The Movement for Civil Rights: From Emancipation Proclamation to The Civil Rights Movement 1863-1965

In my lectures and exhibitions work, I feature the great Social Justice Movements which began with The Civil War and continue today.
 
This is also part of The Doggett Family Narrative, the story of my parents-the late Reverend John Nelson Doggett Jr and my mother, his first wife, the late Frances Clarke Brown Doggett.    
 
Frances Clarke Brown Doggett, a passionate genealogist was the last living grand daughter of ex slave, Abbie and Henry Clarke, two of the founding members of  one of Richmond Virginia’s oldest Black churches: Sixth Mount Zion Baptist Church  
 
 Founded in September 1867 in a former Confederate stable for horses by the renown preacher, Reverend John Jaspers, an ex slave, the church is Richmond’s first Black church built after The Civil War
Frances was the last living niece of Mary Frances Clarke, a Class of 1900 graduate of Howard University Freedman’s Hospital and Richmond Virginia’s first registered Black nurse.  My great aunt’s diploma from Freedman’s Hospital was presented in the mid 1980s to her church, Sixth Mt Zion Baptist Church by her niece, my mother, Frances Clarke Brown Doggett.
Freedman’s Hospital Training School of Nurses was the premiere school for Women of Color in Nursing education of its era.  My great aunt, Mary Frances was one of The Clarkes of Richmond, all of whom were involved in education fields.

Freedman’s Hospital, Howard University circa 1900

A Tribute To Mr Lincoln 1942,
A Lincoln University Centennial Tribute
From These Roots: The Road Taken….Not Taken
John N Doggett Jr to Meek Mills to Starbucks 
Philadelphia 2018
Reverend Doggett was the son of Winola Ballard of Georgetown area
 Washington D.C with family roots in Fairfax County, Virginia
 and John N Doggett Sr from Norfolk, Virginia 
 
 His  Grandparents,  Luke and Elizabeth Doggett of Virginia had many children, some whom worked as share croppers in the early 1900s before migrating  to The North for work* part of the larger Great Migration of African Americans out of The South 1914-1918.
Born in  Philadelphia and a graduate of Lincoln University[Year Book page below]  and Union Theological Seminary, my father, Reverend Doggett took the call during World War II to come to San Francisco Hunter’s Point to pastor to African Americans migrating from the deep South to work in the War Effort shipyards in San Francisco. 
circa 1936 North Philadelphia: 
at home on North Van Pelt Street- John Doggett age 18 with older brother, Bill, age 20 and parents, John Sr and Winola Doggett

the young pastor in Graduation photo at Union Theological Seminary, New York City

In 1947, he was the founding pastor of the new Black Methodist Church in Oakland, Downs Memorial Methodist Church before moving in 1950 to Pasadena, California.
 
During their time in both San Francisco and Oakland 1945-49, they befriended and collaborated with two other persons who played critical roles in advocating for social justice for Bay Area African Americans: Reverend Howard Thurman, Reverend Hamilton Boswell of Jones United Methodist Church and Carlton Goodlett.  

Photos below: Reverend Howard Thurman- Theological mentor to Reverends John  N Doggett Jr and Martin Luther King Jr.

Pastor at Scott United Methodist Church in 1950-54 Pasadena California, a suburb of Los Angeles similar in social and political culture to The South, Reverend Doggett worked with The Pasadena NAACP years before the  historic 1954 Brown vs. Board of Education to desegregate the ciy and to create better employment opportunities for African Americans there.  
 
My mother, Frances Doggett was the first African American to integrate The Pasadena City School District in 1951.  She taught First Grade at the previously all white Garfield Elementary School.  Frances’ focus was on outreaching and mentoring Youth, a mission that continued until her retirement as a K-6th Grade Reading Specialist in 1977.
Moving to Los Angeles in 1954, Reverend  Doggett became pastor of Los Angeles’ historic Black Methodist Church, Hamilton Methodist Church 1954-1965.
 
Eleanor Roosevelt-center–with California Assemblyman Gus Hawkins and Reverend Doggett at Hamilton Methodist Church.
Mrs. Roosevelt, the wife of the late President Franklin Roosevelt spoke at my father’s church Hamilton Methodist for a Los Angeles Community Groups for Kennedy event.  Photo: LA Sentinel circa September 1960
During this time, Reverend Doggett was also Treasurer for The Western Christian Leadership Conference, the West Coast division of the more famous Southern Christian Leadership Conference under the leadership of the young Martin Luther King.  
 
The title of Treasurer was for 2012, a title of Director Of Development.  
 
During the important early years of The Civil Rights Movement,1960-62, my father was responsible for the fundraising in Southern California and throughout California for The Freedom Riders and the was the chairman for the historic first Freedom Rallies 1961-62 held in Los Angeles to raise awareness and funds for SCLC and The Civil Rights Movement.

