Dr. Kenneth Woodward

(From “African American Who’s Who Past and Present Greater Rochester Edition - Michael Molaire/Marsha Jones and newspaper artlicles.)

Dr. Kenneth Woodward was born in Columbus, Ohio in 1928 and moved to Rochester, NY in 1960. Dr. Woodward died of cancer April 4, 1996 at the Genesee Hospital.

Dr. Woodward’s long professional career saw him associated with the University of Rochester’s School of Medicine as an Associate Dean for Minority Affairs (1992-1996) as well as Professor of Pediatrics at Strong Memorial for the same time period.

Dr. Woodward was the Executive Director of Rochester Health Network (RHN) from 1972-1981, and played a major role in the building of the Anthony L. Jordan Health Center, the North East Health Center, the Genesee Health Service, and the Westside Health Service Centers.

Regarding the Jordan Health Center Dr. Woodward was quoted as saying, “We wanted to destroy the myth of how people felt about health. There was a feeling that the poor were disinterested in their health, that they wouldn’t show the same level of cooperation in health care that other people would.

“Through the health maintenance organization, we were able to give the same level of care to everyone, without making artificial distinctions.”

The article asked why would Dr. Woodward give up a comfortable living to help launch the untried system?

Dr. Woodward replied, “Well, it was right at the time that Martin Luther King was looking at disparities in society. Certainly health had its own set of wrongs that needed looking at. This was a vehicle with which to address them.”

Dr. Woodward was appointed by President Richard Nixon to the Health Industry Committee of the Cost of Living Council in 1972. The year before that the Monroe County Medical Society presented Dr. Woodward its Edward Mott Moore award for, “dedicated current service to the community and to the medical profession.”

Dr. Walter Cooper, a friend of Dr. Woodward’s for 48 years, was quoted in the April 9, 2006 Democrat and Chronicle as saying, “I think he was proudest that he had not allowed the circumstance of race to place limitation on what he could do as a human being..….He was able to see first in all people their humanity and treated every person with the dignity and respect all human beings rightfully deserve.”

We remember Dr. Kenneth W. Woodward this day as a servant and a Warrior.    

                         Clara Bell Brooks Crittenden

                      12-20-1932 - 12-16-2009

     Information Taken From Obituary of December 23, 2009

Clara Bell Brooks Crittenden was affectionately know as "Mrs C" and

was considered a people person and mother to many.  From her

youth,"Mrs. C" hd a special connection with people, and once you

met her, one would never forget her.  Her love for people catapulted

her into an all-embracing career as a Community Activist in

Rochester, New York.  "Mrs. C" was employed by 'Action For A

Better Community",for 28 years as she worked feverishly to change

how inner city schools educated children.  She initiated several

parent programs at the Rochester City School District, of which,

some are still in existence.

Clara Bell Brooks Crittenden's passion for others didn't stop with her

community endeavors, for her incredible love for family and her

astonishing love for the Lord, Jesus Christ were clearly recognizable

works that will not be forgotten.  She truly touched the lives of many

in the Rochester Community. 

"Mrs. C" was a committed and faithful member of the St. John

Missionary Baptist Chuch.  She was also a member of the Unified

Mission and Executive Officer of CONEA.  She was also the

Co-Founder and Co-Chairperson of the support group, Family

and Friends of Parents of Murdered Children and Victims of

Domestic Violence in Rochester,New York.

Because "Mrs C" has always demonstrated concern and love for

others and for this reason the City of Rochester proclaimed

"Clara Bell Crittenden Day" on December 20, 2007, which was

also her 75th birthday.

