Arts

Wilson High School welcomes teachers.

Journal and Guide (Norfolk, Va.), 24 October 1936.

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B.W.A. Historical Marker Series, no. 28: East Nash Street Monument Company.

In this series, which will post on occasional Wednesdays, I populate the landscape of Wilson County with imaginary “historical markers” commemorating people, places, and events significant to African-American history or culture.

We been here.

EAST NASH STREET MONUMENT COMPANY

Clarence B. Best began cutting marble and granite headstones in 1914 and in 1946 established his own monument company in his backyard at 1306 East Nash St. Known for his distinctive font, deep cuts, stylized plant motifs, and use of recycled material, thousands of Best’s headstones can be found in Wilson and surrounding counties.

Wilson Daily Times, 13 October 1945.

 

Who was artist Lou Blackwell Robbins?

We first met Lou Blackwell Robbins here, giving summer art lessons to children at the Colored Graded School in 1936. I still have not been able to find her in county records, but several Journal and Globe articles published over the next year or so provide some clues to her life.

In this 14 November 1936 piece, Robbins’ vocation is listed as “artist.” She had given a demonstration on making pottery to members of the Black Creek Home Demonstration Club, which met at the home of Mrs. L.D. Tomlinson. (Sallie Owens Tomlinson and Louise Rainwater, who demonstrated cake-making to the club, were white women. Robbins’ invitation into Tomlinson’s home to demonstrate pottery-making must have been a remarkable event.) Robbins had also founded the Professional Women’s Art Club in Wilson, whose officers drew from Black Wilson’s upper crust (such as it was.)

Journal and Guide (Norfolk, Va.), 14 November 1936.

Three months later, Robbins was in Norfolk, Virginia, lecturing and exhibiting her work. A March 13 article “explained something of her life and her past experience in the field of art and her ambitions for the remainder of her life.”

There’s a lot to digest.

We learn that Robbins graduated from Wilson High School (later known as Darden High) in 1934. She had two adopted daughters. Her interest in art was encouraged by a high school teacher, leading her to give up “medicine and a career as a doctor.” (What?) She produced art across multiple genres, was a lecturer and a teacher, and was writing a history of Negroes in North Carolina. She sculpted in North Carolina clay and had carved busts of numerous prominent men.

Journal and Guide (Norfolk, Va.), 13 March 1937.

Journal and Guide (Norfolk, Va.), 8 May 1937.

Journal and Guide (Norfolk, Va.), 19 June 1937.

In late summer, Lou Blackwell Robbins returned to Norfolk to compete in a talent contest at the Booker-T Theatre. Once again, we get a complex picture of Robbins’ talents. She told the reporter that she had been inspired by Voo Doo Fire, a book given her by an Army veteran, to make percussion instruments by hand, assisted by children in Saint John A.M.E. Zion’s music program. [Richard A. Loederer’s Voodoo Fire in Haiti, published in 1935?] Captivated by the instruments, the children formed the Jungle Babies Band and booked performances at Saint John and Vick’s Casino, the nightclub operated by Samuel H. Vick Jr. in his father’s old Globe Theatre space in the Odd Fellows Building on East Nash Street. Inspired by the “delighted” audience response, Robbins went to Norfolk to try to book the Jungle Babies there. Encouraged to enter the contest, she secured Eloise Hunter as an accompanist on piano and took third place. However, the reporter’s description of the performance is just snarky enough to cast doubt on Robbins’ musical prowess.

Journal and Guide (Norfolk, Va.), 11 September 1937.

Lou Blackwell Robbins’ time in Norfolk was not entirely positive. A lengthy 13 August 1938 article about troubles at Queen Street Baptist Church mentioned that Robbins had filed unspecified charges against its pastor, Rev. P.P. Eaton, resulting in his reprimand.

I’ve found no other reference to Lou Blackwell Robbins. Was she a Wilson native? Who were her husband and children? If she left Wilson, where did she go? What became of her art and writings?

