black history 13

Celebrating

Martin Lu

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Ma n LrtinMart

A Special Supplement of The Progress-IndexFebruary 2013

Inside:MLK Had Special Connection with PetersburgMLK Had Special Connection with Petersburg

Former Bus Station Transforming into Civil Rights Museum?Former Bus Station Transforming into Civil Rights Museum?

Facts & Figures to Celebrate Black HistoryFacts & Figures to Celebrate Black History

The History of Black History MonthThe History of Black History Month

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T2 Celebrating Black History Celebrating Black History T3

25824 Greensville Avenue, Petersburg, Virginia 23803J. L. Dodson and Sons Funeral Establishment

I welcome the opportunity to discuss with you in greater detail the many advantages of prearrangement to you and your family. To arrange an appointment to discuss this important responsibility,

The Wisdom of Pre - Need Arrangements

Please contact:Rev. Jeffrey L. Dodson. Sr., LFD

Founder & President at: 804-732-5959 or 804-834-3330

The Facts You Need to Know about Pre-Arrangements:• Prevent emotional over spending• Means selecting your funeral arrangements well in advance• Brings security and peace of mind to every member of your family• Assures that surviving spouses will not be forced

to work to pay for fi nal expenses • Protects your estate against inevitable infl ation

• We are committed to providing a personal,confi dential, and professional environment for each individual need.

• We are committed to serving all families with the spirit of excellence.

• We will provide economical funeral servicepackages unlike any other.

• We are dedicated to providing quality services you deserve whether it is at your time of need or during pre-need planning.

• We will provide funeral services tailored to your needs.

• We are your 24/7 funeral service provider including all major holidays.

• We are here to serve all families locally, throughout the state of Virginia,and nationally.

• To render professional services to people of all ethnic and

religious backgrounds.

Our commitment to you:

Respectfully, Rev. Jeffrey L. Dodson, Sr., President/CEO “Our Family Servicing Your Family”

J. L. Dodson & Sons Funeral Establishment“Central Virginia’s Premiere Funeral Service Provider”

Rev. Jeffrey L. Dodson Sr. has been in the funeral profession for 33 years. After many years, Rev. Dodson was inspired to open his own business in 2010, in Waverly, Va., and then moved to the present location at 25824 Greensville Ave. Petersburg, Va. in July of 2011.

October 1956 - King was invited to speak at the 21st Annual Conven-tion of the Virginia State NAACP. At Mt. Olivet Baptist Church, King addressed an audience so big, that many listeners had to assemble in other churches, to which the sound of King’s speech was broadcast.

March 1957 - King makes his fi rst appearance at Virginia State College. He spoke at a forum at Foster Hall and attended a banquet at Jones Hall. Very little else is known of this visit.

1959 - King spoke at a mass meeting at First Baptist Church in Peters-burg. � e church has no records of it. But the church’s pastor, the Rev. Milton A. Reid, remembers the visit, because it was the fi rst time he met King.

July 1960 - King came to Petersburg to recruit members for his execu-tive staff . King announced at Gillfi eld Baptist Church that the pastor, the Rev.Wyatt T. Walker, would follow him to Atlanta. Dorothy Cotton came along as well, leaving behind her husband. She would eventually join King on his trip to Oslo, Norway, where he received the Nobel Peace Prize.

March 1962 - King decided to come to Petersburg for three days to encourage people to vote. King knocked on doors in the Blandford neigh-borhood. � e next day King and his entourage traveled to Dinwiddie, Prince George and Chesterfi eld counties. King and his delegation also

marched through Colonial Heights. Later that day, King made his second appearance at Virginia State College. On the third day of the visit, King came to Hopewell for the fi rst and only tim. His friend, the Rev. Curtis Harris, was to be tried at Hopewell Circuit Court for a contempt charge that had grown out of his refusal to answer ques-tions to a legislative committee.

July 1965 - When King spoke at Roger’s Stadium on campus of Virginia State College, he shocked many in his movement. � e previous year, he had received the Nobel Peace Prize, and now he openly attacked U.S. policy in Vietnam for the fi rst time. “We aren’t going to defeat Commu-nism with guns, bombs and gases, but rather by making democracy work and showing it to the world,” King said.

June 1967 - King came by invitation of the Hopewell Improvement Foundation, which was hosting a testimonial banquet to honor its founder, the Rev. Curtis Harris, for his “outstanding work for the civil rights move-ment,” according to a press release. King, in a 45-minute speech at Jones Hall at Virginia State College, spoke against the war in Vietnam and the struggles at home. He addressed racial injustice, “which is still the black man’s burden and America’s shame.

October 1956 - King was invited to speak at the 21st Annual Conven-

King’s Visit to the Region:

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Celebrating Black History T3

� e Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is as much part of Peters-burg as any other historical fi gure. King had a bond with Petersburg that spanned his most active days as a civil rights leader. He visited Petersburg at least seven times – both as a relatively unknown min-ister and as a Nobel Peace Prize winning international fi gure. King’s bond was strong with Petersburg, where he recruited much of his top staff . Some of King’s lieutenants say the national model for the Civil Rights move-ment was taken from the Peters-burg example.“I feel very strongly that Petersburg played an impor-tant role in the national struggle,” said the Rev. Milton A. Reid, for-mer pastor at First Baptist Church and a key player of King’s Southern Christian Leadership Conference. King spoke at local black churches, ate and slept in the homes of local civil rights activists, and knocked on the doors of citi-zens in Blandford neighborhood, urging them to vote. He addressed crowds at Virginia State College (now Virginia State University), where he delivered one of his key speeches against war in Vietnam. King visited Dinwiddie County, Prince George County, Chester-fi eld County, marched through Co-lonial Heights and ate breakfast in a Hopewell snack bar. King took locals with him to Atlanta and around the world so they would apply what they had accomplished in Petersburg on a bigger level.� e Rev. Wyatt T. Walker, pastor at Gillfi eld Baptist Church in Peters-

burg throughout the 1950s, became King’s chief of staff and executive director of the SCLC. “� e fact that Dr. King selected me to lead the SCLC is proof that Petersburg played a big role in the civil rights movement,” Walker said. “� e SCLC used the local model of the movement that we had in Peters-burg and applied it to the entire South. � at was a critical strategy.” King is an integral part of Pe-tersburg. � e bridge that spans the Appomattox River and connects the city with Colonial Heights, bears King’s name. And Petersburg was the fi rst city in Virginia to designate a holiday for King. Yet few today can trace Kings footsteps in Petersburg — where he spoke, what he preached and where

he laid his head to rest at night. Even those who were with King during those days have little left but a few fading memories of brief moments they shared with King in the city. It almost seems like Martin Luther King Jr. felt very much at home in the Tri-Cities, and his path on those visits would always lead back to Petersburg. But the city

was much more than just a fre-quent stop on his many travels through the country. In fact, King was so impressed with the suc-cess and effi ciency of the local civil rights movement, that he recruited its key members for his personal staff . He took them with him to Atlanta and around the world so they would apply what they had accomplished in Peters-burg on a much bigger level. � e Rev. Wyatt T. Walker, pastor at Gillfi eld Baptist Church throughout the 1950s, went to become King’s chief of staff and executive director of the SCLC. “� e fact that Dr. King selected me to lead the SCLC is proof that Petersburg played a big role in the civil rights movement,”

Walker said. “� e SCLC used the local model of the movement that we had in Petersburg and applied it to the entire South. � at was a

critical strategy.”

MLK, Petersburg Had A Special Connection

COURTESY PHOTO

The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. visited the Petersburg area on at least seven occa-sions. This 1962 photo shows Herbert Coulton, chairman of the Petersburg branch of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, standing with King.

