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5A OPINIONS/WSe CjKlottt So« Thursday, March (3^,^2006 Forgetting to share traditions You’ve heard about the tree. And you also know the story about this Mattamuskeet Apple tree that grew in my neighbor’s front yard and the wonderful tradition it represented. If you know me, you’ve heard me teU the story until your eyes glazed over. If you regularly read this column, you’ve read about it. Now the tree is gone and the story has to change. It’s not a happy one anymore. Just in case you’ve somehow missed my telling of the original tale, here is a sum mary Every fall, I “stole” a few small, gnarled green apples from my neighbor’s tree. He knew, but didn’t complain. As a part of an annual ritual, I peeled a few of these apples, cut them up, removed the rotten parts, took out the worms, and made a cobbler that was fun to share wilh Ihe tree’s owner and with a few friends who appreciated its tradition. This little ritual meant more to me than the good eating and the sharii^ with friends. The tree came to Chapel ffill as a young sapling frctm Lake Mattamuskeet in Hyde County According to legend, the variety originated when the Mattamuskeet Indians found the seeds in the gizzard of a wQd goose. It is well adapted for the coastal region because it keeps wdl-per- haps because it is very acidic when frrst picked and then keeps well in storage as it mellows. All this is important, but my love for this little apple tree had more to do with how and why it came to Chapel Hill. Becaiose the tree’s former owner, H.G. Jones, was curator of the North Carolina Collection at UNC-Chapel Hill and director of the North Carolina Department of History and Archives, local history groups aU over the state invited him to speak at their meetings. When they offered payment for his talks, Jones refused. As an employee of the state and the university he said, “such visits were a-part of my job. But, word got arovmd that I would accept an apple pie. And most of the groups I spoke to would give me one to take home when I finished my talk.” A ntunber of years ago, he went to Hyde County to talk about the history of Lake Mattamuskeet and the sur- roimding region. Jones was surprised when, afl^r his talk, nobody presented him with the traditional apple pie. A few days later, the Mattamuskeet Apple saphr^ arrived and was planted in his front yard. Adapted as it was for the coastal climate, the little tree nevertheless thrived in the Piedmont soils of Chapel Hill. My ritual of the Mattamuskeet Apple cobbler has been a continuing reminder of the unselfish, extraordinary ser vice of Jones, his university colleagues, and other state employees -”because it is just part of the job.” A few months ago, when Jones told me he was selling his home and moving to a retirement community I should have known my treasure was at risk. How could the new owners be expected to know that this funny looking tree was a treasure? But I didn’t remember a responsibility all of us have. It is to teU newcomers about the traditions that go with the territory they have taken over. I didn’t do my job. This spring I looked forward to watching the tree’s blooms burst forth again and hoped for the autumn har vest that would make its way into my ritual cobbler. Last week when I walked by to check on the tree, its buds were indeed pushing out fium the branches. But the branches were on the ground along 'with the supportit^ limbs and the trunk that had been hacked apart. My favorite tree is gone. Nothing but a ghost from now on, my hving icon turned into a mere melnory The words on the newly relocated memorial to Thomas Wolfe on the Chapel Hid campus came n.L?hing to mind “O lost, and by the wind grieved, ghost, come back, again!” I win just have to find other ways to remember what Jones did and what we should do. Maybe, somehow, some day, another sapling will make its way from Lake Mattamuskeet to Chapel HOI to help us never to forget, D.G. MARTIN is the host of UNC-TV’s North Carolina Bookwatch, which airs on Sundays at 5 p.m. This spring I looked forward to watching the tree’s blooms burst forth again and hoped for the autumn harvest that would make its way into my ritual cobbler. Dorothy Height broadens horizon “We Afirican-American Women seldom do just what we want to do, but alwaj^ do what we have to do. I am grateful to have been in a time and place where I could be part of what was needed.” This is the quote inscribed on Dorothy Height’s Corlgressional Gold Medal, which is Congress’s highest honor and one of the many dozens of awards Height has received over her extraordi nary hfe, includit^ the Presidential Medal of Freedom, The Congressional Gold Medal was presented to her