THE ASBURY VOICE - FEBRUARY 27, 2020 # 7

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THE ASBURY VOICE

Journal of the People

You are not voiceless but are often unheard

We can change that together

February, 2020 # 7

In This Issue:

Introduction and Purpose

Paper Genocide by Dr. Walter Greason, PH.D

Sand Hill Band History by Sharon Coleman Davis

Experiencing Homelessness in Asbury (4)

Kokopelli - Charles Trott

The Wall by Sharon Coleman Davis

A Daniel Wolff and Walter Greason Talk

I've been to the Mountaintop - Dr. Martin Luther King

Hello from New Brunswick - Rev. Gil Caldwell

Introduction and Purpose of The Asbury Voice

CLICK HERE

Paper Genocide

by Dr. Walter Greason, PH.D

People can easily confuse the past, memory, and history. The past is everything that occurred before the present moment. It is impossible to record or recall everything in the past. It is an abstraction that refers to everything 'before now.' It is the ocean that we seek to chart with our memories.

Every person recalls these moments. As we live, we hold to specific moments that come to define our sense of self, family, and community. While these memories shape our perception of the past, they are still incomplete. No one remembers every moment of their entire lives. It is our selection of these recollections that helps to guide our choices in the present and future.

History is a different project. It specifically seeks the written records of human activity. It borders on archaeology and anthropology, but restricts its resources in very defined ways. Since 1880, written words -- especially about monarchs, empires, governments, and wars -- have been the primary concern of historians. Their work, my work, requires a firm distinction between the past, memory, and history. At the heart of this distinction is a massive 'paper genocide.'

Pergolaville, New Jersey, was a labor camp for African American families in 1960. By 1980, it disappeared from every local map. In the last twenty years, the New Beginnings affordable housing development stood on the lot where Pergolaville used to be. I referred to this process as 'suburban erasure' - the way that metropolitan growth (or urban sprawl) transformed the landscape and destroyed small, black communities across the United States.

This research brought significant scholarly attention to shore towns like Red Bank, Long Branch, and Asbury Park. Francesca Ammon, David Goldberg, Richard Veit, Daniel Wolff, and Vayne Ong have advanced the understanding of Asbury Park over the last one hundred and fifty years in substantial ways. Unlike Pergolaville, the black community on the west side of Asbury Park has not been erased. In many ways, it has become one of the enduring symbols of racial segregation in the modern United States.

Racially segregated places and institutions often remain invisible to the civic and financial institutions that define life in the twenty-first century. Since 1948, these communities and organizations created a legal framework to dismantle the inequities that the Jim Crow system maintained. In a cruel irony, their opponents turned their successful legislative and judicial victories against them, using these principles to dismantle the movement that challenged entrenched racism. In ways that reflected the treatment of American Indians in the early twentieth century, African-American, Chicano, and Boriquen communities have been slowly displaced and dismantled over the last seventy years.

'Suburban Erasure' is just one more form of 'paper genocide.' Unless we create purposeful initiatives to restore and expand schools, businesses, and public agencies to reverse this destruction, places like Asbury Park will have little chance at future histories. They will even fade from the reach of personal memories. They will be lost to the ocean of the unknowable past.

Sand Hill Band History

By Sharon Coleman Davis

On December 14, 2019, West Bangs Avenue (at the corner of Neptune Boulevard) was dedicated as Sand Hill Road. This dedication from Neptune township was to salute the Sand Hill Indians and all that they have accomplished.

In 1877 Isaac Richardson and his brothers, Theodore and Robert, bought 15 acres near Indian Lady Springs in Neptune Township. That area became known as Richardson Heights.

The Richardsons called themselves the Sand Hill Indians. Most of the men were carpenters and craftsmen and farmers, as were most of the people in Monmouth County at that time. Isaac taught these skills to his sons, Richard, Isaac, Theodore, and Joseph.

The Sand Hill Indians were builders, carpenters, masons, and farmers. They constructed many houses, schools, churches, barns, and fences needed to grow shore towns of Neptune, Eatontown, Long Branch, Tinton Falls, Asbury Park and Ocean Grove including the Asbury Park boardwalk. The families became prosperous and owned over one hundred acres in Tinton Falls and Neptune.

They kept their traditional ways of living by building a community where several generations lived together. As new families formed, the land was divided, new houses built, and another generation learned the ways of the past from their grandparents and kin. Barns, corn cribs, gardens, and water from springs were all shared by the entire family. The whole community supported the family village.

