I’m celebrating all the times you’ve gotten me into and out of
hot water and all those great days at Lincoln U
All the friends I would not have had, had it not been for you!
I’m celebrating all the ways in which you raised my consciousness and brought out my intrinsic BLACKNESS as well as our Lincoln University Classmates by introducing us to:
AJASS
GRANDASSA MODELS
GUS DINIZULU
ELOMBE BRATHB(aka Cecil Brathwaite)
KWAME BRATH
NATURALLY ‘66 - First Black Models with natural hair & African clothes
You turned LU from a “negrophile campus” to a BLACK POWER UNIVERSITY - long before other HBCUs figured it out.
You made us proud of our heritage and African linkages
Because of you, Tony Monteiro, Julian Ellison, Paul Moore & Maxine Stewart, I have been
Happy Nappy since 1966
I
cherish with fond memories the countless meetings we had with Doc
Hamilton, Stokely Carmichael, H. Rap Brown - I felt like the Dieties put
me in a privileged space.
I love all the debates we had with our African brothers, and how we liberated Africa in so many ways - at least in our minds!
You were then, and are still waaaay ahead of everyone else.
The Axiom Newsletter!
The avante guard movies: Battle For Algiers, Black Orpheus, Ousmane Sembene movies - Barom Sarette, the Masque,
Above all, I thank you
for helping me move to NYC when I was making life decisions about my
next steps - and for helping me get my first job, apartment and
friends.
Including Abiodun Oyewule & Felipe Luciano of the Last Poets; Nikki Giovanni ,
Haki Madhubuti; Ed & April Spriggs (First heads of the Studio Museum of Harlem); Alfred Moleah....So many awesome memories!!
You are your own unique sphere of influenceas befits a LEO !
SAM ANDERSON! YOU ARE TRULY THE BROTHER OF MY SOUL! And a treasure in my family:
My
three offspring - Kira, Rais, and Adiya (LU 2003) - all know the Legends
of SAM - from protecting LU from the KKK to going to the UN to protest
the takeover of ZIMBABWE and being the only protesters there in the freezing cold of the East River!
So
I salute, honor, treasure and Bless you Sam and Bless Rosemari for
being the fantastic Life/Lovemate for a well deserving Brother!
It's November 2020. It seems that all the great things that Marcus Garvey did or initiated was in November. Garvey arrived in the US in November 1916 looking to meet Booker T. Washington, who had died prior their meeting. In November 1919 he started the UNIA - UNIVERSAL NEGRO IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION.
This is an interesting account of the history of the Great Marcus Garvey seen in the lens of the 21st century. The things thar amaze me are those who had the opportunity to see him first hand, and are alive today to tell about it, and how they look younger than most of us. And some of those who were more or less pundits or critics and seemed to look with derision on Garvey.
I also interested because my Grandmother (my Mom's Mom) was a Garveyite - so I grew up seeing pictures of him as a kid, and hearing some of the things they learned. Additionally, as a senior at Lincoln University in the 60s, it was mandatory that each of us write a Senior Thesis - that had to be well researched, annotated, and then presented and defended in front of our department chairs and professors. Mine was on Marcus Garvey and W.E.B DuBois (duboys - not dubwah - for those who think he used the French pronunciation). I spent hours in Lincoln University's Vail Memorial Library pouring over authentic news clippings and articles (this was before the days of Google, microfische, and other archival devices - Lincoln had a fantastic Black reference department and repository), and learned a lot of why the rivalry between the two occurred and was encouraged by whites.
DuBois was proud of his ersatz French Huguenot heritage. Carolyn Bond Daye, who at that time was a Harvard, used that to blow smoke up his (derriere) and inflate his ego. He became the darling of the white racists who were looking for someone to tear Garvey down and besmirch him among the Black Bourgeoisie - and gave him the front page of the New York Times and other white papers who wouldn't ordinarily give Black people the time of day, to do so. In other words, DuBois was used as the instrument for part of Garvey's undermining. (my teachers taught me that any time whites give Blacks the headlines in their media, they are up to no good - especially if that headline is used to go up against another Black person). Vail memorial library used to have tons of copies of DuBois making all kinds of allegations against Garvey; in return the whites were funding the NAACP. Likewise A Phillip Randolph was getting handsomely paid as well. I remember reading this and losing all respect for DuBois, who actually ended up having to flee the US in the 60s to move to Africa after they tried to brand him a communist. He later apologized to Garvey - too damned late - when you think of all the Black people who could have been living a much better life had he had his insight 50 years earlier.