on March 24, 2004, her 92nd birthday Afew days ago, as Height celebrated her 94th birthday and the start of another historic year at a National Coimcil of Negro Women awards gala dinner honoring women trying to follow in ha- footsteps, those that have reached “Uncommon Height”—Radio One’s Cathy Hughes, Your^ & Rubicam’s Ann Fudge, and Bennett College President Jchnnetta Cole. At the dinner, she repeated those words. She has been and is an extraordinary lantern and role model for me and for millions of women and remains a determined and vibrant, long haul social change agent blessed with uncommon commitment and talent. Her fin gerprints are quietly embedded in many of the transforming events of the last six decades as blacks, women, and children pushed open and walked through previously closed doors of oppor tunity Even as a young girl, her speaking skills stood out, and she attended New York University in part, with a $1,000 scholarship from a national oratorical contest sponsored by the Elks. She com pleted both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees within four years, and went on to do postgraduate studies at Columbia and the New York School of Social Work. On November 7,1937, which Height remembem as the day that changed her hfe, she was the 25-year-old assistant director of the Harlem YWCA. She had been chosen to escort First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt to a National Council of Negro Women meeting, and there she met NCNW’s founder and president, the legendary Mary McLeod Bethime. Bethime was very impressed with young Hei^t, and invited her to begin working with the NCNW in addi tion to her role in the YWCA leadership. She became Height’s dose fiiend and mentor. In 1957, two years after Bethime’s death, Hei^t became NCNW’s president—a position she held imtil 1998. She is now the President Emerita and Chair of the Executive Committee, striving to ensure NCNW’s long-term stabOity by endowir^ its beautiful headquarters on Pennsjivania Avenue, site of a former slave auction paid for with the blood and suffering of our ancestors. During the QvQ Rights Movement, while so many women were playing vital roles that weren’t featured in the spotlight. Height was always up front wiffi a seat at the table. She was often the only woman in the room with Dr. Kir^ and the rest of the “Kg Six” leaders as they planned many of the Civil Ri^ts Movement’s key strategies. And she was on the stage—she should have been a speaker — at the historic March on Washington. She led the NCNW membership as active partidpants in the movement and reminds us that women were its backbone — unseen but strong. One of the cornerstones of NCNW’s dvQ rights strategies was Wednesdays in Mississippi, which broioght together White and black northern women to travel to Mississippi to develop relation ships with black and white southern women, educate themselves and each other, and create bri(^s of imderstanding between the North and South and across radal and dass lines. CDF isbuild- ing on her legacy through Wednesday in Washington and at Home to make our leaders see and respond to our children. Later, NCNW developed a range of model national programs focused on Black women’s and families’ needs such as employ ment, child care, housing, hunger, health care, and youth develop ment. Under her leadership NCNW founded the Bethune Museum and Archives, the first institution devoted to black women’s history, and raised the funds to purchase their Washington, D.C. headquarters—the only bback-owned building directly on the historic corridor between the White House and the Capitol. Height also began the NCNWs wonderful Black Family Reunion Celebrations twenty years ago, emphasizing, the tradi tional values and strengths of black families at a time when too many people focused on the black family’s ‘breakdown.” Height has always understood how Afiican- Americans’ needs connect to a larger global mission as well. Throu^ it all. Heist’s intellect and strength have remained as sharp as her signature sense of stjie. A new musical based on her life is called “If This Hat Could Talk,” and anyone who knows Height and her trademark gorgeous hats understands just how they chose that title, personally and CDF have always been pro foundly inspired by and grateful for her extraordinary example of leadership and service. Just as the quote on her medal says, we have all needed Height—and she has always steadfastly done what she had to do. MARIAN WRlGHTt EDELMAN is president andfounder of the Children's Defense Fund. Connect with ^OJt Send letters to The Charlotte Post, P.O. Box 30144 Charlotte, NC 28230 or e-mail editoriaK^hecharlottepost.com. We edit for grammar, clarity and