Our Sand Hill Indian grandparents were part-time farmers in the early 1900s, who kept farm animals, chickens, cows, hogs, horses, as well as a corn crib and gardens. They were self-sufficient and lived in small communities where everyone nearby was related to the Sand Hill community. The Sand Hill Indian women became skilled seamstresses. They beaded clothing and moccasins and were self-employed and owned their homes and properties. They also baked goods that were sold locally. Their traditions were mainly family and all things related to family survival. They had to make a new home here in New Jersey and had no plans to return to Cherokee lands in the south.

The Sand Hill Indians today meet twice a year to inform and teach the next generation about our heritage and family history. Handmade leather clothing, moccasins, headgear, a peace pipe, turkey fan, and beaded items were displayed during these events.

Our traditions trace back to our Cherokee roots, where the tribes lived in a village setting surrounded by gardens and fields of corn, squash, and beans. They kept community storehouses for the survival of the entire village and had a community space for religious gatherings and special events. They piped water from two nearby springs so that each home was supplied with fresh water. They had their fire wagon located in their fire company barn.

It is important to share our ancestor's traditional ways with our Sand Hill Indian descendants and those who are interested in Native American culture. In the early 1960s, the corner of Springwood Avenue (now known as Lake Avenue) and Springdale Avenue (now known as Neptune Boulevard) was named Richardson Heights due to the positive impact my ancestors made in this community.

Experiencing Homelessness In Asbury Park (4)

Have You Seen Bobby G on the Boardwalk? This is His Story

Bobby G has been a resident of Asbury Park for the past 25 years. He was a general contractor in town. His business was slowly progressing and doing quite well with a growing list of customers. It was called Genhalgh Construction LLC. with five workers on the books. He was spending money like it wasn't ever going to end - never putting anything away and taking money from Peter to pay Paul. That's the way it was.

He took care of himself and did a lot of running, along with lifting weights. He ran a marathon in 2000. But his knees were beginning to become an issue. He ripped his knee during one of his runs while going across a bridge. A couple of years later, he went for a left knee replacement. It didn't feel exactly right afterward, but he did not know how it was supposed to feel. And the next year he had the right one done.

During "Sandy," he was still in rehab and then discovered that there was an infection in the left knee replacement, a MRSA staph infection, which he had picked up in the hospital. This infection eventually went into his right knee replacement as well. This was to change his life. It led to 15 procedures where they removed the replacement and inserted spacers so that the infection could heal — a prolonged and painful process.

He has been disabled since 2012. It has been a long hard road. A lot of places, and a lot of people involved. He has been to Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York and also went to an addiction/depression facility in Louisiana. Two years ago, doctors told him he would die if they did not cut his left leg off. After that, he found himself stuck in a rehabilitation facility in Louisiana. Finally, he found a way to come home to Asbury. However, not many people wanted a person with one leg in their life.

Bobby G said,

"I am not mad at anybody. I am mad at myself for not making the right decisions when I was young. I have nobody to blame but myself. I didn't take the chances given to me. I took all the wrong turns and this is the end result. I should have done, what I should have done. But I did not have anyone to mentor me. I did not have parents. I was born in Jersey City. My mother left when I was seven, she died when I was twelve. My older brother accidentally shot himself with my dad's gun and died. Another older sibling, who was a real brother to me overdosed and died. He had helped me through so much. I still miss him deeply. My dad went to prison for a few years. And my life passed before me very quickly. I did not have a childhood at all. Of course, my brothers and sisters went through the same thing. I lost touch with my sisters and kept in touch with my brother. He helps when he can but has his issues as well.

"I am doing what I can on my own. I am trying to learn how to play a musical instrument so I can perform for people and not feel that I am begging from them. But I am not good at that stuff. But I am working on it. I read my Bible out here every day. I am reading it from beginning to end. I should have done this a long time ago. I am learning a lot about myself.

"So I sit out here every day. have a sign out in front and let people respond as they wish. I am homeless. I am staying at a place right now, but in two weeks I won't have it. Sometimes I collect enough money for a room. I won't go to shelters because I get sick there. I don't drink or do drugs anymore.

"People helped me buy a scooter. I put a downpayment on it and paid it off. It really made a difference. But I have to be careful because I don't get enough exercise with my crutches. Jersey Shore lost my artificial leg the last time I was in there. I keep pestering them about it. "

Bobby G likes to talk about how he works for the police. As he sits on the boardwalk, he is aware of his surroundings. That is not always apparent to those in the vicinity. When he sees something going down, he calls the police. He likes telling about an incident where he grabbed onto a bike a group of kids had their sights on. He hung on to the bike as they surrounded him until the police came.

