[Marxism] Paul Robeson House to be Restored

[Brian Shannon <Brian_Shannon@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Paul Robeson House to be Restored

The Paul Robeson House in West Philadelphia is the recent recipient of 
a restoration grant from a partnership between the National Trust for 
Historic Preservation, Save America's Treasures and Home & Garden 
Television. HGTV will showcase the Robeson House during its 2005 TV 
season as one of twelve of America's most important historic places 
being restored.

FULL AT
http://www.preservationalliance.com/news_robeson.php#page_top

_______________

This same site (Preservation Alliance) hosts a history of "THE AFRICAN 
AMERICAN CHURCH IN PHILADELPHIA." It begins with:
http://www.preservationalliance.com/rise_sec2.php#page_top

To advance the story, change "sec2" to "sec3" to the end. There doesn't 
appear to be a sec1 and no author is credited.

I found sec5 to be of particular interest. First, because it 
contradicts any notion that the North was racially tolerant compared to 
the South--accepting, of course, that there were significant 
differences; second, because Philadelphia in 1932 was a focus for labor 
and socialist organizing. It would be of historic interest to see if 
these intertwined movements took any part in the following protest:

"A case from 1933 exemplifies the role the church played in social 
organization in the inter-war period. In the Berwyn School District in 
Montgomery County about 20 miles west of Philadelphia, a new school was 
constructed at a cost of some $250,000, but black parents of Easttown 
and Tredyffrin Townships were told that their children would not be 
able to attend on account of their skin color. They were told instead 
that the district would place their children in a smaller segregated 
school for black children. Complaining that the new school had been 
built with the help of their tax money, and that the Jim Crow school 
for black children would be inferior to the new Berwyn school, the 
parents refused to send their children to school at all, an act of 
defiance which cost the school district money, and flouted the 
traditions of the primarily white communities on the Montgomery 
County's Main Line. Police arrested several parents for their violation 
of state law, and many chose to spend nights in prison than pay their 
fines. Compounding the problems was head of the school boards, Norman 
Greene, a notorious racist, who believed that integrated schools would 
lead to integrated marriages, which would thus degrade white 
communities. He was quoted as saying, “I would not like to see my 
children and grandchildren married to niggers,” and further that, 
“Niggers are like parrots, and they have to be led and we are only 
striving to make better citizens of them by keeping them segregated and 
together.” The Philadelphia Tribune followed the story each week on its 
front page to keep the black population abreast of the events. Black 
residents of Philadelphia were outraged by the treatment of blacks the 
city's western suburbs and began organizing a protest campaign, which 
was centered in the city's black churches.

"The Bryn Mawr and Philadelphia branches of the NAACP sponsored a mass 
meeting in May 1933 at Union Baptist Church on 19th and Fitzwater. The 
giant rally featured Rev. James E. Kirkland, Pastor of Union Baptist 
and an outspoken opponent of segregation, as the principle speaker. At 
the meeting, which drew some 2,000 participants, the crowd unanimously 
adopted resolutions denouncing segregation in Pennsylvania and urging 
the Attorney General to 'join with the parents in their fight for basic 
American principles.' At regular Sunday morning services that week in 
black congregations in the city similar measures were taken. At Mt. 
Olivet Tabernacle Baptist at 42nd and Wallace, the congregation passed 
a resolution urging the Attorney General to protect the black parents 
in the Berwyn district, and forwarded their message to him via 
telegram. As the protest moment continued into the following year, 
Union Baptist held another protest with and estimated 5,000 
participants, many of whom marched silently through Germantown past the 
home of the State Attorney General. Although their efforts were only 
partially successful, it is important to note that the main vehicles of 
protest for the movement were the black churches, which served as both 
meeting places and conduits for the dissemination of knowledge about 
the movement."

from Brian Shannon


_______________________________________________
Marxism mailing list
Marxism@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxism