All Roads Lead to Jimmie Porter

Major funding for this program was provided by friends of Iowa Public Television. I dream that waterflow. Someday. Is going to be brought to the point where black people are going to be treated in such a way. That they have to continue. To be treated as underclass citizens. Jim Porter is committed to leave in this world better than the way he found it. Every day I am committed. To resolving or attempting to destroy some of those things that. Are barriers to the betterment not only to my south but also threatening to my children and my grandchild. The enabler program is committed to finding ways and methods

our way things change and method as it becomes necessary to be able to deal with this system. And the society that we live. In. The man has many styles. He can be loud and offensive when he feels he has to be or he can be gentle and captivating. Jimmy Porter fits no mo. He defies all label. One fact however does remain constant. When improvements in Waterloo's black community are examined and the paving of neighborhood streets to the hiring of minorities in the city and county government. All roads lead to Jimmy Porter. He was one of the most moving a lot more news to me.

I watch on television. Jim is a raising hell with the mayor and council with the board of supervisors because he knows they are doing the right thing toward his community. That's spread out all over the media and I'm just grateful that once again people say an Obama Rajaram border why can't we get rid of it. But he's never given the credit for the. Quiet things that he does that are very very productive. I think that his reputation maybe was one of not being very well respected by my people in the white community and I think that role changed and many people started to see what he was involved with. Being a community an enabler and an advocate for change and his respect was gained from an awful lot of white people in. I do hope so.

Jimmy Porter is Waterloo's community enabler. There are approximately 50 other similar positions in the country that have been established and financed by the United Methodist and Presbyterian churches. In truth there is little difference between Jim Porter the community enabler and Jim Porter the man the goals for each are the same. To bring the black people of Waterloo into the framework of the total community that commitment began in 1948 when a 17 year old Jimmy Porter arrived in Waterloo. I came to want to live Mississippi. I was looking for the promise to live. I was disappointed because I found the. But I discovered that the promise was even worse than where I came from. The thing that was of a shock to me was how well Waterloo had domesticated it black people and it placed in a role that was

almost to me was an assault in. And they have to learn their place and was living with in that place that had been designated to them white people in Waterloo in 1954 Jimmy Porter was laid off from his job at John Deere Company. From there he went to work at RAF packing house where he became active in and later Vice President of the United packing workers union a position he held until becoming a community enabler in 1968. In addition to being a union spokesman Porter has also been a political activist. In 1972 he was an Iowa delegate for George McGovern. Beyond those responsibilities Porter's dedication has been to civil rights where he has had the vision to see the needs and the determination to find the solutions to problems plaguing blacks. Porter has been involved in the creation of

numerous projects projects like BBG black owned and operated radio station the Martin Luther King Center where minority youth can receive vocational training. The Logan Dayle apartment complex which provides housing for low income people and the community based Lily Ferguson daycare center. Over the years Porter has become an articulate spokesman for the black people of Waterloo developing a hard earned reputation of working effectively within the power structure. We would like to also take advantage of the revenue that is available. At first they didn't want to listen to it. But didn't support that Jimmy. They showed that with the community and it. Showed them that this was the person that they had to listen to. There isn't very many people that will go to the cross. We get to go. That way and when the things get rough Danelle back off. But.

I think this is what has impressed a lot of people and. Cause him to have some dedicated followers. The hardest task I think we've ever had in the face. I think that when I started out to try to. Deal with to say that to sad is that it sometimes do you see each other as being a problem to be placed in a position where you almost have to attempt to try to serve two masters. Can be very frustrating if you don't realize wait. What were you going when. You paid 100 percent for a fund that comes from the White Church Methodist Presbyterian. And I'm responsible to a 100 percent black. Group of people. The question then becomes how do you deal with a situation like that. I discovered that. I could not be placed in a position like that. I

am totally committed. To. My community without any reservations. That's my job. And I think I do it well because I got people around me see that. Well. It's. Difficult. For. For. White people to. Get black people poor black people not try to call their agenda. And you know a community like this. There are white people who think they know what black people and everybody else needs. And somehow a lot of these people as it turns out over the years have been in positions of. Political power. Economic power. And so frequently we've got a lot of pressure. Where we've had problems it's frequently been from churches where. They don't know the program they don't understand the program. They're not involved in the attempt to interpret it. And that's where the difficulty frequently comes from locally. We're also we've had strong support from. Administrators bureaucrats within

the Presbyterian Methodist Church. And the fact that Jimmy has national recognition in both churches. And that is able to be sent to Puerto Rico for example. As sort of a testimony to your fact supporting it's. A tactic. Jimmy Porter likens himself to a service of the black community. Much of his time is spent helping the needy the often confusing complexities of bureaucratic agencies. He also counsels individuals on topics ranging from jobs to education to health care and when his budget permits he assists people with rent utility payments or closing on a daily basis for her travels his community visiting many clients and it's during these encounters a dismal fact keeps recurring when the poor are faced with monetary problems. The one item that's easiest cut from family budgets is food.