The sabotage of the Black Star Line ships arose, not because Garvey was a megalomaniac -as postured by one of the commentators; but because he did not trust light skinned Blacks. He felt they were so busy trying to be white they would look for opportunities to lord it over their darker skinned brothers. For that reason, he surrounded himself with dark skinned Brothers he felt he could trust - ignoring the fact that, like most Black people, they had not had the opportunity to gain the expertise required to be accountants, negotiate with whites (they were totally intimidated because of the recent past history with white abuse of Black people, feared reprisal, and would take what they said at face value, rather than take a chance and dispute or disagree with them). They were also too embarrassed to confess to Garvey they didn't know what they were doing - so he relied to his detriment on these deeply traumatized brothers to be his emissaries and get things done.
This documentary does not adequately cover the BACK TO AFRICA MOVEMENT that Garvey spawned, and the fact that nearly 12 million African Americans were ready to go; or the conspiracy between Firestone Rubber and the US to prevent him from having any friendly reception in Africa by lying to the chiefs, telling them that Garvey was bringing millions of niggers to Africa to take over and get rid of the chiefs. This is one of the reasons why the BACK TO AFRICA MOVEMENT, which was originally greeted with much anticipation, was withdrawn, as African leaders began to believe whites over their own people.
I have often said that if BLACK people had been able to expatriate to Africa in 1919-1923, we would have WAKANDA today.
So, what am I saying? Look at the documentary, but take it with a grain of salt - because they are only giving you half the story. The fat guy with the glasses is particularly aggrivating to me because of his acerbic remarks and demeanor in reference to Garvey. The look on his face is enough for me to see that he is only relating academically, but not realizing the intrinsic value of what our dear Brother was trying to accomplish.
By the way, for all my LINCOLN UNIVERSITY Alumni, Dr. Sam Anderson, LU 1966, is featured in the documentary speaking on the intrinsic value of Marcus Garvey HAIL ! HAIL ! LINCOLN !!
Garvey definitely did have a big ego. He was a LEO and it goes with the territory - Also, if you don't support and believe in yourself, you can hardly expect anyone else to do so. Black in the day, it was that confidence that galvanized millions of Black people.
We really need to study Garvey - not from a jaundiced 21 century standpoint, but from the intrinsic values he stood for that we really need to re-inculcate now - because after over 100 years - WHERE IS OUR GOVERNMENT? WHERE IS OUR EMPIRE, WHERE CAN THE BLACK MAN/WOMAN STAND UP AND BE COUNTED AND RESPECTED IN THE WORLD - IN HIS OWN LAND?
The crackers made sure that no Black man since Garvey can stand up before Black people and galvanize them in the manner in which he did to make AFRICA FOR THE AFRICANS - AT HOME AND ABROAD!
WHEN ARE WE GOING TO PICK UP THE MANTLE AND MAKE IT HAPPEN?
This is the link to the Documentary -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75qK3Q_j424
PS: GARVEY WAS DEPORTED BACK TO JAMAICA IN NOVEMBER 1927 on a ship leaving from a port in Louisiana.
Hello All: This week end I will be celebrating my 50th anniversary of graduating from Lincoln University. Actually, I've been celebrating my 50th Anniversary, in one way or another, the entire year. And I am so grateful to be here to celebrate it with my classmates, and to finally be a part of those who came before me who had likewise reached this milestone in their lives. This year has been a long list of 50ths - the 50th Anniversary of the Publication of Black Power by Stokely Carmichael and the great Dr. Charles V. Hamilton; the 50th Anniversary of Black Power; the 50th Anniversary of Thurgood Marshall being appointed to the Supreme Court; just to name a few. 1967 was a milestone year in so many ways - I was the first child in my family to graduate from college - and by extension, the first grandchild to graduate from college. Coming from a family of educators and professionals, it meant that I was keeping the tradition alive of obtaining a higher education. I was also the first one in my family to go to college outside of Oklahoma. Until then, all my relatives had attended Langston University, an HBCU - or Oklahoma State University. In 1963 I went against the grain and was accepted at Hampton Institute (now University), in Virginia. My family was none too pleased, but I also paved the way for my sister and cousins to explore options outside of our Oklahoma homeland. And while I loved my "Home by the Sea," my background in Civil Rights activism from the age of 10, made it difficult for me to completely accept Hampton's rigid rules; so I was also the first in my family to be expelled from college. In 1965, I and several other classmates, sat in on the President of Hampton and locked down the administration building for three days because we were not allowed to participate in the march on Selma, AL. It was a bold move - but we felt that it was necessary because a Black administration was actually denying Black people the right to stand up for issues that were in the best interest of Black people. Twenty of us were secretly expelled the day after Hampton's 1965 Commencement; after having been promised amnesty for our actions. I had been allowed to serve as usher for the commencement, and and had the privilege of escorting the great Thurgood Marshall to the stage. I had the honor of having a brief, but memorable conversation with this great icon.