Clara Bell Brooks Crittenden was a daughter, sister, wife, mother,

grandmother, great-grandmother, great-great grandmother and will

be missed by her family and friends and forever loved.  To reiterate

her famous saying..."And That's That"

Eugene H. Scott

Eugene H. Scott, whose grandparents had been enslaved in Louisiana, was born in Rochester, NY on May 5, 1929. His family was one of the founding families of Mount Olivet Baptist Church. As a young man he served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War and was one of the first African Americans to serve as an MP when the Army was integrated during the Truman administration. He worked as an electrician at Phaltiers before joining the Rochester Police Department. He was the third African American to be appointed. During his time with the police force he trained many new officers including Robert Duffy. On the job and at home he brought a steadiness that you felt you could depend on, as well as, his great sense of humor. He treated everyone with respect and worked with Mildred Johnson as an advocate for youth offenders who came from difficult family circumstances. He was instrumental in establishing the Black Officers Union. He served this community honorably for 30 years.  Gene had a way about him that made you feel you were important in his life… that you were his best friend, his favorite niece. He died on January 17, 2000 and the fact that among the people present at his funeral were people who, at one time, he had arrested speaks to the kind of man he was.

Mrs. Ethel Dix

This reading is excerpted from the Democrat and Chronicle article by Mark Hare, “A Life Well Lived” published 11/15/09.

Pain and sorrow coursed through Ethel Dix's life like a river swollen with spring runoff, racing out of control and sweeping away everything in its path.

But the hurt did not break her or define her, says her husband, Mason Dix. She was happy, joyous, active and always ready to celebrate — always cooking for a crowd at holidays and opening the doors to their Rochester home.

Mrs. Dix, 56, died in October 2009 from complications of diabetes. She was born in Jacksonville, Fla., and was raised in Adel, Ga. She moved to Rochester in 1985.

"She knew how to carry herself," her husband says. She ran a family day care, but her love of children did not end when the last one went home for the evening.

She always had children around her, Mason says. She was always looking out for them.

Dr. David Anderson/Sankofa shared a telling story. Last summer a group assembled on the grounds of the James and Bessie Hamm House on Adams Street. "There were only five or six of us," he recalled. "And Ethel said, 'This is not right.' She got in her car and drove off. She came back with two children and a college student. And she said, 'These children need to know this history and so do we.' That's the kind of woman she was."

Ethel Dix was an "activist's activist," says Jon Greenbaum, a former organizer of Metro Justice.

Dix, at various times, was active in the New York State Civil Liberties Union, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and she worked for Democratic Party candidates.

She and Mason founded the Adams Street block club, and Ethel was active in the Changing of the Scene Neighborhood Association in southwest Rochester. She had just become president of the association before she died, says Gladys Royster, the former president and Dix's longtime friend. "Everyone was family to her," Royster says.

"She recognized right for what it is, and wrong for what it is," says Demond Meeks, coordinator for the nonprofit Alliance for Quality Education. Dix volunteered with the organization that works to improve quality and funding for city schools. Dix was a regular AQE citizen lobbyist who would travel to Albany. "She had no problem calling the mayor's office or anyone else's office to raise her concerns," Meeks says. "She put me in the mindset of a 'Woman called Moses,'" he says. "Like Harriet Tubman, she seemed to say, 'We've come this far and we are not turning back now.'"

In a “Speaking Out” essay published in the Democrat and Chronicle Mrs. Dix wrote, “I have resolved to save the lives of my grandchildren and of all the children in this community," she wrote. "We have chosen to be survivors, not victims."

In recent years, Dix regularly attended the homicide prayer vigils held after each killing. Bill Coffey, a Catholic deacon who began holding the vigils to "re-hallow the ground where blood had been shed," says "she just wanted to do what she could. She was always thinking, what's the next step, what can we do."

"She had the ability to talk to people in pain," says Elias Lopez, the director of the Family and Victims Services unit. "She had the ability to identify with victims," he says, "but there was always a sense of hope about her."

Ethel Dix's hope and determination to work through hardship, says Elias Lopez, "were real indicators of her character. You can be wounded and use that experience for good. That's what she did."

And that is why we recognize Mrs. Ethel Dix as a Warrior today!

Mrs. Jessie James

Mrs. Jessie M. James was born in 1932 and was a native of Sanford, Florida. She  moved to Rochester in 1952.

On the back cover of her first book, “A Journey of Self-Discovery”, it is written, “There is a word to describe Mrs. Jessie James- “self-starter.” She is highly motivated, talented, and she is not afraid to challenge herself and ask, “Why not?”