COURTESY PHOTO

The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. speaks at Mt. Olivet Baptist Church in Petersburg in this Oct. , 1956, photo from the collection of the Rev. Dr. Wyatt Tee Walker and Theresa Walker. To the left of the lectern is Dorothy Cotton.25824 Greensville Avenue, Petersburg, Virginia 23803

J. L. Dodson and Sons Funeral Establishment

I welcome the opportunity to discuss with you in greater detail the many advantages of prearrangement to you and your family. To arrange an appointment to discuss this important responsibility,

The Wisdom of Pre - Need Arrangements

Please contact:Rev. Jeffrey L. Dodson. Sr., LFD

Founder & President at: 804-732-5959 or 804-834-3330

The Facts You Need to Know about Pre-Arrangements:• Prevent emotional over spending• Means selecting your funeral arrangements well in advance• Brings security and peace of mind to every member of your family• Assures that surviving spouses will not be forced

to work to pay for fi nal expenses • Protects your estate against inevitable infl ation

• We are committed to providing a personal,confi dential, and professional environment for each individual need.

• We are committed to serving all families with the spirit of excellence.

• We will provide economical funeral servicepackages unlike any other.

• We are dedicated to providing quality services you deserve whether it is at your time of need or during pre-need planning.

• We will provide funeral services tailored to your needs.

• We are your 24/7 funeral service provider including all major holidays.

• We are here to serve all families locally, throughout the state of Virginia,and nationally.

• To render professional services to people of all ethnic and

religious backgrounds.

Our commitment to you:

Respectfully, Rev. Jeffrey L. Dodson, Sr., President/CEO “Our Family Servicing Your Family”

J. L. Dodson & Sons Funeral Establishment“Central Virginia’s Premiere Funeral Service Provider”

Rev. Jeffrey L. Dodson Sr. has been in the funeral profession for 33 years. After many years, Rev. Dodson was inspired to open his own business in 2010, in Waverly, Va., and then moved to the present location at 25824 Greensville Ave. Petersburg, Va. in July of 2011.

marched through Colonial Heights. Later that day, King made his second appearance at Virginia State College. On the third day of the visit, King came to Hopewell for the fi rst and only tim. His friend, the Rev. Curtis Harris, was to be tried at Hopewell Circuit Court for a contempt charge that had grown out of his refusal to answer ques-tions to a legislative committee.

July 1965 - When King spoke at Roger’s Stadium on campus of Virginia State College, he shocked many in his movement. � e previous year, he had received the Nobel Peace Prize, and now he openly attacked U.S. policy in Vietnam for the fi rst time. “We aren’t going to defeat Commu-nism with guns, bombs and gases, but rather by making democracy work and showing it to the world,” King said.

June 1967 - King came by invitation of the Hopewell Improvement Foundation, which was hosting a testimonial banquet to honor its founder, the Rev. Curtis Harris, for his “outstanding work for the civil rights move-ment,” according to a press release. King, in a 45-minute speech at Jones Hall at Virginia State College, spoke against the war in Vietnam and the struggles at home. He addressed racial injustice, “which is still the black man’s burden and America’s shame.

King’s Visit to the Region:

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Congratulations Dr. Moten!Dr. Shirlene T. Moten MD, MPH, FAAFPachieved the Degree of Fellow from theAmerican Academy of Family Physicians.

24 S. Adams St., Petersburg, VA 23803

(804) 733-3739

Southside Family Practice“Caring For What Matters Most"

Now Accepting New Patients • Same Day Appointments Available

A Lesson inAfrican AmericanHistory

1831 -1895Dr. Rebecca Crumpler was thefi rst African American woman

to earn an M.D. degree.

She practiced in Boston briefl ybut moved to Richmond, Virginia, after the Civil War ended.

She worked with other blackphysicians caring for freed slaves who would not have had any

type of medical care.

Dr. Shirlene T. Moten MD serves as Medical Director for Southside Family Practice, P.C. and is trained in Family Medicine, Geriatrics and Academic Family Medicine. Dr. Moten serves as Assistant Clinical Professor for the Virginia Commonwealth University, and James Madison University. She also previously served as the Chair of the General Practice department at Southside Regional Medical Center and on the Board of Directors for the Virginia Board of Family Practice. Dr. Moten has been practicing medicine now for over 20 years.

Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler

From staff reports

A community group and others are spearheading an eff ort to turn a building that was once the scene of racial injustice into a museum that celebrates the civil rights move-ment in Petersburg. � e city of Petersburg is in seri-ous discussions with Petersburg Communities Inc. and others to transform the former Trailways Bus Station into a civil rights museum.� e group has collected thousands of signatures so far and is hoping to enter into a public-private partner-ship with the city to establish the museum in the former bus station. � e city’s transit department owns the station but will need to transfer

ownership of the building to the city, something that the federal government will have to approve.So far, the group has collected thousands of signatures in support of the concept, did a walk-through of the building in July and held several marches in support of the plan since June. Petersburg Mayor Brian Moore has voiced his support for the project. Moore described the project as a fantastic one for the city and said that the station was in fantastic shape during a walk through of the building in July. He said that the Transit Authority, which owns the building is in talks with the Fed-eral Transit Authority to transfer

the building to the city. “Once that happens, we can do a public private partnership.” He said it will be key to bring the building back to life. Moore thinks the museum will be one more attraction that could bring visitors to Petersburg.Richard Stewart, owner of the Richard Stewart-Pocahontas Mu-seum, said he too thinks the mu-seum will be a benefi t for the city. � e building at the corner of Washington and Adams streets was constructed in 1946 and was designed for the era of segregation. � ere are two sets of restrooms in the facility, on opposite ends of the building. � e main entrances on Washington Street were reserved

for whites, according to Carl Win-fi eld, who participated in the civil rights movement. “Blacks weren’t allowed in the station except to use the restroom or to eat at the lunch counter,” Winfi eld said. � ere is lunch counter for Afri-can-Americans. On the other side of the station was a lunch area for whites — larger with enough room for a couple of booths and stools.In August 1960, the bus station was desegregated through the work of the Petersburg Improvement Association with the leadership of the Rev. Wyatt T. Walker, according to the book “Freedom Riders 1961 and the Struggle for Racial Justice” by Raymond Arsenault. Arsenault’s

Former Bus Station Transforming into a Civil Rights Museum?

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book tells how the Petersburg Improvement Association led a series of sit-ins that even-tually led to the president of Bus Termi-nal Restaurants agreeing to desegregate lunch counters here and in several other cities. “� ere are few architectural structures that have this signifi -cance,” Moore said. He added that the building should serve as a monument to those that sacrifi ced much — some even their lives —

to make things right. Mary Howard, president of Petersburg Communities Inc., said that preserving the building is key to helping youth of the city and from elsewhere understand the importance of the history.“We’re asking that the building be preserved,” Howard said.

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Black History Month is celebrated an-nually in the United States, Canada and the United King-dom. Ameri-cans and Ca-nadians celebrate Black History Month in February, while the U.K. devotes the month of September to recognizing and celebrating black history. Over the course of history, blacks have made tremendous contributions that have impacted all aspects of society. � e fol-lowing facts and fi gures recognize some of the more notable persons and some lesser known tidbits to celebrate this Black History Month. * � e banjo originated in Africa. Until the 1800s, this popular and unique instrument was considered played exclusively by blacks. * C.B. Brooks invented the fi rst street sweeper, a truck equipped with brooms, in 1896. * Frederick Jones invented a portable air condi-tioner that proved especially valuable in World War II, during which it was used to preserve medicine and blood serum. * Computer scientist Mark Dean, born in 1957, led a team that developed the ISA bus, which al-lows the use of computer plug-ins, including speak-ers, scanners and disk drives, among other things. * Lonnie G. Johnson, an engineer whose work has included spacecraft system design for NASA, invented the Super Soaker water gun, a toy that was immensely popular in the early 1990s. * Arguably one of the greatest Olympian the world has ever seen, American Jesse Owens became

the fi rst athlete to win four gold medals in one Olympiad at the 1936 games in Berlin.

* Following in Owens’ footsteps, Wilma Rudolph overcame polio to

win three gold medals in the 1960 Olympic Games. � e 20th of

22 children, Rudolph broke three world records.

* Started in 1787, the African Free School in New

York City was the fi rst free school for African-Americans.

