Davis_20070902

Segment Synopsis: Story of name, getting father's middle name - O stands for Oliver. Went back for generations to his grandfather, tradition of incorporating father's first name as the son's middle name.

Segment Synopsis: Born in 1925 at Harlem Hospital in Manhattan

Segment Synopsis: Father’s family from Middleton, SC, on both sides - that's who he knows the most about. His great-grandparents lived in Edgefield, Strom Thurmond’s hometown. Great-grandfather had a tremendous farm, 2 or 3 city blocks - Norman remembers visiting when he was 10. The back of the house was still woods. Lived well - could read and write, although that was prohibited at that time. All of his ten children went to school - Norman's grandfather was the youngest.

Segment Synopsis: Grandfather played the guitar, his brother (13 years older than Norman's grandfather) played the fiddle, played for both blacks and whites. Family were well known troubadours in the area. When they played for whites, exchanged music for dry goods. Ate same food as guests ate, only in the kitchen. When they played for blacks, expected to play all night into the morning. Got last week’s leftovers, if anything, to eat. Grandfather shot in forehead at one of these events, blinded.

Segment Synopsis: Related to one of first black Senators - Robert Carlos Delarge - from SC, who was elected but not allowed to serve. Hattie/Het: great-grandmother, had Norman's grandmother as an unmarried teenager at 16. The father was from a well known, educated family - he was sent away to Amherst College in Boston to separate them as she was below his station. Norman's grandmother never learned to read or write. The father came to visit periodically.

Segment Synopsis: Norman's mother born in Baltimore - Florence Marie Simms. Norman's grandmother died when mother was 2 yrs old - so mother was sent to a convent. Aunt took her home, age 7. Catholic background always stayed with her - very moral and believed in faith. Norman shares his mother’s faith. Feel that he never loses, is a winner - if you're doing right and the best you can and God can't bring you thought difficult circumstances then you're doing something wrong. Doesn't see himself as lucky - says that its not luck, but fortune, which we control. Mother's father left her when she was young, never bothered with her until she was 16 - urging her to come up. He had another wife. It's a happy reunion, but then he dies within two weeks. Stepmother never kept in touch after that - lost contact with the four half siblings. Moves to Atlantic City, works on boardwalk as hotel chambermaid. Mother’s father’s sister named Annie Simms - she was the "Talk of Baltimore". 6 illegitimate children, 6 different men. One of her daughters, named Grace, marries a man who worked for post office (prestigious job). Grace was his mother’s first cousin. Opens 5 beauty shops in Brooklyn and went to Apex Beauty School - lives well. Norman's mother came to NYC to live with them. Grace took his mother to a matchmaker in Harlem who introduces her to Oliver Samuel Davis, his father.

Segment Synopsis: Mother stammered, and had an injured hand, since an accident age 13. Parents married and when they went to see his family, they were not enthusiastic. They were both young, 18 and 19 respectively. He was just up from the South, and she wasn’t from the South. His mother, a dominant, aggressive person, says directly that she doesn’t approve. Grace warns Florence not to marry him because of his mother. They were living in 351 (E 136th St), where Norman's great grandmother died in 1935, when he was ten. Called her “Ma.” Ma was the product of slaveowner and cook - she married James Davis. He was the super of the apt. house, they lived in the basement, cleaned and whitewashed. Got the second place nextdoor too, with an airshaft between, for mother and father.

