Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Brown, June, Bronx African American History Project

Oral Histories

88^th Interview

Interviewee: June DeVonish Brown

Interviewer: Mark Naison

Interview took place November 21, 2004

Summarized by Concetta Gleason 2-08-07

June DeVonish Brown’s mother was born in Freetown Village in Antigua and her father as born in Barbados. Brown was born in 1921 in Harlem Hospital. Her father was a jeweler and a superintendent, and her mother was a homemaker. In 1929, Brown and her family moved to the Bronx with her five siblings into a three bedroom apartment. Brown’s father was a Garveyite. Both her parents emphasized the importance of being educated and politics was always discussed at …

Nicholas, William And Nicholas, Margery, Bronx African American History Project

Oral Histories

William and Margery Nicholas are a husband and wife who are also longtime Bronx residents. As such, they stand as examples of the many families that make up the Bronx African American population. The Nicholas’ come from different backgrounds (as William was a Negro League baseball player and Margery became a teacher). Despite their different life experiences, however, they have enjoyed over 62 years of marriage.

William Nicholas played baseball variants such as stoop ball and stick ball. However, he was also a member of organized teams, such as those sponsored by his schools, PS 51 and Textile High School; …

Wattly, Wayne, Bronx African American History Project

Oral Histories

Wayne Wattly was born January 5, 1974 in St. Kitts in the West Indies. As a kid, his family would visit an aunt in New York almost every summer. Wayne and his sister always enjoyed their visits to New York and he says he thought of New York as a grand place that he just had to get to. In the summer of 1989 the Wattley family moved to New York permanently. They moved to the South Bronx between Castle Hill and Soundview. His parents left behind careers they had both had for over 20 years to give their children …

Tyson, Cyril Degrasse, Bronx African American History Project

Oral Histories

Cyril Degrasse Tyson was born in Harlem in the early 1930’s and frequently moved around Harlem and eventually made his way into the Bronx at an early age. He discusses his family history and when his parents first moved to New York. His parents were both born in the West Indies on the island of Nevis and moved to New York after the first World War. They moved to an area of Manhattan which was referred to as the San Juan Hills at the time. He describes it as a pocket of blacks from the south and West Indies, Puerto …