Historically Speaking
Published
by The Afro-American Historical Association of the
Niagara
Frontier
, P.O. Box
63, Buffalo
NY
14207
Sharon
Holley and Madeline Scott, Editors
Volume
24 Number
2
October 2000
BUFFALO
STATE
COLLEGE APPOINTS HISTORIAN
Buffalo State College has announced the appointment
of Dr. Felix L. Armfield to the college’s Department of History and Social
studies Education. He will fill the
vacancy left by the retirement of Monroe Fordham.
Dr. Armfield earned an M.A. in American History from
North Carolina
Central
University
, and a Ph.D. in
History from
Michigan
State
University
.
For the past 5 years Armfield was a member of the History Department at
Western
Illinois
University
.
Dr. Armfield stated that he was
attracted to the Buffalo State College position because of the longstanding
partnership between the college’s History Department and the Afro-American
Historical Association in building the “Buffalo Afro-American Collection.”
He stated that that collaborative work is well known among scholars in
the fields of African-American Studies, and he looks forward to becoming
involved with it.
Dr. Armfield brings a wealth of
experience in archival related work in African-American History.
He established a repository on “Black Life in West Central Illinois”
at
Western
Illinois
University
.
He participated in a National Endowment for the Humanities project
sponsored by
Duke
University
to collect oral
history testimony from southern blacks who had been involved in the civil rights
movement. He has also participated
in workshops on “Using Archival Primary Sources for Social Welfare History
Teaching and Research.”
Dr.
Armfield’s doctoral dissertation was a biography of Eugene Kinckle Jones, a
pioneer in the black social work movement (the book length manuscript on Jones
is currently under consideration for publication by a University press).
During the past year Armfield was Associate Editor of the Journal
of the
Illinois
State
Historical Society. In
the summer 2000, he was an NEH fellow at a Harvard University Institute on
“Civil Rights History.” At
Buffalo
State
, Armfield will teach
courses on American History and
African-American History.
MESSAGE
FROM THE NEW PRESIDENT
Wanda
Hackney
As we celebrate our 26 years of existence, I can
not help but look back at the leadership that has preceded me. I ask myself
"Can I come up to their expectations"... I realize each of us embraced
the same values and preached the same message; "Tell the story, tell the
story, tell the story."
We
have come very far in history and have a very rich and successful story to tell
to our children and our children’s children. We as an organization must reach
out and tell the story to our young people so that they may realize from whence
they came.
The
happiest people in this world are those who live in the present, not forgetting
the past and looking forward to the future. In remembering the past, we must
re-access the extent to which our great American dream of equality and inclusion
for all has been accomplished. While we acknowledge the progress that has been
made, we must be mindful that there
still remains much to be done. As your president I will renew my resolve to work
even harder in the quest of that precious goal.
The dreams of our fathers of yesteryear for equal opportunity and a
brighter future for all is still our hope today.
I pledge that during my term, the Afro-American Historical Association
will continue its efforts to keep an accurate record of our journey toward those
ends.
Tell
the story, tell the story, tell the story, and let it be heard far and wide.
And let our story inspire our children to honor their history and always
do their best.
JOURNAL
ON ETHNIC NEWSWATCH
The Afro-American Historical Association’s Journal, Afro Americans in
New York
Life and History may now be viewed on line (and in full text) from
the Ethnic Newswatch Database. The
database hosts many of the nation’s ethnic periodicals and may be accessed
from most libraries. Currently, the database has the full-text articles and book
reviews from the July 1999 and the January 2000 issues.
Forthcoming and back issues will also be added.
Locally, the Ethnic Newswatch Database may be accessed from any of
fifteen Buffalo & Erie County branch libraries as well as the Central
Library.
ANTHONY
BURNS GRAVESTONE
Parks
Canada installed a protective covering to the gravestone of Rev. Anthony Burns,
an escaped slave whose arrest in
Boston
in 1854 became an
abolitionist rallying point. Burns
was pastor of
Zion
Baptist
Church
and an integral part
of the St. Catherines, Ont. community in the 1860s.
His freedom was bought by abolitionists in
Boston
after a court ruled
that he had to be returned to his master in
Virginia
.
He studied theology at
Oberlin
College
in
Ohio
before settling in
St. Catherines in 1860, when he became pastor of
Zion
Church
.
He died in 1862 and is buried at
Victoria
Lawn
Cemetery
.
Both
Zion
Church
and his gravesite at
Victoria
Lawn
Cemetery
are stops on
Canada
’s Freedom Trail. (
Buffalo
News,
9/16/00
).
WHO
WAS JESSE CLIPPER?
Sharon
Holley
With pomp and circumstance in May of 1935, the area
at the intersection of
Michigan Avenue
and
William Street
was designated as
Jesse Clipper Square
in honor of Jesse Clipper, the first African American to die during World War 1
(March 21, 1919). According to the Buffalo
Courier Express (May 31, 1935), Ralph S. Freeman and Clarence Harper of the
Jesse Clipper Post 430 were co-chairpersons of the ceremonies that included a
parade with a 50-piece Negro band under the leadership of Raymond Jackson, the
marching unit of the Post and color guards from Canadian Post of Buffalo,
Piewacki Post, Columbian Post, Boland Post, Lorenzo Burrows, Jr. Post and Sea
Cadets of Welland, Ontario.