Segment Synopsis: Hattie claimed her mother abandoned her "like a cat", but later it emerges that she’d chosen not to stay with her mother. She was always in his mother’s business, stifled his father and his initiative. Had a habit of telling father that he knew nothing. Mother hated living with Norman's grandmother - Norman thinks it's because she was jealous of how beautiful his mother was and that because she wasn't from the south she wasn't as easy to dominate. Mother left father, age 6, took Norman, father didn’t find them for a year. Moved from Mott Haven to East Side, 105th St. and 2nd Ave - beginning of Siciliano territory. Cold water flat, second floor, bathroom in hall, heat only from stove. Mother was a conscientious worker, she had learned that at the convent. Raised Norman alone.
Mother did day work, 1930 during the Great Depression, waited at Fordham Rd. and Concourse at 8am to be picked by Jewish ladies to clean their apartments. 25 cents/hour - for everything, windows, floors and sheets. Brought tears to his eyes, sounded to him like slave auction, she always said she did it for him. She then worked for Zimmermans downtown, on Barrow St., in Village, who had an apartment, and a deli on Hudson St. Worked for women at Green Gardens, and in Hudson St. deli, and cleaning for the Zimmermans. He got to eat at the deli – pastrami etc.. – played with children there. Got hand me downs from building that the elevator men saved for her, so he had nice things. Undertaker on ground floor of Norman's building on 105th St. - protected them. Showed mother “double decker caskets” for hiding one body under another - Siciliano mafia.

Segment Synopsis: Grandparents and father moved to 136th, b/w 3rd and Rider which was a dead end. 6 houses on the block - 5 on South side, one big building on north – Fox Calcimine company. Grandparents used to live on the first floor - Mother took him every weekend to see his father there, still tense relationship between mother and grandmother. Played with Delarge cousins, was close in age to a few of them and grew up together. On the same black lived the Moores (Thelma Jackson's family) - everyone feared the father. Saw tense relationships in Mott Haven between islanders and American blacks. Islanders had to learn a trade under British rule so could get better jobs than blacks.

Segment Synopsis: At that time, there was no Major Deegan Highway and no projects - all brownstones. Mostly German and Irish people in the area. 138th was the hub of Mott Haven. Going to 149th St. like going to 125th st. There was a dumpy movie house at 138th and Alexander, called the Haven. Better theater at 149th - learned to sneak in. In the block his grandmother lived on, there was a lot. Houses grandmother lived in owned by Italian woman, Miss Monzola. Behind that, just the water, wooden planks, fishing. Junks in Hong Kong reminded him of areas between River and Canal, full of barges, they played there. Sat at night on loading dock of Fox’s.

Segment Synopsis: Thelma [Jackson] older, not in his group. Her father a carpenter from Panama, spoke Spanish. He played with her siblings, and only became friends more recently. One of her brother's daughters was singing at a church downtown and that where they reconnected. Had dinner at a nice restaurant on Amsterdam and 160th - Thelma's granddaughter thought they made a cute couple.

Segment Synopsis: Different lives on weekend and week moving between East Side and Mott Haven. Didn’t make friends at home, because he was not around on weekends.

Segment Synopsis: Behind Norman's grandparents house were the freight yards that would unload a lot for the Hunts Point market. Ran away to them once, but got spooked and returned home - "maybe you'll run away next week". Got first bicycle at 14, began to ride up Grand Concourse, which was impeccable. Jewish ladies and some men sat outside on deck chairs. No debris, no vendors. His cousins got bikes too. Sometimes stayed with Grace, who had sold 5 shops and opened one on the East Side. Began teaching his mother the trade. He made her a homemade revolving chair after taking carpentry at school - was very proud of his creation. Mother then ran Ideal Beauty Shop - in partnership with Grace - for 40 years, mum must have struggled to do hair with her hand injury. He lived well, had first radio in neighborhood.

Segment Synopsis: When great-grandfather died the property left to all children, cash was given to blind grandfather, who used the money to go back down South. Norman went to visit over the summer, they had a chauffer (Son), big house, beautiful furniture, chinaware, like Caucasians. People warned him crackers wouldn’t like it. House was burned to the ground, grandfather had to come back to NYC and go on welfare for rest of life. "no man is an island." Family lived in the first project on the east side - 440 E 105th.