The cover goes on to inform the reader that it took Mrs. James 10 years of part-time study (while raising her family) to earn her Bachelor’s degree and then she went right on and earned her Masters Degree also.

Mrs. James was an author, lecturer, trainer, organizer, and educator (my wife and I first met her at the Communiversity that held classes in the 1980s at Wilson High School). She prided herself in facilitating group processes and helping individuals build effective life skills.

Mrs. James worked at Rochester Institute of Technology as a Program Administrator and faculty member in the College of Continuing Education. Her responsibilities included program training, seminars and conferences, hiring instructors, marketing and counseling. 

But in addition to all of her educational and social accomplishments Mrs. James is being remembered and recognized as a Warrior today because she believed in and acted in the best interest of her community. She was a true “Life Model. Her faith in God and her community were unwavering.

In the introduction to her book, “A Journey of Self-Discovery”, she wrote, “I found that honest sharing is the key to healing.” Thank you Mrs. Jessie M. James for your guidance, insight, and example.

(Died 8/4/2005)

Laplois (Lakie) Ashford

(From African-American Who’s Who in Rochester, Jet Magazine, The Hyde Park Herald, Times Union and The University of Albany)

Laplois, also known as “Lakie” Ashford was born in McCool Mississippi in 1934.  After graduating from the University of Albany in 1960, he adopted Rochester, NY as his home. 

Laplois, an activist in the Civil Rights struggle, organized a demonstration in Rochester, NY in 1961 to protest police brutality.  Devoted to improving civil rights and education, he became Deputy Commissioner of Public Safety (the highest post held by an African-American in Rochester at that time). 

The Rochester Urban League chose Ashford from 27 candidates as the best possible person to direct their program in 1967.  Under Ashford’s two-year leadership, the Rochester League grew from a staff of eight persons to 112.  During his time with the Rochester League, he improved Project Uplift, established a housing service known as Operation Equality, and launched a clerical training program (ACT) to assure the advancement of workers in the field.

In 1967, Laplois was appointed to fill a vacancy on the Rochester School Board.  He served as board president in 1968-69 and became the first African-American person to be elected citywide.    In 1970, he left Rochester to become Executive Director of the Urban League in Chicago.

Laplois (Lakie) Ashford died in December of 2004.

                          Phyllisa McEwen

                            2/19/62-6/25/09

Phyllisa McEwen was 47 when she passed away on June 25, 2009, loosing her battle with Colon Cancer. Gone too soon, but she has left a legacy that will be with us forever in Rochester.

Phyllisa was the Founder and President of Sounds of Spirit, LTD, a Theatre company in Rochester, New York.  Through her company, she used creative art to help change and enhance lives.  A playwright and producer of three plays, “When We Were One”, “Secrets” and “The Lottery Ticket” and the author of a book of poetry. 

She was a professional singer and actress, performing in many local venues with her most recent performance in the popular musical production of “Caroline or Change” at the Jewish Community Center.  Through out the 15 years of performing, Phyllisa provided vocal performances at the MAG, Geva Theatre, and Lilac Festival and won first place title for the 2006 Monroe County Voice and Theatrical competition.  She had the privilege and honor to perform an original prose for Bishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa at the Rochester Convention Center.  She was host of a Community T.V. program “What’s Really Goin’ On” for RCTV channel 15, a Time Warner Cable station.  A producer, publisher, writer, actress, singer, host and she didn’t stop there, her academic accomplishments were outstanding.  A Summa Cum Laude graduate of Brockport and was a member of Alpha Chi, Lambda Eta Pi and Pi theta Kappa National Honor Societies.

Phyllisa McEwen inherited from her father, the spirit to fight for what is right.  She fought for the dignity and rights of the underserved and underrepresented.  Her passion for children caused her to fight harder.  She fought to make Rochester a better place for children and youth through her theatre, in the work, mentoring and advice she provided to the students of REOC, the children that she touched in different settings and environments in her travels.  Her own two children were her love and inspiration to fight and whatever Phyllisa did, it was always to better the life of her children, the children and youth in the Rochester Community.

