Public History Commons^™

Edward Lowe - Part 1, Mark Naison, Steven Payne

Oral Histories

In 1960, Lowe’s parents moved to Paulding Avenue, and they lived right next to the Fordham Rose Hill campus and the Bronx Zoo. At this time, Lowe’s mother had recently graduated from Brooklyn Law School in 1954, and was now getting her Masters in law at Columbia University. When he wasn’t bothering his mother studying, Lowe and his friends would often play around Paulding Avenue, visiting the Rose Hill campus and the Bronx Zoo. He also had a sister named Leslie and they both went to PS 59 on 183rd and Bathgate together. His family then moved to Teaneck, New …

Denise Oliver Vélez - Part 1, Mark Naison, Steven Payne

Oral Histories

Describing both the connection and discipline of the YLP, Oliver-Vélez remembers “detention” being held in the Bronx, where a member would read and recite their wrongs in writing before returning to Manhattan to pick up children for free breakfast programs, take them to school, pick up papers, and distribute them for the remainder of the day. She remembers this discipline and the art of the Palante newspaper (1970–76) as quintessential parts of most grassroots organizations of the time. Her commitment to the YLP was significant. Members lived collectively and created ingenious solutions to systemic medical, food scarcity, and education issues …

Frederick Collins - Part 2, Mark Naison, Steven Payne

Oral Histories

No abstract provided.

Frederick Collins - Part 1, Mark Naison, Steven Payne

Oral Histories

Dr. Collins tells the story of 1520 Sedgwick as a place of loss and morality, where tragic events happened “few and far between,” but the community always looked out for each other and was primarily peaceful and safe. It was this environment, of eager youth and supportive adults, that helped the culture that hip hop would blossom from. The sounds that would subsequently be created were a product of this safe space. Also prevalent in the interview is the accurate account of this development from Collins’ perspective, as one of the first three children to live in the building. He …

Bryson Peter - Part 1, Mark Naison, Steven Payne

Oral Histories

No abstract provided.

Bryson Peter - Part 1 (Addendum), Mark Naison, Steven Payne

Oral Histories

No abstract provided.

Bryson Peter - Part 2, Mark Naison, Steven Payne

Oral Histories

No abstract provided.

Bryson Peter - Part 3, Mark Naison, Steven Payne

Oral Histories

No abstract provided.

Charles Latta, Mark Naison, Steven Payne

Oral Histories

Due to Latta’s initiatives, the BAC has won many awards for community service and social action. He works to make BAC visible to the borough president, congressmen, and councilmen in order to stay involved. In his fifth year as President, BAC hosted the conference for the Northeast Province and the Metro Founders Day, assisting with Atlantic hurricane relief initiatives. Though the COVID-19 pandemic made these initiatives difficult, they still try to persist in their message of outreach that they have held for decades. Latta’s goal is to see the Chapter bring in more people and to develop the ideals and …

Cheryl Simmons Oliver, Mark Naison, Steven Payne

Oral Histories

Simmons-Oliver’s education reflected those same values. Attending Catholic institutions—St. Anthony of Padua School, Cathedral High School, and Marymount Manhattan College—she encountered racial and ethnic diversity that deepened her awareness of inequality and strengthened her commitment to inclusion and justice. Her studies continued beyond college: she earned a Master of Science, a Juris Doctor, and an M.B.A. from various institutions throughout her career, a rare feat for any woman of her generation, and especially for a Black woman in mid-century Americas. For Simmons-Oliver, education was more than achievement; it was a means of self-definition and a way to honor her family’s …

Michael “Mike” Sherman, Mark Naison, Steven Payne

Oral Histories

In 2010, Sherman was introduced to KAP at a party held in Eastwood Manor in the Bronx. He enjoyed the feeling of giving back he got from them, and he was chartered into the fraternity in spring 2012. That same year, Sherman began working at a charter school, Harlem’s Children Zone, where he served as Assistant Dean and later as a Teaching Assistant.