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  • Mrs. E.H. Diggs — Mary Grant Diggs. In the 1940 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 205 Vick Street, barber Edgar H. Diggs, 49, at Hines Barber Shop; wife Mary, 39, teacher in Stantonsburg; and children Edgar, 13, Mary, 9, and Preston, 11.
  • Mrs. A.M. Bullock
  • Mrs. A.R. Peacock — perhaps, Eloise Reavis Peacock.
  • Mrs. A.M. Fisher
  • Mrs. Elizabeth Bordy — Elizabeth Brodie, who, in fact, was not yet married. On 17 April 1937, Elizabeth Brodie, 20, of Wilson, daughter of Arthur and Anna Brodie, married Luther E. McKeithan, 25, son of Henry and Sarah McKeithan of Cumberland County, in Wilson. A.M.E. minister John C. Coaxum performed the ceremony in the presence of Rhoda McMillan, Alex McMillan and Sallie Suggs.
  • “Biddie” Willets
  • Dick Sanders
  • Louis Thomas — Louis Sanford Thomas Jr. In the 1940 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 715 East Green, Louis Thomas, 43, building carpenter; wife Lillie, 33; and children Louis Jr., 16, Charlie H., 14, and Van Jewel, 12.
  • Jerry Lee Cook — Jerry Lee Cooke Jr.
  • Edgar Gerald — in the 1940 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 910 East Green, Edgar Gerald, 48, tobacco warehouse laborer, born in Mullens, S.C.; wife Rebecca, 37, born in Norfolk[, Virginia]; children Bernice, 17, Edgar, 16, and Barbara, 4; and roomer John Sharpe, 22, hotel bellboy.
  • Bob Speights — in the 1940 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 624 Viola, Theodore Speight, 38, barber; wife Marie, 34; children Robert, 13, Evangeline, 10, Clyde, 8, and Randolph, 2; and lodger Charlotte Tate, 32, servant.
  • Samuel H. Vick Jr. — the enterprising Sam Vick Jr. was a chemist, a cosmetics salesman, a booking agent, and a nightclub owner.

Cornet player Worsley visits Suffolk.

Suffolk News-Herald, 17 May 1940.

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  • James Worsley

In the 1910 census of Tarboro, Edgecombe County, N.C.: on Saint James Street, Albert Worsly, 39; wife Maggie, 34; and children Lavinia, 15, George, 13, Johnny, 9, James, 6, Maud, 4, and Willis, 3.

In the 1930 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 900 Mercer Street, owned and valued at $2000, James Worsley, 26, musician; wife Mabey, 26, laundry; son Frank, 12; and mother-in-law Martha Melton, 56, widow.

In the 1930 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory:

In the 1940 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 900 Mercer Street, owned and valued at $1000, widow Marie Melton, 71; daughter Madie M. Worsley, 45, “in service”; grandson Frank Barnes, 25, scrap room overseer in tobacco factory; granddaughter Jewel Worsley, 8; nephew Jim Barnes, 39, gardener assistant; roomer Percy Farrell, 37, rolls hogsheads in redrying plant; grandson James Williams, 30, stick boy in redrying plant; and son-in-law James Worsley, 37, trumpet player in dance band.

In the 1950 census of Goldsboro, Wayne County: at 704 Crawford Street, James Worsley, 46, and Lillian Worsley, 27, were two of four minstrel show entertainers lodging in the household of Ransom Corbett.

James Albert Worsley Jr. died 17 August 1953 in Tarboro, Edgecombe County, N.C. Per his death certificate, he was born 16 December 1904 in Edgecombe County to Albert Worsley and Maggie Caine; was divorced; lived at 404 Wagner Street, Tarboro; was a musician; and was buried in Wilson Cemetery, Princeville, N.C.

Drummer moves to his own beat.

