Exposure Project 3

African Americans Contributions in Texas from 1900-1945

African Americans Contributions from 1900-1945

Objective: This lesson plan introduces students to the lives of African Americans from 1900-1945. At the end of this lesson, students will have gained a better understanding of African Americans participation in music, military, sports, labor and organizations.

7th Grade Social Studies TEKS Requirements

§113.19. Social Studies, Grade 7, Beginning with School Year 2011-2012.

(a) Introduction. (1) In Grade 7, students study the history of Texas from early times to the present. The focus in each era is on key individuals, events, and issues and their impact….Students describe the structure and functions of municipal, county, and state governments, explain the influence of the U.S. Constitution on the Texas Constitution, and examine the rights and responsibilities of Texas citizens. Students use primary and secondary sources to examine the rich and diverse cultural background of Texas as they identify the different racial and ethnic groups that settled in Texas to build a republic and then a state.(2) To support the teaching of the essential knowledge and skills, the use of a variety of rich primary and secondary source material such as biographies, autobiographies, novels, speeches, letters, diaries, poetry, songs, and images is encouraged. Motivating resources are available from museums, historical sites, presidential libraries, and local and state preservation societies.

(b) Knowledge and Skills.(7) History. The student understands how individuals, events, and issues shaped the history of Texas during the 20th and early 21st centuries. The student is expected to:

(C) describe and compare the impact of the Progressive and other reform movements in Texas in the 19th and 20th centuries ……;(E) analyze the political, economic, and social impact of major events, including World War I and the Great Depression, ……. on the history of Texas;

(19) Culture. The student understands the concept of diversity within unity in Texas. The student is expected to:

(A) explain how the diversity of Texas is reflected in a variety of cultural activities, celebrations, and performances; (B) describe how people from various racial, ethnic, and religious groups attempt to maintain their cultural heritage while adapting to the larger Texas culture;

Table of Contents:

African American Contributions to Music History of African Americans Contribution to Jazz Matthew Gee, Jr.

African American Contributions to Military during World War I Spencer C. Dickerson Henry Ossian Flipper

African Americans Contributions to Sports Andrew “Rube” Foster Jack Johnson

African Americans Contribution to Clubs & Organizations Blue Triangle Branch of Young Women’s Christian Association National Association for the Advancement of Colored People – Houston Chapter – 1917

Lulu B. White Texas Association of Colored Women’s Clubs

African American Contributions to Music

Jazz

In New Orleans, Louisiana, in the red-light district of Storyville, a new and original American art form was brewing. A music called jazz was evolving in the brothels of Storyville. This music was named after the jasmine perfume that the prostitutes wore. Jazz is a unique art form that is characterized by its syncopated rhythms, swing feeling, and improvisation. Most jazz musicians were black and had not received any formal training. A lot of the instruments that they used were pawned, military instruments that had been around post civil war and reconstruction. Jazz began to spread like wildfire throughout the country. It was very popular in New Orleans in the early 1900’s and then became the dominant music in Chicago in the 1920’s (also known as the jazz age).

Freddy Keppard was offered the opportunity to record the first jazz record in 1916 and turned it down, which is when he received the nick name “Foolish Freddy Keppard.” Instead a white man by the name of Nick Larocca and the Original Dixieland Jazz Band were the first to make a jazz recording. Even until his death, Nick Larocca attributes jazz music to his preeminence; He said that “the negroes learned to play this rhythm and music from the whites.”

Matthew Gee Jr.

Matthew Gee Jr. was born in Houston, Texas on November 25, 1925 into a family of jazz musicians. His brother played the trombone and his father played the electric bass. Gee started out on the trumpet, then switched to baritone and finally settled with the trombone by age eleven. Gee was inspired by jazz trombonist Trummy Young who played with the Louis Armstrong All-Stars. Gee attended Alabama State College and then served in the United States Army during World War II.

After a short stint in the military, Gee began to tour with the likes of Dizzy Gillespie, Count Basie, Duke Ellington Orchestra and fellow Houstonian, Illinois Jacquet. Critics acclaimed that Gee was “one of the best and most underrated bop-influenced trombonists.” Gee’s best known work was “Jazz By Gee,” released in 1956 and remastered in 1996. Matthew Gee Jr. lived out the rest of his life in New York City where he died at the age of 53 on July 18, 1979.

African American Contributions to Military during World War I

Spencer C. Dickerson

Spencer C. Dickerson was born on December 1, 1871 in Austin, Texas. He attended school in Austin where he completed his early education and then continued on to Tillotson College. He continued his education at the University of Chicago where he excelled at both academics and sports. Dickerson earned his Bachelor of Science in 1897 and then received his M.D. degree from Rush Medical College in Chicago in 1901. In 1902 he began to practice medicine and continued for the next five years. He became the first black pathologist at Provident Hospital in Chicago.