Segment Synopsis: Moved to East Harlem where from the river to Park Ave was the slum area, called “the coast”. From Park to 5th was “over the bridge.” - the dividing line. They lived on the coast and eventually moved over the bridge, right next to Central Park. Union Settlement House, 104th b/w 2nd and 3rd. Director, Mr. Wald, Norman called him “the suit,” took him as his protégé. they were fighting for better housing. He got to be the spokesman on visit to Mayor LaGuardia. When the projects came, they used eminent domain and broke up the neighborhood, where he used to know everyone from the river to 5th. Mother stammered, so he spoke for her, often. She was intelligent and has a zest for life, but wasn't taken seriously and was told she was stupid. Was his first interest in words and how she would avoid certain words because they would cause her to stammer, then reading intently and voraciously.

Segment Synopsis: In Junior High School on the East Side, Norman was brilliant but mischievous according to his teachers. Loved to dance, star of school play, "Johnny know it all". Between 16 and 19, they used to call him dictionary. Black folks used to put on African garb to be allowed into places where African Americans not allowed. If you speak well, whites will take you in, show you to their friends. Norman read the Bible and the dictionary all the way through. Didn't like arithmetic. Wanted to be a court sonographer. Took a shorthand typing course. Went to dance lessons in Mott Haven, hitched rides on trolley and 2nd ave el. His world completely changed when they built the projects. There was an Italian grocery down by Lincoln ave, amazing sandwiches. Chinese laundry on 3rd ave where dunkin donuts is now - offered day labour, hard work. Everyone from 136th St. went there to work, even his mom once before she owned the business.

Segment Synopsis: Mother moved up by City College. - 138th and Amsterdam, near Lewisohn Stadium. He had married by then - Norman says that a whole other story – wife had him arrested b/c she wanted to get rid of him. Worked on 110th at Columbia Field. Made Asst. Gardener in Parks in Nov. 1956. 1957 Columbia opened a field at Morningside Ave: field house, track, football/baseball fields. Got sent there to work b/c he “sounded like a college man.” James H. Young ran the field, first black professional he ever met. Taught him to calculate scores, report to Amsterdam News, taught him geometry to mark fields (the 3-4-5 rule).

Segment Synopsis: Grandmother moved out of the Bronx, but before that the whole area was private houses. Pharmacy on 138th and Willis served as doctor unless you were about to die - "everything but the last rites". Very few people came out of the hospital. Lincoln Hospital was over by 145th and Bruckner, he went there for his back when young. Norman used to build model airplanes as a child. Projects ruined the area. To build Major Deegan, they filled in the river and took some houses. Piled dirt three stories high, as wide as a block, from excavations. They’d play Zorro on it, and flew kites. No buildings over there, kites could take off and surge. Remembers fighting some Irish children with his cousin, biting and hitting with belts, they were the only blacks in the school. Downtown, in East Harlem was made up of Italian, Black, sprinkling of Jews. No FDR then - just piers where the ships would come in. Would take little red wagon from 2nd Avenue to the piers and wait for coal ships to come in, collect dropped coal from the shoots to bring home. No gangs - just clean fun. Bought a hotdog and root beer for lunch with the nickel his mother would give him for collecting coal.

Segment Synopsis: Remembers being prepared for education at Union Settlement, learning to pronounce and enunciate. Reflects on great grandmother's death - death certificate had wrong age (65 instead of 91). Bureaucratic indifference to details of poor people’s lives, compares it to The Godfather.

Segment Synopsis: Came to be in the current house because friend of mother’s bought property in Long Island. Mother invested in it. No lights, no roads, no water. They moved out there, ordered army barracks from SC, 1947, for $200-$300 dollars - 16x16. People called it “Florence’s Folly.” But they got a carpenter to put it up. Hired him for $50 a day. Mother and carpenter became a couple, for 20 yrs. Added smaller one for him, 10ft x 6, added bathroom and another room so it was L shaped. Norman lived in the same house as mother on Amsterdam Ave. new superintendent there ruined the boiler, no heat and hot water all winter. HUD advertising houses. They recognize the address of their current house in their old neighborhood. Someone had burned down their Long Island houses, and they got insurance money which they used to buy the house they're now in.

