User:Schwarzoff/sandbox

Reverend Chauncy Moore, resident of Lower Roxbury, Massachussets is a participant of Northeastern University's Black History Project.

Early Years and Education
Reverend Chauncy Moore is an immigrant from Jamaica born on June 14th. Moore first came to Lower Roxbury during World War II at the age of ten. He began his journey by boat to America shortly after his parents passing. Initially he resided in New York City with one of his father's cousins for a short period of time in the mid to late 20s after his parents passing but later moved to Boston after a few years. Upon his arrival to Boston, several African Americans lived in the North End prior to becoming the hometown where Italians resided in Boston. Moore lived in Green Ridge Park and attended The Dwight School elementary school on Hammond Street. Throughout the early 40s he attended Old English High School and graduated in 1974 from Kittrell college in North Carolina. Throughout his Boston upbringing, he attended Zion Methodist church. Moore faced multiple accounts of racism during his early educational years due to his Jamaican nationality. Moore has witnessed the evolution of Lower Roxbury dating back to the the late 20s.

Family
Reverend Moore’s parents were both born and raised in Jamaica. His mother was born in Black River, Jamaica and his father was born in Barbados and was a seafaring man. Moore's parents passed away a year apart when he was just a child of unknown causes. Moore's great aunt, Adelaide Brown, was a member of the GAR otherwise known as The Ladies of the Grand Army of the Republic. His Aunt Lizzie was a member of the Grand Matron who was married to his Uncle Josh Brown. They both moved to Boston between the ages of 60 and 65 and were both members of Mason and the Eastern Star.

Careers
Moore's first job was selling The Guardian newspaper throughout Lower Roxbury. From ages 19 and 20 he was a bookkeeper and later worked as a switchboard attendant at the Hotel on Rutland Square.

Culture of Early Boston
As a resident of Lower Roxbury dating back to World War II, Moore has witnessed the transformation of Boston. When he first arrived he recalled how there were a number of blacks who came up from the Underground Railroad living in the North End which in today, is populated by Italian residents. In the mid to late 20s the flapper era was in full effect in Boston. Women wore long dresses and several homes in town had net lights on them. Boston had begun to be a diverse community consisting of West Indians, Latinos, Jamaicans, Barbadians and a small portion of people from Montserrat. Jazz and gospel music was beginning to gain popularity but due to the racism stirring in the State, the father of Gospel, Mr. Dorsey was highly frowned upon in the community. Mr. Lawrence Banks, pastor of the Baptist Church in the '30s was one of the leading men of the time. Dr. Taylor, spokeman for the black community gained popularity as well as two leading women of the church, Mrs. Sotira Bennett and Miss Gladys Holmes.Throughout the ‘40s several young black women wanted to become nurses but were strongly discouraged from hospitals: New England Deaconess, Baptist Hospital and Mass General were some of the hospitals that discouraged African American nursing practices during this time. Beth Israel, New England Women Children Hospital, and the Boston City were the only hospitals during this time that took in colored women. Blacks and whites began to integrate in 1952 at an appreciation banquet of Reverend Woodhouse. Schoolboy Parades were popular in Boston but eventually died out over time.

Culture of Early Roxbury
Beginning in the early twenties, oppression had begun to exist in Roxbury. Moore recalls how during the 20s there were not many people on the street because everybody was working: Shoe shining, waiters, working in hotels and being butlers were common jobs within the community. Policemen wandered the streets of Lower Roxbury in three-quarter coats with their nightsticks and gun around their waists. In the '30s the popular churches of black people in Roxbury were: Zion, Ebenezer and Charles Baptist which used to be located on Shawmut Avenue. During 1938 some African American’s who stood out in the Lower Roxbury community were Dr. Benjamin Mays, Charlotte Hawkins Brown, Mary Church Terrell and Mary McLeod Bethune who spoke at different churches. During 1939, a time of the Great Depression, blacks in the Lower Roxbury community had a strong tie to one another. It was common in the '40s to see prostitutes walking up St. Pertard Street to Mass Ave and Tremont Street. The community was close together and there was a decrease in break ins. Eventually people began to leave their houses open due to the sense of community in Roxbury. In 1975 Lower Roxbury had hit one of its lowest points. Arson fires were frequent and the city of Boston was not providing adequate services to garbage removal, road control and street repairs.

Popular Businesses in Early Roxbury
Some well known business in the early stages of Roxbury's development were Slades, Estelle, the High Hat, Harriet Tubman House, Shag Taylors pharmacy, and the Chronicle newspaper. Many members of the community took music lessons with Mr. Quakoo at the South End House. The USO on Boylston Street banned black soldiers from entering so they opened a USO on Ruggles and Washington Street. The Wang Theatre was a popular movie theatre to blacks in the community. Multiple social events were held for blacks in Lower Roxbury at the Butler Hall.