In 1914 Dickerson enlisted with the 8th Illinois Infantry National Guard in the lowest grade of the sanitary detachment. In 1916 as a first lieutenant he was mustered into federal service for Mexican border duty. In 1917 he reported for World War I service with the 370th Infantry. In 1918 he got promoted to captain in the medical corps. Dickerson was stationed in Camp Logan, Texas before being transferred to serve in France. He returned to the U.S. in 1919 and continued his military career earning him the rank of major in 1926, colonel and commanding officer in 1929 of the 8th Illinois Infantry. In 1934 he retired as brigadier general from the Illinois National Guard becoming the first black Texan to attain this rank. Dickerson spent his life as a physician and army officer. He died on February 25, 1948 in Chicago.

Henry Ossian Flipper

Henry Flipper was born a slave in Thomasville, Georgia on March 21, 1856. He was educated at the American Missionary Association and then continued to Atlanta University. In 1873 he was appointed to the United States Military Academy where he went on to be the first black graduate of West Point. In 1877 he accepted a commission as a second lieutenant and a year later he was assigned to Company A of the 10th U.S. Cavalry. While he served in the 10th Cavalry he was stationed at forts Elliot, Concho, Quitman, and Davis in Texas as well as at Fort Sill in Indian Territory. Flipper was active in his military career and had numerous accomplishments such as Flipper’s Ditch, the construction of a road from Gainesville to Fort Sill, installed a telegraph line from Fort Elliot to Fort Supply, scouted on the Llano Estacado, assisted in the return of Quanah Parker, and fought during the Victorio campaign. For all of his service during these times he was awarded numerous positions. He was made acting assistant quartermaster, post quartermaster, and acting commissary of subsistence at Fort Davis.

On June 24, 1882 Flipper was dismissed from service after he was accused of stealing funds from his post. After leaving the military he opened a civil and mining engineering office in Arizona in 1887. He became very active in the community and was appointed a special agent for the U.S. Court of Private Land Claims. While he worked for the Court he served as an expert on penmanship, worked on court materials, and surveyed land grants in southern Arizona. He continued to serve in the U.S. Court of Private Land Claims until 1901. Flipper spent the next eleven years in northern Mexico as an engineer and legal assistant to mining companies. In 1921 he was appointed assistant to the secretary of the interior by Senator Fall and remained there until 1923. From 1925-1930 Flipper worked as an engineer in Venezuela. In 1931 he retired and lived out his life in Atlanta. He died in May 1934. In December 1976 the Department of the Army granted Flipper an honorable discharge dated June 30, 1882 upon reviewing the earlier accusations against him.

African American Contributions to Sports

Andrew “Rube” Foster

Andrew “Rube” Foster was born in Calvert, Texas on September 17, 1979. Rube grew up secretly playing baseball whenever he had a chance; baseball was frowned upon by most African-Americans as being ungentlemanly. By the time Rube was 18 years old he 6’1” tall, and weighed around 210 pounds he started pitching for the Waco Yellow Jackets. He was a right handed pitcher with an angry screwball that did not go unnoticed. He quickly moved up the ladder naming himself “The greatest black pitcher in the country,” even his peers thought highly of his talents. Rube’s career was very fortunate to have the opportunity to play for multiple teams including the Chicago Union Giants (pictured). Rube played many roles in baseball as a player, manager, owner, and even commissioner of the Negro National League In 1920. In 1981 Rube was inducted in the Baseball Hall of Fame. He died in 1930.

Jack Johnson

Jack Johnson was born in Galveston, Texas in 1878. Jack was the son of a former slave. He showed interest in boxing as a teenager when he became a sparring partner. Jack participated in prize fights called “battle royal” the last man standing was entertainment for whites. Just because he was black boxing never gave him a shot at the heavy weight title, Jack kept fighting for several years before he was awarded a chance at the title. At the age of 30 years old Jack Johnson beat Tommy Burns to become the heavy weight champion of the world. At the height of his career he seemed unstoppable by all other boxers, until his bout with Jess Willard the first man to defeat Johnson in 1915. His record was 79-8 with 46 knockouts, 12 draws and 14 no-decisions. He is a member of the Boxing Hall of Fame. He was heavily criticized for showing off his wealth, and marrying white women. He died from and auto accident in 1946.

African American Contribution to Clubs & Organizations

The Blue Triangle Branch of Young Women’s Christian Association

Blue Triangle YWCA

The organizing of the Houston’s Blue Triangle Branch of Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) was begun in 1917. The African American community wanted to provide a recreational facility for the youth and the soldiers stationed at Fort Logan. The branch was a composite of several groups joining together to address the civic, spiritual and moral welfare of young girls and provide a safe place to recreate. The first location was at 806 Clay in the old Masonic building, under the War Work Council, under the national YWCA, located in Houston. Following World War I, the branch submitted an application for charter under the national umbrella of the YWCA and received it in February 1920. Its founding members, Jennie B. Covington served as first Chairperson and Ruby Craig as Executive Secretary of the Houston’s Blue Triangle Branch of YMCA.

