“You know you have to be old when you’ve
protested two wars.”
LaVerne Brown was born in 1931 in a small town
of New City in southwest Virginia.
The town she grew up in was ten percent black.
Her grandfather owned the only grocery store in
town where both blacks and whites shopped.
There was segregation and discrimination but she
wasn’t as conscious of it because of her family.
The people that she cared about and the respect
that she wanted she had it.
She participated in many movements. Marching to
free Angela Davis with her daughter on her
shoulders and protesting the Vietnam War. And for
the past seven years she has been demonstrating
against the
Iraq War.
protested two wars.”
LaVerne Brown was born in 1931 in a small town
of New City in southwest Virginia.
The town she grew up in was ten percent black.
Her grandfather owned the only grocery store in
town where both blacks and whites shopped.
There was segregation and discrimination but she
wasn’t as conscious of it because of her family.
The people that she cared about and the respect
that she wanted she had it.
She participated in many movements. Marching to
free Angela Davis with her daughter on her
shoulders and protesting the Vietnam War. And for
the past seven years she has been demonstrating
against the
Iraq War.
“I saw him, I liked him and I painted him. I like
that, that’s one of my favorites.”
When John Urquhart is not volunteering at his
church you can find him at his desk painting. He
especially likes to paint pictures of black folks.
Mr. Urquhart was born in 1914 in Hampton,
Virginia. Grandson of a slave who’s name was
changed then sent to fight in the Civil War so the
slave owner’s son did not have to go. His
grandfather was wounded and received a pension of
$50 a month which was a lot of money in those
days.
Mr. Urquhart moved to Harlem, NY when he was 19
and had “to put his age up” so that he could work
at a car service in Grand Central Station. He later
went onto Tennaco where he was an executive
chauffeur then a truck driver.
A few months after buying his first car he was
drafted into WWII. When he returned he met and
married his wife and had a son.
that, that’s one of my favorites.”
When John Urquhart is not volunteering at his
church you can find him at his desk painting. He
especially likes to paint pictures of black folks.
Mr. Urquhart was born in 1914 in Hampton,
Virginia. Grandson of a slave who’s name was
changed then sent to fight in the Civil War so the
slave owner’s son did not have to go. His
grandfather was wounded and received a pension of
$50 a month which was a lot of money in those
days.
Mr. Urquhart moved to Harlem, NY when he was 19
and had “to put his age up” so that he could work
at a car service in Grand Central Station. He later
went onto Tennaco where he was an executive
chauffeur then a truck driver.
A few months after buying his first car he was
drafted into WWII. When he returned he met and
married his wife and had a son.
“My grandfather was greatly influenced by Booker
T. Washington’s philosophy that you have to be
well-educated and be able to work with your
hands.”
Glynova Howe was born in 1933 in Jacksonville,
Florida where her love for education, music and tea
was cultivated.
On Saturdays she and her father would listen to
the broadcast of “Live at the Met” which she still
listens to if it is something she likes.
On Thursday, sitting properly and dressed
presentably, she would drink tea with her
grandmother and great aunt on the porch.
And she did not take very well to being told that
her husband had to sign out her books from the
library when she lived in Ghana.
This Ivy-leagued educated pianist stills enjoys a
good cup of tea.
T. Washington’s philosophy that you have to be
well-educated and be able to work with your
hands.”
Glynova Howe was born in 1933 in Jacksonville,
Florida where her love for education, music and tea
was cultivated.
On Saturdays she and her father would listen to
the broadcast of “Live at the Met” which she still
listens to if it is something she likes.
On Thursday, sitting properly and dressed
presentably, she would drink tea with her
grandmother and great aunt on the porch.
And she did not take very well to being told that
her husband had to sign out her books from the
library when she lived in Ghana.
This Ivy-leagued educated pianist stills enjoys a
good cup of tea.
“No one can gain experience if they are not given
the opportunity.”
Dr. Samuel McDonald was born in Parkton,
North Carolina in 1935. He has seen his father tip
his hat to white women and have those white
women’s daughters call his father Uncle Sam
instead of Mr. McDonald.
Dr. McDonald also watched his father successfully
farm cotton and tobacco on his own farm. He
watched his father put his ten sisters through
college.
Dr. McDonald worked for Carolina Telephone. He
had the nicest car among the blacks and the
whites. His father bought him a ’56 Ford. But he
was not allowed to drive the telephone trucks.
Instead he had to dig holes for the telephone poles
A better day came. He has been a pastor for forty
years and owns a very successful trucking
company.
the opportunity.”
Dr. Samuel McDonald was born in Parkton,
North Carolina in 1935. He has seen his father tip
his hat to white women and have those white
women’s daughters call his father Uncle Sam
instead of Mr. McDonald.
