Article 16, Volume 3 (Part 2 of 2) June 12,
This story was written to let it be known that students of East Suffolk High who lived in Pleasant Hill and South Suffolk were exposed to violence on a regular basis in the 50's and 60's. Newspapers and television did not cover Afro- American news back then like they do now. Some of my good friends were recently expressing their opinions about how calm and peaceful everything was in the good ole days in the community. I just don't remember it that way.
I remember the quiet peaceful days I enjoyed growing up on Baker Street. Also, I remember some very violent times too.
I discussed those times with my brother Al "Pete" Bryant and former neighbor Frank Kahan. We recalled murdering, robbery, rape and shootings galore.
I'm going to do a street by street review of some of the violence that occurred in the neighborhoods in the "good ole days.". All of these events happen during the period 1956 - 1963.
300 block of Duke Street
A man was shot dead on his front porch while holding a baby in his arms.
300 block of Baker Street
A man was killed and his body put on the railroad tracks.
200 block of Webb Street (1960)
A lady, mother of 3 children, was sliced to death with a knife by another mother of 3 children. The victim ran through the church grounds into our backyard on Baker Street screaming for help. As she approached our back door she dropped dead. It was all about some simple matter involving children.
300 block of Webb Street (1963)
My friend, Bob King( 1959 graduate of East Suffolk High and Army vet) was gunned down by a 13-year old teenager. He died in the middle of the street.
300 block of Hunter Street
A man was killed and his body was left in a ditch.
Lots of violence was at both ends of Hunter Street. On the west end was Pond Town and on the east end was a community called, "Little Korea" (named after the conflict in Korea). We were advised to stay out of those communities at night. Well, Pond Town was okay on the Webb Street side.
300 block of Pleasant Street
A man was shot and killed in a house early one Sunday morning. The shooting was senseless.
A few months later, in the same house, the lady of the house who was confined to a wheelchair and her son, who was home on military leave was gunned down. Again, senseless and about nothing of importance.
200 block of Charlotte Avenue
A man was cut and diced with a razor on the street. He survived.
Cedar Street (in South Suffolk)
**Homicide (reference omitted).
Lewis Avenue
**Homicide (reference omitted) on a Saturday night. (I remember very well. I was at the victim's job site on Monday morning asking his employer to hire me. They hadn't received the bad news until I told them. I still feel kind of bad about my actions, but times were hard in Suffolk back then. I was blessed, I didn't get the job).
Woodrow Ave
Mr. Mabry (father of Frank Mabry), a prominent barber in the community was robbed and killed.
Spruce St and Lewis Ave
**Name omitted (nickname) was killed.
That is a total of 12 murders that occurred in our neighborhoods in a short span of time. There are more, but by choice, I elect not to cite them.
I doubt if the total number of homicides committed in the community in the last 49 years equal the number that occurred in the eight year period cited in this report.
There was also a group of young men who called themselves the untouchables. They were involved in criminal activities.
A group of young men robbed a bank. Hid the money in a mattress in a home on Webb Street. It was widely told that one of the robbers told his girlfriend where the money was hidden. Don't know who talked, but I witnessed about 4 Sheriff cars converge on that house. They found the loot.
The robbers were rounded up and jailed.
Rape occurred, but it was generally a waste of time to report it to the police. The women and girls were often blamed and the rapists were seldom charged. Particular, if the victim was a black woman or girl.
There was a young man who terrorized the whole community. We prayed and prayed that he would be arrested for something. My sister Audrey came home one day, crying. She told us that this mean spirited youth had cut her dress with a knife. She was just one of his victims in the community for one thing or another. Eventually, he was arrested for other crimes and spent a large portion of his youth and adult life in confinement.
Many citizens in the neighborhood didn't read newspapers or listen to the radio. Well, many of them did listen to that sweet peach stuff guy on the radio ( from Norfolk.Can't think of his name). Only a few homes had televisions, so, some citizens just were not aware of what was going on in the neighborhoods..
Violence in the neighborhood is bad now, but it was probably worse in the "good ole days"
** names by noun or pronoun intentionally omitted.
Copyright 2013. Grady E. Bryant, Sr. All Rights Reserved.
