Serendipitous Wanderer's Blog

This week, I attended a panel at the Commerce Public Library convened as part of Black History Month.  The panel was made up of members of the Norris Community Club.  As a quick overview:  The club was chartered in the mid-1970s by its members who lived in the African-American neighborhood of the Norris Community located in Commerce, Texas.  This club was formed to present a unified voice for the community in matters of local government.  The Norris Community was annexed by the city of Commerce in 1913.  During the time from its annexation to the mid-1970s, the Norris Community paid taxes to the city of Commerce.  However, they had received nothing in the way of city works.  They had no paved streets, no sewer service, no street signs, and no street lights.  Once the Norris Community Club began to petition the city as a unified body, the city improvements began in the Norris Community.

The panel members, who were original founding members of the Norris Community Club, were:

• Mr. Ivory Moore who was the first black administrator at what was then (1972) East Texas State University and is now Texas A&M University-Commerce (TAMU-C).  He was also the first black mayor of Commerce, Texas.
• Mr. Harry Turner who graduated from the Norris School and was one of the first black students at East Texas State University (TAMU-C) following integration.
• Mr. Billy Reed who is a retired railroad employee and is the current president of the local NAACP.
• Mr. James Green who was a graduate of the Norris School and is an artist.

The members discussed the history of the Norris Community and the work the club did.  They mentioned several members who were instrumental in the work the club did, including Mr. and Mrs. Champion, Mrs. Gillespie, Mr. Watson, and Mr. Williams.

When asked what they considered the Club’s greatest accomplishment to be they said the club opened a clear channel of communication with Commerce City Hall and that resulted in the changes in the community’s structure (sewage, lights, sanitary system, etc.).  It was pointed out that in the 1970s, Norris Community residents still had to use outhouses.  Another major accomplishment for the Club was the creation of a park for the community.

My generation is part of what I call the “straddle generation.”  We are old enough to remember some of the 1960s but since we were children, it’s not a strong memory.  However, our parents and grandparents experienced the time before and of the civil rights movement as adults.  Our children have only known an integrated America.  Speaking for myself, I think it is imperative that we become more aware of the personal stories behind the history of race relations in our country.  The stories of those who lived this time are vitally important to understanding this time in our country’s history.

While segregation was outlawed and we are all ostensibly equal in the eyes of the law, the law changes but people may not change quickly enough.  That goes for people of all races.  It takes time to overcome prejudices, habits, and complacency.  I hadn’t given much thought to the smaller issues of city governments changing when the law does and how that would come about.  Hearing the voices of the people who joined together to make their local government change the way it was operating was eye-opening.  I admire the Norris Community Club for recognizing what needed to be done and doing so in a peaceful and legal way.  While angry and violent protests and actions get attention, it’s refreshing to hear the stories of those who affected change through peaceful means.  It may not be as compelling to some who’d rather have a more dramatic story, but I believe that these stories are at least as important, if not more so, to teach our children.  I am proud to be part of a community and school, Texas A&M University-Commerce, that is trying to record these personal histories so the stories are never lost.