In the Forties and Fifties, Elizabeth Abrams

IN THE FORTIES AND FIFTIES

Elizabeth Abrams

In 1940s and 1950s my community in North Central Philly did not differ much from the communities of West Philly’s Mantua or Kingsessing in Southwest Philly. Targeted areas by local media as the Badlands. It was designed by the political powers that sections of Philadelphia would evolve from community to neighborhood to its final destination of Ghetto or the “Hood.”

My people of the aforementioned communities were destined to be the tools, labor, and subjects of all types of prolific programs, for us, the unemployed, welfare recipients and social service subjects for all types of government so-called empowerment, and renewal programs—financed by the powers.

A child of the 1940s and 1950s could enjoy the joys of a twoparent home—a street in North Philly and an address North 19th Street, who personally knew and who were also neighbors to Black nurses and doctors, Black dentists, Black pharmacists, Black funeral directors, Black butchers, Black teachers, Black insurance companies, Black banks, Black vocational schools, Black realtors, Black architects, Black plumbers, carpenters, Black seamstresses, and tailors, and dry cleaners—we all lived together and utilized and supported their businesses and they could ply their trade with great success.

And as I, a child at the age of five, knew most of these grand people by name, all adults wore titles: Mr., Miss, Mrs.,—Aunt, Uncle, Grandmom, Grandpop. Never! called an adult by the first name. Not even a bum on the street—and there were not many of those.

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In the late 1960s the cause for civil rights reigned supreme, Black Power, dashikis, afros—evolved into hair straightening and bleaching cream, drugs, unemployment, poor schools.

Factories and other companies disappeared and transferred and dried up, massive street arrest of black youths, recreation centers lost funding. Upward higher income professionals from my community relocated to the elusive housing areas, where at one time—were excluded. Cheltenham, Chestnut Hill, Far Northeast.

The move continued, but those uneducated were “left behind” to suffer and muddle through inferior slum housing, inferior education, single parent homes, welfare system kicked into high gear—for the fathers, jobless ended up incarcerated, drug addicted or disappeared. The Check and Food stamps became husband and father in most homes.

Many of my friends ended up in the system one way or the other, inner city schools continued to deteriorate. Parents no longer could help their school age children with school assignments. Catholic schools took flight and (at one time free) became private schools with high tuition fees. St. Elizabeth, Most Precious Blood/Our Lady of Mercy, Blessed Sacrament.

And so today, the powers of Philadelphia finally completed the Idea of Philadelphia as the “City of Brotherly Love” for all people, but not for my people.

My people are inheritors of gun violence. In the hood, guns provided by the powers of the city, drugs its availability and excesses legal or illegal provided by the powers—poor health enabled by consuming fast foods, or death foods, sold only in Black sections of the city. Purchase guns, easy, but not easy access to scholarships or to quality schools.

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I had no idea, and could not foresee what my community would become as I played jax, jumped double-dutch, believed in the tooth fairy, traveled to North Carolina, summer school vacations, rode on a ferry from New Port News to Norfolk, VA before Chesapeake Bay Bridge was built, caught butterflies and grasshoppers, Sunday school on Sundays, patent leather shoes on Easter, Easter Parade; Thanksgiving Parade; PTC trolley #21 / travelling through Fairmount Park to visit an amusement park, and then Marvin Gaye’s classic, “What’s Going On.”

And looking back—I see the plan.

Gentrification for the so-called Gentry but not my people. Underserved, unwanted, are marched to the hinterlands, the counties, the facilities, the shelters, the jails. And the powers, the Med’s & Ed’s can reclaim their city—Temple to U of P.

In the Book of Revelation Chapter 3: Verse 11 - The All Powerful says to His people, “Look I’m coming soon, hold tightly to the little strength you have—so that no one will take away your crown.”

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