The Other Side of Good in the Good Ole Days
This story was written to let it be known that students of East Suffolk High who lived in Pleasant Hill and South Suffolk were exposed to violence on a regular basis in the 50's and 60's. Newspapers and television did not cover Afro- American news back then like they do now. Some of my good friends were recently expressing their opinions about how calm and peaceful everything was in the good ole days in the community. I just don't remember it that way.
I remember the quiet peaceful days I enjoyed growing up on Baker Street. Also, I remember some very violent times too.
I discussed those times with my brother Al "Pete" Bryant and former neighbor Frank Kahan. We recalled murdering, robbery, rape and shootings galore.
I'm going to do a street by street review of some of the violence that occurred in the neighborhoods in the "good ole days.". All of these events happen during the period 1956 - 1963.
300 block of Duke Street
A man was shot dead on his front porch while holding a baby in his arms.
300 block of Baker Street
A man was killed and his body put on the railroad tracks.
200 block of Webb Street (1960)
A lady, mother of 3 children, was sliced to death with a knife by another mother of 3 children. The victim ran through the church grounds into our backyard on Baker Street screaming for help. As she approached our back door she dropped dead. It was all about some simple matter involving children.
300 block of Webb Street (1963)
My friend, Bob King( 1959 graduate of East Suffolk High and Army vet) was gunned down by a 13-year old teenager. He died in the middle of the street.
300 block of Hunter Street
A man was killed and his body was left in a ditch.
Lots of violence was at both ends of Hunter Street. On the west end was Pond Town and on the east end was a community called, "Little Korea" (named after the conflict in Korea). We were advised to stay out of those communities at night. Well, Pond Town was okay on the Webb Street side.
300 block of Pleasant Street
A man was shot and killed in a house early one Sunday morning. The shooting was senseless.
A few months later, in the same house, the lady of the house who was confined to a wheelchair and her son, who was home on military leave was gunned down. Again, senseless and about nothing of importance.
200 block of Charlotte Avenue
A man was cut and diced with a razor on the street. He survived.
Cedar Street (in South Suffolk)
**Homicide (reference omitted).
Lewis Avenue
**Homicide (reference omitted) on a Saturday night. (I remember very well. I was at the victim's job site on Monday morning asking his employer to hire me. They hadn't received the bad news until I told them. I still feel kind of bad about my actions, but times were hard in Suffolk back then. I was blessed, I didn't get the job).
Woodrow Ave
Mr. Mabry (father of Frank Mabry), a prominent barber in the community was robbed and killed.
Spruce St and Lewis Ave
**Name omitted (nickname) was killed.
That is a total of 12 murders that occurred in our neighborhoods in a short span of time. There are more, but by choice, I elect not to cite them.
I doubt if the total number of homicides committed in the community in the last 49 years equal the number that occurred in the eight year period cited in this report.
There was also a group of young men who called themselves the untouchables. They were involved in criminal activities.
A group of young men robbed a bank. Hid the money in a mattress in a home on Webb Street. It was widely told that one of the robbers told his girlfriend where the money was hidden. Don't know who talked, but I witnessed about 4 Sheriff cars converge on that house. They found the loot.
The robbers were rounded up and jailed.
Rape occurred, but it was generally a waste of time to report it to the police. The women and girls were often blamed and the rapists were seldom charged. Particular, if the victim was a black woman or girl.
There was a young man who terrorized the whole community. We prayed and prayed that he would be arrested for something. My sister Audrey came home one day, crying. She told us that this mean spirited youth had cut her dress with a knife. She was just one of his victims in the community for one thing or another. Eventually, he was arrested for other crimes and spent a large portion of his youth and adult life in confinement.
Many citizens in the neighborhood didn't read newspapers or listen to the radio. Well, many of them did listen to that sweet peach stuff guy on the radio ( from Norfolk.Can't think of his name). Only a few homes had televisions, so, some citizens just were not aware of what was going on in the neighborhoods..
Violence in the neighborhood is bad now, but it was probably worse in the "good ole days"
** names by noun or pronoun intentionally omitted.
Copyright 2013. Grady E. Bryant, Sr. All Rights Reserved.
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