Education & Community Activism Runs In Their Veins

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On February 9, 2011 the College Hill library located in a black community of East Tampa, Florida was renamed the C. Blythe Andrew Jr. Public Library.

You could tell that a political election was imminent as elected official after elected official both white and black stood before a standing room only crowd to praise the memory of the Florida Sentinel Bulletin publisher who died in 2010.

Through the Florida Sentinel Bulletin the community icon whom they praised engineered social change as he provided a much needed voice for people of color residing on the west coast of Central Florida.

The road to this monumental day started long ago on the continent of Africa where a free and tranquil African culture rapidly transformed into bondage. Shackled in the bottom of a hot slave vessel as they laid in their own sweat, urine and feces, the nightmarish journey maneuvered the waves of a horrific middle passage.

Some would survive while others would not. Those not strong enough or those who chose not to continue the journey into the unknown were buried at sea.

The Charleston harbor would more than likely be the final port for disembarkation and these human beings would now be considered as chattel. The inhumane treatment did not. It continued on plantations as an African culture and the humanity of those captured was destroyed. As time would go on, at no choice of their own, their DNA would also be changed.

The nightmare eventually turned into a dream as a war between the states emancipated the African descendants.

The United States Constitution was amended at the end of the war which assured that the African descendants would not be returned to bondage. Citizenship was afforded to these individuals, and the men of color were given the right to vote.

This era was known as reconstruction. Reconstruction would be brief, and the African descendants would experience a set back in their dream as the white people, who were angered by their emancipation, would curtail their enjoyment of full citizenship. Through the black codes and eventually the separate but equal Jim Crow laws a form of racial etiquette would be practiced. This practice would brand the citizens of color as second class citizens.

During the brief period of reconstruction, a former slave by the name of Solomon had a dream of owning his own farm. In pursuit of that dream, Solomon would worked as a farm hand.

In 1870 the federal census document reveals that Solomon Augustus Andrews was born about 1849 in the state of Georgia. In 1870 he resided in Henry County which is known today as metropolitan Atlanta.

Solomon was also listed as living in Union Springs Alabama. Single and working as a farm hand where ever he could find work, Solomon had accumulated the sum of $100.00. This is quite a savings for a man who was a slave 7 years earlier. In 1870 Solomon could neither read nor write. Of course we know that this was not uncommon since it was illegal to teach the slaves how to read and write.

There was however, a slave by the name of William Wallace Andrews who had been taught by his slave owners how to read and write. Acknowledged as the patriarch of black Little Rock, Andrews operated a clandestine school to teach his wife whom he married in 1848 and other slaves to read and write. The classes were disguised as prayer meetings.

Henry County Georgia, Union Springs, Bullock Alabama had all been part of the Creek Indian nation. The Creek Indians were forced to abandon these lands and ended up in Little Rock, Arkansas which was part of the trail of tears.

As the region grew and land needed to be cleared for large plantations, the need for a large labor force increased. Slaves were brought in to tend the fields, do carpentry, be brick masons, and serve in the homes of their owners at various jobs.

Solomon settled down in Sparta, Georgia, and on November 21, 1872 married Marietta Simmons who was born in Sparta in 1858. On February 4, 1874, their son William Wallace Andrews is born.

The 1880 federal census shows that Solomon did realize his dream for he was a farmer who owned his own farm mortgage free. Solomon and Marietta were also the proud parents of three children. In addition to William, they now had two girls, Lucy and Rosetta.

1880 federal census also indicated that both he and Marietta could now read and write and apparently made it a point to see that their children received an education from the Sparta public schools.

An educated William Andrews migrated from Sparta Georgia to Apalachicola Florida. In 1900, he met his wife Henrietta Smith. Smith who was a student was also the step daughter of the man who owned the boarding house where William resided. William made a living as a barber. By 1910, William and Henrietta had married and were the proud parents of two sons: Cyril Blythe Andrews and William Wallace Andrews II.

In 1912, William moved his family to Jacksonville, Florida after being elected as the Grand Chancellor of the Knights of Pythias of Florida.

William Wallace Andrews & Henrietta Smith Andrews

Following in the foot steps of his mother who had passed away and father, William and Henrietta made it their duty to educate their two sons. Cyril attended Atlanta University and had enrolled into The University of Chicago’s law school. While in Chicago, young Cyril worked in his spare time at the Chicago Bee and the renowned Chicago Defender.

Interestingly, in 1919 William I started the Florida Sentinel newspaper and when he became critically ill, Cyril withdrew from law school to return home as its’ editor. William II attended medical school at Howard University and started a practice in Jacksonville.

Cyril would eventually move to Tampa, Florida and William would relocate to Kansas City.

During the depression the circulation of the paper was halted. Cyril turned his attention to other business endeavors such as life insurance and real estate. However, in 1945, Cyril Senior resurrected the Sentinel, and in 1959 after buying out his competitor the Florida Bulletin he would publish the black newspaper twice a week.

