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NON PROMT ORli U.S. POSTAGE PAID BRONX. N.Y. PT.RM1I NO.58I COMMUNICATO^^ Bronx Communitv CoHese Newspaper MR, X> Volume 12 Number 2 March/April 1987 Women's Work History Women Workers' History By Audrianna Frankson In celebrating Women's History Month, we are making a small bit of history ourselves on women our past deeds, our present needs, our paths to the future. Women's History Month occurs in MONT March because of an important but little-known event in American history. Women's Past, Present, and Future On March 8, 1908, thousands of women, March, 1987 mainly young immigrant women who worked in the garment industry, gathered in New York City's Lower East Side to protest against intolerable working con- A Time for Celebration ditions and to demand their right to join aunion. In 1910, alter a tire at the Trian- and Reflection gle Shirtwaist Factory that killed 154 Women in History women, an international conference com- memorated the struggle of America's working women by declaring March 8 International Women's Day. This day By Verona Clarke went for an interview with the then by Audrianna Frankson only began to be celebrated widely in our As part of Women's International Director of the YWCA school at 137th- Echo Park, a rocky area in Mount own country with the revival of the Street, for a possible career in Nursing. Hope with basketball courts and a play- women's movement in the late 1960's. As Month Celebration, it is very important to pay tribute to many very distinguished After many set backs because of her age, ground, was once referred to by local more and more of the rich, multicultural women in our society, who have made she was finally accepted in the nursing residents as an outdoor "drug depart- history of women was uncovered, the outstanding contributions to the Wo- program. She later spent 20 years work- ment store." Local resident Barbara single day of commemoration expanded men's Movement in various capacities. ing at Goldwater Hospital in New York Grant 40, said "Echo Park was chosen into a week, and then a month. One such famous woman is Blues Singer City. Everyone who came in contact with because you can see everything fron the The heritage created by women's long and Song Writer Alberta Hunter. her thought her a rarity. She retired from rocks. (The dealers) had beepers and struggle for survival, equality, and human She was born amid poverty and preju- nursing on January 11, 1977. could watch out" for the police, she said. dignity does not belong to women alone. dice in 1895 in Memphis, Tennessee. She With the help of a few people includ- Today, the park is clean, and neighbor- It is a heritage for all of us to share. ran away from home at the age of 16 to ing Chris Albertson and Bobby Short, hood children can play in safety. Women, let us participate in this year's begin her singing career in Chicago for Ms. Hunter resumed her singing career The community organization that celebration of what women have done, $10 a week. Just before the First World at age 82. Her re-entry to the music helped transform Echo Park and the sur- and will yet do, to benefit both them- War, Ms. Hunter became one of the world was a sensation. She became the rounding area was honored last month, selves and the entire society. premier entertainers of her day. Many of most sought after Blues Singer. She along with 12 other groups that make up the songs she wrote in her lifetime were embodies all of what Blues are —joyous, the Drugs Out Committee of the North- heard around the world. The most famous sly and sensual as well as sad. She died at west Bronx Community and Clergy of her compositions was "Down Hearted the age of 89 in 1984, leaving an extraor- Coalition. By Verona Clarke Blues." dinary legacy of achievement. The Drugs Out Committee received a New Yorker for New York award, American women of every race, class A recording star and traveling per- and ethnic background served as early former for decades, her fame waned in' presented annually by the Citizens leaders in the forefront of every major the 1950's. The death of her mother in Black women are currently writing Committee of New York City, a non- profit group helping struggling com- progressive social change movement. 1954 fueled a re-evaluation of her life and lecturing on the struggle to fight They worked not only to secure their and her decision to make a new career in oppression. Finding strength in unity, munity organizations own right of sufferage and equal oppor- the unlikely field of nursing. Ms. Hunter the challenge of the assembly of voices tunity, but also in the abolitionist move- was almost 62 years old when she first demand to be heard. Love, anger, and Citizens Committee Chairman ment, the emancipation movement, the Today's Black Woman concern are a lethal combination, and Marietta Tree said the coalition had industrial labor union movement, and one to be reckoned with. turned around "rapidly deteriorating" the modern civil rights movement. Des- Involvement in a struggle against the neighborhoods by "using people power pite these contributions, the role of by Barbara Merritt expletive and dehumanizing system of to tackle drug abuse." racism, has caused the black population American women in history has been Black Women are playing a vital role Drugs Out committee chairperson to offer comfort in the shape of toge- consistently overlooked and undervalued in the structure of the black family. Joyce Davis, 48, accepted the award. therness. Sacrificing and giving all for a in the body of American history. Daughters, sisters, wives, mothers, grand- "We are at times barely civil" about dream, we invest in ourselves and fami- Today's labor movement is among the mothers, they are the backbone of their demanding changes, she said, "but with few institutions to have rallied to the society. The 20th century has forcibly lies. Benefits will be extracted regardless (our lives) at stake we have no choice but cause of women's rights. However, com- pushed the women of the black commun- of the protestions of those who would to fight." rather we continue in the status quo. plaints remain, that, although one out of ity to the forfront of the movement. The The coalition, which represents neigh- Black women can't let the spirit wane three union members is a woman, women aspirations of black women are being borhoods in the borough from the Cross if the future of the race is to be insured. lag in leadership position inside the labor fulfilled. Bronx Expressway to the Westchester Survival can be found in knowledge of movement. The field of entertainment has long County line, staged rallies, circulated the data necessary to reinforce our inner Interesting to note is the number of been a training ground for black women. petitions and organized letter-writing women who were injured or killed in During the eighties women diversified strength. Barriers must be broken down campaigns in a battle against drugs. to arrive at the vision of a society better Agriculture and Industry. It has reached and can now be found working in all Their efforts helped prompt police to enormous proportion, even though much fields, religion, education, medicine, law, than the existing one. create a special drug enforcement unit, have not been mentioned about this. civil rights, sports. Socially active, their called BAND (Bronx Anti-Narcotics Medical Insurance clause also made it projects are geared to benefit the less Drive), in June 1985. The unit is staffed impossible for some women to benefit. fortunate in society. They have formed by a core of 45 officers from the 46th and Despite the many setbacks for women, study and discussion groups, to try and 52nd precincts. they have made tremendous outstanding help each other to form an understand- NOTICE achievements dating from 1824. ing of their lives. Cont. P. 4 Col. 1 Page 2 THF COMMUNICATOR Half Moon Street This film is about an American woman who is transplanted to London, and how Letters to the Editor she deals with it's very class conscious Dear Editor: will remove from my vocabulary such by Charles Williams society. Whether the film will be a box- While I recognize that politics is a words and phrases as Quit, Cannot, Half Moon Street is the story of a office success, I don't know, but for Ms. never-ending topic, I would like to sug- Unable, Impossible, Out Of The Ques- contempory American woman, who finds Weaver's fans it is refreshing to see her gest having a woman President in the tion, Improbable, Failure, Unworkable, herself caught up in a world of internat- willingness to accept these challenging United States. It seems to me that Amer- Hopeless, Retreat; For they are the words onal politics, banking and intrigue. The roles as the universal women, such as her ica would be in a much better position of fools. movie stars Sigourney Weaver as Dr. last in the movie "Aliens." politically today if a women were Presi- I will avoid despair. But, if this disease Lauren Slaughter, an American woman dent. It would be regarded with great of the mind should, infect me then I will of the eighties, intelligent and beautiful, admiration world wide if America were work on in despair. I will tail and I will who by day works at a research institute.