April 1961 Bovard Auditorium,USC, Los Angeles: Reverend Doggett presents Martin Luther King Jr certificate/check as Development Chair for WCLC.   Photo: Courtesy CSUN Harry Adams Archive

The young Martin Luther King, Reverend John N Doggett Jr and unidentified person
Photo@CSUN Harry Adams Photography Archive
Made in L.A
L.A as Subject
University of Southern California Libraries Present
The 12th annual  Archives Bazaar
 October 21, 2017, Doheny Library, USC main campus
HELP SAVE A CALIFORNIA AND ST LOUIS CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT LEGACY

Los Angeles City Councilman, Gilbert Lindsay-standing next to  Reverend Doggett seated-far right and newly appointed members of WCLC, The Western Christian Leadership Conference: a Los Angeles fundraising arm for Reverend Martin Luther King’s  newly formed SCLC

Reverend Doggett, Treasurer WCLC, the young Reverend Martin Luther King Jr and Dr. Littlejohn of The Los Angeles Urban League and
Reverend Jerry Ford of  WCLC- FREEDOM RALLY at USC  Spring 1961
Photo appeared in Los Angeles Sentinel newspaper
Hamilton Methodist Church: Capital Campaign Brochure
The new building and sanctuary 1959-60   The congregration moved because the proposed new freeway-The Santa Monica Freeway threatened to come directly in the path of the old church and force its demolition
@1961 Los Angeles City Hall Press Conference:Standing: LA County Supervisor, Kenneth Hahn, Seated:L-R:Reverend Doggett, Reverend Maurice Dawkins and Reverend[unknown]

During these critical years, my father joined ranks with other leading Los Angeles civic leaders including Supervisor Kenneth Hahn, Congressman Augustus Hawkins, LA City Councilmen Billy Mills and Gilbert Lindsey, The Reverends Maurice Dawkins, LL White, James Hargett, Sylvester Odom, Jerry Ford, John Bain and Lawrence Felix to create a critical wellspring of movement towards social justice on all levels  for African Americans and other under represented citizens

The young TOM BRADLEY, 1963 future Mayor of Los Angeles 1970s-90s  then with LAPD  standing next to Methodist Conference Bishop Shaw. I was 8 years old then but it is likely Tom Bradley was presented by Bishop Shaw during the church service.   Color proof from photo shoot of my parents.

The Doggett Family, Spring 1960    1809 Virginia Road, Los Angeles. 
 
This historic photo is bookended by the Doggett Brothers:
Los Angeles Civil Rights leader, Reverend
John N Doggett Jr and Bill “Honky Tonk” Doggett of 1956
King Records Honky Tonk Pts 1/2 fame
Three  Generations of  John Doggetts-1960  Open House Event
 1809 Virginia Road, Los Angeles
 
Seated:John N  Doggett Sr, immediate behind right: Reverend John N Doggett Jr. and left, John N Doggett III.  Seated left to right: Winola Ballard Doggett, wife of John N Doggett Sr., Angelyn Garlington Doggett and husband, Bill “Honky Tonk” Doggett[older brother of  Reverend Doggett]  Right seated: Carolyn Clarke Brown, my grandmother and mother of  Frances Brown Doggett seated far right
My father would relocate to St Louis during Freedom Summer 1964, where he would bring with him this great portfolio of leadership to the Civil Rights struggle of the late 1960s-70s St Louis.  
Reverend Doggett helped to keep a fragile peace in St Louis.    
1994 St Louis: Lifetime Achievement Award:St Louis Urban League
 
Fast forward to Ferguson 2014, the road map my father helped to create as President of The St Louis NAACP from 1971-81 has informed 2014 St Louis Clergy in how to lead and make a difference during this time of great challenge in Civil Rights and Race Relations in St Louis and the nation.
 
As St Louis NAACP President 1971-81, Parlimentarian for St Louis Metropolitan Clergy Coalition for 2 decades, Chairman of Central Medical Center, North St Louis, Board member of The Missouri Historical Society and National Chaplin for Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, my father’s lifetime of civic service and social ministry has impacted the lives of many in metropolitan St Louis, Ferguson and beyond…..
2011-12 saw many commemorations of this significant early social justice movement: The Freedom Riders’ bus rides into the deep South to test the landmark 1954 Brown vs Topeka Supreme Court decision that struck down Jim Crow and Separate but Equal discriminatory practices towards Blacks in the South.  These were also the critical years of The Sit Ins.
 
2013-2015 are years of Freedom Anniversaries: (1) the 150th anniversary of The Emancipation Proclamation issued to free the slaves by President Abraham Lincoln  (2) The 50th anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington, in which Reverend Martin Luther King made his famous  I Have A Dream speech  (3) the Second Term of the first African American President, Barack Obama
MONTGOMERY 1955, BIRMINGHAM 1962 MEETS  FERUGSON 2014
#advancethedream  #TheCivilRightsMovement2.0
2013-15 are the years of Challenge and Rememberance as we  reflect on the deaths of Trayvon Martin, Jordan Davis, Michael Brown, Tamir Rice …..and Eric Garner  and deferred justice in the Grand Jury Hearings
August 17th, 2013, The March on Washington@50, A Bay Area Celebration honored my parents’ history in The Movement. 
 
 The Symposium brought together clergy, Black, White, Hispanic, Asian, Lgbtq, Youth Leaders and veterans of The Movement to reflect back on and look forward into the future of nurturing a 
 Civil Rights Movement 2.0 in the San Francisco Bay Area.