THE GREAT LINCOLN GRAD AND SUPREME COURT JUSTICE THURGOOD MARSHALL
But this turning point of being expelled from Hampton for taking a stand, was a major factor in my life. The saying "they meant it for evil, but God meant it for good" is exactly true in this case. Because, had I not been expelled from Hampton, in 1965, I would never have been admitted to Lincoln University. I had never even heard of Lincoln University in Pennsylvania. I knew there was a Lincoln University in Missouri - but I definitely was not interested in going to school there. In fact, when I finally faced the fact that I was not going to change Hampton's mind and allow me to complete my education there - I returned home to Oklahoma City, and was told by my dad that I would never leave Oklahoma City ever again, and that I might as well get a job and start earning my own living. And I did try to apply for jobs, thinking that I would start earning my own money to put myself through college. However, my skill sets were not up to par - most of the jobs were factory work - but I couldn't qualify for manual labor; let alone housekeeping in hotels and other menial jobs. By this time a friend of mine - Jay Johnson, aka Jah Jahannes - who had graduated from Lincoln University in 1965, learned of my plight through is wife - my best friend Pat (I was her maid of honor in their wedding). Unbeknownst to me he advocated for me to Professor Paul Kuehner (the registrar) at Lincoln, to bring me in as part of the first group of 16 coeds to be admitted to Lincoln to live on campus. Talk about synchronicity!!! Because of financial difficulties, Lincoln University, which had been an all male Black University for over 100 years, was finally opening their doors to allow females to attend and live on campus. The guys were definitely not pleased - we were invading their collective man caves - they were being forced to be gentlemen; wear ties on Sundays - the campus was being transformed to accommodate us - sidewalks and street lights were being installed throughout the campus; and the guys were being pushed out of their all male dorms to make way for their new female counterparts. When I got a call in reference to Lincoln, I thought it was a joke - Jay used to do fake German accents - so I assumed he was calling to tease me - so when he asked if I wanted to come to Lincoln University, I flippantly responded; and when he asked if I needed money - of course, flippant me, responded, "I need all the money I can get." When he asked me how I wanted to travel by train or plane, I insolently told him that I was in no hurry, so the train would work just fine for me. When the tickets and the admission letter arrived two days later by air mail special delivery, I realized I had been talking to the registrar, that this was real, and that I had been rude and insulting. I told my mother that I could not go to Lincoln because I was too embarrassed. She got on my case and told me that it was too late to be embarrassed - and that I had better start packing before my dad found out and refused to let me go. I had gotten a second chance, and I had better not blow it this time. So I packed up all my gear - a trunk and 7 suitcases - and took the train to Lincoln University. It was a two-day train ride from Oklahoma City to Philadelphia. Now, I thought I had arrived, only to find out that I had to transfer from the train to the Greyhound Bus line. I'm out here by myself - not knowing anything about Philadelphia or how to get to Greyhound - but back then, there was a shuttle that took you from 30th Street Station to Greyhound once a day - if I missed it, I would have to wait for the next day. I kept counting all my bags to make sure I didn't lose anything - somehow I managed to get everything into the shuttle and make it to Greyhound; and from Philly, finally arrive at Lincoln University - three weeks after classes had started. When I got off the bus, and they unloaded all my things onto the road - all I saw was acres and acres of corn. And my heart sunk - Several things were going through my mind ad the same time: One was the fear that I had traveled 1500 miles to end up at Langston University; the other was how was I going to get all my luggage through the cornfield to Lincoln's campus, which I assumed was on the other side of that vast cornfield. Suddenly, I heard a voice across the road call out, "Hey, are you the girl from Oklahoma?" I turned around and saw two guys standing across the road looking at me - they were Joe Reed and Bill Wallace. So I responded, "Yes, I am." So Joe asked me, "So where are your cowboy boots?" I started laughing as I realized that apparently there were no secrets at Lincoln - otherwise, how would these guys know that I was from Oklahoma. They came across the road, picked up all my luggage and take me to my room at the Alumni House. I had arrived at Lincoln University in October 1965. It was my Junior year- while most of the other students were freshmen - with the exception of one white female student - Honey Hastings, and Carol Black, also a Junior, who lived off campus, but was a full time student there, having started there as a freshman in 1963. Being a Junior gave me some privileges that allowed me to escape some of the hazing the Freshmen had to endure - such as singing the Alma Mater song over and over again. Because of my Civil Rights background at Hampton, I was also type-cast as a radical. A moniker I was quite proud of, which attracted the friendships of Sam Anderson, Anthony Monteiro, Paul Moore (deceased), Julian Ellison - all of whom marched to a totally different beat. I also had several friends from Africa, because of my friends at Hampton - who were from Sierra Leone, South Africa and Nigeria. As a result I had a double minor in African Studies and American History; and worked in our own campus based African Museum - at that time the only Black university to have its own Africa Museum. Lincoln's inner diversity, audacity, and Afrocentricty was such a welcome change from Hampton's bougie atmosphere. I loved it! I became a part of the Pan African Student's Union - with African brothers from practically every country. I was made peer counselor for African Students from Non Independent African Countries who were refugees and attending Lincoln. I made so many wonderful friends as a result of that role - lifelong friends; many of whom were heroes in their own countries. Where Hampton had campus rules that restricted your right to move around, Lincoln was an open campus - where there were no curfews and we were pretty much on our own. I have always felt that I was in a privileged space at Lincoln. Especially having the opportunity to study political science under Dr. Charles V. Hamilton - legal counsel for SNCC, and one of the finest and most dynamic Black men on the planet - then and now. He was not only the most dynamic personage on the campus, but he walked his talk - often having to go to Mississippi and other areas to rescue members of SNCC from white racists - a bold move when you consider that this Black man routinely laid his life on the line to cross into the south to defend our Black heroes from racist white judges, jailers and policemen. The entire campus would turn out for the "Hamilton Report," when he returned, updating us on the things that happened during his foray into the belly of the beast.
