Dr. Robert Russa Moton

[Im The Truth]

Region is home to 'cradle' of civil rights
January 19, 2009 12:35 am
BY EDIE GROSS



GLOUCESTER--Forty years before the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. climbed the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to share his dream for racial equality with the world, Robert Russa Moton did the same.

Invited by President Warren G. Harding to deliver the keynote address at the memorial's 1922 dedication, Moton praised Lincoln's efforts to unite the country but insisted there was still work to be done.

"Twelve million black men and women in this country are proud of their American citizenship, but they are determined that it shall mean for them no less than for any other group, the largest enjoyment of opportunity and the fullest blessings of freedom," said the son of former slaves.

" Let us strive on to finish the work which he so nobly began, to make America the symbol for equal justice and equal opportunity for all."

Then Moton, a Virginia native and the second president of what is now Tuskegee University, returned to his seat in the "colored only" section of the crowd.

Moton died in 1940, 24 years before the Civil Rights Act outlawed racial segregation.

But his home in Gloucester County, about two hours from Fredericksburg, continued to serve as a gathering place for intellectuals and community leaders championing the cause of racial equality. The United Negro College Fund was born beneath its gabled roof.

Honored guests included Melvin Tolson, coach of the Wiley College debate team, which broke the color barrier in 1935 by defeating an all-white University of Southern California team; James Farmer, one of the "Big Four" leaders of the civil rights movement and founder of the Congress of Racial Equality; and King, who is said to have drafted part of his "I Have a Dream" speech in the shade of the home's 400-year-old live oak overlooking the York River.

"For many years, this was the gathering place. One person told me it would not be a mistake to call this the cradle of the civil rights community," said Kay Coles James, who is ushering in a new legacy of leadership at the historic home.

'SOLUTIONISTS' WELCOME

As a child, James played with dolls on the floor of the home's living room while her aunt and uncle talked strategy with other civil rights activists.

Wondering what happened to that waterfront retreat--called Holly Knoll at Cappahosic--she drove out to the home a few years ago, only to find it boarded up and in desperate need of repair. It was owned by a Virginia couple who couldn't care for it anymore.

"I had what I call my 'Gone With the Wind' moment," said James, who lives in Fairfax Station. "'As God is my witness, I'm going to figure out a way to fix this.'"

James, who served as director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management during President George W. Bush's first term, founded the nonprofit Gloucester Institute in 2007 with the sole purpose of buying and restoring the home and its legacy.

In the midst of that restoration project, she's invited a new generation of leaders to gather there and build on the work of giants like Moton and King.

"These are the kids we're depending on to lead this country," said James, who encourages debate among the college students who come for summer programs and Sunday dinners.

"Once you step on this property, you're no longer a Republican or a Democrat, a liberal or a conservative. Leave your talking points on Route 17," she said. "Once you're here, you're a 'solutionist.' Once you're here, it's all about fixing it."

'IMPORTANCE OF PLACE'

There's a dorm at Hampton University named for Moton, who graduated in 1890 and then served as the school's dean of discipline.

But Hampton junior Leah Kirk didn't know too much about him before accepting an internship last summer as an events planner at Moton's historic home.

Kirk, 20, said she earned valuable professional experience, met a variety of student leaders and came away with a new appreciation of Moton.

"It definitely makes you feel like you're connected to history," Kirk said of the home. "I thought it was cool how history re-enacted itself. The home was originally used for different leaders coming together and sharing information, and now she [James] has it where college students come together and share what they know."

James has sought grants and donations to make the house whole again. The peeling paint and broken windows are gone, though she'd like to restore the kitchen and fix up a few more bedrooms.

She's also hoping to renovate several decades-old dorms, built on the property by the United Negro College Fund when it established the Moton Conference Center.

Dominion Virginia Power replaced the dock behind the house. According to James, when the owners of Woolworth's were hoping to end lunch-counter sit-ins, they met with student leaders at Holly Knoll--but they arrived via boat because they were concerned about driving through a black community.

Even while the work is ongoing, James has sponsored writing workshops, internships and leadership conferences at the home for young people like Kirk.

"We are building the airplane while we fly," she joked. "My goal is to save the place, restore the property and vision, and find some person to give the key to and carry on."

Early black leaders met at Moton's home largely because they weren't welcome in many other places, James said. That, of course, has changed. But she hopes they'll come now--joined by leaders of all races--to revel in the home's historic spirit.

"You can't overstate the importance of place and the significance that can have on the message," she said. "Before Obama stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, before Martin Luther gave his powerful speech, he [Moton] stood on those steps. He stood there and challenged a nation."

Edie Gross: 540/374-5428
Email: egross@freelancestar.com


LEGACY OF LEADERSHIP Robert Russa Moton was born on an Amelia County plantation two years after slavery was abolished. His mother taught him to read in secret, fearing the plantation owner wouldn't approve.

But when the two were discovered, the plantation owner directed his daughter to take over teaching Moton.

He graduated from Hampton Institute in 1890, then remained there for the next 25 years as the school's head of discipline.

He befriended Booker T. Washington, the first president of the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, and following Washington's death in 1915, Moton became the school's second president.

He traveled the country speaking on behalf of racial equality, raising money for Tuskegee and helping establish a veterans hospital in Alabama for black soldiers returning from World War I.

He served as an adviser to Presidents Wilson, Harding, Coolidge, Hoover and Franklin D. Roosevelt. During WWI, Wilson sent Moton to France to inspect black troops.

In 1935, Moton retired to Gloucester County, home to his wife's family. Four corporations, including Kellogg and Sears, donated $35,000 to Moton in honor of his public service. He used the money to build Holly Knoll at Cappahosic, a three-story home on the banks of the York River, which is on the national and state historic registries. Students from Hampton University actually did much of the work on the house for a grade. With invitations stating "Come to Cappahosic," Moton urged leaders to gather at his home to debate issues of the day.

After his death in 1940 at the age of 72, his son-in-law, Frederick Patterson, continued that tradition. Patterson, the third president of what is now Tuskegee University, founded the United Negro College Fund, which operated a conference center at Moton's home for a time.

GLOUCESTER INSTITUTE

The nonprofit Gloucester Institute was founded two years ago to restore Robert Russa Moton's historic property in Gloucester County, and support young leaders working for racial equality.

While the home is not offered "for rent," the institute makes it available for events that fall within its mission.

Founded by Kay Coles James--who has worked in local, state and federal government as well as for nonprofits and private companies--the institute sponsors leadership conferences, writing workships and other events for young leaders.

For more information, visit gloucesterinstitute.org.


Copyright 2009 The Free Lance-Star Publishing Company.

[Fine1952]

Dr. Robert Russa Moton was a sellout. He betrayed Marcus Garvey for $5M and in return Tuskegee got syphillis and eventually we got AIDs

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