Education

from The Washington Informer - December 1, 2021

OpEd

FORD from Page 1

Ford’s much-deserved celebration and has been a popular gathering place for the elderly in the neighborhood, stands just a stone’s throw away from the home in which she and her family have lived and loved for nearly 70 years.

She said she remembers the day she and her husband of 43 years, George H. Ford (who died in 1985), along with their five daughters and extended family, first moved into the rambling, corner house and how quickly the community and life for Blacks in the District began to change.

“I was born in D.C. at home, not in a hospital, the last of nine children, when the city was still segregated – that was 1921 – six sisters and two brothers,” she said. “I attended Cardoza High School and married George Henry Ford in 1942. We were blessed with five daughters and often had other members of the family living with us – in-laws, siblings, nieces and nephews – you name it. That’s the way Blacks supported one another in those days.”

As the Ford family continued to grow, they moved to U Street in But I was ready to move on – I wanted to do more with my life.”

Perhaps the greatest challenge the Ford family would face, came in 1954 and the year after, when Brown v. Board of Education made segregation in public schools illegal. With five daughters in different grades, the youngest in kindergarten, Mrs. Ford and her husband had to help their children adjust to being in schools where only a handful of other Blacks counted among the student body.

“We tried to keep our girls close to us and we got involved right away,” she said. “Sometimes my husband signed their report cards and went to parent-teacher conferences. Sometimes I signed the cards and met their teachers. It was a new day and we had to help the girls deal with students who disliked them because of their skin color as well as some teachers and administrators. But we stood our ground and allowed the Lord to fight our battles – when we couldn’t handle things ourselves.”

On any given day, Mrs. Ford can be found reading, listening to music and enjoying a hearty meal, served by her daughters who rotate their days to cook and do other tasks. One daughter lives with her. But their love for their mother and the teamwork they exemplify, confirms the bond which exists between the matriarch, her daughters – not to mention the grandchildren who have since joined the fold.

During Mrs. Ford’s first decade of life, Blacks would celebrate a burgeoning uptick in the arts and culture known as the Harlem Renaissance, would mourn the senseless deaths of an entire community during the Tulsa Race Riot and would face and somehow overcome the crash of the Stock Market.

But like generations before her, Evelyn Spriggs Ford and those she loved, would stand together in faith, determined to make a way out of no way.

What a testimony! Happy Birthday, Mrs. Ford.

EDITOR's NOTE: I’ll see you before Christmas for some eggnog, fried chicken and fresh vegetables while listening to some old school jazz – all of your favorites. WI

CLEAN UP from Page 5

Brandon Andrews, who serves as the chairman of the D.C. Commission on National and Community Service, participated in the trash pickup. He said more neighborhoods should have resident-initiated trash pickup programs and money exists to supplement the efforts.

“Many of the city’s advisory neighborhood commissions have programs where residents clean up their communities,” Andrews said. “But there is no citywide program for this. There are funds available through the ANCs and subgrants through Serve DC for organizations that want to engage in this type of activity.”

Camryn Reddick, the parliamentarian of the Gamma Theta chapter, said many of her sorors wanted to participate in community service during the Thanksgiving holiday break. Northwest in 1943 and later, in 1953, to Newton in Northeast – their final destination which remains the family’s homestead.

“We were only the third Blacks on the block but within a year almost all of the whites had moved out,” she said. “But when we first arrived, our girls couldn’t do things like go trick-ortreating – the white families wouldn’t allow it. And it wasn’t safe either. So, we had our own parties in the basement which soon became a tradition as the neighborhood became more Black.”

Ford said families were larger in those days and hers would be no exception. In fact, one of their neighbors, an Italian family, had eight children who “took up the entire row at church.”

“Yes, church was a fixture in our lives and a place I still love and cherish,” she said, referring to Holy Redeemer Church in the early days and later, St. Francis De Sales Church where she’s been a faithful member more than 60 years.