THE GREAT DOCTOR CHARLES V. HAMILTON
Our Iconic professor went on to head Columbia University's International Political Science Department, but never forgot his early days at Lincoln. And we have never forgotten him. He just celebrate his 88th birthday on Thursday, October 19; still as active as ever.
STOKELY CARMICHAEL - KWAME TOURE`
The other highpoint of my Lincoln life was Stokely Carmichael and H. Rapp Brown coming to Lincoln to consult and collaborate with Doc Hamilton on strategies during the high point of the Civil Rights Movement. But the icing on the cake was when Stokely came to Lincoln in October, 1966 to enunciate the tenets of BLACK POWER at Mary Dodd Brown Chapel - to a packed audience. It was the first time we had heard the statement 'BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL!" and the statement BLACK POWER! We left that assemblage feeling totally empowered. The following summer Dr. Hamilton and Stokely Carmichael wrote and published the definitive book BLACK POWER, with the research being conducted on Lincoln's campus - this is the 50th anniversary of it's publication - and it's even more relevant today as the day it was published.
NNAMDI AZIKEWE - LINCOLN GRAD AND FIRST PRESIDENT OF NIGERIA
Another wonderful memory was the first time we saw Black models wearing natural hair styles and modeling Afrocantric clothing - thanks to Sam Anderson, Julian Ellison and Paul Moore. There had been dissension between African and African American students - with African American students making disparaging remarks about their African classmates - who made up nearly 1/3 of the student body. In an effort to quell the hostility, Sam was able to get permission to bring the Grandassa Models, Elombe Brath, Gus Dinizulu, and other Afrocentric performers to the campus. He advertised the models by posting photos around the campus for six weeks before the actual event took place. It raised the curiosity of the African American brothers so much that they began asking their African classmates if women in Africa really looked that good. Of course the answer was always "Yes!" By the time the Grandassa Models finally arrived, they were falling all over themselves to make sure they had front row seats to catch the show.
This is what we were wearing 50 years ago - and we were all natural!
You never saw so many men turning out to see an Afrocentric fashion show. It was a tremendous hit, and solidified the relationships between African and African American classmates. Suddenly guys were wearing dashikis, learning more about their African heritage, learning African languages and philosophies. Lincoln University had graduated two African leaders who became presidents of their own countries - Kwame Nkrumah and Nnamdi Azikewe. Several of our classmates were related to current African leaders - such as Peter Ndiege, the brother of Tom Mboya of Kenya. Several of our classmates have returned home and taken their places as leaders after having studied at Lincoln - Paul Moonyane (Lesotho), Farai Malianga, (Zimbabwe), Paul Dumba (Sierra Leone), Juni Sechele, Hidipo Hamutenya (Namibia), Foday Turay, Naib Iscandari , Beale Morgan, and so many others. I have lifelong African friends with whom I am still in communication.
