I’ve been talking about the NAACP while referring to my involvement with civil rights.
Right. There’s more?
Yes. There was another volunteer organization I became aware of, and I got involved with it.
Go ahead.
It was called The Anne Arundel County League for Human Rights, and I heard about it also through the Unitarian church in Annapolis.
One Sunday three members of the group came and its president, Rabbi Stanley R. told us about what they were doing. And I joined up.
We were interracial.
And we were interfaith.
We worked to promote equality of individuals despite our differences.
Weren’t you just duplicating what the NAACP was doing?
No. Perhaps we overlapped, but we were doing something more. We were advocating for change; that’s for sure. But we also wanted to demonstrate to the community how different people could all get along. Could all live in harmony despite our differences.
How?
Quite a few ways, actually. One was an integrated variety show we put on at the local high school.
Doesn’t sound like much now, but mixed races were daring in that community at that time.
And we put on a different kind of performance. Ever hear of a TV show called East Side West Side?
I don’t think so.
Not surprising It lasted only one season. Then the executives canceled it.
How come?
It starred George C. Scott, and it tackled controversial issues.
We managed to get a copy of an episode on black-white relations, and we showed it to the public. Or at least to anyone who would show up.
Then we made an attempt to get a black resident appointed to a vacant position on the school board. The governor appoints the person, but various groups could suggest an appointee.
How did that go?
About as how we expected. A meeting of hopeful groups was held at the local high school, and I gave my pitch for our nominee. A preacher from an area church.
But the bottom line was that the governor appointed who he wanted.
Too bad.
Yeah, but it was worth it. We did our best, and at least we showed the community what we stood for..
And we held some progressive dinners. Do you know what they are?
Where you go from one house to another?
Right. Appetizers at a white family. Dinner at a black family. Dessert at a white family. Next time, vice versa.
We hoped that by the doing — and through the publicity — we could demonstrate racial harmony in the community. Maybe set an example.
All right.
.Now, here’s a case where we had the Feds beat by a year or two.
How’s that?
You familiar with Head Start?
A pre-school program?
Right. Early learning. President Johnson launched it in 1965 as part of his anti-poverty program. Well, we started a program we called a Children’s Center even before we heard the term Head Start. But it was essentially the same thing. Did it in a low-income neighborhood.
How did it work out?
Pretty well. Our volunteers weren’t professionals, but at least we introduced the kids to the concept of learning. So they’d be ready to learn when they entered the public schools.
Good.
Now, there’s just one other activity I recall. With a little side story too.
One year we sponsored a retreat at a conference center out in the woods somewhere. I can’t even remember where.
It had two purposes. So we could listen and discuss and learn from each other and from resource people. And to have a biracial get-together again.
It worked out well. And here’s the personal side story. We each had separate rooms, although there were two beds in mine. One of our resource persons was Whitney Young.
He had just become the head of the National Urban League. He later did a great job in building up that civil rights organization, so we were lucky to get him. A few months or years later he might have been unavailable.
Anyway, through some kind of mix-up the person assigning rooms thought we were short a room, and I was asked if it would be all right for Mr. Young to room with me.
All right? Wow, I thought. What an opportunity to talk issues and pick his brain and such. But, as luck would have it, they found a room for him, and I didn’t get the chance.
Close.
Yeah. Oh, well. You win some and lose some. But it was a good conference.