The Westerner: 1953 Booker T Washington Yearbook Phx Ariz

What a great pictorial history when you have a yearbook from years past that reflect and highlight the people you know. I was over joyed when my friend Gerald Jones shared his sister Gloria's 1953 class yearbook.

I wonder where some of these people are today and what has happened in the turning point of their lives since leaving these halls of Booker T Washington School in Phoenix Arizona. What legacy did they leave for their families and communties be it large or small and did they carry on and appy what they were taught.

Gloria was the Editor in Chief of The Westerner and is the daughter of Reginald and Thelma Jones.

Mr Mason was my art teacher and also a member of the IBPOE of W on south 7th Ave where I was affiliated once upon a time. He is a wonderful human being along with his wife of many years Helen.

I wrote a prior blog where I had mentioned Ms Daniels my homemaking teacher. Ms Daniels has gone on to Glory now as well as her husband Haze Daniels who was a prominent civil rights attorney here in Phoenix.

These are the graduates from 1953 (click on images to enlarge)

Lee Limbs became a United States Deputy Sheriff. R.I.P. Lee

Everyone knew those Tucker guys Ned and Fred especially the girls who always said Ned and Fred in the same breath with "cute"

If those Vann's aren't related to Sandy Vann I don't know who is. I bet those are her aunts. They could all pass for twins.

Just a lil shoutout to George Jr son of George and Merry Hamilton Whitfield

A Booker T Washington Quote: Character Is Power

Library of Congress picture


a special thanks again to Gerald Jones for the use of these images from the yearbook. I wish that I could have posted more but they were too hard to see with clarity.

Arizona's Two: Jumping Over Hurdles, Pitching Through The Times

My grandson Tyler is one of the many youngsters who run track and play sports. Not long ago I sat for two days watching over 1200 young people from not only Arizona but other states like California. They range from 5 years old to around 16 years. 

 I am amazed at the stamina they have when they run the long races like the 1200 and how good their form is when they run sprints, hurdles and other events.

And as any parent or grandparent would do, I started to tell my grands how good I was in sports. I am still wondering why they got up and went to the food stand.  Heck, I ran track in school and even played softball both slow and fast pitch. 

Now you have track clubs,  football  and softball clinics. and other avenues to compete in even before you get into high school.

Such opportunities they have now as compared to way back when and it got me to thinking about Arizona and down the road from Phoenix to Tucson.

Jumping Over Hurdles:  Joe Batiste

Originally from Lake Charles La, Ernest and Loretta  Batiste moved to Arizona  in 1926 for a better life. Their sons Ernest, Joe, Frank and Fred were all athletes who took Arizona by storm.  I am not sure if daughters Halle and Florine were athletes but I bet they  would have been  good ones.

Joe Batiste was not allowed to participate in football  at the high school at first because of his race. It wasn’t until Mesa High School  tried to get Batiste away that Tucson High allowed him to play.

Joe really wanted to play football so his refusal to run track unless he was allowed to play football was another factor in finally getting a shot  to play.  Way to Go Joe!!!

Just to show you how good he was in track,  Batiste set a world record in the 120 yd high hurdles in 14.0 seconds in 1939.

The American team  that went to Europe had their games cut short when the Germans invaded Poland.  When Joe and the American team came home, Joe was honored with a parade in Tucson.

Batiste qualified for the 1940 and 1944 United States Olympic teams as a hurdler and a decathlete, but the war forced the cancellation of those games also.

Joe was considered one of the best athletes that came out of Tucson.  Even as good as Joe  was, he was held back on getting a scholarship because of the color of his skin and the prejudices of the then coach of the University of Arizona. 

He was inducted in the Pima County Sports Hall of Fame  in 1990.

 

Batiste Enlisted in the Army in 1942, served his country and came back to all the trials that he had endured before he left.

 

Joe Passed away at the age of 38.

 

 

Pitching Through The Times:  Billie Harris

Billie Harris originally from Tucson was the first African American woman to play in a professional all women's softball league in Arizona.  She was an out standing left handed pitcher who had a batting average of 260,  pitched 4 perfect games and 70 no hitters in her career.

