Book Review: Driving While Black

During the days of the horse and buggy the ability to travel was limited for everyone simply because it took too much time to go any great distance. The train helped, giving those who could afford to do so the ability to travel beyond their own surroundings. However, for African-Americans neither option afforded much of an opportunity for travel. Horse and buggy left African-Americans exposed to all sorts of dangers, especially in the south. Riding a train left African-Americans exposed to a number of Jim Crow Laws and various attitudes which could make travel down right unpleasant. This would all change when the car became something that the average person could afford. Car ownership opened the door to travel for many blacks and in Driving While Black Gretchen Sorin tells us the story of how being able to take road trips changed African-American culture while helping drive the civil rights movement forward.

I have mixed feelings about Driving While Black. The information, a mix of historical record and anecdotal evidence, is very interesting, revealing a part of our history which for the most part remains buried. Even with my family background, and with knowing some of what my past relatives faced, there is a lot that I learned from reading this book. However, there is something about the writing that caused me to struggle when it came to focusing on what I was reading. It doesn’t quite read like a textbook but there was just something that I can’t pinpoint that didn’t allow me to read for longer than a few minutes at a time. As a result I cannot give a full endorsement of this book.

If you enjoy history, this book is one you should consider reading. If you want a perspective that the majority of history books are unable to give, this is definitely a book you should read. If you read only for entertainment this might not be the right choice. I can only give one thumb up for this book, recommending it for those who truly enjoy history and for those who are open to walking (or riding) in another person’s shoes.

Driving While Black by Gretchen Soring, Published by Liveright Publishing Corporation

Why Do We Need Black History Month?

It wound up being my favorite class in college: a history course that I took just to get a few easy credits. The teacher stepped into the class on the first day and said something that forever changed my perspective on the study of history. He started by saying that he did not expect us to memorize a bunch of dates leading to a collective sigh of relief that was audible throughout the classroom. He then explained that he wanted us to be able to answer one simple question about everything we would learn that semester. How does each event affect our lives today? From that point on I’ve asked this question whenever I studied our history.

As I sit here in my home in Pennsylvania I’m overwhelmed by the number of people and events that have shaped the world and that set the stage for how the culture in which I am immersed functions today. And yet, as I look back on all of my years in grade school I realize there were so many names and events that were missed for one reason or another during all of those history classes. And the biggest omission of them all were the many contributions made by black men and women: contributions that our approved history books almost completely overlooked.

Why do we need Black History Month? I honestly wish that we didn’t need it. I wish that the text books did a better job of telling the story of how blacks and other minorities did important things so that we all can ask how their actions affect us today. But alas, with a few exceptions, those contributions are left out, leaving us with the need for a month designed to remind us not to leave people out.

Book Reviewed: The Golden 13

 Prior to World War II the Navy’s record when it came to race relations was…well…dismal. Opportunities for blacks within the service were very limited in part due to a major written report that warned of what might happen if African-Americans were allowed to serve onboard a Navy vessel alongside a white crew. These attitudes were a reflection of what was going on in the nation outside of the service. So as the nation fought for freedom overseas, blacks were not afforded the same here at home.

The Golden 13 describes a major change within the Navy. Under pressure to change, this branch of the military would create a test program in which 13 men would become the Navy’s first black officers. Based in part on personal interviews, this book tells why these men joined the service in the first place and describes what they faced as they worked their way up the ranks. Dan C. Goldberg gives us a good mix of historical background along with the personal stories of these men, leaving the reader with a view of what was at stake and why these men were the right group to face the challenge.

The Golden 13 is well written and fun to read. The writing is unbiased, a simple telling of a story that should not be forgotten. The narrative covers a topic that must be acknowledged as we cannot run away from the fact that racism is a part of our history and in some areas is still an issue today. But in acknowledging the problem we must also acknowledge situations where people of both races worked towards change. This book is a record of just such a situation, revealing a major step towards this nation fulfilling its promise.

I give The Golden 13 two thumbs up, recommending it to anyone who enjoys history and to those who are interested in learning about where the United States used to be and how we got to where we are today.

