The Good O’l Days: Senior Citizens Give An Oral History Of An Earlier Bed-Stuy
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On Wednesday, September 21, a diverse group of attendees packed Martin Hall at St. Philip’s Church to celebrate the MMSL (Macon/MacDonough/Stuyvesant/Lewis) Block Association’s Sixth Annual Stuyvesant Heights Oral History Project.
For the past five years, MMSL has held this historically enlightening oral history and awards ceremony at the lovely Akwaaba Mansion in Bedford-Stuyvesant. For this year’s celebration, having outgrown that space, the association strategically moved the celebration to a much larger neighboring church hall at 265 Decatur Street between Stuyvesant and Lewis Avenues.
The MMSL Block Association’s Oral History Project’s mission is to create a vital historical record of their landmark neighborhood for future generations to see. The Project preserves the rich and vibrant history of an African American neighborhood, as told through its seniors.
This year’s honorees included Esther Arrington, Artis Dameron and Lewis Dameron (brothers), Linda Rhodes Jones and Wilhelmena Rhodes Kelly (sisters), Eric Hilton Weston and Julia Simpkins. A slide presentation, prepared a year ago and shown at the event, revealed amazing stories of clan, caring, community, church, and challenge from each honoree.
Ester Arrington says growing up in Bed-Stuy there were Irish, German, and Blacks in the neighborhood. “We walked everywhere because the bus fare was a nickel and we’d save the money and buy candy.” I was a tomboy and in those days there were lots of activities for children. Back then neighbors cared for each other.
The Dameron Brothers Artis says, “I’ve been a resident here all my life. Elementary school, I went to Holy Rosary. Right up the block here. What was Holy Rosary is now condos.” The brothers remember playing outside on Macon Street all day without fear. Cars on the street were a rarity with three or four parked on the block at a time. Our parents bought the home in 1945 and many of the neighbors were veterans. Their father received the most distinguished Purple Heart, a United States military decoration.
Eric Hilton Weston, the eldest of all the seniors honored, appeared alert and sounded strong at 100 years old. Weston was born in Trinidad, off Venezuela’s coast in the southern Caribbean. “I came to the United States in 1927 by boat and we landed in Brooklyn…we lived at 659 Classon Avenue.” In 1944 he moved to Halsey Street. He worked for the NYC Transit as a motorman and tower operator.
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The Rhodes Sisters, Linda said, “we started off on Jefferson Avenue and then we moved over to Hancock Street just a couple of blocks away…my earliest memories are about Bedford Stuyvesant.” Wilhelmena, the first woman of color to start a Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) chapter was not present. She was in Albany. Linda Rhodes Jones accepted her sister’s award and reminded the audience that history, unless documented doesn’t exit; that’s why the Stuyvesant Heights Oral History Project is so vital.
Julia Simpkins moved to McDonough Street in 1949. She had moved to the Bronx first, but liked Brooklyn better (of course, she did). Simpkins worked for Kings County Hospital for over 30 years as a nurse and stayed married 57 years until her husband died. When accepting the award she said, ” I am so happy, I feel like dancing;” then she danced.
Along with awards from the Stuyvesant Heights Oral History Project, Assemblywoman Annette Robinson presented each honoree with a citation while former City Councilman Al Vann watched in support.
With Peaches Restaurant sponsoring supper and Olivino Wines providing the cocktails, the evening’s oral history lessons left everyone satisfied and delighted. With increasing support, it won’t be long before they’ll be moving to an even larger facility.
For more information on the Stuyvesant Heights Oral History Project or to hear the stories told by the evening’s honorees click here.