Phyllisa was in partnership with Helen Cheves in their new Leadership and Communication Development Company, II Steps Ahead.  Because she shared her gifts and talents, because she cared beyond herself, because she worked and fought to make Rochester a better place for others through education and the arts; she made a difference in the Rochester community through the lives of the children and youth she touched.  Gone too soon, but she will not be forgotten.

William Hall

(From Democrat and Chronicle article 2/27/1986 found in “Rochester Black History 1795-1990” by Joe Sanders Publishing)

William Hall, was the first African American Executive Director of Baden Street Settlement. He was hired as the Executive Director in 1969. Baden Street Settlement oversees community service programs such as daycare, youth, drug counseling, financial aid and neighborhood development.

Born in the small town farming town of Ovieda, Florida Mr. Hall had to travel to Orlando to get an education.

He moved to Rochester, New York in 1953 after serving in the U.S. Army in Korea. He found work as a janitor, a construction worker, and as a laborer. But in 1959 he decided to further his education and pursued a degree in business administration at R.I.T.

After graduating Mr. Hall worked for firms such as IBM but in 1965 he was hired by the Urban League of Rochester to run a jobs program. Mr. Hall stated in an article in the Democrat and Chronicle in 1986, “ I had been involved in community activism work since 1955 on a volunteer basis,” and when the opportunity came to get a paying job in that field he took it.

In that same article Mr. Hall stated that he believed Rochester had changed drastically and progressively since he had arrived in the 50s and that there were greater opportunities for African Americans to succeed.

William Hall made transition on March 12, 2006 but not before making a positive and lasting contribution to his adopted home of Rochester, New York, and we remember him this day as a Warrior in our community and for our community!    

(From personal knowledge/Ms. Boddie Beamon’s obituary)

All lovers of justice, lost a shining light on July 26, 2001.

Wife, mother, teacher, counselor, physical therapist, biochemist, social activist…. friend. Wilma’s life was filled with achievements and marked by accomplishments. She received awards for her work with the poor, for her efforts in peacemaking, and for her contributions in the struggle against racism. For Wilma, no barrier was impassible. At the age of five she chose to swim beneath the barbed wire barrier intended to restrict people of color from entering the whites only section of a public pool. That first plunge toward justice led to a lifelong effort to end oppression wherever she encountered it. She was among the founders of Moving Beyond Racism where she was a sage, a guide, and a mentor. Her compassion and courage were an example for all who knew her.

Wilma Boddie Beaman made transition July 26, 2001. She was a warrior for truth and justice.

(From African-American Who's Who, Past & Present, Greater Rochester Area by Michael Molaire).

Nancy Evelyn Brandon was born in 1917, moved to Rochester in 1921, and died at Park Ridge Hospital April 27, 1995. She organized the Howard University Mothers Club in 1939. Ms. Brandon was Assistant professor of Psychology at R.I.T. from 1966 to 1985, when she retired. She was a board member of Park Ridge Hospital for over 20 years, a board member of the Rochester Public Library system from 1973 to 1995, a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, the Federation of Negro Women’s Club, and a deaconess at Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church. The Park Ridge Health System satellite office at 81 Lake Avenue was named, “The Evelyn Brandon Health Center” in her honor in October 1995. Dick Panz, Director of the Rochester Public Library system, was quoted in May of 1995 as stating, “She was an incredible woman…She never had a bad thing to say about anybody. She always was articulate and spoke very positively about things.” Ms. Brandon was quoted in the same Democrat and Chronicle article as saying in 1986, “The one thing I wanted them to be aware of is that living in this world they are going to be living with elderly people…They are going to be with elderly people on their jobs and their neighborhoods, in their social interactions. I wanted them to have a feeling that growing old was not growing useless.” Thank you Ms. Brandon for your vision and service.  

(From Bob Cobbett’s obituary)

Bob Cobbett was born January 18, 1932 and ended this part of his journey on April 8, 2009, surrounded by love.  He passed gently as he lived his life.  He will be missed by his soul mate, Katherine, his children, grandchildren, other family members, friends & former students. 