What we have decided to do since we cannot meet all their needs financial literacy that they have a. Balanced dad is we decided that we would. Grow the food. So we got in touch with the person who owns us four acres of land. And they said they would allow us to use it. And we then got in touch with the national vision of United Methodist women. And they in turn gave us a grant. And then we went to the development of the Presbyterian church of central Iowa. And they gave us a grant. And then we came here and we plan and this four and a half acres of basic foods that people. Of this area couldn't sell. I think black people. Are people. Who. Have the responsibility of keeping this country human past. I think our role.

Is because I don't give a damn how far we go one way or the other we always come back. So you got to feed hungry people. My thing is if I had all the wishes in the world. I'd like to see people not be hungry. I'm like see people have adequate housing and heat. I don't give a damn about a million dollars. I would just have to turn around and give it away because I know too many people of me. The problem that we face as black people are not going go away and we were not going to wake up in the morning and wish them all the way. We're not going to sing We Shall Overcome and they can go away. And furthermore we pride ourselves out of this mess. On the way. We're going to deal with it it is two methods that's sophisticated enough that's going to. Demand.

And I think we have to do that we're going to demand that we get them. They are not going to give them to us. Racial tensions peaked in 1972 when the Waterloo's black community organized a demonstration in the parking lot of a local shopping center as part of the protest. A list of 14 demands was presented to the Waterloo's city council and board of education. Twelve years ago today. This is what we were doing. We were concerned about education and your concern about community services we were concerned about employment not only here. We came in spent 42 days shopping was less than 10 percent of its normal business. And I remember. US leaving. Sullivan park. It. Was. Very few of us. By that time because Jim had mentioned the fact that we got to go away. And whatever rollaway meant was were.

And by the time we cross that bridge you got to that river. Which is what separates us. We had several. Hundred. People. In the line. By that time I'm both young and one hand. And one other thing I like to mention is the fact that prior to. The demonstration. There was very few people almost any. There wasn't any working up here at the. Logan Plaza. You could come through Waterloo. And if you a black person you think it is an all white city. That was not a person that we felt that we were speaking to felt that it was anything on a reasonable what we was asking. The only question was is. My. God do you have to do this to get it. We would say. Tell us a nice way of doing it. We had. More. White people out here at. Times. Demonstrating with us. And then black folk. We had all kinds of people.

Freedom. Comes not easy. It took people of color. And unless we're willing to pay for it we just should not kill them yet. And indeed they know that we're willing to pay for what is going to be to date and only the day. When we. When they discovered. That they couldn't scare us and they had guns wasn't going to frighten us and the police who couldn't stop wouldn't going to arrest all of us. And they weren't going to be able to drag their cause and hit us and run us away when they discovered that that wouldn't work. Then they sit down and negotiate it with those. In the end of most of the 14 demands were met including our policy on racism adopted by the Waterloo Board of Education. The hiring of a black assistant superintendent and the promise of more blacks hired at local businesses. I don't think those days are over. If not hear of it we need to someplace else. And. In a time of scarcity especially when jobs are scarce like we are now. We know that people give

jobs life. Our position is is that there's three jobs available. We deserve one. And we have a we don't get that one is where we are not going to spend our money is we need 20 percent of all administrators in the school system because that's the percentage of time Romanovs. Until we obtain that we have no reason to sit down and talk about how far we have come. We will be talking about how far we still have to go. These kids have to take these kids maybe you didn't have to take these extra requirements. Know you go back to the times when we had a lot of rough. And there were people were saying hey if we had Black Administrators you wouldn't have near the problem that you have now. So if you were listening though they really were it's cool because I think here to 76 and give more credit to one person and like look right there

right now. Got to go see the person going to make a noise and say things that other people would think and were afraid to say. I mean things are looking pretty good for me. We don't have a whole lot of new faculty coming aboard but the one good thing that I do have is I do have one black English teacher that will be coming aboard to help me out. So that really. Is a tremendous help. When you figure that the number of minority teachers that we ever is high school is small very small black kids rely very heavily on other black people to help them. And when you're the only one that put a tremendous amount of better known you by her being here she will get involved with working with black people and that just takes more of the burden off of me and it gives them help. Plus the kids can see another person they can identify with. That's more important than any one single thing. I'll have a good example of that. The thing that I hope to be when it comes to dealing with children. Example I think there's a need for. The minority black kids in particular to take advantage of the education

opportunities that are here. Because if you don't in 1984 take advantage of educational opportunities. I mean you will be in pretty sad shape down the line. I was interviewed. By a number of people were community. Residents of Waterloo as well as staff. But Jimminy there were some things that specifically you talked about my coming here and I know you were involved in that process and you pull me over in the evening and you told me some ways and I can remember some of the things quite frankly one of the things that one of which I held very dear and you said hey listen. We need you in our community and we would like you to work with us in developing some program. We may not be able to pay you with your work but there's no other community that needs you any greater than ours to be poor. I quote. So with those kind of sincere efforts on people like yourself who were sitting in the community I mean with the

university community and trying to draw in people to do something I think. That meant meant something to me. But what's really important is for people like myself and other staff members to involve themselves in the community I'm part of the community I mean I'm physically living in the area. So that's my civic duty and responsibility and that's my desire every day care center or any community based organization to serve the needs. Of its kids is community based up on was convenient for it. And that's why it is so important to have people to these organization who lives and part of the community. And it's hard sometimes for white America to understand. That's hard for me I understand because so also neighborly. That from 8 to 5 that's a business out of this daycare center here need to be open at 8:00 o'clock at night 6:00 o'clock in the morning to serve the needs of the people here. That's what is going to.

