Transcript [page 1] Reflections on the Life of Negroes in Newark 1910-1916 An Address delivered to the Frontiers Club on February 16, 1972 Mr. President and Yokefellows, This is Negro History Week. Jim King asked me if I would talk to you tonight on the life of Negroes in decades past because he knew that for more than sixty years I have been associated with this city, sometimes in a very intimate manner. I suspect that some of you are wondering – and not without good reason – why I have chosen such a short time – six years, 1910-1916, to talk about us when the fact is that our ancestors have been citizens here for full three centuries. Well, I have what I believe to be a perfectly logical reason for restricting the time span. In fact, there are three reasons. [page 2] One. Until 1916 life among us was a rather staid, even and unexciting thing. In three centuries_ we had developed a pattern of getting along, and it seemed to work well for us. There was little of going across the line and mixing with whites except in a condescending or patronizing manner. There were discriminations, prejudices, restrictions, prohibitions. These were sometimes a little deeper than being merely superficial. But they never penetrated themselves to the depth of “race hatred”. We had an accommodating tolerance of one another. Two. For much of that period 1910-1916, I lived in Newark. It was the period between which I had graduated college at Lincoln University, and before going off to Yale University for furthering my education. I was, I believe, the only young Negro at that time who had finished from a reputable college. Furthermore, I had a good job. I was a waiter in the W.B. Day Restaurant. [page 3] These two things combined gave me a tremendous advantage. People deferred to me in manners of respect far in excess of what I deserved. But I was alert and I observed all that was going on about me, much of it I am sure sank in very deep. Three. In 1916, life in Newark for every one changed dramatically. The war in Europe was on. We would soon enter_ it. Newark, with its diversity of manufactories, was called upon to produce a vast variety of war materiels. Our factories needed new workers. Thousands of Negroes came to Newark to fill industrial needs. From that moment, this city has never ceased changing in race relations. The census of 1910 gives 9475 as the Negro population of Newark. Where did they live? _ I. Negroes were scattered in large and small patches all over the oldest part of the city. [Page 4] Looking at a city map_ one can easily identify the streets on which they lived. For instance, beginning in the Ironbound one would see patch I (patches?)_ 1. Oliver, South, Thomas, Pennington, East Kinney, Chesnut. 2. Congress, Union, Prospect, New York Avenue. 3. The Island, Lockwood, Esther._ Skipping across the railroad. 4. Vanderpool, Miller, Emmett, Astor, Sherman, Brunswick 5. Mulberry, Camp, Scott, Kinney, Elm, Cottage, Beach, Austin, Tichenor. 6. West Kinney, Halsey, Nevada, Beecher, Washington, Longworth, Crawford, Coe’s Place, Marshall, Plane, Baldwin. 7. Shipman, Arlington, Augusta. 8. Quitman, Monmouth, Somerset, West, Barclay, Broome, Charlton, Prince, Spruce, Waverly, Boyd, Livingston, Morton, Kinney. 9. Norfolk, Rankin, Beacon, Richmond, Rutgers, Hampden Place, Bank, Howard, Wicliffe, Academy, Wilsey (?), Camden, Littleton, Fairmount. 10. Warren, Summit, Searing (?), Bank, [page 5] Arch, Lock, Orleans, Colden, Hoyt, 11. Comes Alley, Pierson Place, Bank, Academy, Plane, Campbell Street. 12. Boyden, Sussex, Burnett, 13. Sheffield, Stenl (for Stengel?), Summer, Crane, Division, Orange, James, 14. North 5th – North 6th. No Negroes lived in Forest Hill. There were none in Roseville, nor _ Vailsburg(h), nor Woodside. The Weequahic section as we now know it was Lyons Farms. It was literally a farm with at least two large dairies, and truck farming covering wide areas. II. How did they earn their living? A safe guess would be that at least 80% of Negro wage earners were employed in domestic service. For women, the percentage would be even higher. _ They were cooks, waiters, butlers, valets, coachmen, laundresses (? But looks like lamidresses), maids, chauffuers. With but rare exceptions, all who worked in industry were just common