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It was the kind of thing that reminds you “you have to keep going, to keep up the fight,” said Jackie Vaughan, co-president of the Eastville Historical Society. Jackie offered some remarks last Saturday at the dedication of a bench honoring civil rights leader Rosa Parks. The event drew a diverse crowd to East Hampton’s Main Street, where a bench at the Jitney stop across from The Palm Restaurant will serve as a reminder to all of the struggles and sacrifices of those who worked for racial equality.
In an interview later that day, Jackie, 83, explained that growing up in Harlem she didn’t experience much obvious segregation. It was only on a trip to Washington, D.C. in the ’50s that she had her first bitter taste of it. She was traveling with her husband, who had served in the Army in World War II. He tried to warn her as she approached a grocery store. “Don’t go in there,” he said. “What do you mean?” she replied. “The war’s over.” But she learned what he meant when the woman behind the counter refused to sell Jackie a bottle of milk for her baby. “I guess I had to experience it.”
“She was brave,” Jackie said of Rosa Parks. “What she went through, experiencing that kind of thing all the time.” Years later Jackie boarded a bus from New York to join with others on the national march on Washington where she heard Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. speak.
“We rode on school buses,” she recalled. “There were no bathrooms. Those busses didn’t have the proper springs for that long trip.”
But she was glad to go and was impressed by how peaceful the demonstration was. “The police were there to guide us in,” she said. “There was no pandemonium.” Hearing Dr. King was a life-altering experience. “It was worth the bumpy ride,” she said.
Saturday’s guest speaker was Bernice Cosey Pulley, a longtime civil rights activist who knew Rosa Parks, worked for the desegregation of schools, and promoted recognition of the principles of non-violence as practiced by Gandhi and Dr. King. Saturday’s dedication coincided with Nelson Mandela International Day, proclaimed by the United Nations.
Assemblyman Fred Thiele and Representative Tim Bishop were in attendance, and civil rights activist Bob Zellner also spoke at the bench dedication. Growing up in the South, Bob’s relatives were Klan members. As a young college student, he found another way and worked with others to form the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee.
Folk singer Terry Sullivan sang a rendition of “Keep Your Eyes on the Prize” with some improvised verses: “Rosa took her seat that day; she showed us how to fight with dignity ...”
Even on a very warm summer morning Jackie Vaughan was glad to be able to participate in the bench dedication. Huge trees provided some shade, and the speakers were all stimulating, she said. She gets tired, she admitted, of all the work that still needs to be done for racial equality, but Saturday’s experience rejuvenated her. “It was well worth it.”
The Southampton Trails Preservation Society offers two great ways to stay in shape and enjoy the outdoors this Sunday, July 25. Beat the heat and try an early morning ramble in the Long Pond Greenbelt from 8 to 10 a.m. Meet at the end of Round Pond Lane in Sag Harbor for a moderately-paced hike with views of Long, Little Long and Crooked ponds. Test yourself on the tree ID trail. Call hike leader Dai Dayton at 745-0689 for more information. Or try a 12-mile Sag Harbor-to-Sagaponack bike ride with leader Bob Wolfram on Sunday morning at 8:30. Views of farm fields and ocean will refresh the weary soul. Helmets are a must and all riders must be able to keep a moderate pace for the two-hour road bike ride.
Preregistration is required and limited to 20 riders; route details will be given out when you register. Rain cancels. Call Bob at 848-2255.
Bring friends down to Haven’s beach Tuesday night, July 27, and help support the East Hampton Hurricanes swim team. Bring a blanket or lawn chair and watch “Jaws” on a large outdoor movie screen. Admission to the fund-raiser is $10 for adults and $5 for children. Popcorn, candy, and refreshments will be available for sale. The screening begins at 8 p.m. Whether you’ll ever feel like swimming again is up to you!
on Jul 20, 2010