I’ve been interviewing folks lately and stopped by to see my friend Samuel C. Lathan when I was recently at home. As always, I thoroughly enjoyed our visit and, also per usual, learned lots of new things to research further. Here’s a 23 February 2008 Wilson Daily Times feature on Mr. Lathan, who is now 96.

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By Keith Barnes | Daily Times Photojournalist

Sam Lathan’s life has always been about the music.

Whether it was keeping rhythm as a child while banging on cardboard boxes on his grandmother’s porch or performing in later years with big-name musical groups, it has always been that way.

Most of his performing now involves playing drums with The Monitors, a local group, but Lathan, 78, reminisced recently about the early days of his long musical career, recalling the many people and groups who have influenced him.

He said beating on the boxes helped him develop rhythm, which led to his fascination with the drums.

When he was about 12 years old, he remembers, a group called “Winston’s [Winstead’s] Mighty Minstrels” came to Wilson and paraded through the streets to draw an audience for the group’s midnight shows.

Lathan got his first chance to perform in front of people when the Minstrels let him play the drums with them during one of the parades.

Following that early experience, he later played the cymbals for the Darden High School marching band in the 1940s and while at Darden also helped form a swing music band called “The Fourteen Flames of Rhythm.”

The group played at Wilson locales such as the Cherry Hotel, Briggs Hotel and the teenage center at the corner of Pine and Broad streets.

“We only made about 75 cents apiece, but we were just happy to be playing,” he said.

While with the group, Lathan met Steve Coleman, who was part of another Wilson group called the “Carolina Stompers.”

The Stompers had a drummer named Dank Dunn, and Dunn allowed Lathan some playing time at the drums during the group’s rehearsals.

By the time he was 17 years old, Lathan was playing on weekends in another group of Steve Coleman’s, and it was there he met Wallace Kemp, who greatly influenced his musical style and taught him a different, better way of playing.

“I learned from him not to beat the drums, but instead to play the drums,” Lathan said.

Playing gigs whenever he could find them, Lathan continued to hone his musical skills in several groups over the next few years including an eastern North Carolina tour with the Lloyd Price Orchestra.

In 1955, Lathan was offered a job to play in a Jacksonville band called “Jimmy Hines & The Four Dukes.”

He took it and was paid $75 a week, which was “more money than I had ever seen,” said Lathan.

When that group broke up, he stayed in Jacksonville, playing with another band called the “Jazzeroos,” a name taken from the club called Jazz Land where it performed.

“We filled the place up every night, mostly with Marines,” he said.

Lathan stayed with that group until 1959 when he went to Washington, D.C., to join a band called the “Billy Clark Trio” which had a bass guitar player named Sam Thomas.

After being there about a year Lathan returned to Wilson and got a job at Burlington Mills.

Then, one day he got the type of break most musicians dream of when he received a telegram from Sam Thomas telling him to call James Brown in New Orleans.

Lathan made the call and spoke with the legendary performer who had heard about his drum-playing through Thomas.

“They tell me you can play,” Brown said.

“Yes sir, I can,” said Lathan.

Brown and his band, The Famous Flames, were scheduled perform in Wilson two weeks later at Reid Street Community Center, and Lathan auditioned for him before the show.

Brown liked what he saw, and Lathan joined the group as its drummer, traveling and performing with them for two years.

Shortly thereafter, in 1963, Lathan joined The Monitors and has been playing with the group ever since.

“Music has been my life,” Lathan said. “I’ve never wanted to do anything else. But, I’ve always been fascinated with writing music, and if I had it to do over again I would like to have written more.”

Barnes School glee club performs.

Journal and Guide (Norfolk, Va.), 5 June 1943.

The nineteen children of the Barnes Elementary School Glee Club performed at Saint Paul Disciple Church of Christ in April 1943 under the direction of teacher Margaret L. Morrison. Blanche Thomas Baker was principal of the school, which was on what is now Airport Boulevard.