space. Include your name and da34ime phone mamber. Letters and photos wHl not be returned by mail unless accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped enve lope. Convert East, West boulevards to King Blvd. Charlotte wiU now join the other several thousand cities around the world that have kept Dr. King’s ‘Dream” alive by honoring him with his own street. Althov^ I am dated that this “Dream” has finally come true for our city I do have my concerns as to ^ how the choice will be perceived by future visitors and newcomers’ to the I am the tour director of Queen City Tburs and have been developing and conducting tours of Charlotte and Mecklenburg Cormty for over 13 years. Our company has given a tour of Charlotte (And Mecklenburg County) for at least one person fium every state in the U.S. (Including Wyoming and South Dakota) as well as over 40 for eign gountries. Tb date, we have conveyed the history of Charlotte and Mecklenburg Cormty to nearly 35,000 guests, and the majority of those that visited in hopes of moving here have - after taking our tour. On our popular Charlotte Black Heritage Tbur, we spend a great deal of time conveying the history of Old Brooklyn - the most prolific link to Charlotte’s black heritage. Although it was. once a thrivir^ com- mxmity older Charlotteans (And historians like mysdf) are aware of its dilapidated condition before urban renewal in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Durir^ this time frame, more than 7,000 black resi dents, 1,500 structures, and over 100 black-owned businesses were disenfranchised. Those that could afford it moved to Hyde Park off North Beatties Ford Road, and the low income blacks were forced to move to Earle \^age in First Ward and other low income housing apartments — other segregated areas of Chkrlotte. In fact, the only remnants from Old Brooklyn that remain are the gymnasium frum Second Ward High School, the A.M.E. Zion Publishing House building, the M.I.C0. (Minority Investment Company) building, and Grace A.M.E. Zion Church. When we convey this history on our tours, the majcoity of our guests (black, white, and other) are left with a feehi^ of dismay regarding the souls that once occupied Old Brooklyn. They also agree that placing the Dr. Martin Luther Kir^, Jr. statue in Marshall Park (1980) was a nice gesture but not enou.^ to heal the social woimds inflicted by the eradication of most of Charlotte’s true black history LogisticaUy; renaming Seccoid Street to honor Dr. King creates its own set of puns, irony and criticism, For instance, “Did Dr. King’s “Dream” dead-end at the Blake (Formerly Adam’s Mark) Hotel?’ “Will I be able to listen to the entire Dr. King’s “I have a dream” speech while driving along Second Street?” “Can Dr. King’s legacy be summed in less than a mile of pave ment?’ And for future reference, “If Dr. King’s “Dream” was to integrate blacks into the American society, why is Old Brooklyn now predominately white? And finally “Which interstate exit for Dr. King Boulevard.? Oh, the John BeUc Freeway?’ I am aware of past failed efforts to rename existing streets to honor Dr. Kir^, however, there should be no rush to ‘just get it done.” Fourteen years ago I con-. tacted the King Center in Atlanta and I also spoke directly with organizers of successful efforts to honor Dr. King via a roadway Based on my research, prior efforts in Charlotte have faded because it is difficult and almost impossible to rename a street already named in honor of a historic person or event. Choosing Second Street ended that unsuccessful drought, however, how wdl your history play out? Do you want to be remembered as the brave soul that created a potential negative impact on the life of a martyr? Why not rename East and West boulevards? Although they do not exit fixim an interstate, they can be accessed fiom the arport — a major gateway into the city In addition, those of us that are natives or have been here for quite some time are aware that the two streets are mostly segregated. Was it not Dr. King’s dream to truly integrate the American society? Why not join the blacks and whites that live along those segregated streets physically and perhaps socially? Like Second Street, these streets are not named in honor of any historic person or evait. Finally your time to reflect on Dr. King’s “Dream” will be greatly extended while driving along that stretch of asphalt. In turn, your legacy wih not be in darker of potential reverse admiration. JUAN WHIPPLE is director of Queen City Tours in Charlotte.
The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, N.C.)
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March 30, 2006, edition 1
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