C. Blythe Andrews I

In 1931 William Wallace Andrews I died. By this time, Cyril had married Johna Bell Thompson, and the two raised two sons of their own. William Wallace Andrews III would matriculate to Talladega College located in Talladega, Alabama and to Meharry medical school in Nashville, Tenn. William returned to Tampa with his wife Nancy as a surgical doctor.

Cyril II who also matriculated to Talladega College in Alabama, graduating in 1950. After a stint in the Army, he returned to Tampa and worked for his father, first as a reporter, eventually moving up into leadership positions. He took over at the Florida Sentinel-Bulletin when C. Blythe Andrews Sr. died in 1977.

Cyril Senior was civic minded. He was one of the original organizers of the Tampa chapter of the NAACP Alpha Psi Alpha fraternity. He was appointed and served on several boards, representing the interest of the black community. For his dedication to public service, he received numerous plaques and citations.

Walking in the foot steps of his father, Cyril Jr. was involved with many local boards and organizations supporting the poor and working class members of his community. He served on the board of Tampa General hospital. Cyril Jr. who like his father was known as C. Blythe Andrews would also invest in a low income private housing complex. He also advocated medical care for the poor through the Hillsborough County HealthCare Plan.

However, the one thing that was very dear to him, the one thing that brought the standing crowd out on this particular day was the library which now holds his name. C. Blythe Andrews Jr., and his family were instrumental in acquiring the land where the library stands. They have donated book collections and given their time as volunteers.

The C Blythe Andrews Jr. library initially started as a double wide trailer in 1989. The current 8500 square foot facility opened in 1994. Today the facility holds a collection of more than 31,000 volumes of books. There exist a room to listen to audio books and in keeping with technology, the library is also set up with public use computers.

Lillian Andrews Ponquinette with her St Peter Claver students

Also present on this day was William Wallace Andrews III with his wife Nancy and two of their four daughters. Sharon is a psychiatrist for the VA in Tampa. Their daughter Lillian devoted her life to education as a teacher. Lillian Andrews Ponquinette currently teaches science at St. Peter Claver Catholic School in Tampa, Florida.

Regardless of whether the name is Andrews, if they descend from Solomon Augustus and Marietta Andrews education and community activism runs in their veins.

Special Thanks to Eileen B. McAdams (eileenmcadams@windstream.net) for her assistance with the Hancock county, Georgia genealogy search.

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Lorey Hayes’ Haiti’s Children Of God: A Play That Just Keeps On Giving

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You may not recognize the name now, but you have seen her face and if you buy a ticket to her play at Dwyer Theater you will remember her name.

Lorey Hayes, an original cast member of the play For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When The Rainbow Is Enuf has found a passion for writing. Her latest play, Haiti’s Children Of God , was written in 1992. The play included an earthquake. During rehearsals’ last January, Haiti was devastated by an earthquake.

Within the cast is a special Haitian woman named Marie Eusebe. Ms. Eusebe was so moved by the devastation she gave up her safe livelihood at American Express to raise funds to build a water reservoir in Petite Goâve. Petite Goâve is the home town of her father. She has created a non-profit organization called Community2 Community to raise the needed funds. You can donate by clicking here Community2Community.info/

On the March 10 performance admission will be $25.00 where by $5.00 will go to C2C in support of their Haiti Restoration and Transformation Project in Petite Goave, Haiti.

The social conscientiousness doesn’t stop there. On Saturday March 5, 2011 at 2:00 PM, Haiti’s Children of God will be performed in sign language for the hearing impaired.

What are you going to do with folks like that? Do your part! Buy a ticket see the play and spread the word to all, including the hearing impaired. Oh, and don’t forget to donate to Community2Community.

The play starts on Thursday February 24, 2011 and runs each weekend through March 13, 2011 at the Dwyer Cultural Center. See flyer below or goto http://www.dwyercc.org/ for ticket purchase as well as time and dates of performances.

Also take look above at the Febone1960.net interview with actress turned playright, Lorey Hayes.

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Legendary Greensboro, N.C. Physician Dies at 103

GREENSBORO – Dr. George Harrison Evans died at home on February 4, 2011 at the age of 103. His devoted wife, Margueritte Evans, was at his side.

A memorial service will be held 1 p.m. Thursday, February 10, 2011 at Saint James Presbyterian Church, 820 Ross Ave., Greensboro.

He was born on May 18, 1907 to parents, James Royal Evans and Lillie Carmichael Evans in Milan, Tennessee; the third born of three children. His brother, James Carmichael Evans, and sister, Ruby Evans Washington, are deceased.

Dr. Evans who began his medical practice in a segregated Greensboro, N.C. in December 1934 was the first to hold my tiny 6 pounds body when I arrived on this earth. You see Dr. Evans delivered over 3000 babies! Two of those babies would have been David Richmond and Ezell Blair Jr.((now Jibreel Khazan). Richmond and Blair were two of the four freshmen who initiated the >Woolworht Sit-In Movement in downtown Greensboro. A long time member of St. James Presbyterian Church, Dr. Evans along with other members including the beloved Reverend Douglas supported the Sit-IN Movement.

