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American history resonates with the names of great African-American men and women. In celebration of Black History Month, Mercer County throughout the month remembers the local African-American pioneers no longer with us but who have left a mark on history.
In 1943, Gladys Hedgepeth and Berline Williams of Trenton filed suit against the Trenton School Board when their children were refused admission to the newly built Junior High School No. 2. The new school was only a few blocks from their homes in the Wilbur section of the City, while the segregated Lincoln School was 2 miles away. With the assistance of the NAACP, Hedgepeth and Williams successfully fought the school district’s segregationist policy, and the landmark New Jersey Supreme Court case bears their names. The case became a precedent for the Brown v. Board of Education ruling in 1954 and continued to influence many Affirmative Action and equal opportunity policies in New Jersey’s education system, as well as the eradication of laws supporting discrimination in New Jersey.
Pictured: Berline Williams, Attorney Robert Queen, Leon Williams, Gladys Hedgepeth, Janet Hedgepeth.
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Paul Robeson, (April 9, 1898-Jan. 23, 1976), celebrated American singer, actor and black activist.
The son of a former slave turned preacher, Robeson was born in Princeton and attended Rutgers University in New Brunswick, where he was an All-American football player. Upon graduating from Rutgers at the head of his class, Robeson rejected a career as a professional athlete and instead entered Columbia University. He earned a law degree in 1923 and briefly worked as a lawyer, but he renounced a career in law due to widespread racism and lack of opportunities for African Americans. Instead, he found his way to the stage, drawing on his boyhood interest in acting and song, making a London debut in 1922. Robeson then joined the Provincetown Players, a New York theater group that included playwright Eugene O’Neill, and appeared in O’Neill’s play, “All God’s Chillun Got Wings," in 1924, and went on to title roles in other theatrical and film projects. In addition to his other talents, Robeson had a superb bass-baritone singing voice.
In later years, Robeson became increasingly attuned to the sufferings of people of other cultures. As his political activism grew, Robeson was investigated during the age of McCarthyism, and because he would not recant his public advocacy, he was denied a passport by the U.S. State Department, rendering him unable to perform internationally and creating an economic hardship for Robeson. He moved to Harlem and continued to speak out against policies that he believed were wrong. His right to travel was eventually restored in 1958, but Robeson retired a few years later and lived out his life privately in Philadelphia.
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Brothers on Broadway
Saturday, Feb. 22, 7:30 p.m., Patriots Theater at the War Memorial, 1 Memorial Drive, Trenton. 215-893-1999. https://www.capitalphilharmonic.org/ A tribute to Broadway's African American leading men, from Sammy Davis Jr. and Cab Calloway to Ben Vereen and Gregory Hines. Featuring Keith Spencer, baritone. $30-$65.
Gospel Brunch
Saturday, Feb. 22, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum, 189 Hollow Road, Skillman. https://www.ssaamuseum.org/
Glassbrook Vocal Ensemble Presents Abide With Me
Sunday, Feb. 23, 3 p.m., Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1140 Greenwood Ave., Trenton. A celebration of black composers. Under the artistic direction of Chaequan Anderson with soloist Dr. Rochelle Ellis. Soprano Dr. Ellis is a performer, teacher and conductor. She holds positions as adjunct associate professor of voice at Westminster Choir College of Rider University and lecturer of voice at Princeton University.
A Celebration of Black History: Presented by Mercer County Clerk Paula Sollami Covello
Wednesday, Feb. 26, 12 p.m., 209 S. Broad St., Trenton, Courthouse Annex. Black history told through music, song and storytelling.
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Black History Month Presentation: The Life and Legacy of Jack Sherrod
Thursday, Feb. 27, 7 p.m., Lawrence Headquarters Branch , 2751 Brunswick Pike, Lawrence; 609-883-8294. This presentation by historian Alvin Corbett will honor the Black History Month through the personal story of Jack Sherrod, showcasing his evolution from a slave to a United States Colored Troops soldier during the Civil War, and ultimately, to a free landowner. Registration is suggested. Call 609-883-8294 or email lawprogs@mcl.org.
Black History Month Program: Slavery to Now through Music
Saturday, Feb. 29, 2 p.m., Lawrence Headquarters Branch, 2751 Brunswick Pike; Lawrence; 609-883-8294. This multi-segment program coordinated by The African American Cultural Collaborative of Mercer County will feature African drumming in the native lands form of communication; Spiritual Hymns while picking cotton (a skit) with Don Evans Players; church choir music; blues/jazz and rap. Registration is suggested. Call 609-883-8294 or email lawprogs@mcl.org.
7th Annual Black History Month Celebration
Saturday, Feb. 29, Lawrence High School, 2525 Princeton Pike, Lawrence. Art, dance, food, music, vendors, voter registration drive. 2 p.m., Black Business Expo; 3 p.m., Cultural Food Tasting; 5 p.m., official program. Keynote speaker: The Rev. Lois Key-Alexander. Free. Donations accepted. Sponsored by the Lawrence Township Education Foundation.
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