Ford said she’s always held respect, courtesy and good morals as essential values in her life and remembers taking trips and enjoying all kinds of

5 (Seated) Joseph Gilchrist, the honoree Evelyn Spriggs Ford (seated right), C.C. Ford (standing l-r), Ms. District of Columbia Vanella Alise Jackson-Crawford, Harry Thomas, Jr. and Stacie Mack celebrate the 100th birthday of Evelyn Spriggs Ford on November 30 in Northeast. (Roy Lewis/The Washington Informer) music as much as possible, even after retiring from a 40-year career in the government including service both at the Pentagon and the Civil Aeronautics Board.

She recalls how she first began working for the U.S. government.

“I was a great typist and a white woman for whom I was working had a daughter who wanted to take the typing test for a government position,” she said. “Because I had won typing awards in high school, I decided to take the test, too. I made the cut. My employer’s daughter did not. It was something she just couldn’t believe.

“So sorors got together where they were and said we wanted to do something to help the community. We decided to push ourselves. We saw information about the cleanup in Anacostia and Fairlawn on social media and we contacted Commissioner Adofo.”

– CAMRYN REDDICK

“We have sorors who celebrated Thanksgiving in Chicago and here in the DMV,” she said. “So sorors got together where they were and said we wanted to do something to help the community. We decided to push ourselves. We saw information about the cleanup in Anacostia and Fairlawn on social media and we contacted Commissioner Adofo.”

Reddick said her sorors had a great time “giving back.”

“It is always good to take time out and clean up the community,” she said.

Adofo said he liked the turnout and the effort put forth by the volunteers.

“It is really good to see college students and residents engaging the community outdoors,” he said. “Cleaning up this area will help guarantee safe passage for children to get to school. When people think of safe passage they think of traffic but they also should think about keeping the community clean. Some bad things can happen to our young people in wooded areas that are not maintained well.”

Adofo understands some residents think the D.C. Department of Public Works [DPW] should clean neighborhoods. Adofo doesn’t argue with that assertion.

“That is true that DPW is in charge of keeping our city clean but they can’t do it alone,” he said. “We all have to work together to do this. We get better results if we work together.” WI @JamesDCWrighter

SESSION from Page 13

includes a portion of Prince George’s County and would house the state’s largest Black population with 419,596 out of the total 733,616 residents.

The district border proposes to extend west into Montgomery County with the communities of Colesville, Cloverly and Fairland.

To address violence in Baltimore City and statewide, Gov. Larry Hogan wants state lawmakers to review and eventually pass emergency legislation when the legislature meets Monday.

One bill, “Violent Firearms Offender Act,” would impose tougher sentences for those who commit crimes and illegally possess guns. In addition, it would impose severe sentences on individuals who supply illegal guns to potential offenders.

Another bill, the “Judicial Transparency Act,” would publish the sentencing records of judges in violent crime cases.

The Hogan administration submitted both bills for last year’s 90-day General Assembly session.

“We are once again asking city leaders and the [Baltimore] city delegation to stop working against this legislation and to work together with us to pass this,” he said during a press briefing hours before the legislative committee voted on the redistricting plan.

Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City) released a statement on how public safety remains a statewide concern but not with “performative politics.”

“The Senate remains committed to targeted, thoughtful investments in communities that are most vulnerable – solutions the governor has repeatedly vetoed,” he said. “Unfortunately, we have seen only reactive calls to action from the governor thus far. There are proactive solutions we can work together on now and we hope the governor sincerely comes to the table and takes more comprehensive actions going forward.”

WI @jabariwill

5 A Maryland Legislative Redistricting Advisory Commission recommended approval of this congressional map to extend the more conservative 1st Congressional district across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge into portions of Anne Arundel County with more Democratic neighborhoods. The legislature will review this and other congressional maps during a special legislative session Dec. 6. (Photo courtesy of Maryland General Assembly)

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