One of the first major projects the branch completed was establishing a campsite in LaPorte for recreation, fishing, picnicking and a summer home. In 1921, the branch established a settlement home where young women and girls could live in a Christian environment. In 1930s, the branched turned to focusing on Social Services as a result of the national depression and opened an activity center and cafeteria. The branch experienced several setbacks and had to close its settlement home and discontinue many of its social services. The branch served as a registry for employment for women and girls in domestic work until the 1940s when the war created more jobs for women. The Houston’s Blue Triangle Branch of YWCA would continue to serve the community. In 1998, the branch broke ties with the YWCA and became the Blue Triangle Multi Cultural Association, Inc.

Houston Chapter – National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)

As early as the spring of 1913, Mary Ovington one of the Co-Founders of the NAACP began secretly meeting with local community leaders and church leaders from Houston to discuss the formation of a local chapter of the NAACP in Houston and Harris County. The Houston Chapter formally chartered in 1918. The chapter began working to protest inequalities African Americans faced especially with regards to voting in primary elections. The Houston Chapter worked with the nation headquarters in several lawsuits challenging the white only primaries and segregation of school. The Houston chapter faced much opposition and intimidation by the Ku Klux Klan and temporarily went inactive in the late 1920s. In the 1930s, a group of black leader in the state began organizing a statewide civil rights movement. The Houston Chapter along with delegates from several other local chapters met in Dallas, Texas on June 18-19, 1937 to form the Texas State Conference of Branches of NAACP. Collectively they were able to rally the African American community to contest violation of state civil rights issues.

The Houston Chapter began raising a defense fund to help pay for a lawsuit to challenge the Democratic primary election. The lawsuit that the Houston chapter helped played a significant role in was the case, Smith vs. Allwright, to outlaw the white only primary. Lonnie Smith, a dentist in Houston, had attempted to vote in two primary elections in 1940 but was turned away. Despite attempts by county clerk’s office to delay the trial, on April 3, 1944 the Court outlawed white primary elections. The Houston chapter would gain momentum and become one of the largest chapters under the leadership of Lulu B. White.

Lulu B. Madison White

Lulu Belle Madison was born in 1907 in Elmo, Texas. Lulu furthered her education after high school by attending Butler College in Tyler and then Prairie View College after moving to Houston. She majored in English and then taught in the Height, a black community in Houston. She married Julius White a local businessman and raised two foster children. She joined the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) where she became very active in the civil rights movement. She soon resigned from teaching and devoted her time and energy in helping her husband and the NAACP in ending the white only primaries.

Lulu White served as the Houston Chapter Youth Director then became President in 1939 and then full time salaried Executive Director in 1943. Under her leadership the branch grew to one of the largest in the country boasting a local membership of over 12,000 by 1945. Under White’s leadership the Houston Chapter of the NAACP was instrumental in helping win the Sweatt v. Painter lawsuit that integrated University of Austin and Smith vs. Allwright, to outlaw the white only primary. White went on to become Director of the Texas State Conference of Branches of NAACP and a national NAACP fieldworker until she passed July 6, 1957. She was buried in Houston. The Lulu White Freedom Fund was established in her honor.

The Texas Association of Colored Women’s Clubs(Formerly the Texas Federation of Colored Women’s Clubs)

The Texas Association of Colored Women’s Clubs (formerly the Texas Federation of Colored Women’s Clubs) was organized in 1905 in Gainesville, Texas. It was part of the National Association of Colored Women that was founded in 1896. There motto was “Lifting As We Climb.” TACWC aim was to improve the homes, the moral and social life in the communities of Texas. Over the course of the next 40 years, the Texas Association of Colored Women’s Club laid the foundation for establishing homes for delinquent girls; made appeals for better accommodations with rail road companies; a scholarship fund and informative entertainment. TACWC initially purchased a ten acre tract in San Antonio to establish a delinquent girl’s home but eventually the land was sold and another tract purchased between Dallas-Ft. Worth. This tract was surrounded by Military establishment, it too was eventually sold. The TACWC was eventually able to get the state legislative to committee to funding and the Brady State School for Negro Girls in Crockett.

Past President 1905 - 1945

Mrs. M.E.Y. Moore – Gainesville 1905 - 1908Mrs. Inez Scott – Paris 1908 - 1910Mrs. Mary Alphin – Waco 1910 – 1916Mrs. Carrie Adams – Beaumont 1916 – 1920Mrs. R.A. Ransom – Fort Worth 1920 - 1922Mrs. H.E. Williams – Corsicana 1922 - 1926Mrs. A.E.S. Johnson – Marlin 1926 – 1930Mrs. Ada Bell Dement – Mineral Wells 1930 – 1934; served as National President 1941 - 1945Mrs. C.H. Christian – Austin 1934 - 1938Mrs. W.E. Bracken – Fort Worth 1938 - 1942Mrs. V.C. Fedford – Galveston 1942 - 1946

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