* Booker T. Wash-ington was the fi rst

African-American to be honored on a United States stamp. * When her autobio-graphical work “I Know

Why the Caged Bird Sings” made the bestseller list, Maya Angelou became the fi rst

African-American woman to author a non-fi ction bestseller. * In 1987, neurosurgeon Ben

Carson led the fi rst successful opera-tion to separate a pair of Siamese twins

who were joined at the back of the head. * In 1975, Lee Elder became the fi rst African-American golfer to play in the Masters Tourna-ment. Twenty-two years later, Tiger Woods would become the fi rst African-American to win the prestigious tournament. * � e American Community Survey reported in 2005 that there were 2.4 million black military veterans in the United States, the highest of any minority group. * � omas Andrew Dorsey is considered the fa-ther of gospel music. His “Take My Hand Precious Lord” was recorded by the likes of Elvis Presley and Mahalia Jackson.

Facts & Figures to Celebrate Black History Harriet Tubman was born a slave in Maryland in 1820, one of eleven children. She mar-ried John Tubman, a free black man. When she wanted to escape from slavery he did not want to go, so she went alone in 1849. She heard about a group of people who helped runaway slaves. � e network of people who helped her was known as “� e Underground Railroad,” and she became legendary for helping about 300 others to freedom through that network. She risked great danger and even death in order to help other slaves run away to the North. She was so clever in her methods that the slave catchers could never grab her even though they would have earned incredible rewards. She was able to help her parents and all but two of her brothers and sisters to escape to freedom. She traveled at night, dressed as a man so she wouldn’t attract attention. When she got near a plantation she would sing a song the slaves knew to let them know she was there. � en they would travel, guided by the North Star, and when they reached freedom in the North she took them to homes where they could eat and rest safely. She was known as Moses. Just like the Moses in the Bible, she led people to freedom. � is incredible woman even fought for the Union Army during the Civil War, leading a troop of three hundred black soldiers into battle and serving as a spy for Union soldiers. Later she served as a nurse and eventually remarried. She made speeches telling people about her life. Harriet Tubman lived into her nine-ties. � e people in her town of Auburn, N.Y. put up a plaque in her honor. It read, “On my Underground Railroad I never ran my train off the track. And I never lost a passenger.”

Harriet Tubman1820-1913

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Facts & Figures to Celebrate Black History Many Americans and Canadi-ans know each February is Black History Month, a month dedicated to observing the history of the Af-rican diaspora is several countries outside Africa. � e month is meant to educate people about the culture of those, including African-Amer-icans, who left Africa and celebrate their various achievements in all walks of life. � e origins of Black History Month can be traced to Harvard-trained historian Carter G. Wood-son and minister Jesse E. Moor-land. Woodson and Moorland founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and His-tory, or ASNLH. � is organiza-tion dedicated itself to researching

and promoting the achievements of black Americans and others of African descent. In 1926, the ASNLH sponsored a national Negro History Week and chose the second week of Feb-ruary for the celebration for a very specifi c reason. � e week coincided with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States who presided over the end of slavery, and Frederick Douglass, the famed former slave who rose to prominence as a social reformer, writer, orator, and states-man. Negro History Week proved inspiring to communities across the country, who organized local cel-ebrations and established historical

clubs to study the history of black Americans while educating others as well. Negro His-tory Week proved so popular that, by the late 1960s, it had evolved into Black History Week. Many credit the Civil Rights Movement for the change, which initially took place on college campuses. In 1976, President Gerald Ford called upon the public to honor the history and accomplishments of black Americans when he offi cially recognized February as Black His-tory Month.

Since Ford’s offi cial recognition more than 35 years ago, each of his successors has designated Febru-ary as Black History Month. In less than 100 years, Woodson and Moorland went from honoring the history of black Americans to joining the growing list of honorees who are celebrated every February.

The History of Black History Month

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T8 Celebrating Black History

Bethany Missionary Baptist Church wants you to know that we love

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Phone : 804.732.6850Fax : 804.732.6288

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Sunday School 9:30Worship Hour 11

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Rocky Branch Baptist Church6009 Rocky Branch Road, Sutherland, Virginia

Refl ecting on the past as we march into the future.Come Join Us As We Celebrate

Black History Month Rev. Lynn G. Robinson Pastor

NEW CHURCH

Celebratingg

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black history 13

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