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On April 14, 1968, Riverdale gathered once more to honor the legacy of Martin Luther King, once again at the Fieldston School.
Unidentified speaker at the Memorial
All photos by Peter Simon:
At 6:05 P.M. on Thursday, 4 April 1968, Martin Luther King was shot dead while standing on a balcony outside his second-floor room at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. News of King’s assassination prompted major outbreaks of racial violence, resulting in more than 40 deaths nationwide and extensive property damage in over 100 American cities.
The Riverdale Press reported:
“Year of turmoil
In early April 1968 Riverdale joined to rest of the nation in paying tribute to the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Flags were lowered to half-staff at public buildings throughout the community and many cars were seen driving with their headlights on during the day to pay tribute to the slain civil rights leader. News of his assassination stunned the community, as it did the rest of the world. Approximately 500 congregants from three Kingsbridge churches marched from one house of worship to another to participate in quickly-scheduled interfaith services.
Kay Mallon, one of the organizers of the march, told The Press, “We wanted to state openly our sorrow over Dr. King. More than this — neighbor met neighbor — with Negroes and Whites marching together.”
Four years earlier, Dr. King visited Riverdale and gave a speech at the Fieldston School auditorium, where he said, “An eye for an eye leaves everyone blind.”
The feeling of solidarity and the desire to rise up against perceived injustices continued throughout the year.
Thousands of students from Fieldston, Horace Mann, Manhattan College, DeWitt Clinton and Bronx High School of Science participated in a nationwide strike against the Vietnam War. Community educators and students had set the day aside after a national movement had urged the world’s youth to protest American involvement in Southeast Asia.
In Riverdale, many teachers, students, and parents rebelled at the idea of actual protests and set up activities to discuss the war and its complexities instead.”
Date of this article unknown
https://www.riverdalepress.com/stories/riverdale-mourns-martin-luther-king,36548
Wyatt Tee Walker (August 16, 1928 – January 23, 2018) was an African-American pastor, national civil rights leader, theologian, and cultural historian. He was a chief of staff for Martin Luther King Jr., and in 1958 became an early board member of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). He helped found a Congress for Racial Equality (CORE) chapter in 1958.
Walker became increasingly close to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the civil rights movement and later served as his chief of staff. In 1957 Walker helped found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC).[6] In 1958 King chose Walker for the board of SCLC. Walker spent the next two years building the organization in Virginia by capitalizing on his network of relationships with clergy throughout the state from his activities with NAACP and CORE.[2] He also continued demonstrations and actions intended to highlight, challenge and end segregation.Here Wyatt Tee speaks at the 1964 rally at Fieldston, with MLK in the background.
Ossie” Davis (December 18, 1917 – February 4, 2005) was an American actor, director, writer, and activist. Regarded by Martin Luther King as “close personal friends,” Ossie Davis and his wife Ruby Dee were among the celebrities involved in efforts to publicize and fund the work of King.
Here he speaks at the 1964 rally, with Ruby Dee
in the background.On April 18, 1964, a rally was held at which MLK, Jr. spoke at the Fieldston School. While I haven’t yet uncovered more content on the substance of MLK’s speech, or that of others at the gathering, from the photographs of the event, it was obviously an important event on the MLK itinerary.
All photographs are by Peter Simon, acclaimed photographer and local resident: You can find these and other of the 1964 rally here: https://credo.library.umass.edu/search?q=M.L.+King+Rally
Photo of “Why We Can’t Wait”, by Nick Dembowski
According to Thomas Casey in a forum posting dated November 29, 2022:
“According to an FBI log of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s August 1963 meetings with publisher Al Duckett (as told by Taylor Branch in Parting the Waters), Dr. King “managed to escape almost every day to the nearby Riverdale Motor Inn, where Clarence Jones had ensconced a writer named Al Duckett to help with crash production of the Birmingham book (Why We Can’t Wait).” (photo and text by T. Casey)
Many people are unaware that Martin Luther King, Jr. had a presence in Riverdale dating back to 1963 and spanning the time covering the 1st draft of his most famous speech, “I have a Dream” through that of his assassination in 1968.
