#TBT Roxbury Love; Reflecting on the movement to establish Mandela, MA
It began with two friends. One who brought passion and heart and the other who brought knowledge and humility. These two young brothas were both outsiders, both from the South. They shared a similar vision. They saw the potential for Boston’s communities of color to establish themselves as their own entity, Mandela, MA. Meet Andrew Jones and Curtis Davis, the revolutionary architects behind the 1980s movement that made national headlines. Later on they were joined by a third comrade, Charles “Chuck” Walker. Curtis, an actual architect, and Andrew, a television producer, had complementary strengths that contributed to these two outsiders shaking the Boston power structure to its core. They forced two ballot initiatives and gained more support for the second. The first was in 1986 and the second in 1988. The desire to re-incorporate Greater Roxbury, as Mandela, Massachusetts, gained in popular support from the first effort to the last.
They called themselves, GRIP, or Greater Roxbury Incorporated Project. Some of Boston’s most influential black leadership supported the proposed secession including Gloria Fox, Mel King, Byron Rushing, Chuck Turner and Diane Wilkerson.
“The plantation mindsets of the plebeians whom had grown content with being renters in a community they should be owning.” Andrew Jones
GRIP’s leadership had the foresight to see over 30 years ago that the neighborhoods which would have been a part of Mandela, MA including Roxbury, Dorchester, Mattapan, Fenway, Columbia Point and Jamaica Plain would be worth serious money. Currently, right before our eyes, as developers erect new luxury condos in Roxbury we see the significance of land ownership. And why couldn’t Boston’s Black and Latino communities own land? Brookline did it, rejecting annexation from the city of Boston. Cambridge made their home on the other side of the river. Of course, Boston Mayor Raymond Flynn and the majority power structure opposed the idea of secession, as did some prominent members of the black community.
They felt that the Civil Rights movement was about trying to make gains within the existing system and that more inclusion was evident. They also questioned whether self-governance would lead to greater fiscal uncertainty for the fledgling municipality.
Where do we go from here?
Almost 3.5 decades later on September 14th at the Hawthorne Youth and Community Center we revisited the history of GRIP and the friendship of Curtis and Andrew asking not only “what if?”, but “what now?”. Curtis Davis joined us from Houston to share the organizing tenants that he, Andrew and others used. We also celebrated the life and of Andrew Jones, who passed away. Curtis shared with us that Mandela, MA was burned in Andrew’s heart, not his head.
Art as a cultural tool
Curtis credits Andrew for being the lead propagandist. The “Mandela Massachusetts is the place to be…’ was more than a catchy tune. Andrew understood that art was a powerful vessel of communication to create social change.
“Art and how it functions in our life is crucial for mankind.” Curtis Davis
You have to throw down to be down
Curtis shared some organizing gems with the crowd. We all want to change the world, but in order to do so you have to focus and commit to a task. We all have ideas, but we need to commit, He and Andrew spent one year having one on one meetings with folks like Gloria Fox and Mel King. They knew going in that if they were successful there would be consequences, but that they had to commit 100%. They knew that commitment was key to their success. As Curtis said, personalities flip when the pressure gets high. Curtis said however, that they weren’t scared. They were single, black, talented young men who all had a support system they could rely on.Their premonition that things were going to heat up were spot on. Andrew, a journalist at ABC news at the time, got fired.
In order to get enough votes to get the question on the ballot they went and knocked on every single door. GRIP starting gaining national headlines being featured in The Los Angeles Times and Washington Post.
“We feel that we have a ‘colonial relationship’ with the city of Boston; we feel that the city of Boston has treated us like second-class citizens and we’re fighting for basic rights of citizenship.” Andrew Jones, 1986
“What can we do now to make a dream like Mandela come true? It meant something to us.”-Sarah-Ann Shaw
After Curtis’ keynote there was an intergenerational panel discussion and q&a featuring Malia Lazu, President of Epicenter Community, Derek Lumpkins, Former Executive Director of Discover Roxbury and Arielle Gray, local artist and activist.
During a poignant moment towards the end of the evening, elder Sarah-Ann Shaw, who was the first female African-American reporter to be televised in Boston, asked Curtis, “What can we do now to make a dream like Mandela come true? It mean something to us.” Her question touched on what so many people were thinking, where do we go from here? How do we continue to bring this vision to fruition? Her question also touched on the hope that the possibility of Mandela gave to so many. As more and more folks from what would have been Mandela, MA what can we do today?
Ownership
Curtis responded, “Go for the land.” He said that it wasn’t until his involvement with Mandela that he realized how much they were being bamboozled in terms of economics. The counter argument against Mandela was that the new city would begin in serious debt. Curtis reminded us, “Better to argue when you have something, versus when you have nothing.” He also urged people that you have to control the real estate someway somehow. That wealth building is about wealth taking.
Strengths & trust
“Today our actions need to be about us. Do not start your planning around weakness or disempowerment.” Curtis Davis
Curtis reminded us that none of this work is solo work, but it involves deep trust. Building trust takes work. He also cautioned us that as you invest in a community you push people out unless you consciously and aggressively work to keep people in a specific place.
The possibility for autonomy
Arielle Gray, who was not yet born during the time of the movement to establish Mandela talked about the disconnect many young people have between then and now. During the panel discussion she reflected on the effect that learning about this history had on her and how she will view the Roxbury Love mural on Warren Street differently.
“It’s important for my generation to know that autonomy is possible and pertinent.” Arielle Gray
With many young people in the audience and gentrification and dislocation of the community and culture magnified in the recent period, who is to say that conversations and initiatives about land and ownership might not simply be memorialized, but, perhaps, replicated in the future?
As Mark Twain said ‘history may not repeat itself, but it often rhymes’.
Thank you to the Hawthorne Youth & Community Center who graciously offered us their gorgeous space in kind. We would like to encourage you to add something to our virtual offering tray.
During the evening we celebrated the spirit of co-founder, the now deceased Andrew Jones. In memory of Andrew we wanted to share his Emmy award winning documentary Thumbs Across America.
