Historical Lineage of Black Preservation

Presenter Information

Kellea Roberson

Faculty Sponsor

Dr. Tru Leverette

Faculty Sponsor College

College of Arts and Sciences

Faculty Sponsor Department

English

Location

SOARS Virtual Conference

Presentation Website

https://unfsoars.domains.unf.edu/2021/posters/the-historical-lineage-of-black-preservation/

Keywords

SOARS (Conference) (2021 : University of North Florida) – Archives; SOARS (Conference) (2021 : University of North Florida) – Posters; University of North Florida -- Students -- Research – Posters; University of North Florida. Office of Undergraduate Research; University of North Florida. Graduate School; College students – Research -- Florida – Jacksonville – Posters; University of North Florida – Undergraduates -- Research – Posters; University of North Florida. Department of English -- Research – Posters; Project of Merit Award Winner; Digital Projects Showcase Exhibitor Award

Abstract

Project of Merit Winner!

Digital Projects Showcase Exhibitor Award

The topic of this research will showcase Black preservation and perseverance through researching historical buildings that have been utilized for both the benefit and betterment of the Black community over time. Focusing in particular on the Ducote Federal Credit Union, located in Historic Durkeeville, which was the only credit union that serviced African American residents in Jacksonville in the 1960s. Tracking the building’s usage as it became the new home for the nonprofit organization, Families of Slain Children, an organization for families that have lost loved ones due to senseless violence. This research will focus on localizing the African diaspora to Jacksonville, Florida and will emphasize the agency and perseverance of Black people and the means of bettering their lives for themselves, by themselves. Through the use of participatory observation, interviews and archival exploration, this project will be able to exemplify the ways Black individuals adapted to attain personal success when social advances were not afforded to them. In addition, this research aims to contribute to the discipline of residential genealogy and historic preservation of the built environment, to emphasis the importance of recognizing the prior use and history of a space and the implications it can have on the current inhabitants of a space.

Comments

Audio Presentation Transcript:

Hi! My name is Kellea Roberson and my research is titled “The Historical Lineage of Black Preservation”

Oftentimes within the African diaspora there is a heavy emphasis on the oppressed, subjugated, and marginalized position of people within the sphere. In particular, when examining the African diaspora in the United States of America, there is a lack of agency given to people of African descent. This passivity is apparent in the history that is taught in primary and secondary schools -if it is taught at all. Distributed throughout classrooms are the standardized, soul-less accounts of enslaved people on plantations below the Mason Dixie Line, rather than focusing on the agency, creativity and resilience of African enslaved people that expressed their will to survive in the social constraints that alienated them.

Showing the effortful ways African Americans adapted to the social advances that were not giving to them, this research will localize it to Jacksonville, Florida, by examining the rich history and heritage of the African American community in Durkeeville. This paper will specifically be observing the location of the first Black owned credit union in Jacksonville, FL, and the usage of the historical structure of the building today. The historical lineage of the building from the 1960s to 2020, will showcase the main focus of the organizations that utilized the building was and is to serve the African American population in Jacksonville, Florida. Through dispelling the myths of helplessness and intellectual potential that is so heavily focused on in the dominant European Anglo-Saxon history, it will emphasize the perseverance of people in the diaspora and their hope to create a progressive life for themselves and generations to come.

