Have you ever read the part of the Constitution of the
United States that states, “All men are created equal
and have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of
happiness?” As an African-American citizen remembering
events during the Civil Rights era in the early 1940s,
I’ve always been a member of different committees
working to ensure these legal rights of life, liberty
and our pursuit of happiness over the years.
However, Northern states didn’t freely grant those civil
rights to all people. I was a member of the National
Association for the Advancement of Colored People
(NAACP) in New Haven, CT and when I moved to Springfield
in the early 1940s as a young bride, I became a member
of Springfield’s NAACP. I found one of its busiest
committees was the Legal Redress Committee because of
instances of police brutality in the black community.
The Education Committee was another busy committee
focusing on teachers and curriculum issues in the
schools located in Springfield’s poorest neighborhoods.
Years later in 1968, cities across our United States and
countries around the world were shocked to learn of the
death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on April 4, 1968.
Shortly after the news of his assassination, Rev. James
H. Hamer and the newly-formed Pastors Council, held a
memorial service for him on the Winchester Square
Triangle. There was an audience of about 150,000 people
in attendance. In August of that same year I
became deeply concerned that there were no plans for a
citywide service. I asked for an appointment with then
Mayor Frank Freedman to air my concerns. I asked the
mayor if there was going to be a citywide memorial
service and he said, “No.” He said that because it
was August and vacation time he didn’t have anyone to
chair the event. After further discussion I was shocked
when Mayor Freedman asked me to chair it. The mayor went
on to say he would give me full support during the
entire planning. I quietly answered, “I’ll do the best I
can.”
I then worked with a committee which planned the
citywide memorial service for Dr. King on what would
have been his 40th birthday, January 15, 1969. It was
held at Springfield Symphony Hall. A mass choir of 227
voices, which later became the Freedom Choir, presented
the music. And for 41 years thereafter, Springfield has
held an annual citywide memorial service celebrating Dr.
King’s life and legacy on January 15th. And 41 years
later, the Freedom Choir is still going strong!
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