Dr. Albert B. Cleage Sr and son Albert Jr - about 1913
4 thoughts on “Albert B Cleage Sr. and Jr. – 1912”
Wow, that's really a great picture! (And they look just alike!) What a treasure!
Renate
Hi,
I’m the executive editor of The Springfield Republican in Springfield Ma. and along with others am finishing up a comprehensive history of the African American history in our city. In a chapter written by Dr. Todd Robinson, son of Rev. Bryant Robinson of Springfield, Rev. Albert Cleage is mentioned as one of the forerunners of push for increased civil rights in our community during his tenure at St. John’s from 1946-1951. I would love to have an image to go with this article. We don’t have any in our archives. The book is entitled “Struggle for Freedom.”
Thank you,
Wayne
Here is the passage from the upcoming “Struggle for Freedom” book from Springfield Mass.
Reverend Albert Cleage, member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) was one of the front-runners in the push for increased civil rights. Cleage authored a pamphlet entitled Segregation is a Community Problem in 1950 to inform not only the black population, but also the population at large, of the segregationist policies of the Housing Authority. One example cited by Cleage was racial discrimination against an African American veteran. In this particular case, the minority veteran and his family were “denied admission into a Veterans Housing Project where there were empty units but designated as ‘white units.’” The pamphlet was charged with action-orientated rhetoric such as “We must act now—before it is too late!” In addition, Cleage organized a petition and obtained over a thousand signatures supporting his claim accusing the “managers of the Riverview Project of segregating by streets while those of Reed Village segregated by units.” Cleage also exposed the ugly reality of white racism in the “City of Homes” by leading pickets and boycotts of the stores in Winchester (now Mason) Square and within the downtown area to “encourage the hiring of Blacks as clerks.”
It sounds like an interesting book. I would be interested in reading it.
Wow, that's really a great picture! (And they look just alike!) What a treasure!
Renate
Hi,
I’m the executive editor of The Springfield Republican in Springfield Ma. and along with others am finishing up a comprehensive history of the African American history in our city. In a chapter written by Dr. Todd Robinson, son of Rev. Bryant Robinson of Springfield, Rev. Albert Cleage is mentioned as one of the forerunners of push for increased civil rights in our community during his tenure at St. John’s from 1946-1951. I would love to have an image to go with this article. We don’t have any in our archives. The book is entitled “Struggle for Freedom.”
Thank you,
Wayne
Here is the passage from the upcoming “Struggle for Freedom” book from Springfield Mass.
Reverend Albert Cleage, member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) was one of the front-runners in the push for increased civil rights. Cleage authored a pamphlet entitled Segregation is a Community Problem in 1950 to inform not only the black population, but also the population at large, of the segregationist policies of the Housing Authority. One example cited by Cleage was racial discrimination against an African American veteran. In this particular case, the minority veteran and his family were “denied admission into a Veterans Housing Project where there were empty units but designated as ‘white units.’” The pamphlet was charged with action-orientated rhetoric such as “We must act now—before it is too late!” In addition, Cleage organized a petition and obtained over a thousand signatures supporting his claim accusing the “managers of the Riverview Project of segregating by streets while those of Reed Village segregated by units.” Cleage also exposed the ugly reality of white racism in the “City of Homes” by leading pickets and boycotts of the stores in Winchester (now Mason) Square and within the downtown area to “encourage the hiring of Blacks as clerks.”
It sounds like an interesting book. I would be interested in reading it.