Harris played for a team called the Sunshine Girls in 1948. When they played a game in Phoenix against the Ramblers. In 1950 she came on board with the Ramblers.
I got a chance to see Billie Harris pitch at Rambler Field in Phoenix.  She pitched so fast that I could hardly see the ball .
The softball team I played for "The Mesa Cactus Wrens" had  games at Rambler field also.  We were one of the teams that played before the big games.

Billie's softball fast pitch career lasted for over 28 yrs and an amazing 6 decade player with all her other accolades such as coaching at Mesa Community College.


Ms Harris was inducted into the National Softball Hall of Fame in 1982 and in the Arizona Sports Hall in 2010. 

Reverend Doctor C. C. Somerville And Me: Similarly Speaking

last Saturday I was sitting around wondering where I wanted to go for my birthday dinner. My daughter Latisha and grand kids Taylor and Tyler will foot the bill, even though I am sure the grands will pretend to foot the bill. Tyler and Taylor may spring for the tip.

It sure would be nice if some of the old places that were open back in the day were still in existence; places like Hodges or Town Talk Bar-B-Que. The Closest Stop Cafe that was located right next to First Institutional Baptist Church would even be nice.
Since I don't have any one those options I think that I would love to have some good hot wings from Native New Yorker in Chandler.

My mind also did more travelling as I wondered who all I knew had March Birthdays especially on the 16th and what similarities we may have in common. Strange as it sounds I went to a friends great grandfather who happened to be born in March and on the 16th!!! so I began to dig..

Reverend. C. C. Somerville born on March 16, 1859 in North Carolina: check out this biography see  History Of American Negro.

Similarity:  My great grand father was born in North Carolina and I was born on March 16th 19 hundred and something something. 

Here is the 1870 census Warren County NC with parents and other siblings. Click on image line  26 -30

In 1910 the Reverend is in Portsmouth with his wife Addie and children : see lines 28-36

Reverend C. C. Somerville became a minister and served at many churches one being Ebenezer Baptist Church in Portsmouth Virginia

Similarity:  My grandfather J. P. Daviss became a minister and served at Little Flock Baptist Church.  Me, I went to church on many an occasion and I could say I went at one time to the same church as his grands First Institutional Baptist Church (does that count)

Rev C C's grandchildren lived in AZ : GO CARDS!

Similarity: Reverend J. P. 's grands also lived in AZ and only a block over on 24th and West Washington I might add

Oops, my bad!!  I meant to say 

Reverend C.C. was a publisher of a weekly newspaper The Vigil in Portsmouth Va. The slogan was so right on target. Much To Fight For.

Similarity: I read and glean news from weeklies from back in the day and I write little sayings ( I know that should count)

Highly Favored Savored Sayings by Vicky Daviss Mitchell :  Blind affection is hauntingly  problematic for the soul. Wake up your senses, they are there for the long haul.

Attending many Conferences Reverend  C.C. Somerville was well known for his sermons and lectures. One of his most famous sermons was "The Rooster With Two Dead Heads."
He also wrote several books, The Farmers Boy, My Brothers, and Uncrowned Queen : a treatise on the Negro woman Of America.

This one's for you Gerald and your soulmate MaryEllen.  Arizona had to weep when you two moved away to California.

  

Happy Birthday Reverend Doctor C.C. Somerville ... I would like to think he smiled and said " Same to you Vicky"  

Man Of Steel, Man Of Might: Arizona's John Henry Lewis

John Henry is a black man who has been portrayed as a real man and also as myth. Be he real or a myth he is represented in song as a man of strength who helped in the building of laying tracks for railroads.

A steel driving man they say bigger than life. He was said to weld a 30 or 40 lb hammer as he raced along side steam powered drills. He and others like him used hammers and other tools to forge through mountains and rock. He died doing what he did best. Driving Steel!!!

This leads me to another John Henry. John Henry Lewis!. This one is from Phoenix Arizona. He did not forge through mountains and tunnels to build the railroads but he used his hard as a rock fists to pound through opponents and fight his way to become the Light heavy weight Champion.

John Henry born May 1st,1918 to John E and Mattie Lewis.

