flower shower

flower shower, originally uploaded by ujima.

April 21 This date marks the founding of the National Urban League (NUL) in 1911. The National Urban League is a nonprofit social service and civil rights organization with headquarters in New York City. The mission of the National Urban League is to assist African-Americans in achieving social and economic equality.

I remember that my aunt, Hazel Holmes, was the executive secretary to Lewis Carter, the president of the Armstrong Association which joined the Philadelphia Urban League. The Urban league was assisting Bell Telephone in hiring Black women to work as operators, a position from which they had been excluded. My mom was able to get a job at Bell in the late 50s and worked there as a long distance operator for 30+ years.

yesterday it rained water
today it rained flowers
walked in the sunshine for
over three hours
talked with Katye, Knudsen,
Phyllis & Mare
and other fine neighbors
out enjoying the air
bought vitamins, bananas
and products for hair
then walked home
and continued to stare
at the flowers that drifted
and blew through the air