtime beer that they that they want to pay back debt during that time.

00:58:33.480 - 00:58:47.180

But they can go in here and sit in the bar. But their kids in there. How come the kids can go and everybody adults can go in there.

00:58:47.180 - 00:59:02.650

You understand? That's where it really started. Bring it all home for me. So I just say that to say this, you know,

00:59:02.650 - 00:59:21.590

she was not only just an activist for the people, she was an activist for what she wanted. She knows. Lost Cause the right spot.

00:59:21.590 - 00:59:31.640

Divorce. She wanted to be in there. Right. You wouldn't go and duplicate? Yes. And and and and give

00:59:31.640 - 00:59:44.690

you give you that time on that integrated that bore. Wow. Yeah, Joe finally gave in. Alright, he gave in

00:59:44.690 - 00:59:57.620

and they integrated the bar. But the whites, they slowly, sadly moved out, you know, moved down to forensic real. Real.

00:59:57.620 - 01:00:09.120

No worries. That's it right there on government prints. And 14. Cross one again? Yeah.

01:00:09.120 - 01:00:16.820

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Exactly. Started go on in there, I guess. We saw working on their hands and

01:00:16.820 - 01:00:26.110

they had to be there to be hamburgers like this, right? For like 35. Right. Which you can go to the back door.

01:00:26.110 - 01:00:32.930

You can go or at the back door. She couldn't go to the front door and the front door. And I saw people always

01:00:32.930 - 01:00:38.240

think this down South and it was here too. Yes. Yeah. So you've got to look at some of the pictures.

01:00:38.240 - 01:00:49.700

Did you tell him about the project? Yeah. I mean, I see lot of downtime view or side view

01:00:49.700 - 01:00:59.790

of the Canadian nice.