KWAME NKRUMAH LINCOLN GRAD AND FIRST PRESIDENT OF GHANA
And my African American brothers and sisters - Carol Black, Joe Williams, Joe Reed, the Late Jah Jahannes, St. Clair Henry (Trinidad), Sam Anderson, John Canada Terrell, Mike Prince, Tony Montiero, Oliver (Bmore) Franklin, George Turner, Richard (Chubbs) Williams; Ron (Mouser) Moffitt, Gene Harvey, Vaughn (VT) Thomas, Dwight Murph, Faruq Iman (Gregory Smart aka Bwana), Rob Johnson, and a host of new friends as a result of our AALUPA - which has expanded my involvement exponentially. There are so many wonderful memories of my days at Lincoln - such as learning that we were in the heart of the mushroom capital of the world - via one of the foulest odors on the planet. The day Sam Anderson, Paul Moore, Julian Ellison and I went to New York to the UN to protest Ian Smith's Unilateral Declaration of Independence which threatened to prevent Zimbabwe from receiving their liberation - it was November 11, 1965 - the coldest day in the year; and we were the only ones to show up. It had been called by a national organization - and even they didn't come out to their own rally (LOL). We drove back to Lincoln frozen, dejected, disillusioned and pissed off. One event I will never ever forget was the day the KKK threatened to come onto the campus and burn it down. The students and Black faculty mobilized to protect the campus and set up watches to make sure they did not succeed in their threat. Doc Hamilton and several students had guns and advised all the white teachers, including then Lincoln president, Dr. Marvin Wachman, to make themselves scarce, lest they be mistaken for the enemy. That evening, my best friend, Maxine Stewart, a member of the NAACP, persuaded myself and our African boyfriends Peter Ndiege and Charles Wanyandey, to go with her to an peace vigil that was being held in the next township. Also with us was Henry Ayot and Nyawonga Misori - all from Kenya. As we were driving down the pike, we began seeing cars parked on the side of the road about three miles from the campus. There were several police cars as well as regular private vehicles. As we came closer to the scene, we saw a huge cross being lit on fire on the side of the road, and somewhat visible to the campus. It was the first time any of us had ever seen such a sight in person. We slowly drove past the burning cross and the whites - some in sheets, and others just in plain clothes - who were gathered around it. Of course, it was a strange sight for our African friends, and Henry Ayot decided to drive back past it to get a closer look. Over the protests of myself and Maxine he did a U-turn and drove back past the scene. One of the policemen noticed the car coming back and pulled us over. My heart was in my mouth. I could see my Dad now telling me that I was supposed to stay out of trouble this time. When we were pulled over, the policeman was joined by two others, who made us get out of the car, and demanded to know what we were doing there. The entire time they were forcing us to march towards the burning cross and the crowd of crazy rednecks who were standing around it. In the meantime, Nyawonga Misori was saying, "Diplomatic immunity - we have diplomatic immunity!" over and over again. When I realized what he was saying, I told him to shut up, "These guys can't even spell diplomatic, let alone understand what it means. You're going to get us killed." But he kept saying it over and over again - and the closer we got to that cross, the louder he said it: "DIPLOMATIC IMMUNITY - WE HAVE DIPLOMATIC IMMUNITY!!" One of the policemen heard what he said - and stopped the other two - "What's that you say, boy! Diplomatic immunity - a nigger with a foreign accent. We can't touch them." They rushed us back to our car - pushed us in, and escorted us back to Lincoln's campus, warning us to not leave it again til the sun came up. When we got to the campus there were reporters from Delaware who had come to see how Lincoln was handling the threat from the KKK. Maxine and I weren't saying a word, however our African friends were telling everything they saw. The headlines in the paper the next day read, "Lincoln U Sends Spies to KKK Rally." LOL In addition to celebrating my 50th anniversary of graduating from Lincoln, I am also celebrating the 51st year of being Happy Nappy. Thanks to Sam, Paul and Tony - the unholy trio - who pressured Maxine and me to go natural, after a zillion excuses, I got my natural in October 1966. And it's been that way ever since - Long or short - I have proudly worn and Afro for nearly two thirds of my life. There are so many more things I remember from my Lincoln University days, and to d recount them all would fill a book (don't worry, I am going to write one); so I'm going to give you some of the highlights: Watching Doc Anthony Roberts and Gene Harvey (both of Bermuda) rehearse their steel band at the student union building. It was my first exposure to Caribbean music (other than that of Harry Belafonte); and learning that our African and Caribbean instruments were superior to those European instruments. Being a soccer cheerleader - Lincoln University had the best soccer team on the eastern seaboard - defeating Villanova, Morgan State, Farleigh Dickinson, among others; and coming within one point of winning the nationals in 1966. I distinctly remember one game where the captain of Farleigh Dickinson's soccer team, a white racist South African, called one of our players from Lesotho - Paul Moonyane - a dirty kaffir (the equivalent of the "n" word in South Africa). And, while they were on the field, Paul cracked the shin of the offensive racist, and so demoralized the rest of the team that Lincoln won the game by a wide margin. It also promoted the coach and members of the Farleigh's team to apologize profusely to Paul and the rest of the team - and sent a signal to the rest of the white soccer players that Lincoln may be a Black team, but they weren't taking any garbage from anybody. The many on-campus parties we had (practically one every other weekend) at Lincoln where I never ever missed dance - with 600 males and 16 females, it was pretty much a lock. I also admit that had my father known Lincoln U was an all male school, I would never have been allowed to attend (LOL - again). The guys, however, had to go to Cheyney State and Delaware State to supplement their lack of females on the campus. They used to call the Cheyney State coeds "Cheyney Debs." Lincoln University Rabble - which was our system of code words and special names we had for each other. Everybody who was anybody on campus had a Rabble Name or alias. It stuck with us throughout life - and we wore it as a badge of honor - a term of endearment we used to identify each other. Lincoln University's unique grading system. We used a point system instead of letter grades - in other words if you got a 1 it was equivalent to an A; a 2 was a B; a 3 was a C; a 4 was a D and a 5 was a nickel which meant you flunked. Nickels had a bad reputation at Lincoln because it was also used to identify whether you were pretty or ugly. If a guy threw a nickel at a girl, it meant she was butt ugly. If she picked it up, it confirmed it. LOL Of course, having the greats and near greats come to Lincoln was also amazing. Meeting Langston Hughes, Adam Clayton Powell Jr, Ron Milner, who each stayed with us for a period of time. I remember Adam Clayton Powell had just done his recording "KEEP THE FAITH, BABY." This was after he had been censored by Congress and stripped of his powers. He came to the campus and hung with us. He smoked those big cigars of his and talked to us about our responsibility as Black students. We have Doc Hamilton and President Wachman for inviting him to spend some time with us.
