Gentrification? What happened to the African-American Community in Parramore?
- Details
- Category: Lifestyle/People
- Published: Tuesday, 05 November 2013 20:37
- Written by Britt Lyle
by Britt Lyle
A Personal Historical Perspective.
Orlando, my Ancestral home, is a far different place now than I remember. We have lived in Orlando going back seven generations on my mother’s maternal side, that we know of. My Great-Great Grandmother Maggie McDonald was here when my Great-Great Grandfather George Davis, Jr. moved here in the 1880’s from New Orleans.
Orlando: A Background History.
When my Great Grandfather came to Orlando’s in the 1800’s there was no segregation. African & European Americans lived next to each other in peace.
It was shortly after others moved here that people in Orlando began to segregate communities replicating the segregated cities that they had come from.
Thus “Division Street” was born to mark the “Color line” in the City.
The Police station has always been near Division St. in different buildings and locations but always close to the unofficial/official “Color line” that was represented by “Division Street”
The original African-American settlement was located West of
Orlando, on the site of what today is the Dr. J.B. Callahan Neighborhood Center. This area was platted by Mr. Parramore in the 1880’s and resettled in 1886 by Revered Andrew Hooper. Rev. Hooper then built a group of small cottages, known as Hooper Quarters north of West Central Boulevard to house African-American servants. That community grew and became known as “Black Bottom” and later changed to “Pepperhill”.
Today it is known as the “Callahan Neighborhood” and in 1895 the first school for African-Americans and the first school in Orange County called “Orlando Black”, was built. Later the school was renamed became “Johnson Academy”. Because of increased enrollment, the building was moved to the corner of Parramore Avenue and Washington Street and was renamed Jones High School. After Jones High School was relocated again in the early 1950’s, the building was used as Callahan Elementary. I and the majority of my relatives attended one the other or both.
My Roots in Orlando
My family Aunt Rosa Hopkins, Great-Grand Mother’s Maggie McDonalds niece, was a 1923 Graduate of FAMC and taught at Johnson Academy under Principal Mr. L.C. Jones. Mr. Jones would later be honored by having his named replace the name of the institution that taught African-American children. Established as “Orlando Black”, it then became Johnsons Academy & finally the Great Jones High School.
My Aunt Rosa owned many businesses in the Parramore area
and so did the rest of my family. She was so well respected in the community that NAACP President Walter White & Attorney Thurgood Marshall stayed for weeks as guest at her home, still located on Jackson Street which intersects Parramore Ave.
The NAACP Legal Defense team along with Charles Hamilton Houston trained Attorney Paul C. Perkins, Jr. were in Orlando defending the “Groveland 4” against trumped up charges in Lake County (READ the Groveland 4 by Gary Corsair).
Uncle Tomas Everett owned out-right, a Sinclair gas station at the corner of Church & Terry streets (I still remember the“Dino the Dinosaur” logo, that was on a steel pole over his station, that logo was used by the gas company to represent the fossil fuel deposits that gas comes from).
My Uncle Henry Sadler owned the first and only African-American hotel on Church street that was sanctioned by the then Mayor of Orlando. The Mayor of Orlando at that time knew that, the ultra-swank downtown Angeibuilt Hotel wouldn't allow the “Chitlin’ Circuit” acts like James Brown, Ray Charles, Fats Domino, The Ike & Tina Turner Revenue, as well as many African-American professional athletes like Jackie Robinson, “Satchel" Page and the rest to stay in the segregated rooms that they rented to “other “citizens of this Nation.
Related Story: I Remember Parramore
The good Mayor helped Dr. James R. Smith, Attorney Paul C. Perkins, Sr. & Banker Charles Hawkins establish “The
Washington Shores Federal Saving in Loan Bank” , one of the hand full of independently owned and managed African-American banks ever in the country. The WSFSL's first loan was to my Uncle Henry to Build “Hotel Sadler” on Church Street to accommodate the African-American Community. The collision of the willing worked; it was a segregated symbiotic relationship that worked well for all involved.
“Papa Syl” Hankins: The Quiet Warrior for the Community.