In
April, 1937, a monument was erected in
Jesse Clipper Square
and dedicated to “Negroes who gave their lives and who fought valorously in
the wars prosecuted by the
United States
since its independence.” The Buffalo
Courier Express (April 16, 1937)
reported that a petition to the Common Council from Jesse Clipper Post 430,
American Legion stated: “Be it resolved: that we the members of Jesse Clipper
Post 430, American Legion, having the progress, civic betterment and
beautification of the City of Buffalo uppermost in our hearts, and being
desirous of paying further tribute to that Negro soldier for whom our post has
been named, and being anxious to honor all of our fellow men and women who have
so valiantly served our country during periods of major strife, namely, War of
Revolution, War of 1812, Spanish-American War and World War, do humbly petition
the Common Council of the City of Buffalo for permission to erect a memorial
bearing suitable inscription, in Jesse Clipper Square.”
The
actual inscription reads: “In Memory of the valiant service of Negroes in all
wars of these
United States of America
to the Glory of God.” In
subsequent years,
World War II
,
Korea
and
Viet Nam
has been added to the monument. The
square is now a triangular park that flies the U.S. flag and is flanked by trees
and benches.
Before
service to his country, Jesse Clipper served as Vice-President of Colored
Musicians Local No. 533 in 1917. However,
aside from these few notices, there has not been much information about the man
and soldier who inspired the naming of an American Legion Post, city park and
monument in his honor. If you have
more information about Jesse Clipper, please share it with the Afro American
Historical Association and send it to the Association’s address.
(Thanks
to Questions by John Nash that inspired this report. Thanks also for information
from Cynthia Van Ness, Special Collections Dept. BECPL and Claudia Yates,
Extention Services Dept., BECPL.
EARLY
20th CENTURY BLACK
PUBLICATIONS
Madeline
O. Scott
While
cleaning out the attic of my mother’s recently sold home, I came across a
February 10, 1934
issue of the
Pittsburgh
Courier. That reminded me of how this
African American newspaper was like a cultural lifeline to the small and
scattered black populations residing in early 20th century
northern rural areas and small towns.
In my family’s case, a black family in Portville, NY would order a
supply of papers and deliver them to my family, and other blacks in Olean,
Portville and in nearby Allegany County. Those
people were hungry for news about
other African Americans and looked forward to receiving their copy of the
paper.
I
will always remember that wonderful day when I went to the white neighborhood
store and discovered the magazine, Our
World, on the magazine rack. I
had never seen a magazine for blacks. Our
World only lasted for a few years, but it had wonderful articles about
celebrities and other successful black people.
I remember that I would read every article and would count the days for
the next issue.
The
1934 issue of the Pittsburgh Courier
had articles on lynching, executions, employment issues, and news about black
celebrities. One article was about
women in
Harlem
working on plans to
elect a woman to Congress. The
organization, “Harlem Congressional League,” adopted an eleven point
platform (listed as follows).
(1)
To
sponsor a woman for Congress.
(2)
To
support the best qualified candidate for public office regardless of Party
affiliation.
(3)
To urge
redistricting of
Harlem
.
(4)
To
promote a school of politics.
(5)
To
investigate civic conditions.
(6)
To
protest at all times racial restrictions and injuries.
(7)
To
secure permanent headquarters.
(8)
To
encourage naturalization.
(9)
To
develop larger fellowship with community organizations.
(10)
To conduct a continuous campaign of publicity through race papers.
(11)
To insist upon the equal recognition of women in public affairs.
This article caused me to reflect on the fact that there have been groups, ever
since blacks gained the right to vote, who have worked to increase black
participation in the voting process. That
is still the case today.
CANDIDATES
NIGHT
On November 1st, the
Buffalo NAACP will co-sponsor their 2nd “Candidates Night” with
the YWCA and other groups. The
public is invited. There will be an
opportunity to meet and question the political candidates who are seeking office
in this years election. Persons
requiring absentee ballots or a ride to the polls should call the NAACP at
884-7242 or fax 884-7243.
CARTER
G. WOODSON ESSAY CONTES
“African
American Artists in
Western New York
” is the theme for the 24th
Annual Carter G. Woodson Essay Contest for 2001.
The contest is open to all young people in grades 4-12 who write on the
topic in 500 words or less. Essays
may be written about an African American artist or craft person, living or
deceased, who lived or worked in
Buffalo
or the
Western New York
area.
Details of the contest will be forthcoming on flyers available in
November from the North Jefferson Branch Library,
332 East Utica Street
. Cash
prizes and certificates will be awarded to the winners at the African American
History Program in February 2001 at the North Jefferson Branch Library.
WILLIAM
WELLS BROWN PROJECT
The
Afro-American Historical Association of the Niagara Frontier will work with the
students of
First
Shiloh
Christian
High School
and community youth to develop the William Wells Brown Project.
The Project is designed to foster historical awareness about the African
American abolitionist and Underground Railroad conductor who lived in
Buffalo
,
New York
in the 1800s.
Students will be asked to read the works of Williams Wells Brown and
develop information to enhance Heritage Tourism around his marker, located in
front of
First
Shiloh
Missionary
Baptist
Church
,
15 Pine Street
.
NATIONAL
STORYTELLING FESTIVAL & CONFERENCE
The 18th Annual National Black Storytelling
Festival and Conference, “In The Tradition…” will be held at the Hyatt
Regency Hotel in
Rochester
,
New York
on November 15-19. The theme of
this year’s festival, “Preserving Wisdom…Passing It on,” is sponsored by
the National Association of Black Storytellers, Inc. and hosted by Black
storytelling League of Rochester, Inc. The
event will gather African American storytellers from across the country and
other areas of the African diaspora to perform and conduct workshops on the oral
tradition of storytelling. For more
information, contact David Anderson/Sankofa at 716-482-5192 or in
Buffalo
: Sharon Holley 716-858-7153 or Karima Amin 716-843-8438.
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