The family moved to Phoenix Arizona from Los Angeles when he two years old.  At the age of four John Henry already had a pair of special made gloves to fit his hands.

As a youngster he and his brother Christy attended Booker T Washington grade school.
After school they would rush home so they could box and train with their dad. People in the industry were amazed with John Henry's boxing skills as well as his brother Christy.

Listed below is the 1920 census when the family lived on East Washington Street. John Henry's father is listed as a barber and actually learned his trade from his father Nathaniel (click to enlarge)

In 1930 the family was still living on East Washington but without father John. (click to enlarge)

When the brothers attended Phoenix Union High School they were in the school band and also were adept in all sports.

As John Henry matured he won fight after fight after fight as shown in this Pittsburg Courier news article in October 1932

and again in  San Francisco in August of 1933 he showed them what he could do to an established fighter

John Henry has quite the family. His father John is an accomplished trainer who has managed quite a few boxers. He was born on Feb 14th 1850 in Akron Ohio to Nathaniel Christy Lewis and his grandmother Almira G Griffin was active in the underground Railroad.

His fathers uncle was Tom Molyneaux who won his freedom by fighting and eventually fought for the championship in England.

 Born in 1784 to parents enslaved by a wealthy Virginian plantation owner named Molyneux, Tom because of his size and strength was selected to engage in prizefighting matches with enslaved men from neighboring estates, a practice common during that era.  Often planters bet substantial sums of money on the outcome. Tom ultimately participated in a match involving a wager of $100,000.  When he won his grateful owner granted him his freedom and a present of $500.

One of his other uncles, John Lewis of Youngstown Ohio, was considered one of the greatest fighters to ever come out of Ohio.

I remember other fighters that came out of Arizona. Fighters like Zora Foley who had his chance when he fought Ali.

Although this next fighter is not from Arizona, it is worth the mention that Lewis and Louis both were fighters. He was born May 14th,1914,the same month as John Henry Lewis.

Hokey Pokey And Ballin' The Jack

Memories are awesome! Two old friends Gerald Jones and Hazel Landrum Williams both live out of town and from time to time memories come out of those conversations I have had with them and Erv Campbell. 

Hazel saw a picture I had posted on another site and asked me to keep them coming because it took her back in time.

I visualized the area of the picture I posted and thought of Eastlake Park, Booker T Washington School and Maxine Johnson! 

Maxine Johnson sure could sing so I thought I would dig around and see what I could find.  

If you were black you know that was the time you could sit downstairs and not in the balcony. 

Oh sure we loved the show but we know who we really came to see. We know that once we heard that little ball of fire singing we could sing right along with her.

First you put your two knees close up tight
You swing them to the left and then you swing them to the right
Step around the floor kinda nice and light
And then you twist around, twist around with all of your might
Spread your lovin’ arms way out in space
You do the eagle rock with such style and grace
You put your left foot out and then you bring it back
That’s what I call ballin’ the jack  

In a way, Maxine was supposed to be into Music. Her mother played the piano over at First Institutional Church and one of her brothers McKinley was in a band.

When Mrs Johnson could not make it to church to play the piano, her daughter Jerri stepped in.  I can imagine how proud her parents McKinley Sr and Jessie Johnson were of her and of all their children. 

I can't remember if her other siblings Shirley, Wilford or Jerri could carry a note, but I hear that Maxine's girls can really sing. 

Maxine has sung with the best of them, singers like Wayne Newton, Louie Armstrong and Louis Jordon.

I also found this clipping that was in the Pittsburg Courier!! Way to go Mack!

Maxine and I were in Ms. Crumps room at Booker T and also in Ms Daniels cooking class. 
As good as  Maxine could sing, if she did not put in the exact portion of flour or sugar that the recipe called for she could not sing her way out of the wrath of Ms Daniels. LOL

Speaking of Booker T and incidents, Mr Mason our art teacher let us out for recess early one day and a few of us went to the playground to play "spans" a marble game. 

Mitchell Wesley, Maxine, Leonard Caldwell, my cousin Patricia Grant, Mary Matone (the only non african american in the group) and me all had marbles. Well to make a long story short, Mitchell Wesley got beat by a girl....me!