The Ducote Federal Credit was a Black owned and operated credit union, the building at 2212 Myrtle Avenue has a history and presence with the community. In order to truly understand the impact Ducote Federal Credit Union had on the Black community, one must highlight the location the union was established and maintained in. The historic neighborhood of Durkeeville was founded in the 1930s, when African Americans were denied accessibility in many parts of the city which resulted in them creating their own space in Northwest Jacksonville. The community housed middle-class and working-class individuals, many of whom were doctors, lawyers, educators, and businesspeople that provided services that were not afforded to them in other areas. The area truly exemplified Black self-reliance and their successful attempts of “making a way out of no way” (“Making a Way Out of No Way”). Through the ambitions of the people of Durkeeville, their organizations and institutions developed ways to address their own needs and aspirations “that foster[ed] values of community, service, and mutual support” (“Making a Way Out of No Way”).
Myrtle Avenue was considered the “Black Downtown.” Due to the streetcars location it became a prominent area for Black-owned businesses to flourish. The streets were lined with Black-owned businesses, local breweries, trade schools, warehouses, financial institutions, and many others. In 1937, the Public Works Administration selected Florida to be one of the sites of the very first public housing in the United States. The Works Progress Administration built a 215-unit Durkeevillle public housing development south of West 8th Street. Following this development of single family homes built and designed by prominent Black contractors, such as James Edwards Hutchins and Sanford Augustus Brookings, began to spring up and the properties were made into an upscale Black subdivision. The rich history and culture of Durkeeville is present in the many affluent people that lived there. Mr. Charlie “Hoss” Singleton was songwriter for over 200 popular songs and was probably the first Black songwriter to retain the rights to his music. Mrs. Sallye B. Mathis was an HBCU graduate and prominent Black activist within the civil rights efforts in Jacksonville. This neighborhood was created in order to shelter and nurture Black individuals during the challenging times of the Jim Crow Era and blatant, overt racism that plagued Jacksonville.
Due to the vibrant Black neighborhood of Durkeeville, financial institutions were a must; and “wherever African American populations could be found, Black banks flourished to meet both the opportunities and challenges of a segregated economy” (Baradaran 70). In 1938, Mr. B. Kirklin, a railroad retiree, and his wife, Mrs. Rubiana, a teacher, were unable to get an account at the Duval County Teacher’s Credit Union, now known as Community First, in the early 1930s, so they formed their own credit union which was very common during this time. With $210 and 42 members they created their own union and ran their institution out of their home on Louisiana Street. They established a financial institution that enabled Black teachers to create saving accounts and borrow money, giving them financial opportunities that were not afforded to them elsewhere. In 1950, Mr. Walter White, a teacher in Duval, faced the same obstacles as did the Kirklins’ a decade before; he gave his account to Florida Times-Union reporter Tonya Weathersbee;
“I was met at the door, and the lady at the door wanted to know what I wanted…
I told her I wanted to open an account, and she told me that they weren’t opening
accounts at that time. She didn’t ask me what kind [of account] or anything…
she didn’t even let me in the door.” (Weathersbee)

This account is one that is all too familiar for Black individuals during this Jim Crow Era, when people were refused services based on one’s skin color. Some board members of Ducote recounted about how hard it was for Black people to get a loan. The late Ducote manager, Ms. Eleanor Peterson recalled stories where “back in the day, if [Blacks] wanted to get a $100 loan, they had to get six co-signers.”

By 1966, Ducote was relocated to 2122 Myrtle Avenue in the heart of Durkeeville. It can be inferred that the credit union became the “source and symbol of racial pride and progress,” providing many with opportunities of financial progress (Baradaran 74). The National Negro Banking Association (NNBA) was founded in 1927, wanting to “promote the general welfare” and “usefulness of banks and banking institutions and the secure uniformity of action, together with the practical benefits” (Baradaran 84). Although, the NNBA strictly supported banks rather than all types of financial institutions, the same premise could be extended to the mission behind the Ducote Federal Credit Union. They were able to provide Black individuals in the Jacksonville area with the ability to be financially stable and independent. In 2013 the credit union celebrated 75 years of serving the Jacksonville area. During this celebration over 50 members were in attendance to celebrate this “historic occasion and reminisc[ing] on the many years of membership and friendship” (“DUCOTE: Historic African-American”). Ms. Estelle Mckissick, shared how long she was a member:
“Let me think, I graduated from college in 1950 and my father was a founding member, so that’s 63 years.” (“DUCOTE: Historic African-American).

Ducote serviced the Jacksonville community until 2016, when they merged with Jax Federal Credit Union. The merger became effective November 1, 2016 and their location at 2212 Myrtle Avenue was closed on October 28th, 2016. Throughout the years Ducote managed to survive when “smaller financial institutions [were] gobbled up by larger ones”(Weathersbee). “Larger ones [were] turning to government bailouts to stay out of bankruptcy” wrote Weathersbee in her 2009 article, “Ducote’s survival: You can bank on it.” Ducote had over 1,350 members, “most of whom [were] Black teachers and janitorial staff,” and $4 million worth in assets (Weathersbee). Over those years they kept their members and attracted new ones through maintaining their original purpose “to help members boost their savings and improve their financial situation” (Weathersbee). The building’s prospective buyer was meant to be the Durkeeville Historical Society however there were other plans in store for the property.
Before discussing the nonprofit that is now housed at 2212 Myrtle Avenue, it is imperative to discuss the social and economic transformations that have occurred since the establishment of Durkeeville. These changes are a direct result of residential segregation initiated by the federal government and “ironically the elimination of legal discrimination” (“About Us”). Black flight followed as these changes transformed the community, individuals left Northwest Jacksonville and “concentrated the effects of poverty and unemployment” (Stern). In addition, starting in the 1970s there was the War on Drugs initiated by the Nixon administration, which had an adverse effect on inner-city neighborhoods, including parts of Jacksonville. With the crack epidemic of the 1980s following, Durkeeville struggled with urban blight, poverty and crime that is often associated with inner city neighborhoods. Between 1970 and 2000, the percentage of families below the poverty lines had dropped below 40% (Stern). It has long been understood by sociologists and other social science disciplines that areas with a concentration of poverty, unemployment and other issues dealing with the economy tend to have a higher rate of violence within the community. These above mentions all contribute to the structural violence that is apparent in Northwest Jacksonville, senseless violence that has drastically impacted many families, mothers and loved ones.

