Black Civic Groups Filled a Void

Many civic clubs and organizations that are fixtures in African American communities started in response to specific needs in a highly segregated nation. They have adapted and changed over the years, but retain a strong sense of service. Officers of some of these organizations spoke with MARY REESE BOYKIN about the histories of their groups in Southern California.

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DOLORES NEHEMIAH

President, Our Authors’ Study Club

Our group was founded by Vassie Davis Wright on February 14, 1945. There were no classes, very few books, very little in the way of interpreting or presenting black history--well, of course, then it was called Negro history--to the public. The primary interest of the club is in presenting, interpreting, and preserving black history.

In 1947, the club became incorporated and chartered by the Assn. for the Study of African American Life and History, a national organization started by Carter G. Woodson [who is known as the father of black history], in 1915. The first year that black history [then week] was celebrated in the Los Angeles community was 1947.

The club held classes, first at Second Baptist Church and later at Manual Arts and Dorsey high schools. The purpose of the classes was to teach the history of Africa and about the achievement of African Americans.

Many groups have gone on the bandwagon in the last 10 to 15 years in celebrating black history, but we are the umbrella under which most of the black history activities in the city have happened.

Since 1950, when Mayor Fletcher Bowron issued the first proclamation to celebrate black history in L.A., members of the club have gone to City Hall annually to make a proclamation in a public ceremony, stating that all of the city of Los Angeles shall observe Black History Month in February. This year, Mayor Riordan issued the proclamation on Jan. 27.

We hold free workshops for any group of six to eight teachers to show they how they can integrate black history into the curriculum.

There are so many activities of the club. For the past 31 years, on the first Saturday of February, we have sponsored a free bus tour of historic black L.A. We have an annual oratory contest . We sponsor a program called YES--Youth Empowered for Survival, where 350 students from predominantly black schools are matched with successful graduates of those schools. We meet at Loyola Marymount. A month later, the youths visit the work sites of the mentors. There are also times when we invite the “Buffalo Soldiers” and the Tuskegee Airmen to speak to our children. We have a street-scene festival at Jesse Owens Parks, where we feature countries of Africa and lecturers from those countries. And throughout the year, we sponsor our authors. Among them are poet Richard O. Jones, Michael Eric Dyson, Dr. Soyini Madison, Bebe Moore Campbell and Earl Ofari Hutchinson.

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PAULINE MCGRIFF-SMITH

Past chapter president, National Assn. of University Women

I have been a member of the National Assn. of University Women since 1974. I have served as president of the L.A. branch and most recently as the Southwest regional director.

NAUW was organized in 1910 in Washington, D.C., because of a concern over the need of better educational opportunities for African American women and to stimulate professional excellence in women, to exert influence in various movements for the civic good and to promote a closer union and fellowship among university women. The L.A. branch was formed in 1954.

The cornerstone of the L.A. branch is its generous scholarship awards. Our branch members also serve as mentors at the Virginia Road Elementary School. I am a product of the LAUSD and a teacher at Virginia Road. We work in a one-on-one relationship with at-risk students.

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MARY MATSON

President of Lullaby Guild, an auxiliary of Children’s Home Society of California

About 50 years ago, there were so many black babies up for adoption but no homes for placement. A few black women in the community were called together to address this issue. They met with the Urban League. At that time the Lullaby Guild was formed. The guild worked as an auxiliary of Children’s Home Society in placing black babies for adoption.

We are no longer in the adoption business, but our main concern is still working with the home by raising funds to help with caring for young people.

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EDMOND ‘TINY’ FLOURNOY

Co-founder, K and E Basketball Assn.

One vehicle to reach kids in the inner city is sports. Mine is basketball. A friend, Kevin, and I started K and E in 1984. We used the initials of our first names.

Previously, I had coached at Rancho La Cienega Park [near Dorsey High School] and worked there as a recreational assistant. At K and E we work with kids ages 8 to 17. We have 65 children in the program. Over 500 kids have been through our program. Currently, there are young men from K and E playing at Long Beach State, Cal Poly Pomona, Fresno State and local junior colleges.

One thing we try to do is use kids’ interest in sports to motivate them to total achievement. We focus on education. One parent is working on SAT preparation for our kids. We are planning a writing component to the program. Even at young ages, athletics are very competitive. But I haven’t ever cut a kid. If a kid comes in undisciplined and leaves disciplined, I have done my job.