In 2021, Sherman left Harlem’s Children Zone, wanting more control of his classroom, and founded his own charter school, Emblaze Academy, in Hunts Point. Sherman teaches because it fulfills him to be a pillar of support for …

Investigating The Relationship Between Noun Classes And Plant Folk Taxonomy In Chasu Language Of Kilimanjaro Region In Tanzania, Peter Rabson Mziray

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

The current study investigates the relationship between noun classes and plant folk taxonomy in Chasu (G 22). The study focuses on two objectives: the first objective is to describe the plant folk taxonomy in Chasu and the second objective is to determine the relationship between noun classes and plant folk taxonomy in Chasu. Data were collected from rural villages in Same and Mwanga districts by using free listing, field interviews (jungle-walk-and-identify), and written texts containing Chasu plant names. The findings reveal that Chasu folk taxonomy reflects different ethnobotanical categories; including a unique beginner which is mmea/mimea ‘plant(s)’, and three life …

Charlotte Dickerson, Mark Naison, Steven Payne

Oral Histories

Oral history recorded for the Bronx African American History Project on August 26, 2020 with Charlotte Dickerson, who grew up in the United Workers Cooperative Colony, or the Allerton Coops, during the 1950s and 1960s. Her mother, Dr. Angie Dickerson, was an African American human rights, peace, and African independence activist as well as a member of the Communist Party U.S.A., the Civil Rights Congress, the World Peace Council, the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women, and other organizations. In her oral history, Charlotte speaks about her childhood in the Coops with her mother, father Buddy, and brother …

Marion "Tiny" Frampton, Wildman, And Mike Sherman - Part 1, Mark Naison, Steven Payne

Oral Histories

Part 1 of an oral history with former Black Spades members Marion “Tiny” Frampton, “Wildman,” and Mike Sherman. All three are now leaders of TBS New Direction, a community safety nonprofit founded by Frampton that works with former gang members to make a positive impact on the youth. The interview was conducted by Dr. Steven Payne, Director of the Bronx County Historical Society, and Dr. Mark Naison, Director of the Bronx African American History Project.

Tiny, Wildman, and Mike talk about the conditions in the Bronx in the late 1960s and early ‘70s that led them to join the Black …

Theresa Land Latta, Mark Naison, Steven Payne

Oral Histories

Born and raised in the Williamsbridge section of the Bronx, Theresa felt a sense of community as a child and vividly remembers feeling the security of her block. Her southern household, family right across the street, and West Indian neighbors prompted a cultural exchange that encapsulated her youth through socialization, food, relationships, music, and expression. Attending a majority white elementary school, PS 76 was a time where she cherished her teachers, while starting to understand the discrimination and racial circumstances of our country. Olinville Junior High School was a time in which her character of excelling in school was tested …

Crystal Isom, Mark Naison, Steven Payne

Oral Histories

Crystal Isom is a New York native and the eighth president of the Bronx chapter, also known as the family chapter, of Jack and Jill of America, Inc. Jack and Jill works to improve the quality of life for African American mothers and their children through providing them easy access to new opportunities such as scholarships for college and other job opportunities . Isom was raised within a small family dynamic. Her mother was a seamstress who raised Isom on her own. Isom lived in an apartment in East Harlem with her mother, aunt, and grandmother. Her childhood was filled …

Terrill Hughes, Mark Naison, Steven Payne

Oral Histories

Born to parents with roots in Jamaica and Mississippi, Terrill Hughes grew up in the Bronx, which is surrounded by cultural diversity and community pride. His early experiences were shaped by both the challenges of his environment and the strong guidance of family and fraternity brothers. Hughes described how joining Kappa Alpha Psi provided him with not only mentorship but also discipline and purpose, which changed the course of his life. He reflected on his role in helping to charter the Bronx Alumni Chapter and his hopes for expanding undergraduate chapters across local campuses.