The next thing I knew embarrassed Mitchell Wesley threw a rock, hit me in the forehead and caused me to bled profusely messing up my clothes. I can remember Fred Hogue and Ruthie Mae McNeely laughing.

When I got home, I got it again because I had worn a brand new skirt with the poodle on the front my mom had just bought the day before.

My skirt was now ruined and mom was fuming mad. Not only because of that but because I was down on my knees in the dirt playing marbles. (lol)

Its been years since I have seen Maxine or have heard her sing.

My friends tell me that she still belts out the blues like only she can. However I do think of her every year because we share the same birth month give or take a few days. Plus, she has a rare talent that has been enjoyed for so many years by so many people.

I hope some of the people we grew up with and have moved away will see this post, smile and remember the good times and don't forget to do the "Hokey Pokey" while you are at it.

Phoenix Arizona: 19th Street and Broadway

I have been thinking recently of all the people I have known through out the years, and of all the stories I have heard and have reflected on. This blog is about those people and those stories. Some famous and some not so famous.

One of the memories that I hold dear are the friends I had in my various neighborhoods. We lived in several places but the one that comes to mind at this particular moment is 19th street which crosses Broadway Rd in Phoenix Arizona. My kids think that I have a finger that is stuck in a pointed direction because they say that every time we pass by, I point in a southerly direction and say " I used to live at that 4th house" and " Ole mean Ms Cross" Actually now that I think back, Ms Cross maybe wasn't so mean. She may have just been one of the keepers of the village and saw to it that I got my spanking, even though I knew I wasn't even doing nothing. Shoot, Ole mean Ms Cross! LOL

On Broadway there was an irrigation ditch that ran on the side of the road. We used to swing back and forth on a rope that we had tied to the trees.
We were also privy to gobs and gobs of pomegranates that grew freely all up and down the ditch.

Those trees contained a multitude of June bugs too. We would catch them,tie them with string and watch them fly. We caught lightning bugs and put them in a jar and lady bugs in our hand as we said that rhyme ' lady bug, lady bug, fly away home. We were always amazed that the lady bugs packed up and flew away as soon as we said that. Would I have done that if I really knew what I was looking at through adult eyes.LOL

Mr Brooks Brewer the man who lived next door to us sure kept a pretty yard. He was constantly watering his flowers. Now that I think about it, that constant watering happened when my mother who was gorgeous came out to talk to us kids. Mr Brooks Brewer would run out, cut on the water and smile. Sometimes the water would spray in the opposite direction because he was so busy smiling and not paying attention to where he was aiming. He never watered the yard when my step father came out.

Right across the street was where Dr Phillips and his family lived. I wonder what ever happened to Harry one of sons. He was rather nice looking with curly hair. As a side note Mr Phillips brother ministered at the church right next door to my aunt in Marshall Texas.

The Phillips had a huge house and lots of well known people used to take up residence when they came to town. One recollection I have is when Joe Louis came. He knew how to do magic tricks and all of the kids swore that the long colored ribbon really did come out of our nose.

Next to them was Henriene Holmes mother's house and then there was Ms Henriene Holmes.  Her children are son Harvey  and daughter Alice. For some reason I am thinking that Delbert Hodge their cousin, lived with them also.
With the help and many thanks to my friend Nina Jean Johnson, here is a list of some of the families and children who helped to enrich that street. (I say Nina Jean Johnson because that has always been what we called her, even after she became a Burton)

Remembering :

The two Murray Families, Curtis and Marcelene along with Eugene and Jean Murray , The Warren's, Brewster's, Mason's, Barnes, Griffin, and Bentley's. The Phillips, Lindsey's, Toi San and her mother Cleo, Ms Cross, Mr Brooks and Pinola Brewer and of course, Nina Johnson, Harvey Lindsey, Walter Jr, Marion, Leroy, and Dorothy Nicholson, Lucias, Ervin and Varon Potter, Delbert Hodge, Alice Holmes and many more.

Some of these folks I have seen over the years and some I know have gone on to Glory. Whatever road they took I am glad they were a part of my life.