Page 13 - Florida Sentinel 10-21-16 Online Edition

FLORIDA SENTINEL
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2016
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Author Chronicles Story Of North Boulevard Homes
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
In 1937, the Tampa Housing Authority was incorporated. That same year, the organiza- tion began construction on a government subsidized public housing complex.
The structure was named the North Boulevard Homes and covered several blocks in West Tampa. It replaced the sub- standard shotgun houses in the area known as Roberts City.
The 670 units, ranging from 1 to 5 bedrooms, was the first of its kind to be built in Tampa, with several others following. Now, with its demolition on the horizon, the North Boulevard Homes will be the last of the large public housing complexes torn down.
Dr. Hazel Harvey, a long- time member of the Tampa
Housing Authority, is currently collecting data about the com- plex for a book slated for re- lease in the winter of 2017. The book’s release will coincide with the 70th year the complex has been in existence.
Several reasons motivated Dr. Harvey to write about the complex. And one of those rea- sons was because she lived in the complex as a child.
Her father, Rev. W. M. Seniors, an African Methodist Episcopalian minister died suddenly in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Her mother found herself a young, unemployed mother of five children far from home. She returned home and lived with her parents. Mrs. Sen- iors, an educator, resumed her career and moved her family into the complex. She lived there for about 10 years, Dr. Harvey said.
DR. HAZEL HARVEY
“It was different then. After I graduated from college, I couldn’t live there anymore.”
In her book, tentatively ti- tled, “The Story of North Boulevard Homes 1937- 2017,” Dr. Harvey plans to track down 70 of the first fami- lies who lived in the complex. She has already interviewed
about 20 people. Her goal is to identify the families and find out where they are and what they are doing now.
Dr. Harvey has learned that the late Mrs. Estelle Jenkins, a Social Worker, was the first family to move into the complex in July 1940. Other members of families who lived in the complex include: Ms. Betty Jo Hayes, the late George Edgecomb, Dr. James Kendrick, Al Barnes, and many others.
Dr. Harvey said the area has changed tremendously since she lived in the complex. However, many successful peo- ple who later became a part of African American history in Tampa lived in public housing.
“This book should offer a sense of richness of the Black residents that once lived or still live in the North Boulevard
Homes.”
“These men and women are
living proof that it is possible to have great careers and enjoy the success which provided a substantial lifestyle that led to a comfortable retirement. As a community, African Ameri- cans, no matter how oppressed, have nurtured positive values, set future goals and passed them down to future genera- tions.”
After graduating from high school, Dr. Harvey earned her Bachelor’s Degree from Tuskegee University. She con- tinued her education at North- ern Arizona University, where she earned her Master’s De- gree. Her Doctoral Degree was bestowed upon her by Nova University.
A retired educator, Dr. Harvey is a member of several organizations.
Celebrities Visit Tampa To Campaign For Hillary Clinton
BY KENYA WOODARD Sentinel Feature Writer
A pair of celebrities visited the Tampa Bay area Monday to stump for Democratic presi- dential nominee Hillary Clin- ton as part of her campaign’s efforts to encourage Black women to vote.
Former television host and attorney, Star Jones and “Walking Dead” actress Danai Gurira made stops in Tampa and St. Petersburg speaking on behalf of Sen. Clinton and pushing voter registration ahead of the Tues- day’s deadline.
Jones spoke with students at the University of South Florida before meeting at Edi- son Food + Lab Restaurant near downtown Tampa with a group of young Black profes- sionals.
Jones shared that her rela- tionship with Mrs. Clinton goes back 20 years when she volunteered for former Presi- dent Bill Clinton’s cam- paign. Over the years, she and Hillary have developed a close relationship, Jones said.
Polls show that Clinton and her opponent, Republican Party nominee Donald Trump have captured about 85 percent of the electorate while about 15 percent of vot- ers remain undecided.
Trump is more a “market- ing genius” who isn’t fit for the highest public office in the land, Jones said.
“He doesn’t have the tem- perament to do the job,” she said.
For those who still aren’t swayed by Clinton’s platform, President Barack Obama’s appointment of Clinton as Secretary of State during his first administration and recent
resounding declaration that “there’s never been a more qualified person to be presi- dent” should be strong evi- dence of Clinton’s ability to handle the job of leader of the free world, Jones said.
“That’s a testament,” she said. “To those who want to continue the Obama legacy, she’s the choice.”
Jones said Mrs. Clinton’s stance on a number of issues, including abolishing the school-to-prison pipeline and support of historically Black colleges and universities – or HBCUs – align with her own.
But especially appealing is her position on equal pay for women, Jones said.
The number of American households headed by women is significant, making it impor- tant that women receive pay that is on par with their male counterparts, she said.
“If we can close that wage gap, then I know the women who are heads of their house- holds can do better for their families,” she said.
Jones and Gurira together visited the Clinton campaign headquarters in Ybor City where both spoke to volunteers operating a phone bank.
The “ground game” work of the volunteers is incredibly im- portant because it’s a strategy that Trump’s campaign has not mastered, she said.
She encouraged the volun- teers to do their best to prevent Trump from prevailing in Florida.
“We don’t want to win by a little bit,” she said. “We want a landslide.”
This election will be defined by millennials and women and it’s crucial that both make their voices heard, Gurira told the volunteers.
Star Jones posed for a photo-
Danai Gurira, star of “The Walking Dead,” vis- ited Tampa for the Canvass Kick Off for Hillary Clinton.
Amandia Craig, owner of Glensford Beauty Academy, attended the event.
graph with Sentinel Kenya Woodard.
writer
On Monday afternoon, celebrities Star Jones, of formerly of “The View,” and Danai Gurira, star of “The Walking Dead,” joined State Senator Arthenia Joyner at the Total Image Beauty Salon, 4713 N. 40th Street, for the Canvass kick Off for Hillary Clinton. Among those shown in this photograph are: Danai Gurira, Natasha Goodley, Kathy Henry, Mrs. Mae Judge, owner of the shop, B. J. Curry, Yvette Lewis, Lydia Hud- son, Gabriel Smith, Gary Hartfield, Joe Jordon Robinson, Orlando Gudes, Mona Johnson, and Tracey Lynette Judge. (Senator Joyner is not shown in the photograph. (Photography by BRUNSON).
Clinton and Trump are being vetted for the job of the presidency of the United States. When determining which is the better candidate, there’s just one question that matters, Gurira said.
“Who has the better re- sume?,” she said.
Amandia Reese Craig,
owner of Glensford Beauty
Academy, said as small busi- ness owner and woman, Clin- ton’s message resonates more with her than Trump’s.
Clinton’s pledge to create more opportunities for entre- preneurs like herself is espe- cially appealing, said Craig, who visited Clinton’s Ybor City office to hear Jones and Gurira.
“I feel like Hillary will sup- port small businesses,” she said.
Star Jones’ last stop of the day was at Total Image Beauty Salon on 40th Street owned by Mae Judge. She spoke with the owners and patrons before moving on to the next city to support her friend. (Photog- raphy by BRUNSON).