In 2006, Ms. Beverly McClain lost her son.Through her own experience of trying to maneuver through the bureaucracies that accompanied the legal and justice process, she began to think of other families that would, unfortunately, go through the same process and created Families of Slain Children (FOSCI). Her vision for the center was to provide a space for grieving mothers and families coping with the violent loss of a loved one, giving them support, comfort and counsel. FOSCI has not only dealt with the aftermath of violence in the community but also with poverty and hunger, providing people in need with food, clothes, welfare assistance and other resources. The center has been a light for many families and people that were in need. Ms. Beverly shared that the only reason she is where she is, is because she could not be stagnate, and that the pain and grief she felt was something that mothers of slain children felt all around her. “I had to be strong, I had to be strong for other people. Not only myself, and the minute I accepted that, I started reaching out to other families that were going through the same thing” (The 904: Shadow of the Sunshine State).
The amazing component of FOSCI is that it is run by individuals in the community, rather than outside organizations assuming what type of aid that is needed to be distributed. It is a community center run by members in the community in order to make the local surroundings a better place for all. The center exemplifies the resilient spirit that is “fundamentally American,” through accepting the belief that change is always possible, even in the hardest moments (“Making a Way Out of No Way”). In 2017, FOSCI was at risk of shutting down after their landlord decided to sell their original building. In 2018 Michael J. Ward, former chairman and CEO of CSX Corporation, generously bought the Ducote Federal Credit Union building and donated $30,000 dollars to FOSCI, this ensured that the organization was not vulnerable to being evicted at any time. On November 30th, Ms. McClain and Mr. Ward closed on the property at 2212 Myrtle Avenue, and the location was the “heart of the urban core” (“CSX Exec Gifts Nonprofit”).
The ambience that the historical structure at 2212 Myrtle Avenue holds is embodied in the idea of Black preservation and perseverance. These characteristics are evident within the African diaspora for the simple fact that groups of people have been able to flourish in the midst of an attempt to erase their cultural heritage. The push to subjugate and oppress them and the process of assimilation tactics by the dominant White society was stifled. The focal point of the diaspora should be on the way groups of people have been able to sustain and thrive within these restraints and even in the course of being affected, they have still been able to unify for the common good of the community. “Making a way out of no way” is apparent in both organizations in the midst of grief FOSCI has been able to provide ways to help families cope with their own loss and Ducote has provided financial support to Black individuals, so they are able to be financial stable and independent.

2212 Myrtle has been home to Ducote Federal Credit Union and Families of Slain Children, these organizations differ vastly on their area of focus when providing resources to the community; however, they have one common goal of being a driving force in enhancing the lives of people in the community. The structural building at 2212 Myrtle Avenue receives meaning from the organizations or institutions that embody it, but it is also apparent that the past users of the building have created a historical lineage of providing for the Black community. The historical parallels of the property gives insights into the importance of residential genealogy and the study of historic preservation on the built environment. The previous use of a property can be of significant importance to the organization, group or people that inhabit the building now. For the case of Families of Slain Children, their mission with the organization is one that is familiar to the site and one that has been tapped into by the previous inhabitants. The grassroots approach by both organizations of creating spaces to benefit the community and address social problems within it has remained constant at 2212 Myrtle Avenue. The building is a site of Black preservation in their own community, ensuring there are institutions and resources that can better their own lives and a site of perseverance, where in the midst of “no way” they are able to create a way of possibilities that further their chances and opportunities within Jacksonville.

Streaming Media 1

Rights Statement

http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/