Clarence B. Jones, American lawyer and the former personal counsel, advisor, draft speech writer and close friend of Martin Luther King Jr. was a resident of Riverdale for many years. In an article in the Washington Post (dated Jan. 16, 20111), Mr. Jones recalled the role Riverdale played in the drafting of the speech: ”
“It was the late spring of 1963, and my friend Martin was exhausted. The campaign to integrate the public facilities in Birmingham had been successful but also tremendously taxing. In its aftermath, he wanted nothing more than to take Coretta and the children away for a vacation and forget – forget the looming book deadline, the office politics of his ever-growing Southern Christian Leadership Conference, the constant need to raise funds.
But a date for the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom had been nailed down – Aug. 28 – and Martin realized he couldn’t plan such a massive undertaking with the usual endless interruptions. No, if this march were going to come together in time, he would have to escape all the distractions. (This was a man, after all, whose best writing was done inside a jail cell.) He needed to get away to a place where very few people could reach him.
That would be my house in Riverdale, N.Y.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/14/AR2011011406266.html
Jackie- that’s all wonderful news!
<span style=”text-align: right;”>Hope you learn more about the history of the Church of the Mediator.</span>
From a Dec. 11, 2022 posting:
On Dec. 11, I attended the Holiday Concert at the Church of the Mediator Bronx .
As a child, I developed a love of churches and sacred spaces. As an adult, I became a local advocate of historic preservation, and when I moved to the Riverdale area, I was stunned by the degree of history that occurred in our community.
I visited the Church during one of their summer farmers markets, but didn’t get a chance to go inside to the sanctuary until this past Sunday.
I have to admit, I was expecting a nice performance, but nothing special. So I was surprised when the show began and it was nothing short of exceptional.
The show comprised only two performers: Cantor Lisa Williamson and Organist (and Music Director) Sam Westley. I wasn’t expecting such professional quality performances, but that is exactly what we received.
Lisa Williamson is a professional vocalist who has performed in a diversity of venues, including Broadway, symphony, opera, recorded music and soundtracks. She has also performed at Carnegie Hall.
Sam Westley has been the Music Director and Organist at the Church of the Mediator since 2015. He is a graduate of the Manhattan School of Music, and is also currently the Executive Director of the Washington Heights Choir School.
Also great thanks to Lydia Sadler , as the wonderful master of ceremonies and other Church members who decorated the church and prepared wonderful snacks for the after-performance reception.
The program was a lovely mix of Christmas Classics and sacred music with cabaret, Broadway and operatic vibes. It was thoughtfully choreographed to be engaging and touching. It was obvious that Ms. Williamson had put in a considerable amount of work developing a program that was balanced but uplifting.
Mr. Westley also performed an organ solo that was nothing short of masterful. Gazing up at the glorious carved triptych above the altar, it filled the heart, and uplifted the soul.
The audience was asked to not video or photograph the performance while it was going on, so as not to disturb the performers. I did however take many photos of the interior of the Church which is simply glorious, with artifacts and stained glass windows spanning the life of this Episcopal Parish, originally established in 1855.There was a reception after the performance at which I met parish and community members. It was obvious that visitors to the show were grateful that they ventured out on this rainy and cold early winter day.
Please continue to support this historic and very special spiritual landmark by attending services, future concerts and events, supporting their climate and social justice programs, and by donating to their building fund.
Recently there has been a lot in the media about the financial challenges facing the Church of the Mediator.
While it’s impossible to say what the future will bring, what is true is that this Church is an extraordinary cornerstone of the community, and a “Greater Kingsbridge” without it would be a tragedy.
Please do what you can to help this very special place.
https://www.churchofthemediator.org/
https://www.churchofthemediator.org/history.html