He prides himself on knowing people by their walk. He has regulars who stop by every time he is there. Once a lady placed a dollar in his basket, and as she left, he saw another bill drop to the ground. When he went to pick it up, he saw it was a $100 bill. He caught up with her to return it. The next day she dropped by to give him $10. He is deeply grateful for the generosity of so many people.

He met an Adventist church member one day who brought him to church and gave him a Bible. And that is how he began to read the Bible daily. He sometimes looks at his situation as a blessing. It took his life being turned upside down to reunite himself with Jesus. Although some people yell at him and tell him to get a job, which hurts him, he knows in his heart he is doing all he can. The boardwalk has become his church - he gives tithes to those hurting when he can. When I was there a dog came over to get a treat. Bobby G got clean a couple of years ago after losing his leg and he wants to keep it that way.

Bobby G said:

"I am a regular guy who got dealt a shitty hand, like a poker player. And I have to play my hand to the best of my ability without stealing or hurting anybody. I got to play that hand in the best way I know. It's hard when you got cards and nothing over a ten. You have to bluff.

"I was a master carpenter for the last 25 years and doing carpentry for the past 40 years. I quit school and learned everything on the job. I am 60 years old now, and I always loved my job. Carpentry was my life. I rode a bicycle around to my jobs. I later attached a trailer to my bike and pulled that around to the various job sites. Then I got a truck and hired my brother and others. I just saw an opening and jumped right in and swam. I could have easily gone for another 20 years because I was in good shape.

"You just want to tell your story to kids and tell them what not to do. I went to my son, but he won't even listen to me. That's a shame. I just want to tell them don't waste your time. You don't have as much time as you think. It goes by faster as you get older. Get it done now. You got to start up your social security. I waited and did a lot of cash jobs. I paid taxes on my business but not on myself. You have to do it while you are healthy because things change in a moment. One moment. That is all it took. Just one operation. It took me out like you would not believe. Pulled the carpet from right underneath me. "

As we ended our conversation, he spoke about his present attempt to get into Beacon Living at Fort Monmouth and was very optimistic about his chances. It would change his life if that worked out for him. He also is positive about getting his artificial leg back and doing more exercising. He spoke about the phantom pain he experiences which drives him crazy. There are a lot of things he wants to do. One of those is coming back on the boardwalk as a performer.

So keep an eye out for Bobby G!!!

as told to Bill Stevens

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THOSE SYMBOLS THAT KOKOPELLI POINT TO ARE ADINKRA SYMBOLS THAT CAN BE FOUND ON THIS SITE

CLICK HERE and CLICK HERE

CHARLES TROTT

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THE WALL

By Linda Almgren

The GREAT WALL.

CHINA.

The end all

Of all walls.

Seen from outer space.

Crawling over the mountains,

Deserts and beyond the sea.

Needed it for protection

From the Mongol hordes...

Millions died to build it.

Never questioned why,

And never will defy

Her destiny.

CHINA.

Daniel Wolff & Walter Greason Talk: A Changing Asbury Park in Context

Join Asbury Book Cooperative for a timely and critical conversation between two leading thinkers about Asbury Park. Both Daniel Wolff and Dr. Walter Greason shine a light on the ever-changing nature of this small, complex, and diverse city by the sea in their research. This illuminating conversation will place some of the dramatic changes in Asbury Park over the last few decades in the larger context of race and class and ask the question: who is telling the story of a changing Asbury, and to what effect?

MARCH 19TH 6:30 PM

Daniel Wolff is the author of 4th of July Asbury Park: A History of the Promised Land --widely hailed as one of the most nuanced and thorough historical accounts of Asbury Park--and the introduction to Born to Run: The Unseen Photographs by Eric Meola. He has been nominated for a Grammy and has helped produce a number of documentary films with director Jonathan Demme. His latest book is Grown-up Anger: Bob Dylan , Woody Guthrie , and the Calumet Massacre of 1913.

Walter Greason is among the most prominent historians, educators, and urbanists in the world. Dr. Greason has provided anti-racism training to educators and administrators nationwide.Dr. Greason is the author of six books, including his two latest, Industrial Segregation and Cities Imagined: The African Diaspora in Media and History (both Kendall-Hunt Publishers). Dr. Greason currently writes about the racial wealth gap and the patterns of economic globalization.