In the interview, Hughes highlighted brothers …

Rachel Cheeks-Givan, Mark Naison, Steven Payne

Oral Histories

As a Bronx native and long-time resident, Rachel Cheeks-Givan embodies the community service she preaches throughout her work in different organizations, namely Jack and Jill of America, Inc., which focuses on providing a community for families of color. Growing up in Underhill, she had a strong sense of unity amongst other families in her neighborhood and their children. Each house on the block became her house, and each family was a surrogate for her own. Her mother, who immigrated from Puerto Rico, made their home a community pillar, fostering an area full of welcoming energy. Her father and his parents, …

Carline Frazier Crews, Mark Naison, Steven Payne

Oral Histories

Carline Frazier Crews’s interview with the Bronx Historical Society’s Director, Stephen Payne, is a captivating collection of stories from diverse racial and economic backgrounds. Born and raised in New York City, by plantation workers from South Carolina, her blend of southern history and city education made for an interesting upbringing that would empower her throughout her life.

A self-proclaimed “thinker,” Crews was labeled an exceptional student in junior high. Although her parents, who lacked a high school education and the ability to read and write, disagreed with her pursuit of education, she was forced by her father to drop out …

Combatting Road Accidents And Fatalities : The Colonial State, Voluntary Organisations, And Road Safety In Northern Rhodesia, 1940s-1964, Mbozi Santebe

Zamani: A Journal of African Historical Studies

Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) experienced an increase in the use of motor vehicles from the late 1920s. Consequently, there was a rapid increase in the occurrence of road accidents from the 1940s onwards. The rise in cases of accidents attracted attention of the colonial state and other stakeholders that embarked on measures to improve road safety. Using a corpus of archival sources, this article examines the measures that the colonial state and voluntary organisations undertook to improve road safety in Northern Rhodesia from the 1940s to 1964. It contributes to scholarly works on the use of motor vehicles in Africa …

Dynamics Of Infanticides Among The Ngoni Of Tanzania, 1850s-1916, Andrew S. Kasambala, Oswald J. Masebo

Zamani: A Journal of African Historical Studies

Infanticide is one of the key factors in explaining changes in human populations since the antiquity. This paper examines dynamics of infanticide practices among the Ngoni of Tanzania from the late pre- colonial to the end of German colonial rule in 1916. Relying on primary and secondary sources, it argues that while infanticide remained a critical problem in Songea from the 19th century to the end of German colonialism in 1916, the context in which it was practiced and the interventions devised to alleviate it changed over time. While it was primarily practiced in Songea by pre-Ngoni communal based clans …

Criteria For Rejecting Ideas In African Philosophy : A Historical And Epistemological Analysis, Eric C. Mgalula

Zamani: A Journal of African Historical Studies

The rejection of African ideas remains a pivotal debate in African philosophy, centring on tensions between universalist epistemologies and culturally specific criteria. This study synthesizes fragmented discussions into a cohesive framework, interrogating when and why African ideas may be deemed inadequate. It critiques contemporary African scholarship that rigidly adheres to indigenous traditions under decolonial and nationalist imperatives, advocating instead for a balanced approach that harmonizes intellectual rigor with cultural authenticity. Through a historical analysis of key thinkers—from Tempels and Hountondji to Wiredu and Oyewumí—this article historicizes the evolution of evaluative criteria in African philosophy, challenging colonial legacies and romanticized traditionalism. …

Mediation Partiality And The East African Community’S ‘Quiet Diplomacy’ In The Kenyan Post-Election Crisis Of 2007/2008, Rasul A. Minja

Zamani: A Journal of African Historical Studies

This article examines the role of East African Community (EAC) in mediating the 2007/2008 Kenyan post-election crisis, analysing its engagement in regional conflict resolution. Despite its mandate to promote peace, the EAC's response was constrained by institutional weaknesses, political dynamics, and reliance on quiet diplomacy. The African Union-backed Panel of Eminent African Personalities, led by Kofi Annan, ultimately led the mediation, sidelining the EAC. Through the analysis of primary and secondary sources, the article indicates that EAC lacked a binding conflict management framework and faced decision-making delays that hindered swift intervention. The partiality of key figures, particularly President Yoweri Museveni …

Jonathan M Jackson, Visions For An African Valley: Histories Of Development In Kilombero, Tanzania Since 1877., Emanuel L. Mchome