ADAM CLAYTON POWELL CAME TO LINCOLN SHORTLY AFTER RECORDING "KEEP THE FAITH BABY
Langston Hughes came and spent some time as a writer in residence, and introduced us to Ron Milner, who was just getting started as a playwright. He was so handsome, all of us females were finding reasons to be a part of his lecture series, just hoping he would find some reason to speak with us The great Ruby Dee, Judith Jamison, Billy Paul, and so many wonderful personages came to Lincoln, and spent time with us students leaving an indelible imprint on my memory banks.
LANGSTON HUGHES
When the Burnside brothers from the Bahamas told us that they were related to Sidney Portier, we, of course, didn't believe them. That is, until he came to the campus to visit his nephews - thereby shutting us doubters up for all times. When Gil Scott Heron decided that he was going to drop out of Lincoln to pursue his career as a singer, and told him to stay in school because he couldn't sing - good thing he didn't listen to us - he and Brian Jackson went on to found the Midnight Band - and the rest is history. He got the nickname Spiderman because he was tall, lanky, gangly and all angles - never having an ounce of fat on him anywhere. Likewise, when Randy Cain decided to join his bothers to start the Delphonics - we just knew he was headed for failure - and we're still singing their songs today.
Graduating from Lincoln in 1967 was a major accomplishment for me because I was carrying 21 credits per semester - and all my classes were solid with no electives. I was determined to graduate on time with my classmates. I used to carry around books stacked at least two feet high from class to class because each teacher acted as if their class was the only class we had. We would "fight material" every night. If we didn't and we "washed out" we would be set on the "pike." And none of us wanted that to happen. If I started out at Lincoln as a bougie kid, I left there a total Black woman. Not only did I leave knowing my Black history - having grown up studying it as a kid in Oklahoma - I now knew contemporary Black history, heroes, both here and Africa. And in many instances, my classmates were contemporary heroes who were now in the US after having going up against the colonial monsters in their countries. Some of them, especially those from Angola, Mozambique, South Africa, and Namibia, could not return home during that time because of bounties that had been placed on their lives. These guys were heroes. Liberators, champions of freedom. In the fifty years since graduating from Lincoln, I've seen the rise and fall of Black Power; participated in so many countless activities with the view towards liberating Black people - traveled to Haiti and parts of the Caribbean on several occasions - become a mom, married an Ape (Lou Wilson from Mandrill) - become a Grandmom five times over; started a Blog: ECLECTICALLY BLACK NEWS interviewed and interacted with thousands of celebrities from political figures to movie stars to artists and entertainers. I'm proud to say that all three of my offspring completed college and have survive my motherhood; with one, my youngest daughter Adiya, having graduated from Lincoln in 2013. My love for Lincoln continues to expand and grow I am proud to be a part of the Lincoln Legacy - and one of the first 16 Coeds on Lincoln's campus. And of the undying love we have for our Alma Mater - taking my place in the long line of Emeritus. Tomorrow we march with others who have gone before us and still remain loyal to Dear Old Lincoln U, and have the privilege and honor of participating in the inauguration of our first Female Alumna President, Dr. Brenda Allen. I look forward to having an integral role to play in the future expansion of our First Black College - 163 years and counting I congratulate my fellow Alumni - the class of 1967 - - and all those who have the privilege and honor of attending Lincoln University, and being a Lincoln Lion or Lioness. Hail! Hail LINCOLN!! Stay Blessed & ECLECTICALLY BLACK Gloria
By Gloria Dulan-Wilson Hello All: It's been a little over three weeks since I learned that my friend and classmate, Paul Moore, made his transition in July. It was such a shock I have spent days going over all the wonderful things I remembered about him from Black in the day at Lincoln University, and fast forwarding to my return to New York City after having lived in California for 9 years. Paul Moore, Sam Anderson, Julian Ellison and Tony Monteiro were tight friends, and four of the most powerful movers and shakers on the campus of Lincoln University, when I arrived there in September of 1965 - two weeks after the school year had started. They were the militant arm of a school that had somewhat developed a convenient form of amnesia, during a time when Black people were just at the cusp of the Civil Rights Era and the Black Power Era. While Sam Anderson was always all over the place, in your face with his Blackness, Paul was more of a quiet riot - a militant from bone to bone, but well contained. He had a restrained smile and a wry sense of humor, but when he was determined to do something, or accomplish something - you'd best move aside, because Paul was going to get it done. I remember when Sam and Paul and a small crew of protesters were going to the UN to protest the whites in Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) who had declared UDI (Unilateral Declaration of Independence) against allowing the African brothers and sisters to have their own land that had been illegally colonized by them for over 100 years. It was freezing cold. We had tried to get the campus to rally with us, but no one - even our African brothers - was interested. So we piled in the car - Paul was driving - and we drove to New York City, and stood in front of the UN