Ossie Davis Interview

Oh my God you know. Oh OK. Mr. Davis when you hear the names Elaine Locke way for Logan Charles Drew James neighborhood Sterling Brown and Franklin Frazier what comes to mind. I think of the man the ones you called off. OK that's that because my my questions will not be on tape at all. So if you want to say when I think of you and then go into you know going to hear your answer. But we're not having a conversation. OK. But I'm listening to you. That's OK that's OK. OK OK. Your show she first let me know what you want all right one more time. When you hear the names Elaine Locke way for Logan Charles Drew James neighbor Sterling Brown and E. Franklin Frazier what

comes to mind. The name of the man standing. You're not people OK with him either. OK. I'm talking to you I'm not. But I told him I'm telling you talking. All right OK or not John I get it. All right all right. Yeah I wish I had the picture with you know that I should have planned that way. You're all right. Pray for James Brown and for a scholarship. The best. And your scholarship. Let the light shine a light blanket. Oh that one I got to

say OK well right now we're good on. Course. Good morning. Oh.

So. But.

Yeah I like that. Yeah like. Up up up up. But yeah they they bought the house and they didn't have quite kind words for Della Reese at that time. She's an angel. Yes now she the night you know right. Yes. I think she's there but. I'm still standing live. OK that you can understand. I yeah I'm trying to figure out how to fit into what you're trying to do OK and still be true to me OK. But I want you to do that to be true to hear. Yeah. And you see if people listen to you know why and I know that because I

try not to speak that option on the street. I try not to just run mouth because your mouth is open and shut up. So I'm not squeamish but I have to take it out. OK already I do understand you got it. OK. We go again. When you hear the names Elaine Locke Rayford Logan James neighboring Sterling Brown and the Franklin Frazier what comes to mind. What do these men represent to you that these men represent the some of the greatest minds America has produced and the glory of it was that they all were collected at this one place at Howard University. And when I as a student came to Howard through that same gate they control the world into which I stepped and they were giants then. And thinking back now that. I think

that they were even greater than I thought. America owes much to the magnificence of their thought of their character. And certainly we as African-Americans I'm not sure we would be where we are. But for the direct contribution of some of the men in this line. Would you consider these men race men. The term race man in three to one. I would definitely I would definitely consider these men race men and this specific sense. And those days we used to say that how would was the capstone of Negro Education. Which meant to us that Howard had a

special obligation to deal with African-American students as an antidote to the pervasive racism which by and large sometimes made us feel culturally and Feria. This man took it upon themselves to help us students realize that race was not something to be ashamed of it was something on the contrary to be proud of and by their example. And I what they said. And by the materials. Oh. Both in art forms and books and novice and whatnot that they provided to us they gave us a wide sense of what who we were as a people and the important part we had played in the history not of this country but of the world. They were definitely a race of men and they knew this segregation and slavery had crippled us in our culture. And

they set out deliberately as race men you know to redress that grievance to give us what was missing in our culture a sense of our own worth and value. Oh yes they were race men and the best sense of the word. I. Mean that's that's all I'm going to ask but I'm just going to ask when I think you want to tell me the story of how you got away lock some money. OK. No you can't tell me that if I put it in that it can go in. Oh yes and the reason why I die in Iraq was central to my discovery of myself as an artist. As a playwright and as an actor I had wanted to be a

writer. I came to the campus with very little information about what writing was because I came from the deepest part of the South. I took one of his classes on one occasion invited me to his office sat me down and said What do you want to do with yourself. And I told him I want to write. He said what kind of writing I said I want to write for the stage shoot stage. Yes. You mean the stage where actors. Actors are up on the stage and I said yes. He said well where you from. I said Waycross Georgia. Have you seen every band I'll stab you see in the stage. I said no. We said we have never seen a play. I said no. He said you intend to write for the stage and you're never even seen a play. I should know.

He said Well I tell you what when you finish I'm going to give you the address of a little theater group in Harlem and the people who run it and I'm going to write them a note and introduce you when you finish you present yourself. If they accept you join that little theater group the rose McLendon players and do everything that you see that you possibly can do whatever the ash act sane bands right. That will ultimately come to know what the theater is and then find out whether you can write for it and. Show he said. How are you supporting yourself. Sure when I have an NY scholarship and I also have a job down there at the laundry center that takes care of all of your needs.

I said well you know sometimes I'm a little short. So what if you have some difficulty registering you know you can't make the tuition. Let me see if I can help you. So that semester was over and it was time for further study. I was a little short of the money so I went to him and he loaned me some money. And on another occasion he loaned me some money. And I was promised that I would pay him back I meant to do that but I never sufficiently affluent while he was still alive to do that but I unlocked his demand and essential created me. But this is what you want this is where he was he discovered Langston Hughes he discovered Zora Neale Hurston. This is a man who went around and show aspiration and talent and energy

and he picked it out and he helped it win money or whatever. And this is what I found on the campus and I mean luck was a prime example of you know turning brown. Surely we're too smart to let me I manage money but. We were friends for a long time. Because my next question was What did you think of Sterling Brown. So tell me about his influence on you. Three two one. Standing by. I was out for lunch it was much more personal than a lark and the first place. Stylish character and personality was much walleyes and more open hearted. He sort of stepped into the place that my father had occupied he was a star a storyteller like my father. He loved music and my dad he could play guitar and there was something about starting that

made me feel quite at home and his stories were always very funny and I I could laugh like nobody's business. He was the one who introduced me to I guess what they call negro literature at the time. All the poets that I had never read and the novelist I'd never read including his works and you know being invited to his house and listening to the latest recordings of Duke Ellington and various other jazz arches and him explaining how all of this was a part of the great musical tradition that we had made to American society. I'd never thought of black music as being anything but you know just music black folk sang he introduced me to the concept that this was great art something we could be proud of. And he also kept an eye out

for me because he knew I was from the country and he knew both the temptations and limitations such a country boy might face. Sure always. You know it took time to see if I was doing all right. And after I left the campus you know I got to know him perhaps even better than when I was on the campus and we remain good friends. Himself permitting him to until he died. Thinking OK thank you because I do what I want.