The Golden 13: How Black Men Won The Right to Wear Navy Gold by Dan C. Goldberg. Published by Beacon Press Books.

Joe Gilliam: The First Black Starting QB in the NFL

They made history. Jalen Hurts of the Eagles and Patrick Mahomes of the Chiefs were the two starting quarterbacks in Super Bowl LVII making it the first time that both starting QBs were black. This was something I heard quite a few times leading up to the game and every time I heard an analyst mention that fact I thought of one name: Joe Gilliam.

In 1972 the Pittsburgh Steelers used the 273rd pick to draft Joe Gilliam who, during his college career at Tennessee State, passed for 5,213 yards and 50 touchdowns. While under center he helped his team win two Black College National Championships and his performances earned him induction into the Black College Football Hall of Fame. His on the field play and off the field popularity would earn him the nickname “Jefferson Street Joe,” given to him by one of the school’s coaches (in reference to one of the roads near campus, according to ESPN.com).

Even with his success in college the odds were against Gilliam playing quarterback in the NFL. Back then black college quarterbacks were generally converted to wide receiver however the Steelers, and head coach Chuck Knoll, decided to keep Gilliam at the quarterback position where he served as backup to Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw.

When the players went on strike in July of 1974 Bradshaw walked the picket line while Gilliam, and many other players around the league, chose to report for preseason training camp. Bradshaw’s absence opened the door for Coach Knoll to start Gilliam and Jefferson Street Joe took full advantage as the Steelers finished the preseason as the only unbeaten team with six wins. His success earned Gilliam the right to start on opening day against the Baltimore Colts. While I’m sure this was controversial, it does not seem as if it was done as a political statement. According to several sources, (including an article on CBSSports.com), Chuck Knoll believed that Gilliam was the best choice and he was not the only one who believed this (more on that later).

There had been other black quarterbacks who started professional football games like Marlin Briscoe who started for the Denver Broncos in 1968 but that was in the AFL before the merger which wasn’t official until 1970. Joe Gilliam was the first black to start at quarterback in the NFL but being first brought with it a certain amount of backlash. Based on the hate mail Gilliam received, it seems NFL fans were not ready to see a black man under center. Still, he would lead the team to a 4-1-1 record before being replaced by Bradshaw who would finish the season by leading the team to a win in Super Bowl IX. Unfortunately, after being benched Gilliam’s life took a turn for the worse, marked by substance abuse and homelessness (according to ESPN.com). He would eventually have to pawn his two Super Bowl rings (both from his time with the Steelers) in order to make ends meet (according to ESPN.com).

I first heard of Joe Gilliam from my uncle who played quarterback for a semi-pro team in Gary Indiana. He spoke of how Joe Gilliam was a better quarterback than Terry Bradshaw, something Bradshaw himself has publicly stated (as reported by CBSSports.com). This led to my first understanding of how blacks were seen in football and in sports: athletic but not smart enough. Knowing this I celebrated when Doug Williams led the Redskins to victory in Super Bowl XXII. I was also proud to see Hurts and Mahomes in this year’s Super Bowl, although I wish the score had gone the other way.

It seems weird to say that in my lifetime the idea of a black quarterback was in general something that was rejected by the league and by fans. I’m glad to see this kind of thinking go out the window as we debate whether or not a black quarterback might one day be crowned the GOAT.

For more on Joe Gilliam see his listing on the Black College Hall of Fame website: https://www.blackcollegefootballhof.org/inductees/joe-gilliam

For the ESPN.com cited in this post:Gilliam had 'given his life to God'  https://www.espn.com/nfl/news/2000/1229/982102.html

For the CBSSports.com article cited in this post: Remember When: Joe Gilliam takes Terry Bradshaw's starting QB job https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/remember-when-joe-gilliam-takes-terry-bradshaws-starting-qb-job/

Honor MLK By Voting

MLK Day! I remember the battle leading up to 1983 when Congress passed the legislation that made the third Monday of January a federal holiday recognizing the life and contributions of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. You may be surprised to find out that back then I was not 100% on board with the move to make this a holiday. I was young and impressionable, buying into something someone said about Dr. King not wanting a holiday because it would mean a day when young children of color were missing out on their education. I’ve changed my mind since then, recognizing that it’s not about if he would want a holiday. It’s about him deserving a holiday and deserving the recognition and honor he earned as one of the leaders of the civil rights movement.