Bob was a man of peace and spent much of his life working on social justice issues. As a man of integrity, he “walked the walk”.  Words are inadequate to express how he touched so many lives.

Bob graduated from Brockport State College with a B.S. in Health and Physical Education, and after graduation served in the U.S. Army for two years during the Korean conflict. He loved the game of tennis and continued playing up until November 2008.

Bob worked as an Elementary and Junior High School Physical Education Instructor at West Webster, Bay Road and the Junior High School. After ten years of teaching and coaching in Webster, and after completing a Masters Degree in Guidance, Counseling and Administration from the University of Rochester, he secured a counselor position at the Pittsford Middle School.

Over the years his growing awareness of white privilege and the omissions of basic historical facts around issues of racism in education made him realize that, in order to be congruent with his beliefs in justice and morality, he could never turn his back on these issues. He dedicated himself to work toward undoing racism and toward a multiracial/cultural society.

Bob was a member of Moving Beyond Racism and, with Kathy and other members of the group, instituted the “Day of Remembrance” celebration in Rochester, New York. This was after Bob and Kathy had visited Sullivan’s Island in South Carolina.

Bob Cobbett represents the best humanity has to offer: a man of peace at war with ignorance, and we remember him this day.

(From: Rochester Black History 1795-1990)

Lena M. Gantt made community work her life’s mission. Mrs. Gantt felt that God’s purpose for putting her here was to try to help those less fortunate. She refused to believe that there are/were acceptable reasons or barriers to keep people unhappy and poor. In Rochester there was hardly a single meeting on health, social, educational and recreational needs of children and youth held without Mrs. Gantt’s presence and strong aggressive participation. She fought for…establishing a daycare center for children of working parents; and securing camperships for children who families could not afford to buy them. Mrs. Gantt pressured strongly for building more recreational areas and centers in the low income community. For over 30 years Lena M. Gantt served on numerous boards (including ABC, Inc.) in her long history of distinguished community services in Rochester. Her life and work centered on doing everything she could within the limits of her great talents and inexhaustible energy to solve the problems of the low income community. She traveled nationwide speaking and advocating for the rights of the poor. Mrs. Gantt departed this life September 10, 1982. ABC, Inc., in recognition of her contributions, annually presents  the “Distinguished Lena M. Gantt Award” presented  to honor a volunteer whose record of dedicated community service best reflects  the life and work of Mrs. Gantt in Rochester and Monroe County. Rest warrior and we will carry on the fight.

(From the Times-Union Newspaper-Rochester Black History 1795-1990)

Mildred Johnson was born August 30, 1911 in Brighton, New York.  Leaving Rochester for a number of years, she returned in 1953 and literally made social activism her way of life. Mildred Johnson opened up her home to parolees, unwed mothers, fire victims, and the poor. In 1960 she formalized her activities by founding the Negro Information  Center in her home. In 1963 she renamed it the “Virginia Wilson Interracial Helping Hand Center” in honor of her mother. In the 1970s then-Governer Nelson Rockefeller named her “Ambassador to the Inner City.” Mrs. Johnson’s reply? “The only ambassador in the world that never got paid!” Other honors included awards from the Rotary Club and the Urban League. Even at the age of 71 Mildred Johnson was still trying to get funding for a halfway house for parolees, and giving what help she could to people who still came to her. “There’s so much to be done and so few people see the need for doing it,” she said. At the age of 74 Mrs. Johnson was still heading the Virginia Wilson Center and looking for money to remodel a vacant building on West Main Street for a headquarters. She did what she had always done: help the down and out find a bed, a hot meal, or a job. She vouched for criminal defendants at bail hearings. She interceded for people who were confused by the welfare system. Mildred Johnson made transition on August 2, 1992. Mrs. Mildred Johnson understood that change comes on the heals of dedication, fearlessness, and love. No matter who you speak to they remember Mildred Johnson’s kind heart and willing ways…the ways of a Warrior.    

