REFLECTIONS/Jonathan Gramling
Learning from Black History
As I put the finishing touches on The Hues Black History issue, I can’t help but feel a sense of pride. I personally like the issue with its diversity and stories on different aspects of life, from politics to history to the arts. And what has become a tradition for us, we have the Black Fax Black History Trivia Quiz in the center spread. There’s a whole lot of information and beauty in this issue. And I hope our goal is achieved, that every reader learns at least one new trhing by the time they get done reading the paper, hopefully cover to cover.
Our cover story is on Pia Kinney-James, the first African American female to become an officer with the Madison Police Department. It’s funny how this story made it through my thick skull.
I’ve known Pia for over 40 years. The way that I got to know Pia was not as a police officer, but as the daughter of Doris Kinney. Doris was the person who operated our Jobs-Skills Bank at the Madison Urban League back in the 1980s. Technically I was Doris’ supervisor, but I felt we were actually friends who lived in South Madison and had a mission to see how many people we could help find employment. Doris was good people committed to the advancement of the African American community.
And so I knew Pia as Doris’ daughter and that is always the context in which I viewed Pia. Yes I knew that she was the first African American female police officer in Madison, but I didn’t dwell on it. The Pia I knew would drive her motorcycle in the Juneteenth Day parade or ride around town with her husband. Pia was just Pia, if that makes any sense.
But then last year, Pia was on a panel for the Fitchburg Senior Center’s Women’s History Month that included Frances Huntley-Cooper and Gloria Reyes. And as I listened to Pia, the historical figure began to emerge and I was just in awe of this strong woman who by strength, wiliness and support made it through 27 years. It was such a complex story that I knew I had to write about it for The Hues.
And so I waited until Black History Month to tell Pia’s story. It was a last-minute decision to put Pia on the front cover. We connected while Pia was visiting in St. Louis and so she had to email me a photo or two and we did the interview over the phone 400-500 miles away from each other.
I hope Pia’s story is one where people will learn a new thing or two about the world and perhaps get a different perspective on life.
And I am proud of this issue because it wasn’t easy. January is the busiest time of year for me with the King Holiday and Black History Month issues to prepare plus a zillion tax forms to prepare for the businesses and organizations that I work with as a non-profit accountant.
And then I got a bad case of the flu during the peak of the work and I was out of commission for close to seven days. My son had caught what I had and so we both struggled to reach our tax form deadline, which we did just on time. But them I was a weel late getting The Hues issue out that has a photo from Madison College’s production of The Meeting on the front cover.
Originally another person was supposed to be on the cover, but when I tried to transcribe the interview, they had sat too far away from the microphone and so some of the interview was not understandable. And so I had to rush doing The Meeting story and then rushed to do Pia’s interview, which I had originally planned for our Women’s History Month issue.
Asnd then to make matters worse, my internet website and email address went out and so I had to scramble to implement an alternative email address so that I could get the stories and columns I needed for this issue.
There were times when I just felt like giving up. Even early this morning as I started the last lap, I felt like delaying the issue with the printer. But I then thought about all of the people I have met like the folks in rural Mississippi like Ms. Mary Applewhite and in spite of long odds, they stayed with it and not only survived, but succeeded. And so in spite of running on an empty tank, I forged ahead while praying, praying and praying. And it turned out okay. That is my lesson from Black History. What is yours?
I hope Pia’s story is one where people will learn a new thing or two about the world and perhaps get a different perspective on life.
And I am proud of this issue because it wasn’t easy. January is the busiest time of year for me with the King Holiday and Black History Month issues to prepare plus a zillion tax forms to prepare for the businesses and organizations that I work with as a non-profit accountant.
And then I got a bad case of the flu during the peak of the work and I was out of commission for close to seven days. My son had caught what I had and so we both struggled to reach our tax form deadline, which we did just on time. But them I was a weel late getting The Hues issue out that has a photo from Madison College’s production of The Meeting on the front cover.