7/29/2019 Black History Awareness Month

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Local African-Americans Share Their Stories Inspired By Black HistoryCOPYWRITER: JOANNA ERNST GRAPHIC DESIGN ER: BAXTON BAYLOR

QWhat does Black HistoryMonth mean to you?

AI came out o the service in the1960s, and no one would hire me.

I went to every rerigerator and airconditioning company in Richmond andcould not get a job. I was told that blackswere just not being hired to work asmechanics and that I was over-qualifed.

My uncle, Mr. Chiles Sr., said youcan stay here, and the rest is history.

Because o my race, no one would hireme at all. Now, Ive been in this businessor 51 years. My brother is 15 yearsyounger than me and does very well inthe rerigeration and air conditioningbusiness. Black History Month shows

just how ar weve come. oday, youget the job when youre qualifed.

It sticks in your mind how youve beentreated through the years. I worked on aarm in New Kent or my amily. hreedays ater I graduated rom high school,

I joined the Air Force. Iwas stationed in Florida,and the minute I got onpublic transportation, Iwas told to move to theback o the bus. hatwas my irst and lasttime going downtown. Ialso remember separatewater ountains or

blacks and whites. Te young kids todaydont know the opportunities they have.

QWho has been yourrole model?AMy uncle, O.P. Chiles Sr., was agood role model or me. I never

thought in a hundred years that Idbe the manager o a uneral home,but my uncle always said so. And hestruggled a lot to start this business.

QWhats the history o ChilesFuneral Home? How longhave you been in business?

ATe business was started in 1933.I remember there was a big fre,

and he [O.P. Chiles Sr.] buried themor little or nothing when nobody elsewould take them. In another case, about25 to 30 years ago, this lady went toevery uneral home in Richmond. Myuncle said, Dont worry. Youre going toget your son buried. Te small thingshave meant a lot; that happened yearsago, and I havent orgotten that.

QWhats the most rewardingaspect o what you do?AYou have to treat your neighborright the way you want them to

treat you. And then youll be able tosleep at night. Do right rom the verybeginning, and people can see you. Itsthe way you carry yoursel, and it comesback to you. In July, Ill have done this or52 years. Seeing a satisfed amily, whenthe amily says youve made it easier, itmakes you eel good. Tey appreciate

what youve done or them. Yes, they losta loved one, but youve helped ease theburden. We go the extra mile or them.

QWhat qualities would you sayare needed to be successulin your career track?

ALearn how to treat your ellowman right. Dont take advantage oanyone in their sorrow. It takes a specialperson to ft this role because its not

just a job. You have to have compassionor people. And its no longer just amans job, either. Now there are womenuneral directors, too. Its all about theattitude. You dont just get up and goto work; you do it as a proession andmust be a proessional about it.

N. Purcelle BrownMANAGER, CHILES FUNERAL HOME

LEARN HOW TO TREAT YOUR FELLOW

MAN RIGHT. DONT TAKE ADVANTAGE

OF ANYONE IN THEIR SORROW.

African-American inventorAlfred Cralle patented the FIRSTICE CREAM SCOOP IN 1897; hisoriginal design is still in use.

In 1875, African-Americanjockey Oliver Lewis wonthe FIRST KENTUCKYDERBY on Aristides.

In 1923, African-American inventorGarrettAugustus Morgan received a patent for aTHREE-WAY TRAFFIC SIGNAL, which waslater sold to General Electric for $40,000.

On April 23, 2007, 75-year-oldBarbaraHillary became the first black woman to RE ACHTHE NORTH POLE. At age 79, she became the firstblack woman on record to REACH THE SOUTH POLE.

PHOTO BY DARL BICKEL

QWhat does Black History Monthmean to you personally?AIt disappoints me that we studyblack history and honor black

Americans in a set-aside month andthe shortest o the year. I look orwardto the day when black Americans areinterwoven in the entire history, allyear long, o the making o America.

QIs there a historical fgure that hashad a special signifcance or you asyouve embarked on your career track?

ADiana Sands gave me the courage to stepoot into the acting arena. (Sands wasa prominent black actress who challengedracial barriers in the 1950s and 60s.)

QA personal role model?AMy mother. A communityactivist beore it had a name.

QA lot o people remember you as AuntVivian rom the Fresh Prince o Bel-Air. What was that exper ience like?

AI had a long, wonderul career inHollywood as a star o several V showso which I am very proud. Fresh Princewas a wonderul three years that has broughtme a wider audience and the recognitionthat brings, as well as another amily owonderul co-workers with whom I sharea orever bond that is orged through

experiences such as a V production. It wasintellectually, spiritually and personallystimulating to work with such fne people.

QYou were the frst Arican-Americanwoman named Homecoming Queeno a predominantly white university(36 black students in a population o6000) and the frst black woman onthe cover o Glamour magazine. Whatdo these milestones mean to you?

AI was in the right place when lighteningstruck. You dont know you are apioneer until you look behind you andsee that you have done something that

had not previously been done. It reallywas just another day or each occasion.

QWhat advice do you have or todaysaspiring actors and artists?ADont let the successes go to your headnor the ailures go to your heart. Have a

passion or something you love to do, as well,in case you haveto wait or yourlightening to strike.