He retired in 1981 after 47 years of dedicated service.

I recall running into Dr. Evans in the late 1990s at a funeral. I’ve not lived in Greensboro for some decades and was certain that he would not even remember me or my parents. I was so wrong. After introducing myself, he spoke of my father and recalled which child I was amongst my siblings and the year I was born. A few years ago, I called him on the phone and once again he remembered me. I was impressed that a man of 100 years could remember his patients and their kids, whom he had delivered. Living at the age of 103, he also attended the funerals of some of the babies he delivered. The funeral which I’ve reference was one of his 3000 deliveries.

He and his wife, Margueritte Webster, were married on September 23, 1934, and they rejoiced in the celebration of 76 years together. They had one son, James Webster Evans, now deceased; and two grandsons, James Alan Evans and Alexander Noel Evans.

Dr. Evans attended Roger Williams University in Nashville, Tennessee. In 1933, he graduated from Meharry Medical College and received his initial hospital training at City Hospital Number 2 (later renamed Homer G. Phillips Hospital) in St. Louis, Missouri. He furthered his graduate training at the Polyclinic Hospital in New York City.

Aside from his dedication to his patients, Dr. Evans served with many civic and religious organizations. He was a former Board of Trustees member and former secretary of the board at L. Richardson Memorial Hospital. He served as chief of the medical staff at L. Richardson from 1950-1951 and worked at the hospital for the entire 47 years he was in practice. He was also a member of the Old North State Medical Society.

Dr. Evans was appointed chairman of the Mayor’s Special Committee on Human Relations and credited with helping in the struggles for integration. Among many other memberships, Dr. Evans was an active member of the Greensboro Men’s Club.

He was a dedicated member of St. James Presbyterian Church; a charter member and the first president of the Men’s Choir, also serving on the Trustee Board, the Community Relations Committee, and the Finance Committee of the church.

The community has also awarded Dr. Evans with many other honors, among these an Evans Subdivision and the Evans-Blount Community Health Center. Last year, the Gateway Gardens Icon Sculpture (E. Lee and Florida St.) was given to the city by the Joseph M. Bryan Foundation to honor Dr. George H. Evans & Mrs. Margueritte W. Evans.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to your preferred institution or The Dr. and Mrs. George H. Evans Endowed Scholastic Fund at Meharry Medical College, 1005 Dr. D. B. Todd Jr. Blvd., Nashville, TN 37208,.

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BLACK HISTORY IS AMERICAN HISTORY!

FEBONE1960.NET BLACK HISTORY VIDEO CALENDAR

The Febone1960.net Black History Month Calendar is back again for 2011 and this year we invite you to come and take your seat at the lunch counter as we celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Freedom Rides!

The Febone1960.net 2011 Black History Month Calendar traces the roots of an average
African American Family from slavery to present day.

Resembling Alex Haley’s Roots, the Calendar utilizes the Internet and video streaming to show daily video clips during the month of February.

Roots traced the genealogy of Alex Haley’s family back to Africa. This electronic calendar starts the genealogy at slavery. Viewers will learn about the participation of unsung heroes and their impact on the civil rights movement.

The Calendar is again being offered to all schools throughout the World free of charge starting on February 1, 2011. The viewers will be able to view a new clip each day. The viewers can view current day and previously posted clips.

The clips will be available in Spanish and closed captioned for the hearing impaired. We are also paying tribute to the unsung deaf African American heroes/sheroes as we reveal their contribution to the Civil Rights Movement.

This year we have the continued support of the National Education Association (“NEA”), Black Caucus.

We also have the support of several celebrities who have lent their voices to the project by narrating some of the clips. Natalie Cole, Josh Grobin, Angela Bassett, Giancarlo Esposito, Star Jones, En’Vogue, former Secretary of Labor Alexis Herman, Susan Kidd, Chris Matthews, Maureen Dowd,Tamaron Hall, Eugene Robinson Suzanne Malveaux, and Michele Martin are just few of the many celebrities who wanted to support this worthy project.

It is our desire to have the calendar viewed daily by every person within and out of the
United States. Therefore, we ask that you forward this email to all your friends and
family and have them join us each and every day starting February 1, 2011 for the five
minutes video clips.

The general public may also access the calendar free of charge.

All schoolteachers and administrators need to make sure that the video clips will not be
filtered out at their schools. Please contact your media specialist and ask that they
contact the person who is responsible for the computers including the Internet at their
schools.

The calendar will accomplish the following:
• Reveal the unsung heroes of African American History
• Encourage African Americans to study their own family history
• Encourage dialog about the rich African American heritage and its’
contribution to American Society
•
Encourage reading and the utilization on the Internet within the
African American community
•
Encourage the appreciation and value education
•
Reveal that African American History is American History.

Please take a look at the summary and view the 2011 calendar
at http://febone1960.net/Sponsors_calendar.htm

If you would like to link this calendar to your website please contact us
calendar10@febone1960.net

You can also follow us on the Febone Blog for written commentary and twitter for discussions

Febone1960.net thanks you for your anticipated support.

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