New York CorrectionHistory Society’sFebruary 2008

Black History Month

presentationto

NYC DOC’sCorrection Law Enforcement Explorers and Investigators

Black History Month began when?1906? 1926? 1946? 1976? 1996?

Booker T. Washington?Dr. George W. Carver?Rev. Martin Luther King?Dr. Carter G. Woodson?Rev. Jessie Jackson?

Who began it? Carter G. Woodson was ex-slaves’ son, an unschooled coal miner at 17, self taught, graduated h.s. in 2 yrs, gained Harvard Ph.D, began Negro History Week Feb. 7, 1926.

Negro becameBlack in ’60s,Week became

Month in 1976.

Exploring and investigatingsome

NYC Correction and Black Historyconnections

fromCivil War

erato

modern era, inclusive.

Why was ‘Tombs’ the execution site for only American hanged as slave trader ?

Built in late 1830s, City Prison in

LowerManhattan

became place of

executionFeb. 21,

1862 of Maine Capt. Nathaniel Gordon.

US Navy’s African Slave Trade Patrol, begun as anti-pirate squadron, expanded mission to enforce 1807 ban on

often got off relatively easy … until the election of Abe Lincoln on GOP platform branding it “a crime against humanity,” vowing its “total and final suppression.”

importingslaves. But the traders

Aug. 8, 1860, the Mohican captured the slave ship Erie with 897 who had been forced onto it. They were escorted to Liberia for

care by the American Colonization Society (membership certificate above). Erie’s ill treatment and bad conditions resulted in death of 30 West Africans.

Gordon, rejected a Buchanan DA’s lesser penalty plea offer, opted for 2nd trial after hung jury ended first. But bad choice. Lincoln’s DA Smith: ‘no deals.’ He pushed for death in Gordon case to end NY port slave trade. The death sentence specified City Prison as site for hanging.

U.S. DAEdward Delafield Smith

July 13, 1860 pirate-murderer Albert Hicks was hanged at Fort Wood, Bedloe's Island.Why not Gordon?Bedloe's

Island Last appeal argued a 1860 NY state law barred any prison executions except for murder or treason. But Correction boardchair S. Draper gave feds signed permission.

The execution was intended to display firm will to end slave trade. Would remote island site or NYC’s most famous prison best serve the purpose? The question really answers itself.

Decades later Bedloe’s Island became what? Hint: It’s very visible from the Staten

Island ferry.

Bedloe’s later became Liberty Island.

The Tombs was one of the jails/prisons run by NYC Dept. of Public Charities & Correction that had on its annual report covers the same Mother figure giving succor to her needyas on the covers of its ancestor, the Alms House Dept. It ran hospitals and homes for the poor. Colored Orphan Asylum

The Colored Home

1863 draft rioters torchedColored Orphan Asylum. All 233 children saved, sheltered at other

DPC&C facilities on Blackwell’s Isle1st U.S. black Dr.: James McC Smith 1st U.S. black Dr.: James McC Smith

Shamed by riot,

Seymour had to

withdrewobjection

to NY USCTs being

formed by Union

Leaguers.

Gov. Seymour

Riker’s Island-trained 20th Regiment USCTs parade in NYC 3/5/1864

Three of the 100+ Union regiments on Hart and Rikers Islands during Civil War were USCTs: the 20th, 26th, & the 31st.

Hart Island

RikersIslandbefore

land- fill

Rikers-trained26th USCT on parade at Camp Wm. Penn, Pa. and the 20th’s camp flag of 34 stars.

Rikers’ 26th USCTregimental bannerhad its name on top, “God and Liberty” below.

ex-slavepatriot.

Chaplain for the 20th USCT George W. LeVere later pastor of Knoxville church & national leader of many Prince Hall Masonic lodges that trace back to Boston

Camp flag ofRikers’ 26th USCTwith sewn name. Note 5 rowsof 6stars and 1 row of 5 stars = 35.

Rikers Island26th USCT’s chaplain later worked in S.C.w/ Freedmen’s Bureau. Elected State Senator & head of S.C. GOP. Gunneddown by 3 white men. In Columbia a cemetery was established in his honor.