with home made protest signs. There was six of us freezing our butts off - no one else showed up - but us. We stood out there, symbolically for two hours!!! My teeth were chattering - but stood we did! Then we drove back to Lincoln, freezing cold, sadder, wiser, but triumphant in the knowledge that we had at least done our part for our people. There were only 16 female coeds on Lincoln's campus at the time - I was one of them. We were the first to be housed on the campus - but Lincoln was opening the campus up to female students after having been an all male campus for over 100 years - primarily because they needed the money - and VietNam was pulling the brightest and best male students into an illegal, undeclared war. It took me a minute to realize the male/female ratio at Lincoln - at that time it was 20::600 - four of the female students lived with instructors, off campus, but attended full time. I guess I was destined to be with the more militant/activist of the group, because I had been expelled from Hampton for my activism. My reputation obviously preceded me - but whatever the reason, I was blessed to be part of the best of Lincoln's rabble. There was no end to their activism - and almost from the beginning, Paul and Sam were on my case about my going natural and not straightening my hair. They would lecture me - and Maxine Stewart, my best friend - about the natural hair, about how beautiful Black women looked; about our African heritage. During breaks, Paul would literally corner me and produce books with pictures of Black women with Natural hair styles - Odetta, Miriam Makeba, etc. Sam and Paul used to come to the African museum, where I did my college work study under Dr. H.D. Gunn, and try to get me to "liberate" African masques and other items, because they really "belonged to us" not the museum. Thank goodness I didn't listen to those two. But there were so many more things that I am so grateful for in knowing Paul Moore - I remember when he told me he was from Aliquippa, PA. I ribbed him to no end about the name of his home town. When he, Sam, Julian and Tony brought the first Natural wearing Black models to Lincoln's campus, the Grandassa Models, and Cecil Braithwaite (Elombe Brath), as well as Gus Dinizulu and his dancers, in an effort to instill African Pride in those who had lost their way, and engender it in those who never had it, I began to pay more attention to what they were saying about wearing my hair Natural. I can unequivocally say that it was due to Sam Anderson and Paul Moore that I have worn my hair in a natural since October, 1966 - and never reverted to processed hair styles. I wasn't the first - Maxine Stewart was - but we two were the only coeds at the time to wear our hair Natural (or in an Afro, for those who are new to the name). Maxine was the first campus queen of any HBCU with a Natural Hair Style - but no one was paying attention Black then. Paul, Sam and I continued to be constant friends and companions after graduating from Lincoln. Paul settled in Brooklyn, Sam in Harlem, and for the first year, I lived in Philadelphia. That is, until they began to entice me to move to New York City. I would make New York runs on the week ends. We would party all over the city - and then I'd take the train back to Philly in time to get to work on Monday. I eventually moved to New York - that's another story for another day, folks - and got caught up in the current movements and issues of the day. As life would have it, I spent some considerable time out of the country, in Haiti, Martinique, Guadaloupe, St. Croix, St. Thomas, etc. And when I returned to New York, things had shifted considerably. I had lost communication with Paul, who I later learned, had gone to graduate school. I relocated to California with my husband and family, and was "off planet" for nine years, living in Altadena, CA - my answer to the culture shock of Los Angeles. When I returned to New York in 1984, of course the first thing I did was look up my classmates - Sam Anderson was always a constant, and the conduit for all information about who was where and what they were doing. The first thing I wanted to do when I got back to New York was hit the clubs - California's night life was abysmal and I missed being able to go from club to club to club until the sun came up. So, I parked my children in Oklahoma City (temporarily) with my parents, while I got a job and an apartment, contacted Sam and asked where was everybody and what were they doing? He said he had a surprise for me; picked me up and took me to this fantastic little jazz club in Harlem on the corner of 145th and St. Nicholas Ave, called SUTTONS. And who should be there, owner, manager, and aficianado, but Paul Moore, and Yvonne Hampton (my first time meeting Yvonne)!!! I was flabbergasted - Paul had to be first Lincoln grad I knew of that actually owned and ran his own business. I was so glad to see him - it took a minute to soak it all in. There was live entertainment furnished by Olu Dara, Greg Bandy, and others. In fact, Olu Dara and Greg and I became friends as a result of Suttons. They served the best Chicken and Waffles; held fashion shows featuring local Black designes; hosted civic community programs. I could even have my kids meet me there after coming from Harlem School of the Arts, which was right down the hill, if I was running late coming home from work! This was a real culture nerve center - all emanating from that wonderful little place on the corner, and my friend Paul Moore owned it! I remember his telling me that he had always wanted to own a club of his own - where you could get good entertainment; not just a bar or a hang out spot; but a place of quality where people would be proud to come and bring their friends and relatives. Well he and Yvonne did it! Wow!
