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INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT SUMMARY
Helen Gordon Bailey
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34th Interview
Interviewee: Helen Gordon Bailey
Interviewer: Dr. Mark Naison
No Date of Interview
Summarized by Christian Rivera
Helen Gordon Bailey, an accomplished attorney, moved to Morrisania in the
1930’s to 176th street Marmion Ave. Bailey’s father was born in Jamaica and worked as a post office employee. He attended Morris High School in the Bronx, and later on received a Steam Engineers Certificate. Bailey’s Father was a member of the NAACP and the Mithcell Royal American Legion Post. He favored the Democratic Party in the 1930’s and joined the Jackson Democratic Club. Bailey’s mother was born in Jamaica and became a homemaker.
During her early childhood, she attended St. Anthony of Padua before finishing her elementary education at PS 42. She graduated From Evander Childs High School in 1940. The ethnicity of Evander Childs High School was 20 Jewish, 3 Italians, 1 black, and maybe an Irishman. Black students were not told about scholarships from the State Senate or State Assembly. After graduating from Hunter College, she passed her bar exam at Brooklyn Law School. While in law school she studied general, divorce and labor law. She practiced property and general law.
Bailey and her Parents attended St Augustine Church with Reverend Edlar Hawkins. The church was once a White Presbyterian church before being converted to a Predominately African American Church. Bailey participated in the St. Augustine Young People’s Program.
Keywords: Morrisania, Marmion Ave, Jamaica, Morris High School, Democratic Party, NAACP, Morrisania Library, St. Anthony of Padua, P.S. 42, Evander Childs, High School, Hunter College, Brooklyn Law School, St. Augustine Church, Reverend Eldar Hawkins, Camp Minisink, St. Augustine Young People’s Program.
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© 2009 Bronx African-American History Project at Fordham University |
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