(from his obituary)

Leonard A. Jones was born October 27, 1932 in New York City. He retired from Kodak and renewed his barber license and worked at Glover’s Barber shop and Shirley Tucker’s Beauty Salon. Mr. Jones also provided free haircuts to folks who could not afford to pay for them. Mr. Jones was a member of the Swan Community Band and the Ray Daniels Orchestra (flute and saxophone). He was the president of the Cady Street Block Club, a past president of the Jefferson Avenue Business Association, and a board member of SWAN, Monroe County Water Advisory Board, and the Jr. Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Jones was a poet, a chess master who encouraged youth to learn the game of chess as a way of developing their critical thinking skills. Mr. Jones was a mentor and friend to young barbers and encouraged their self-reliance and independence. Leonard Jones made transition on May 11, 2003. He has left a legacy of friendship and peacefulness to all who knew him.

(excerpted From an article by Pat Jackson)

Willie came to Rochester in the 50’s and lived at 379 Jefferson Avenue. He gained recognition in High School as a team player and a silent leader, as he participated in football and basketball. He was a 1954 graduate of Madison. At the age of 28 he became the President of ABC. As President, he said (quote), “I didn’t take the job for the money, there’s no money in it, what black people need is more important than the dollar, knowledge, pride, things that can’t be taken away.” In 1968 he opened a shop at the corner of Prospect and Troup St. called “The House of Black Beauty”. Inside were earrings, bracelets, and medallions designed by his partner, Ms. Mollie Hampton. He joined with a group of young black adults to form the Westside Varsity Club, a group that shared information on issues affecting the inner city. In 1970, Willie was the President of the People’s Club. In 1976 he was one of four who organized The Third Ward Area Neighborhood Association which was renamed a few years later to the South West Area Neighborhood Association.  In 1982, he worked as a community organizer at the Montgomery Center. In a 1982 an Upstate Article entitled, “Dream Street”, Willie is quoted as saying, “I’m not trying to sound funny, but I think about myself when I hear a preacher say he was “called.” I feel like I was called by the people to help this community. Whenever I go someplace that’s a better place, it motivates me to come back and try to make this a better place.” Willie Lightfoot was a community activist and later a member of the Monroe County Legislature. Willie helped organize and establish the SWAN Community Band. Willie Lightfoot made transition April 23, 2001. As the “Mayor” of Jefferson Avenue, and an elected official advocating for self-determination Willie Lightfoot stood tall and fought injustice whenever he found it. 

(from newspaper articles)

The name of Howard R. Logan, Sr. and Cub and Boy Scouting in the Rochester area were synonymous. His motto was, “Every kid should have the opportunity to be a scout.” For over 20 years he was associated with the southwest Rochester’s Longhorn District, retiring as Assistant District Executive with the Otetiana Council, Boy Scouts of America. He began his work with inner city youth as a Scoutmaster of Troop 148 at the Elks Club on Clarissa Street in 1956. Since that time he worked with Troops 25, 121, 255, and 259 as well as with many Cub Scout packs. A native Rochesterian, M. Logan earned his Eagle Scout award as a teenager. He was appointed to the Ranger Staff of the Otetiana Council in an effort to increase African American youth participation in scouting in the Rochester area. The program, called “Operation Adventure” was conceived to increase African American attendance at Massawepie  Camps over the summer months. He was also responsible to help organize and train leaders for camping in the Longhorn District. Because he cared and wanted our youth to gain the value that scouting offered we remember Brother Logan as a community servant and a warrior.

For some of you when you hear the name William Warfield you think of the song O'Man River. Although there is that connection he was much more than one song or one role. Born into humble circumstances he grew up to become a world renowned baritone singer, as well as, being accomplished in acting and poetry recitation. He graduated from the Eastman School of Music where there is now a Scholarship in his name. When World War II broke out, due to his extraordinary command of the German language he served as an Army Intelligence officer. As an artist he made six separate tours for the U.S. Department of State, more than any other American solo artist. He received numerous honors and awards including a Grammy for his narration of Aaron Copeland's A Lincoln Portrait.  Beyond being an accomplished artist and ambassador he gifted the community by breaking down color barriers and as a role model, mentor and teacher. Many of his students affectionately called him Uncle Bill.