laborers. They worked at the Flockart [page 6] Foundry, Coe’s Steel, Carnegie Steel, Benjamin (?) Atha Steel, Worthington [?] Pump, leather factories down on the Plank Road_ and along Frelinghuysen Avenue. Swifts Packing Co._ Harrison. A few worked in the construction industry and were members of the Hod (?) Carriers union. There were also two or three carpenters and a like number of brickmasons. These unions admitted negroes to membership. But steamfitters and plumbers, and also the electricians union denied membership to Negroes. The following had the so-called “good jobs”. All of them were messengers, janitors, or a combination of both. Cornelius Brown (?) Halsey Francisco were in the City Hall, Jacob King, Firemen’s Insurance, Al Fletcher, who was perhaps the only male Negro who could operate a typewriter was a real [?] secretary to an insurance company head. Mr. Kinnard [for Kinnaird?] National Newark Bank. Howard Staats (?) and Everett Reeves, Howard Bank_ [?](?), Charles [page 7] Banks, Fidelity Union, Mr. [Wm.?] Van Blake, American Insurance, Charles Ruffin, John P. O’Fake, Mutual Benefit, Allen Bland, Essex County Republican Club, George Janifer (?) McKinley School, Mr. Nesius [Nerius?] (?) North Ward Bank. James Miller was paymaster in the Water Department. Joseph H.E. Scotland was the Gaurdian of Mortgages in the Court House. Mr. Marden [WDarden?] (?) was the business agent for the Teamster’s House. In business_ serving Negroes only: A Mrs. Clark, grocery and vegetable store on Spruce street. A restaurant on Orange Street between Plane and High. John Moryck, a saloon on Academy Street. He lived on Kearney Street. Moryck had an unusual daughter, Brenda. She graduated from Barringer High School, and won a scholarship at Wellsley College, certainly the first Negro girl from Newark to attend a prestigious white school. There was the Cooks and Waiters Club on Lafayette Street. Allan Bland Jr. and Mrs. E. E. Whittington were in [Page 8] real estate. B.F. Ogburn had a little insurance company. Regniald Stewart was the representative of a rather strong insurance company whose headquarters were in Washington. Mr. Coleman was the policeman (?). Mr. Sears and Mr. Williams were mailcarriers. The widow of Mr. Williams is still alive. There were some Negroes in business to which I want to especially call your attention. They competed with whites and succeeded. For instance, there was C. M. Brown the father of our John Brown. He had a stall in the Center Market. He sold chickens. So successful was he the [for that] he obtained the sobriquet “Chicken Brown”. John M. Stoute had a printing shop on Academy Street. A Mr. Richardson was a tailor who had a shop just across the street from where we are at this moment. He made clothes for well to do whites. Mary and Frank Anderson had a restaurant and hotel business at 315 Halsey Street. Here [for Her?] patrons were largely Firemen and Policemen. Two upper floors of her three story [page 9] brick building were rented to whites as lodgers. Jacob Little had a tea and coffee business. With his horse_ and wagon he served customers all over the county. Mrs. Little conducted a little store in the basement of their house on Cottage Street. She had a facial disfigurement, the skin twisted to the right, perhaps a minor stroke. Charles Johnson who had a coal business on Congress Street. John S. Pinkman, Hampden Place, John Booth, Thomas Street, and Fletcher and Sons, New York Avenue, had very successful moving and storage businesses. Sam Holmes Arch Street, Henry Broom, Norfolk Street, Mr. Monroe, Waverly Avenue, these were painters and paper hangers. Joe Wright, Grant Reeves, and Emmett Thomas were caterers. Thomas was a most unusual man. He was totally illiterate, except in writing his name which was not legible. But his brain was phenominal. He would go to the home of a fine lady to give an estimate on a party. Very handsome, the impression made was favorable. [page 10] He took with him a pad and a half dozen pencils sticking from his coat pocket. As he talked with his prospective employer he would apparently write in the book. The fact was that all he did was to make straight marks. But when he left the whole party was in his head. The party was always executed in perfection. The Professions._ Dr. W. W. Wolfe, 319 Mulberry Street, Dr. Wormley, Marshall Street, Dr. W. H. (?), Washington, 23 Orleans Street, Dr. W. R. Granger, (?) Wallace Place. Dentists: Dr. W. P. Urling, Market Street, W. Kinnard, Thirteenth Avenue, W. R. Ford, Broad Street, near Orange Street. Nurses: Miss Eva Mulford (?), Miss Flossie Van Blake, Miss Ida Long. Teachers, Miss Mae Mulford, Miss Grace Baxter, Miss Addie Garris. Lawyers: Oliver Randolph, George A. Douglass, John B. Stannard, all had offices on Market Street, near Broad Street. Undertakers: Harry Brown, Bank Street, David C. Woody, Plane Street. [page 11] Where they went to Church. Begin in the Ironbound. Mt. Zion Baptist – Rev. Brown, minister, located on Thomas Street. The A.M.E. Z_ Church was on Oliver Street (?). This is the oldest Negro congregation in Newark. Indeed, it is one of the oldest in the country, having been organized either late in the Eighteenth Century, certainly earlier in the Nineteenth Century. It is now known as the Clinton Memorial A.M.E. Z_ Church and is on Broadway. St. James A.M.E. Church was on Union Street. Rev. Collins was its minister. Some of you remember his son, Harry Collins who had a distinguished service in France in World War I. He served as an attendent in the Judges Chambers in the Court House until his recent death. The Thirteenth Avenue Presbyterian Church was on Thirteenth Avenue and Boston Street. Its minister was Rev. Eggleston. He had a son, Frank, who was a school_mate of mine at Lincoln University. [page 12] St. Phillips Episcopal Church was on High Street, near Bleeker Street. Rev. Robert D. Brown was its minister. Another very old congregation was St. John’s M. E. Church it was on Academy Street, not a few hundred feet or so above Plane Street. Its minister was Rev. Waters. He had a son, Paul, who also was a school_mate of mine at Lincoln. Israel Memorial A.M.E. Church was on Kinney Street, between Prince and Broome. Bethany Baptist Church was on Bank Street. Rev. R.D. Wynn was the pastor. Mt. Olivet Baptist Church was on Eighth Avenue. Rev. W. W. Fleming was the preacher. He was the most cooperative minister with whom I ever worked in my many years as an Urban League Director. There was a small congregation, Bethsaida Baptist Church on Stone Street, as I remember it. In Newark, Negroes had a distinct cultural life. Certainly its most distinguished feature was the Sunday Afternoon Lyceum. [page 13] The meetings were held on Sunday afternoon[s?]. They moved from one church to another. The leader of this cultural group was Mr. Al Fletcher. There was vocal music, both groups and individuals. There were recitations from poets. Always some one recited from Paul Lawrence Dunbar. His “The Party” was a favorite. Mrs. Cooke, the mother of Sally Cooke, read one of her latest compositions. On occasions, a Negro with a wide reputation, invariably a minister or an educator would be the guest speaker. The favorite instrumentalist was Miss Clara Scudder. She was a marvel on the piano. Indeed, she had been recognized as a child projidy and was taken (?) when quite young to England to perform for royalty. There was also “Madam_ (?) Johnsons (?)” Annual Recital of her pupils. She lived on Washington Street, near William Street. She taught music and had many pupils. Each spring she paraded her pupils to an eager and waiting audience in concert. [page 14] We had a newspaper. I seem to remember its name as the Herald. It pretty well told us about all the things that were going on among us. Its editor and publisher was Mr. Sadler. (?) He lived in Montclair but the office of the paper was on Bank Street. Mrs. Sadler held office. She was a very attractive lady. Though very dark, her profile was Asiatic rather than African. She was lithe, tall and a figure that kept one’s eyes on her. How we amused ourselves. In summer, there were Hillside Park in Belleville and Dreamland Park down on Frelinghuysen Avenue. If Negroes were admitted to Dreamland at all, the entrance fee was double that of whites. We did go freely to Hollywood Park in Maplewood and to the Velodrome on South Orange Avenue. Also, there were trotting races at Waverly Park, and boating on the lake in Weequahic Park. Summer’s biggest event was the ex- [page 15] cursion to Bellewood (?) Park. This