Segment Synopsis: First come first served at HUD: come with the money, it’s yours. Sturdy house, hadn’t had a fire. $8500, in cash. Went to Joralemon St. in Bklyn and bought it. Needed roof, floors, ceilings. friend, master of all trades, basement full of tools: hired as contractor. House is a mansion! New electrical, new plumbing. Someone tried to sell him back the boiler he’d stolen from the house. 00 had been buying bonds, saving all his raises, had saved $12,000 that way. Had some money from buying and selling stocks. Cost $50,000 to fix house. Now worth $800,000 - "that ain't bad!". house next door torn down, lot used by community, now new houses there.

Segment Synopsis: Started as Attendant for Parks Department, which was the lowest job in civil service - $160 a month, Stayed 32 yrs and worked his way up, became trainer. Got high school diploma, degree, and Masters.

Segment Synopsis: Was owning a farm usual for African Americans? During WW2 it was used as a landing field. Was owned by his great grandfather. He had a wooden leg from being kicked by a horse - which is how he got the money to buy the farm.

Segment Synopsis: Norman's uncle was a carpenter who said he helped rebuild fort sumpter. Used to shoot birds, was a skilled marksman - "crackshot of Edgefield". Grandfather had a car, and lived well until his house was burned down. He knew everything about the family and an encyclopedic memory and knowledge of baseball. Doesn't know how grandfather was able to learn instruments and became so well read. Davis is a known name in South Carolina - big family. Lost farm through lapsed taxes - whoever lived the longest got the property. Grandmother wouldn't let Norman's mother buy it out of spite. Father should have gotten it and it could have been Norman's. Norman want to go to SC and see the court records and learn more about it.

Segment Synopsis: Norman's father came to New York in the 20s as part of the migration from the south. First went to Detroit, then to New York on the Underground Railroad. Doesn't know why they ended up in the Bronx. Norman recalls Amos and Andy - has fond memories of their radio show. Love of wordplay

Segment Synopsis: Norman was injured at birth and couldn’t walk until after 18 months, used to slide along the floor. Mother insisted, against grandmother’s advice, on taking him to doctor. Grandmother said it was god's will. After a week at the doctors he was able to stand - but never went back so his vertebrae still misaligned. Used to bind himself up in sheets to keep his back aligned - still loved to dance.

Segment Synopsis: family played whist, which Causasians called bridge. Mother taught him to play. Played with grownups, and at Morningside Park with co-workers - Won 81 games in a row, for 7 weeks!

Segment Synopsis: When the block closed, cousins moved up around 149th st. riding bikes to orchard beach, streets were clean, houses had doormen. used to make model airplanes. enjoyed the life in Mott Haven, but was sad in east Harlem because no one really knew him because he wasn't around at the weekends to play with the other children. Mother was very proud of him, encouraged him and was a good mother - taught him love. She wore hand me down clothes and clothes from social services. Father was on welfare. Everyone wore same plaid welfare suit, went to musty warehouse to get them. Mother caring for father after they separated, because she loved him. And she didn’t want Norman wearing welfare suit. Eddie Lockjaw Davis – musician – lived on next block from them, practiced sax on the roof. His mother told Norman’s mother where to get affordable custom suits.

Segment Synopsis: Got in some trouble at 16, dropped out of school - was with someone who killed someone. The boy that did it was 12, the one who died was 15. He was the only one convicted as an adult. He didn’t know any better, but learned his lesson. His mother never turned her back on him. Never caused her any more trouble, and went on to make him proud until the end.

Segment Synopsis: After release, went to night school for 5 years at Washington Irving, got GED. Encouraged to get college-track degree. Many years later, DC37 hired him to train people to prepare for promotion, at Washington Irving. Taught arithmetic. Was married to to a paranoid schizophrenic, a nightmare

Segment Synopsis: Experiences as supervisor of the courts at 93rd and Central Park West. Brough order to the Randall’s Island tennis courts, managing through strictly enforcing rules. 32 courts at Central Park - the Wimbledon of NYC courts.