QWhat is themission oNew MillenniumStudios? Whatdid you and yourhusband, im Reid,have in mind when

you opened it?

Aim and Iwere hoping tocreate a acility thatwould anchor the flm industry that existed inVirginia. We wanted a place to independentlycreate excellent programming and werehoping to create an inrastructure that wouldbe embraced by the creative community.

Qell me about the arts scenein Petersburg. What does NewMillennium contribute to this culture?

ATe arts scene is growing rom a hobbyistenvironment to a serious art and cultureenvironment. New Millennium is very deeplyrooted in the community through events andour participation on several local boards.We are the largest venue available in thearea and still a curiosity draw or many.

QWhats next onyour horizon?AI am pursuing a venture that ocuses onmy collections o photographs called

Fresh Prints. I have produced a printcollection, a note card collection and amshopping a book about my travels and myphotography. Its going to be a great year.

DaphneMaxwell ReidENTREPRENEUR AND ARTIST,CO-OWNER OF NEW MILLENNIUM STUDIOS

DONT

LET THE

SUCCESSES

GO TO YOUR

HEAD NOR

THE FAIL-

URES GO

TO YOUR

HEART.

PHOTO COURTESY OF DAPHNE MAXWELL REID

In 1821,Thomas L. Jenningsbecame the first African-Americanto receive a patent for hisDRY-CLEANING PROCESS.

On June 15, 1921,BessieColeman became the firstAfrican-American woman toRECEIVE A PILOTS LICENSE.

PHOTO COPYRIGHT, 2007 BARBARA HILLARYPHOTO FROM (NASA-HQ-GRIN)

QHow has black historyinspired your career path?ANot just during the month oFebruary but year-round, my

culture inspires me to do the best Ican with the gis and talents I have.

QIs there a historical fgure that hashad a special signifcance or you?ANaturally, I am drawn to MartinLuther King Jr., who combined

community and church. Also AdamClayton Powell Jr. (Te frst Arican-American elected to Congress romNew York) and Otis Moss Jr. (Arenowned preacher and civil rightsleader). All three took their religiousconvictions and were drawn to servethe greater good o mankind.

QWith an Associate o Science inbusiness administration,a Bachelor o Science in businessadministration and a Mastero Divinity what was the bigtakeaway rom all that schooling?

ATeres a counterbalance in whatIve done. I got my businessdegree and brought my business

sense into a new role. Everythingintermingles; lie isnt lived all inseparate boxes it all ows together.

Q

Whats something you didntlearn in a classroom?

APeople are the most importantthing. It has to be aboutcaring about everybody eveni we have our dierences.

QWhat is the No. 1 message you tryto impart to your congregation?AAll o us have the responsibilityto do the best we can with

what we have; Matthew 25: 31-46:For I was hungry and you gave mesomething to eat, I was thirsty andyou gave me something to drink, I wasa stranger and you invited me inTis is what God wants us to know.

QSixth Mount Zion hasmore than 140 years o richhistory. How do you adapt to theneeds o the 21st century?

AWe stay relevant. Im 38 years old,and I started here when I was 31.We try to make sure we reect on our

past. We have every age group, so wereespecially diverse. We stay relevant toall these groups and speak to wherepeople are in their journeys right now.

QTe church has a reputation orcommunity outreach. Can you tellme about some o the specifc projects?

ADuring the winter, we host theoverow shelter or the city. Whenits 35 degrees or below, they can stayhere overnight, rom November toMarch. Im looking out the windowright now and people are bringingin clothes. We do quite a ew things.

Once, instead o a Sunday morningservice, we did a community outreachto spread the spirit o love in thecommunity. I cant let the cat out o thebag just yet, but we are about to do itagain but on a much greater scale.

QYouve been listed in Style Weeklysop 40 under 40. In November2011, you were elected by the citizenso Varina to serve as its supervisor, the

frst Arican-American elected o cialin the districts history. Youve servedon several boards. Whats next?

AIll continue to do what Im doingand do it the best I can. I have morethan enough on my plate. Tats mypath. I want to be the best I can or the

church. I wantto be someoneGod is proudo or, notproud, but

pleased with.Tats better.

QWhat doyou liketo do in yourspare time?

AIn mysparetime, Imhome. Mywie and Iare enteringour 13th yearo marriage,

and we have three kids. Im also a sportsenthusiast basketball and ootball Ilove the Dallas Cowboys and UVA Cavs.Its also a little known act that, or thepast fve years, a group o fve guys comesover on Sunday nights and we have somespirited Monopoly games. Its the bestMonopoly game in the United States.

The Reverend Tyrone NelsonSIXTH MOUNT ZION BAPTIST CHURCH

PEOPLE ARE

THE MOST

IMPORTANT

THING. ITHAS TO BE

ABOUT CAR-

ING ABOUT

EVERYBODY

EVEN IF

WE HAVE

OUR DIFFER-

ENCES.

A SPECIALTY PUBLICATION OF THE RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH

PHOTO BY DARL BICKEL

PHOTO PUBLIC DOMAIN