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  • Willie Smith
  • Lonnie Artis
  • Fannie D. Harrison — in the 1940 census of Taylor township, Wilson County: farmer Ben Harrison, 45; wife Daisy, 37; and daughter Fannie, 6.
  • Ethel M. Coleman — perhaps, in the 1950 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 902 East Vance Street, William T. Peacock, 35, “shake tobacco” in tobacco factory; wife Emma L., 36; daughter Ethel Mae Coleman, 14; and lodgers Acue Brookley, 27, dry-cleaning presser, and wife Sadie, 22, washer at laundry company.
  • Helen Bass — — in the 1940 census of Taylor township, Wilson County: farmer Jim Bass, 48; wife Jennie, 46; and children James, 26, Virginia Bell, 21, Adell, 16, Mildred, 14, Robena, 12, and Hellen, 7.
  • Catherine Barnes — in the 1940 census of Taylor township, Wilson County: farmer McKinley Barnes, 32; wife Heggar, 26; daughters Christine, 8, Katherine, 7, and Ruby, 1; niece Lizzie Mae, 20; and mother Lucy, 59.
  • Christine Barnes — see Catherine Barnes, above.
  • Bernice Bass — in the 1940 census of Taylor township, Wilson County: farmer Charlie Bass, 28; wife Lillie, 28; and children Bernice, 5, and Beatrice, 3.
  • Louise Darden — in the 1940 census of Oldfields township, Wilson County: farmer William Darden, 29; wife Ethel, 26; and children Jay W., 7, Louise, 5, Curtis, 4, Moselle, 2, Adell, 1, and Marcell, 4 months.
  • Floyd Coleman — in the 1950 census of Wilson, Wilson County: street worker for city street department Floyd Coleman Sr., 52, widower, and son Floyd Jr., 13.
  • James Vailes — in the 1950 census of Taylor township, Wilson County: farmer John Bullock, 63; wife Mary, 63; lodgers Odessa, 25, and James Vails, 18.
  • Molly Barnes — in the 1940 census of Taylor township, Wilson County: farmer Clarence Barnes, 29; wife Lessie, 27; and children Marie, 10, Molly Gray, 9, and Virginia, 2; and mother-in-law Mollie Baker, 50.
  • Celie Smith
  • Mae Frances Morgan
  • Mavona Melton
  • Marie Barnes — see Molly Barnes, above.
  • Rosa M. Roundtree — perhaps, in the 1940 census of Wilson township, Wilson County: on Winstead Mill Road, farmer James Roundtree, 59; wife Mary B., 56; and children Mary, 19, Eula, 17, and Rosa M., 8.
  • Mamie Lee Barnes 
  • George F. Dew — in the 1940 census of Taylor township, Wilson County: farmer Claud Dew, 49; wife Addie, 44; and sons Willie B., 21, and George Frank, 10.

 

Wilson Arts weaves a better tomorrow with Juneteenth activity.

I learned just today of Wilson Arts’ Juneteenth activity this year, but it’s never too late to shine spotlights. I reached out to Executive Directive Cathy Brown Hardison to find out more.

“Quilt-making and basket-weaving are traditional cultural practices among American Descendants of Slaves, especially within the Gullah-Geechee communities that span from the Carolinas to northern Florida,” she said. “Ribbon-weaving serves as a nice callback to those traditions—it requires less dexterity and can involve participants of all ages and abilities. We also had a ton of fabric and ribbon on hand, and our set designer built the stand for us—so it really came together as a meaningful community project.”

The weaving wasn’t quite finished at Wilson’s Juneteenth Festival, so visitors to the Farmers & Artisans Market a few days later were given the opportunity to contribute. Since then, the weaving has been installed in the Wilson Arts gallery as a drop-in activity alongside information about Juneteenth. (Given the recent viral video showing workers at a Wilson business making snarky comments about the holiday, this educational outreach is welcome … and sorely needed!)

Kudos to Wilson Arts for offering a Juneteenth activity that wasn’t just a personal takeaway, but a collaborative piece that the whole community could contribute to.

Thank you to Wilson Arts for the images and video!