Zamani: A Journal of African Historical Studies

Research on the history of colonial development and future-making in Tanzania has focused on the racial and class politics that influenced development visions and practices. Studies of postcolonial development history have demonstrated how state leaders and their ideologies shaped nation-building trajectories. Notwithstanding of the temporal dynamics, scholars have analysed how the flow of finance and technical assistance reveals intertwined global forces such as nationalism and the Cold War, and how foreign development assistance shaped development in Tanzania. Visions for an African Valley moves beyond this conventional analysis. Instead of employing ideological lenses in analysis, it specifically examines how colonial and …

Beyond Christianity : German Missionaries’ Heritage In Colonial Mbeya, Tanzania, 1880s-1918, Ashura Jackson Ngoya, Edward Simon Mgaya

Zamani: A Journal of African Historical Studies

This article examines the history of German missionaries in the colonial Mbeya, a southwest region of Tanzania, from the 1880s to 1918. It explores how missionaries influenced political, social, and economic changes that had a profound impact on the lives of the local population. The article investigates the secular roles of missionaries, which, although they supported evangelisation, they were not directly non- secular aspects. In doing so, the article considers missionaries' efforts in education, health, agriculture, trade, and tax collection, which sometimes led to them working as colonial intermediaries in certain areas of Mbeya. Based on primary and secondary sources, …

Engineering Inefficiencies And Technical Dependency : A Vital Lens In Understanding Power Outages In Postcolonial Tanzania, 1960s-1990s, Emanuel L. Mchome

Zamani: A Journal of African Historical Studies

This article examines how the construction of power infrastructure in the 1960s-1980s shaped the future functioning of the Tanzanian power grid from the 1990s. The article is based on oral sources and archival material collected from the Swedish National Archives in Stockholm, the Tanzania National Electric Supply Company Limited (TANESCO), the East Africana Section of the Wilbert Chagula Library at University of Dar es Salaam, the Rufiji Basin Development Authority (RUBADA) and the World Bank online sources. The article argues that engineering inefficiencies of some Western planners and builders of TANESCO’s power grid who failed to consider local ecological issues …

Tyler Dow, Mark Naison, Stephanie Robinson-Ramirez

Oral Histories

Tyler Dow is an actor, rapper, and activist from the Bronx, interviewed here in conversation with Doctor Mark Naison and Stephanie Robinson Ramirez. A 33 year old from Co-op City—the largest housing development in the United States—Tyler gives his perspective on the art and cultural scene of his neighborhood during the turn of the twenty-first century.

Beginning with the background of his familial ties to Co-op City, Dow explains that the first twenty five years of his life were spent in one of the neighborhood’s many high-rise apartments. He describes Co-op City as a proudly middle-class community, one that residents …

Nosagie Ekhator, Mark Naison, Steven Payne

Oral Histories

Growing up in New York City and Pennsylvania, in the city and suburbia, Nosagie Ekhator navigated and rotated between two worlds that shaped his frame of reference. Having built community through this experience, whether it be through the shared memories of moving or Nigerian social clubs and conventions, he was able to create an identity of commonality. Although he felt the differences when shifting through both worlds, he was able to find people that understood his experience, as well as understanding his own individuality through food, music, religion, and being one of the only Africans in his public and private …

Maxine Agee And Kim Mcclain, Mark Naison, Steven Payne

Oral Histories

Kim McClain and Maxine Agee, the second and third presidents of the Bronx chapter of Jack and Jill of America Inc, both have their own experiences with Jack and Jill of America Inc. that is indicative of a vibrant sense of community created by the women alongside those around them. Kim McClain spent a lot of time on her own or with her siblings growing up as she had busy, hardworking parents – her father was the first black firefighter in Queens, New York, with a bold personality and an eclectic music taste ranging from Johnny Cash to Nat King …

Abdul Qadir Askia, Mark Naison, Steven Payne

Oral Histories

Sixth poll mark of the Kappa Alpha Psi (KAP) Fraternity, Abdul Qadir Askia is an African American man who is an accomplished professional in investment operations. He describes his early life as being nurtured with other cultures as he moved around New York City.

His father came to Brooklyn after migrating from California, where he was a member of the Black Panther Party, and where he would meet his mother. Askia lived in Brooklyn until he was seven, when he was sent to a boarding school in Senegal. When he came back, he moved around from place to place, from …