BenjaminFranklin Randolph

African American Civil War Memorial in D.C. features the sculpture Spirit of

Freedom and the Wall of Honor – with 209,145 USCT names, including 5,092

who trained on Hart and Rikers Islands that became NYC Correction facilities

in 1869 and 1884, respectively.

2 whoheaded

NYC jail & charity

facilitieselectedMayor,

differed.

C. Godfrey GuntherC. Godfrey Gunther

1858 – 1860anti-slavery,a founder of

Cooper Union.

1864 – 1865anti-abolition,anti-Lincoln & Emancipation

Anti-Lincoln Mayor Gunther had to preside over NYC’s official mourning for slain President but vetoed reprinting of the funeral ceremony program.

Daniel F. TiemannDaniel F. Tiemann

Wesleyan Chapel in Seneca Falls begun in 1843 by 39 Baptists when their church didn’t cut slavery ties. Presbyterians joined it after their church expelled Rhoda Bement who challenged minister’s not announcing a women’s abolitionist meeting.

5 years later in the Chapel the 1st Women’s Rights Convention held, run by female abolitionists. Rhoda Bement was

among subscribers. Era’s top Black advocate Frederick Douglass spoke, invited by Rhoda’s co-chairperson of anti-slavery fund-raiser Elizabeth M’Clintock. His statue at NPS hq.

48 years later the grand- daughter of Rhoda Bement

ran a Philadelphia settlement house, arranged for and worked with W. E. B. DuBois in urban sociology study of the ghetto it served. Entitled The Philadelphia Negro. Her name was Katharine Bement Davis (KBD).

In 1900 KBDnamed to run Bedford Hills

Reformatory for women. Refused to segregate inmates on basis of race.In 1914 KBD named NYC CorrectionCommissioner, first woman to head any NYC govmt agency. VP, Woman Suffragist Party, 1st on NY ballot.

Katharine Bement

Davis

KBD began NYC Parole Board, was 1st chairperson. In1939 LaGuardia named Lou Gehrig to it. Lt. Samuel Battle,1st Black cop, succeeded him.

Battle Phillips

Benjamin Malcolm began in 1946 as an officer of the NYC Parole Board begun in 1915 by KBD. In 1978 he became Deputy Correction Commissioner & in 1972 Commissioner, first Black to head NYC DOC. In 1977, he became US Parole Commissioner.

Benjamin Ward

•1st Black cop in 80th Pct. in Brooklyn.•Law degree, NYPD Lt., Legal Affairs atty.•Complaint Bd. Exec.•In 1975 1st Black named NYS correctional services commissioner .•In 1978 named NYC Housing Police Chief.•In 1979 named NYC Correction Commissioner•In 1984 1st Black named NYPD commissioner.

•1st woman to head Academy.•1st woman top uniformed officer. •1984 named Correction Commissioner. •1st CO to rise there thru ranks. •1st African-American female Commissioner.

•3rd woman to become Commissioner.

JacquelineMcMickens

Rikers penitentiary, built in 1933, named James A.Thomas Center in 1989 for man credited as Dept.’s 1st Black warden. He served as its warden from 1965. He had been tank sgt. in WWII, joined DOC in ’46 and retired after 30 years service.

James A. Thomas

James A. Thomas

James C. Harrelson, Dep. Warden honored for releasing inmates to help rescue people from burning wreckage of LaG Airport plane that crashed on Rikers Feb. 1, 1957. Except for Thomas’ earlier pro- visional app’tment, tied with Thomas as 1st Black permanently appointed warden.

AMK w/Mayor Wagner

Bx barge jail for Warden Vernon C. Bain.

Warden Otis T. Bantum

Chief of Dept. Rbt.

N. Davoren

Chief of Dept. Eric

M. Taylor

Fr.LawrenceLucas of Guardians

Before Guardians,DOC recognized Correctionaires founded in 1939.

Its presidents included Warden Harrelson and Superintendent Behagen.

Jessie L.Behagen

1962

Now making DOC Black History:

Chief ofDept.

CarolynThomas

COBA President Norman

Seabrook

CCA President Ronald

Whitfield

www.correctionhistory.org

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