was somewhere In Pennslyvania. We went on the Lehigh Valley Railroad. There was a joke which said that on the day of this excursion not a chicken could be bought in Newark for the picnickers had purchased them all for feasts around the crude tables in the park. In winter there was Proctor’s Theatre. We were always told to go to the balcony. Few went to _ Miners. Few went to the Court or Blaney’s (?) But the real events were the dances given by Alice McDonald and her Orchestra. There wasn’t a ragtime musician in the county who was better than Alice McDonald. The dances were held in the Auditorium on Orange Street near Broad. Another great winter attraction was the Annual Ball of the Knights of Pythias. (?) If we ate away from home we could go only to Waldorf’s on Market Street, near Broad. To Grant’s Lunch, a one story building on the corner of Plane and Market Streets, a Greek lunch [page 16] room on Market Street between Washington and Plane Streets. Mrs. A. V. Jefferson, a tall and robust loud mouthed into every_one’s business woman had a cook shop on Washington Street, near Court Street. We had our clubs and organizations. There was the Owe [?] club (?). These were young men in sports. Our own James Fultz was a member. They had a cracker-jack basketball team[s?]. There were the Elks, Pythias, _ Masons. An unique literary club was the Phyllis Wheatley Literary Club. Organized in 1910, it is still a very alive organization. Mrs. Musette Gregory was the founder. With her were Mrs. George A. Douglass, Mrs. R. D. Brown, Mrs. W. R. Granger (?), Mrs. James M. Baxter. There was the Saturday Night Men’s Club. I remember Mr. Sears, J? [John?] Miller, Mr. Williams – his widow is still alive – Emmett Thomas, John Stout, Lansing Nevius. There were the Fan-Tans (?). This was the high society expression? among Negroes in North Jersey. An invitation to the [page 17] exclusive closed dance given annually by the Fan-Tans was positive proof that one’s social status among us was assured. The women in the Club were beautiful – very beautiful – all of _ them. Susie Travis, Bertha Cotton, Libby Alexander, Bessie Wolfe, Lottie Cooper, Belle Shearer, Abby Nevius, Emma Wormsley, Grace Baxter, Lillian Johnson. We had our politicians. What were contempously called “little peanut politicians” were numerous. They, like ants in spring, came out making noise just before an election, and disappeared the night the last ballot was cast. But there were others who played it as a way of life. Asa Gibson, Allan Blake Sr., John T. Cheschire. Cheschire was an odd one. Always impeccably dressed, he wore a wing collar with an ascot tie, his kid leather shoes shining as if lacquered. No one ever knew [page 18] him to do one day’s work. Yet, he always had a dollar. _ He lived with Mrs. James Lightfoot on New Street. There (were) all sorts of rumors about that. I have given you a rather accurate picture of what life was among us up until 1916. Now I want to close with three personal statements. I. It is time that we disillusioned our youth of a fancy which they accept as fact. They superiorly boast that all the changes in Negro life for the better began only yesterday with them. It is a sad and erroneous illusion. If the house we now occupy is strong, it is because _ the people I have described to you laid a foundation of solid rock. II. I believe we should call a halt to the endless emphasis on “blackness”. I rush to admit [page 19] that identifying it and no longer being ashamed of it has given us a unity and dignity which were so long denied us. _ But I also believe that harping upon it without let up is causing us to erect an unscalable fence which will separate us from the other people in the country. Not only would that be wrong, it will inevitably lead to disaster. if it keeps on, I am sure that I shall hear that some Negro went to the supermarket and demanded his pound of pork chops be black, or that he will tell God that unless he can start off tomorrow morning with a black sun in the east, don’t bother to start the day at all. III. We are all Newarkers. We live here, we work here or both. Our town is sick. But its illness is not incurable, nor will it die. But we, right here are its doctors. If it is to get well, we must write its prescriptions.