My Uncle Isaac Sylvester Hankins, was a 1925 grad of Howard Medical School and the first African-American physician in Orlando, the “Hankins Building” is still located on the corner of South & Parramore Streets and "Hankins Park", located in West Orlando, was dedicated to him in the 1970's. Dr. Hankins was also an NAACP member, special assistant to President F.D. Roosevelt during WWII and the liaison for the African-American Community to the European-American Community.
“Popa Syl” (pronounced “Seal” for Slyvester) as we called him, was a soft spoken, quiet, no-nonsense Civil Rights Warrior who dared the status quo of the European community to abuse the thriving Community that started at “Division Street” and continued to the West.
The opposing side was made up of obviously prudent men and they all must have understood the chaos that would be the result of opposing man like, Dr. I. S. Hankins, Dr. J.B. Callahan, Attorney Paul C. Perkins, Sr. Attorney Collier, The NAACP with Thurgood Marshall, Mr. Z.L. Riley, the Head of the “Orlando Negro Chamber of Commerce” and many other well respected Warrior Leaders who were the Stalwarts of the Community and who dared to be great both in and out of the City of Orlando.
The Old Guard & the System.
A system was put in place long ago to pass the torch of authority, responsibility & protection of the community through the selection of aggressive representatives who were like-minded individuals. Dr. James Smith, Dr. Isaac Manning, Mr. Herndon G. Harrison, Dr. George Speight, Mr. Henry Sadler, Mr. John H. Jackson and others followed. Dr. Tim Adams was a party to it all as well and as a young man he knew many, if not all, of these men. Dr. Adams was Barrack Obama before BHO was ever considered. I remember always seeing Dr. Adams running for something, everything and letting people know not to be afraid of a seemly impossible challenge and that we, in West Orlando, needed to have a voice in downtown Orlando for our own protection. Dr Adams continues his fight today from that perspective.
These men of integrity were left with the responsibility 
and trust to do the right thing. They were rarely questioned because everyone knew that anyone assuming, seeking, or acting as a leader in the West Orlando Community, had the best interest of that area at heart. Others held the mantle of protection for the Community too. Commissioner Author “Pappy” Kennedy and others were charged with the care and growth of the community up to & through the Current Commissioner, Ms. Daisy W. Lynum.
The Old Guard & The Commish
Commissioner Lynum’s, charge from history as a successor to the aforementioned leadership, was to maintain the status quo of the “Parramore Area” as it is now called; where there has been a historically, successful community and where now there is largely a neglected and venerable place, that is being subjected to Gentrification.
The Old Guard is rolling, yes, rolling over & over & over in their individual graves at the display of leadership or lack thereof, that exist today in Orlando’s African-American Community or what is left of it. Allegations of graft, pay-offs, corruption, greed, arrogance and buffoonery, plague us from the heights of leadership.
Imagine how difficult it was for our Ancestor leaders to carve out a community that was pleasant, safe and thriving. To now have that same community Gentrified for one’s own personal gain is a “Roller” for them.
Shame !!!
Shame to an arrogance born of desperation. Shame to our so-called leaders for attending meetings in which 30 pieces of sliver was exchanged for the rights to the property within the sacred boundaries of West Orlando. Shame on the collusion and pay-offs that benefited no one but one’s own selfish interest without the informed consent & with the total disregard for the interest of the Community that desperately needs and needed to be represented faithfully.
Shame for not knowing and understanding from the start that, “Power Corrupts, Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely”. Shame for selling out the Community and then trying to cling to power to inflict further damage to the Community. Finally, shame for not grooming a successor for the mantel of trust that was inherited as a part of District 5 office.
Caveat to the Elected
All of the incumbent so-called leaders most go if they do not or cannot deliver and protect the community from interlopers. The time for Community based leadership that is accountable to the Community has come.
The restoration of the West Orlando area must be a prime concern for the District 5 Commissioner and must be achieved by any political & social means necessary. The Community doesn't need a Queen, a King nor doesn't it need a Court Jester. What is needs is competent Leaders who will not sell us out while embarrassing us at the same time. Change is coming very soon.