Dr. Rhea Lawson and the City: Screwing over working class African Americans for 10 years
Our email dated August 31, 2010
Dr. Rhea Lawson, Director, Houston Public Library
Dr. Lawson,
In January 2010 I brought Bobby Caldwell, a 76 year old African American attorney, to give his oral history at the African American Library at Gregory. Your staffer, Nicolas Costellanos conducted part one of his interview and then conducted part two a few months later when I again drove Mr. Caldwell to the library. To this day, Mr. Caldwell’s oral history has not been posted on the Gregory Library site.
Today I was at the Gregory and spoke about this with Helena Stokes, the manager of the library. Ms Stokes had many excuses but no answers about why oral history subjects who gave interviews after Bobby Caldwell have their history posted to the Gregory website but no reason why Mr. Caldwell’s was not. In fact Ms. Stokes became very belligerent and said something to the effect of “You can ask my boss …” It is entirely unnecessary for your employees to talk to taxpaying citizen’s like myself an unprofessional tone of voice particularly when I was asking a very simple question and in light of the fact that the Gregory has absolutely no patrons 10 months after it was opened. (see Fox News and Channel 13 new stories about that exact issue).
Ms. Stokes also informed me that Nicolas Castellanos, who had no degree in African American anything, (just like all the employees at Gregory) no longer works for the library system and that there is no one to conduct oral histories at the Gregory library. When will that situation be rectified and what is the point of having oral history facilities and equipment if you just fire the person who was doing them and don’t replace him?
Therefore I have two questions:
1. When is Bobby Caldwell’s oral history going to be available to the public via the Gregory website?
2. When is the Gregory going to have a qualified person conducting oral histories working on site?
Please advise.
Timothy J. O’Brien, Ph.D – for Gregory Library Watch
Read Dr. Lawson’s reply: Rhea Lawson reply 9.2.10
Press Conference Tuesday Sept. 7 @ 10 a.m.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Freedmen’s Town – Gregory Library Watch will hold a press conference at 1204 Victor (next to the Gregory Library) in the historic Fourth Ward.
The press conference concerns Dr. Rhea Lawson, the director of the Houston Public Library system and the investigation of Lawson for the falsification of government documents and much more.
Gregory Library Watch is a non-profit organization of Freedmen Town resident activists dedicated to preserving all of the African American history in Freedmen’s Town.
Download flyer – GLW prescon flyer 9.7.10
About
We are a group of concerned activists living in Freedmen’s Town. Our mission is to ensure that the history of working class African Americans in the City of Houston and particularly in the Freedman’s Town Historic District, are represented in the Gregory Library.
Currently the Gregory prefers to sanitize history and include only a top down version. Their top down view omits the people’s history.
Collectively we have spent 80 years living and working in Freedman’s Town to protect and preserve the history, heritage and culture of African Americans. Together we have brought over $82 million dollars into Freedman’s Town.
As our campaign moves forward we will be posting more information concerning the activities of the decision makers at the Houston Public Library System and the manager of the Gregory Library.
To get involved, CONTACT US: gregorylibrarywatch (at ) gmail (dot) com or call Tim @ 832.771.7263
Gregory Library Watch 