Originally written by Carl White.
History Behind Crispus Attucks
During the 1940s, as World War II was about to start, an organization was formed to address the needs of the African-American population in Greenwich. Many blacks were employed as domestic help in backcountry mansions. They served as chauffeurs, maids, butlers, landscapers, etc. Alver Napper called it a “master-servant” relationship. The people lived in the houses. On Thursdays and Sundays, the servants had their days off. To keep them “in line” and to keep an eye on them, influential people encouraged the creation of a center for African-Americans. In 1941, Crispus Attucks was started by a group of black people on the Greenwich Recreation Board.
The name has a very interesting history. Crispus Attucks was an African-American born in Framingham MA in 1723. It’s not known if he was a slave or a freeman. Around the time of the Boston Massacre (1770) – just before the Revolutionary War – he joined a group of white men who were taunting some British soldiers. The British fired a volley at the hecklers, and the black man was killed. He is considered the first casualty of the Revolutionary War. His body was buried in a mass grave with other white victims.
First Home of Crispus Attucks
Initially, Crispus Attucks was housed in the basement of the AME Bethel Church and had a part-time recreation program overseen by a part-time Director. The church had a ping-pong table and some programs, but little else. Space was a problem. The original Director was Mr. Johnson. He left to attend medical school at Howard University and ended up practicing medicine in Texas. A woman from New York served as the interim director but left after a year. In 1943, Alver Napper took over as Director.
Crispus Attucks Community Center had a large Board of Directors. It was an integrated board at a time when segregation was still prominent. Mr. Finch – the owner of Finch’s Drug Store – was a white Board member, and lobbied for more space. Coincidentally, the Greenwich Boys Club received a gift of land and a grant to construct a building on Horseneck Lane at about this time. This meant the Boys Club would move out of its headquarters at 33 Railroad Avenue. It was a three-story structure with a lot more space. Unfortunately, there were no integrated recreation facilities, but it was an improvement from the church basement. In November 1942, the Community Center moved into 33 Railroad Avenue.
Role of Crispus Attucks
Few young people visited the center. This was partly because people employed mostly black servants with no children. The Recreation Board held an annual festival for black families that provided training in singing and dancing. After black youths returned from the war, they tended not to return to Greenwich since they had seen the world and were looking for better opportunities. There weren’t any jobs in Greenwich that promised advancement or better wages.
Although the churches had been the center for social programs, the Crispus Attucks Community Center was starting to cut into their clientele (and money raising) through church programs. This caused a backlash from the churches. The black organization started providing programs on civic topics, family life, domestic problems, and education. The local NAACP used the center for meetings. White officials tried to discourage such enlightenment since they thought blacks who were educated had little hope of getting any jobs in Greenwich other than domestic help. The Community Chest balked at Napper’s request for a budget to sponsor speakers. They wanted to protect the status quo.
The organization had a strong outreach program. They sponsored a Coronation Ball each year to raise money to help black students start college. During the war, the group undertook food drives and wrote letters to soldiers. Napper went into the schools to talk to black students about college. He received resistance from most administrators but found a friend in Principal Andrew Bella, who supported him. Napper contended that it was better to educate black youth, even if there were no jobs. Opponents said it wasn’t fair to get the students’ hopes up. They thought he was a threat to the status quo.
At the end of the war, Crispus Attucks was offering a number of important programs. They sponsored dramatic groups, competitive sports, roller skating, dances, and relevant discussions. It operated 7 days a week. There were several classes of membership. Junior members paid 50 cents, teens paid $1, adults paid $2 and friends paid $5. Although the Community Chest tried to control them through budget strings, the organization found ways to raise money on the side.
Problems and Change
One problem in Greenwich was the lack of black professionals. There were no black teachers, and Director Napper was paid much less than other Social Workers who were white. Furthermore, while he had an MSW, other Social Workers only had Bachelor’s degrees or none.
Another problem was the availability of temporary housing. People passing through town who were white could stay at the YMCA, community centers, etc. But black people weren’t offered emergency temporary housing by any groups except the YWCA and Boys Club.
During the 1950s, there was talk of integration. This threatened the status quo, so influential members of the Town decided to use their power to squash the movement. The community decided to create one central board to oversee the Crispus Attucks Community Center, Banksville Community Center, and Riverside-Old Greenwich Community Center. This significantly reduced funding to the organization. Individual directors and boards were removed. The new organization was named Community Centers, Inc. It had different policies, objectives, and standards. In 1952, Crispus Attucks moved to the second floor above Gristedes at 145 Greenwich Avenue. It had less space and was less accessible. Then in 1959, it moved to another space at 6 Lewis Street. The organization began to lose its clout and its financial resources.`It wasn’t too long before Crispus Attucks was disbanded.
Legacy
Things started to change with the Civil Rights demonstrations of the sixties. People wanted schools integrated to provide a quality education for all. Blacks wanted the same opportunities that whites had when job hunting. They wanted the same pay for doing the same job and wanted a better standard of living. Better housing was important as well as crime-free neighborhoods. African-Americans wanted to improve their status.
Fortunately, inroads have been made over the years. African-Americans are better-educated and more aware of their social condition. Despite some setbacks, it’s believed their status will continue to improve, and they will receive the status and respect they deserve through their hard work and sacrifice.
This was the main objective of the Crispus Attucks Community Center.
SOURCES
Historical Society of the Town of Greenwich: History Before 2000; Greenwich CT, 2000.
Napper, A: History of the Crispus Attucks Center; Oral History Project, 1974.
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