Since January 20, 1986, the very first MLK national holiday, the third Monday in January has become known in many parts of the country as a day of service. It is a day when communities can come together and when the individual can serve his/her neighbor: a day when we hopefully make our towns a little bit better. I think this is something that would make Dr. King smile. However, after the day of service I believe there is something else each of us needs to do: become an informed voter and then cast your ballot.

When watching the news I keep hearing about laws that have passed and attempts to pass other laws which in one way shape or form are designed to control how we each cast our ballots in future elections. I’m not here to take sides or to judge these various laws. I am here to say get out and vote no matter what. Make up your mind right now that no restriction will keep you from voting. No matter your race or your political leanings, become informed about the candidates and the issues. Then, go out and exercise your Constitutional right. When you do so you will help make this a better nation and you will honor MLK by making sure that his work, when it comes to the right to vote, was not done in vain.

Mary Miles and the Doctrine of Separate But Equal

I saw this sign while walking to the train station from work one afternoon. It is located on a bridge overlooking a set of train tracks near Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station. At first glance the sign looked like one of the many historical markers found throughout the region but something seemed odd about the sign. While I could not figure out what was wrong with the sign I did stop to read what it said. From it I learned of Mary Miles, a name from history whose story seemed important. This was enough for me to do a little research where I found a woman whose legacy might have matched that of Rosa Parks if not for the fact that Miles’ fight contributed to one of the great wrongs from the history of the United States.

In 1866 Mary Miles’ journey to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court started innocently enough with a train ride to her home in Hinsonville Pa. Hinsonville was a community of free blacks, where Miles lived while applying for a teaching position with a Quaker group called the Friends Freedmen’s Association (According to a report on mainlinetoday.com). Traveling back to Hinsonville from Philadelphia Mary took a seat on the West Chester & Philadelphia Railroad. Like Parks, Miles was asked to get up. A representative from the railroad confronted Mary Miles suggesting she either move to the section of the train car designated for “...persons of her race” or get off of the train. (Swarthmore College Bulletin). Eventually Mary was left at one of the train stations along the line.

A year later Mary Miles sued the railroad in a Philadelphia court. The court decided against the railroad on the basis that skin color was not a valid reason to force someone to change seats. Mary was awarded $5 but would see the verdict overturned on appeal to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. In that case the court ruled that the railroad could ask someone to move on the basis of race as long as the person was offered a seat that was equal to the seat they were being forced to leave. This case would later be cited in the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Plessy vs. Ferguson where the court said that segregation was constitutional.

Unfortunately not only did Mary Miles lose her case but in part her actions helped move the country into decades of court sanctioned segregation under the idea of “separate but equal” accommodations. This wrong would continue from 1896 until Brown vs. The Board of Education was decided in 1954. Ms. Miles' courageous stand was, for those 58 years, lost behind an outcome which lives as one of many negatives when it comes to race relations in this country.

Though the outcome was not what she intended, Mary Miles should be remembered for taking a stand. Yet, there was still something about that sign that just seemed out of place. Not until passing it several times did I realize that the sign was held up using plastic zip ties. This was odd even for a city that seems to pride itself on oddities. Fortunately, my research for this post led me to the answer behind the zip tied sign.

Turns out the sign honoring Mary Miles was not installed by the city. It is the creation of Ali Roseberry-Polier, a local author and activist, who wanted others to know about Mary Miles. Hence the use of zip ties holding the sign up. Unfortunately the sign is beginning to fall apart, having survived a year where it seemed as if it rained every four days here in Philly. It may also have fallen prey to someone whose motives were less than honorable. Hopefully one day Mary Miles can get a more permanent sign. Until then I’ll join in telling others about Mary Miles’ ill fated attempt to undo separate but equal before it became law.

(Update: Unfortunately the makeshift sign is no longer hanging near 30th Street Station, having finally succumb to the elements.)