FAQs

Is there a cost for this event?

This is a ticketed event with tiered pricing. It is free to "Solidarity Level" members of the Asbury Book Cooperative; it costs $10 for other members of the Asbury Book Cooperative; it costs $15 for non-members.

Do I have to be a member of Asbury Book Cooperative (ABC) to attend this event?

No, anyone can attend. Members of ABC will receive free or discounted tickets, but anyone can purchase a ticket(s). If you are interested in becoming a member of ABC, you can do so here.

Are there ID or minimum age requirements to enter the event?

No, there is no ID or age requirement. However, please take note of the topic matter and adjust accordingly. Also, please be aware that participants are allowed to express their forthright and honest viewpoints.

Is there handicap access?

High Voltage Cafe has a wheelchair accessible ramp, located at 808 Springwood Avenue entrance. High Voltage Cafe also has an ADA compliant restroom.

What are my transportation/parking options for getting to and from the event?

There is some free street parking on Springwood Ave. in front of the venue entrance. There is paid parking in the AP Transit Center and Municipal lot directly across the street from the venue as well as on Main St. (Rt 71) and Lake Ave. east of Main St. There is also ample free street parking West of the venue, one-two blocks.

The Asbury Park NJ Transit Center is directly across Springwood Ave. from the venue entrance, with access to NJ Transit trains and buses.

What should I bring to the event?

This is an indoor venue. Coffee and tea drinks will be available for purchase at the High Voltage Cafe in the space. Books by the speakers and other Asbury Park locals will be for sale at the event.

How can I contact the organizer with any questions?

Email us at info AT asburybookcoop.org

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Consent for photography and videotaping

Your attendance at this event is hereby construed as complete, irrevocable consent in perpetuity for videography, photography and other means of recording as well as distribution of same for promotional and educational purposes without compensation.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

“I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered this speech in support of the striking sanitation workers at Mason Temple in Memphis, TN on April 3, 1968 — the day before he was assassinated.

CLICK HERE

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Hello from New Brunswick:

Rev Gil called and asked us to express his best wishes to all his friends in Asbury and thank those of you who were able to support the Grace Caldwell Scolarship Fund. You will find the link below if you haven't had the chance to do that.

Rev Gil asked us to share these versus from

Langston Hughes (1902-1967) poem

Let America Be America Again

Let America be America again.

Let it be the dream it used to be.

Let it be the pioneer on the plain

Seeking a home where he himself is free.

(America never was America to me.)

Let America be the dream the dreamers dreamed

Let it be that great strong land of love

Where never kings connive nor tyrants scheme

That any man be crushed by one above.

(It never was America for me)

O, let my land be a land where Liberty

Is crowned with no false patriotic wealth,

But opportunity is real, and life is free,

Equality is in the air we breathe.

(There's never been equality for me,

Nor freedom in this "homeland of the free")

Click Here to Read Complete Poem

Grace Dungee Caldwell Scholarship Fund has been established with the Center for Health and Hope. CLICK HERE AND CLICK HERE if you wish to donate to it.

Did You Know

... That you could get a guide on how to file your taxes for free from ProPublica

CLICK HERE

... That you could become a member of the Asbury Book cooperative. CLICK HERE

... That Nairobi Nelson has created "Saddle Up the Late Night Talk Show" and it is available on you tube. It is taped live at The Den on 115 Dewitt Ave from 8- 11pm. The next live taping is on February 29th. His focus is on Community heroes that would not have an opportunity to talk about their journey, their dream jobs, or dream goals. Click here for more information

... That t here will be a special Dialogue Group event at Words! Bookstore(623 Cookman ave) on Tuesday March 3rd at 6:30PM. They will have two special speakers, Liza Minno Bloom and Tracy Rodgers! Click here for more information

... That there was a free screening of the powerful documentary movie, "PUSHOUT - The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools." It looks at the educational, judicial and societal disparities facing Black Girls. Sponsored by the Racial Justice Project - Trinity Episcopal Church-503 Asbury Ave-Asbury Park, NJ 6pm to 9 pm - Thursday - FEBRUARY 27, 2020 CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

All articles we print are the experiences and opinions of the authors. An editorial board reserves the right to make any changes they deem necessary to submitted articles that will keep The Asbury Voice from any liability. Authors will be informed of these changes to give them the opportunity to change or withdraw the writing.