Many a night I spent hanging there - the club was very popular - and generally had standing room audiences for the shows. The problem was that the building owner was a slumlord and did little to keep the building up. And then, once he found that the property had such a large draw, he began trying to push the club out and put something else in there. Paul, who was a lawyer, was still no match for the kinds of chicanery this landlord could cook up, and eventually closed the doors. He later became and administrative law judge, and we saw very little of each other. He was ensconced in Brooklyn, and most of my activities were in Harlem/Manhattan. I would reach out to him sporadically as I became more and more active with Lincoln's Alumni relations - especially during our reunion years. The last time we actually spent great quality time together was when we drove down together for our 35 Class Reunion in 1997. We talked about everything under the sun - our kids were grown and gone - well, except for my youngest, who was still in high school at the time. He had contracted a chronic ailment that had caused him to step down from his position - one that would not allow him to metabolize fat - Paul was already always slim - so this ailment had him so thin, frail and emaciated that it appeared that he would surely break at the slightest bump. The last time I saw him was at the funeral of our dear friend St. Clair Bourne at the Riverside Church. He and Yvonne were sitting a few seats behind me - I was so happy to see him - but didn't have a chance to speak. From time to time I would reach out to him to come to an event at Lincoln or attend a reunion, but no response. I am so happy to know that he and Yvonne were still together through this prolonged challenge to his health. He and my other Lincoln friend and confidante, Ja Jahannes, made their transitions within two days of each other - and I presume that's why I was not aware that Paul had joined the Ancestor/Angels of Fine Black Lincoln Men. I will always treasure those great days at Lincoln and NY City - and the quiet, but intense love that Paul held for his culture, and his people. I can just see him with Gil Scott Heron, Randy Kane, Ja Jahannes and the rest of the Rabble, kicking around some new concept. Peace be unto him - My Condolences to Yvonne, Waida, and his other family and friends - and to those of us of the Lincoln University family from Black in the day who had the privilege and pleasure of getting to know this Fine Black Man. Stay Blessed & ECLECTICALLY BLACK Gloria LU '67 Thanks to the good offices of brother Ernst Perodin, some of his NYC friends and colleagues will hold an informal get-together/memorial for him on Wednesday, October 14, 2015 beginning at 6:15 p.m. over dinner at Ponty Bistro Restaurant, 2375 Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Blvd. and 139th Street, Harlem, NY to celebrate Paul’s life through remembrances of him.
Ponty Bistro’swebsite is www.pontybistroharlem.com. You can get more information about them there, including their menu. You can also view a July 17, 2015 WABC TV newscast about them at http://abc7ny.com/food/eats-poisson-yassa-from-ponty-bistro/856736/. Ponty Bistro will provide an individual bill to each diner at the memorial for which he/she will be responsible. He chose Ponty Bistro because of its ambiance, cuisine, reasonable prices, African ownership and convenient Harlem location.
Please circulate this message to any of Paul’s friends whom you are in contact with who might want to attend, and please RSVP me at ernstperodin@optonlinel.net by October 8, 2015 so that we can confirm our reservation for the number of people we expect to attend.
Feel free to call me at (718) 287-8113 if you have any questions about the above.
Best regards,
Ernst Perodin
On Sunday, October, Rev. Frances Paul will hold Memorial Services for Paul Moore at Mary Dodd Brown Chapel at Lincoln University, at 11:00 AM. All LU Alumni, family and friends are invited to participate and pay homage to this wonderful brother.
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in the freezing cold of the East River!
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