Do. For. Me. I think one of the greatest things that I can. It happens to me is I think at the end of the day that I can pick up a book I can. These are questions for Mr. Porter. And number one I did not only do I read but I like to be able to have the ability to read and try to stand it in order to get on the radio you have to follow certain rules. You have to ask the government to give you permission. To. And then when that education is so important no one that education is sometimes used as a means of discrimination and not necessarily evaluation. No one that black people have to minute time be beyond their required to get a

particular job. Then we have to constantly preach and try to convey to our young people a stupid pair of yourself I go around and I carry this with me. In 1970 you accuse the University of Northern Iowa a Center for Urban Education opened its doors on the city's east side. Jimmy Porter and a handful of concerned citizens saw the need for an educational center in their community and pressure at the university in nearby Cedar Falls to make it happen. Its goal is to provide educational opportunities for low income and minority persons and to instill confidence in learning. You have to adhere to the needs of the community. I mean and that means that your programming will be flexible. We have always had a tutorial program which is probably as old as the facility and that need has been tremendous over the years.

You've probably read the report that was given to on education and so there is a definite need when you're talking about 23 million American adults who are literate. There is a definite need for a program like that. It won't work. We see that there is a need for young people to get in the area get off into the area of math and science. These are major problems in our society you see children who just don't want to take math or science after the 10th grade which is usually the last year that they're required to do so. They don't want to take that upper level math. We're saying that a lot of it is due to fear. So what we're doing is trying to address that fear and get them to overcome that type of connection you want in your house.

No the whole focus next year will be in the area of research. We're going to be doing some with the head start program. So we're going to be really moving fast. I guess looking back I can say you know it's almost unbelievable. Think about the beginning of this place and all the wear and tear on the nervous system. When we look here at Mr. Tony Stephens Tony a young man who was a student there who at the time when he ran into a roadblock or he was asked five of the stoon was asked how many was a seven. So seven of us went over and to meet with the president and stayed a little bit beyond his. Was that he thought they should leave. And he ended up being charged with trespassing. And even though we can look back and say Did you or did you then you

condone some of the things that happened we look and say is all love. That was the road that led here every time an organization come into being. Take all those concerning that place that people with one of the greatest needs we have in this in the housing area that you should take as much as 25 percent of my time. Now there's no longer a need for me to do that. So what I'm doing now is kind of picking up and taking up some of that overflow. He's been very helpful to me. I can go to him and he can say Well Gary we did that already and it didn't work or it only works so well. So now I can sit back and regroup. OK. After taxes in a different manner. The problem that I'm working with now the past on a program that we are going to try to deal with a case in point the first house that we're going to rehab will be one that's owned by a landlord. Now that's going to fix that up. Then he

will give us let's just say a figure of 10 percent of the rent or sell property that will take it back into the program thus enabling us to go on to another house further up the road. One of that one of the biggest problems we have here is the number of vacant lots that's in our neighborhood as a result of the tearing down of houses in this area. And what happens often is that they tear down the house but nobody maintains a lot. And so we end up with lots with about five feet a foot weeds on it. G.M. had been working for a number of years with that. And we also see the need to state employees and kids keep these lights maintained. It's amazing how much we are get it done now. You take right the young man as he was driving a tractor. He's actually doing that as a means of getting this vacant lot. First of all that property is an

absentee landlords. But when you drive through here the person who lives in his neighborhood is blame for the condition and the looks of that particular piece of property. And rather than have the people around here reflect reflected on as being negligent they are down. And yes it's all done in a manner to try to make the neighborhood look better in a 1965 comparative urban study entitled negroes in cities. Harvard University professor Carl Taber labeled Waterloo Iowa the fifth most segregated city in the country today. Progress in educational and employment opportunities can be measured for Waterloo's blacks. And much of the credit should go to the ongoing work of Jimmy Porter. People say to me Don't ever get tired. How come you work seven and a half days a week. Why don't you stay up all night. My thing is if the more I get

done. The less my children have to do. There is not another group of people in the world America period would allow itself to be oppressed and live with. The anger in me. Says you've got to do something about it or you go destroy yourself. And this war is on. My head is still on my. Head. And so I've got to get as much. As I can. And I'm going to. It is not a man in a world that more optimistic that. I. Major funding for this program was provided by friends of Iowa Public

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