Dr. McDonald also watched his father successfully
farm cotton and tobacco on his own farm. He
watched his father put his ten sisters through
college.
Dr. McDonald worked for Carolina Telephone. He
had the nicest car among the blacks and the
whites. His father bought him a ’56 Ford. But he
was not allowed to drive the telephone trucks.
Instead he had to dig holes for the telephone poles
A better day came. He has been a pastor for forty
years and owns a very successful trucking
company.
“One of the girls told us that when she started
working there they interviewed each and every
white girl to find out if they had any objection to
working with a “colored” girl. They were cool they
said no, no problem.”
Barbara Bonner was born in 1933 and is a
lifetime long resident of Harlem, NY. Some of her
favorite memories are Sunday dinners with her
family (especially the days when her father was
home from being a porter on the railroad) and
being able to hear the big bands playing at The
Savoy from her window.
After she graduated from high school she went on
to work at AT&T. Her career spanned thirty years
with her last position being a district manager.
She married her best friend and together they
traveled the world; exploring the mountains of
Peru, to the cobblestone streets of Paris, to the
pyramids of Egypt.
working there they interviewed each and every
white girl to find out if they had any objection to
working with a “colored” girl. They were cool they
said no, no problem.”
Barbara Bonner was born in 1933 and is a
lifetime long resident of Harlem, NY. Some of her
favorite memories are Sunday dinners with her
family (especially the days when her father was
home from being a porter on the railroad) and
being able to hear the big bands playing at The
Savoy from her window.
After she graduated from high school she went on
to work at AT&T. Her career spanned thirty years
with her last position being a district manager.
She married her best friend and together they
traveled the world; exploring the mountains of
Peru, to the cobblestone streets of Paris, to the
pyramids of Egypt.
“There was no integration, it was a coexistence.
There was no sharing of breakfast, lunch or
dinner. There wasn’t even a sharing of ideas.”
Dr. Adelaide Sanford was born in Brooklyn, New
York in 1925. Her family was one of the first black
families in Bedford-Stuyvesant.
As one of the few students of African ancestry she
remembers school as an experience of invisibility.
She remembers her teacher telling the other
students , “don’t let Adelaide get the highest
mark.”
As a teacher, principal, Vice Chancellor of the
State University of New York’s Board of Regents,
community activist and mentor she has dedicated
her life to make sure that no child would ever feel
invisible.
There was no sharing of breakfast, lunch or
dinner. There wasn’t even a sharing of ideas.”
Dr. Adelaide Sanford was born in Brooklyn, New
York in 1925. Her family was one of the first black
families in Bedford-Stuyvesant.
As one of the few students of African ancestry she
remembers school as an experience of invisibility.
She remembers her teacher telling the other
students , “don’t let Adelaide get the highest
mark.”
As a teacher, principal, Vice Chancellor of the
State University of New York’s Board of Regents,
community activist and mentor she has dedicated
her life to make sure that no child would ever feel
invisible.
“When I went to Florida with my aunt we went to
drink some water from the fountain. A woman
came up to my aunt and said ‘ that’s the white
water fountain, you have to drink from the colored
water fountain’. My aunt said ‘I’ve never drank
colored water in my life and I’m not going to start
now.’ And she drank from the white water fountain”
Vannisha Taylor was born in 1938 in Mount
Kisco, NY. On her visits down south to visit her
cousins she didn’t understand having to sit in a
certain section in the movie theater. In Buffalo she
went to school with white people, she was taught
by white people. There were a few in her
neighborhood but she could not understand her
cousins not sitting where they wanted to sit.
Like her aunt she lived her life on her own terms.
She worked a job as long as she liked it and when
she stopped liking it she found another one. She
lived where she wanted to live. And when she no
longer loved it there she would move to another
city. Harlem has held her heart for the past 30
years.
drink some water from the fountain. A woman
came up to my aunt and said ‘ that’s the white
water fountain, you have to drink from the colored
water fountain’. My aunt said ‘I’ve never drank
colored water in my life and I’m not going to start
now.’ And she drank from the white water fountain”
Vannisha Taylor was born in 1938 in Mount
Kisco, NY. On her visits down south to visit her
cousins she didn’t understand having to sit in a
certain section in the movie theater. In Buffalo she
went to school with white people, she was taught
by white people. There were a few in her
neighborhood but she could not understand her
cousins not sitting where they wanted to sit.
Like her aunt she lived her life on her own terms.
She worked a job as long as she liked it and when
she stopped liking it she found another one. She
lived where she wanted to live. And when she no
longer loved it there she would move to another
city. Harlem has held her heart for the past 30
years.
