For more information on the extraordinary life of Robert J. Crawford please read and buy Black Fire: A Portrait of a Black Firefighter by Delores and Robert Crawford at http://www.historypress.net/catalogWritingsof.php
Listen To The Robert Crawford Tribute At W.E. A.L.L. B.E. Radio News And Radio:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe/blog/2008/01/06/Tha-Artivist-PresentsWE-ALL-BE-Radio
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe/blog/2008/01/06/Tha-Artivist-PresentsWE-ALL-BE-Radio
Memphis Pays Tribute To True Memphis Pioneer
Robert Crawford’s Life Is Celebrated In A Homecoming Befitting A True Hero And Memphis Original…
In September, the Crawfords were vacationing in Greece…They were following in the footsteps of St. Paul the Apostle stopping every so often to say mass for their recently deceased daughter, Cassandra, when Robert took ill…That’s when they found out he had terminal lung, kidney, and liver cancer as well as brain tumors…
Mr. Crawford truly lived and walked in his faith and he has a living legacy to prove it…
Robert Crawford Was A Man Of Many Talents….His was a life full of firsts as well as extreme highs and lows…A true Renaissance man and humanitarian, Robert Crawford used all of his talents to not only better himself, but to better the lives of many in the Memphis Community…
In a lot of ways Robert Crawford was a true Black Superhero of epic proportions…Robert Crawford possessed many of the qualities of some the greatest African American male leaders that ever lived:
He was Jackie Robinson for his efforts in integrating the Memphis Fire Department in the mid 1950s as part of “The Original 12” a group of Black firefighters who dared to dream and defy the status quo…
He was Benjamin Banneker for his uncanny ability to memorize blueprints and build and restore houses, something by the way he picked up by observing others and asking the right questions…
He was A. Phillip Randolph for his ability to agitate and organize within the system into making equality a staple in the workplace for all…
He was George Washington Carver for his immense intellectual curiosity and his ability to innovate in areas where others only saw limitations and drawbacks…
He was Robert Church Sr. for his excellence in entrepreneurship and business acumen and for loving Memphis unconditionally…
He was Whitney Young for his statesman like ability in articulating the needs of his fellow firefighters of color to the powers that be…
He was Dr. King for he also had a dream and a vision for his people and his weapons of choice were nonviolence and unconditional love…
He was in essence a shining Black Prince and Black manhood in the flesh…
But Mr. Crawford was also truly human… He was a role model that was truly accessible and down to earth…He was an avid churchgoer, philanthropist and true humanitarian…
However, his most crowning achievement was that of family man playing the role of husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, and son with such passion, precision and devotion that if he was an actor it would be Oscar caliber...
Crawford’s first cousin and legendary Memphis music educator Emerson Able said that Crawford was a person that he admired and who “had many talents”…Able also went on to say that Crawford “did tremendous things for the Black community…He made major financial contributions to his church…He helped a lot of people”
Many people thought highly of and benefited immensely from Robert’s extraordinary ability to serve others… Charles Settles a neighbor and admirer said Crawford was “a true pillar in the community”…He also noted that Crawford served as treasurer of Lions Gate Homeowners’ Association where he “offered people sound advice on financial matters and also rendered many other services to the neighborhood without even seeking recognition or compensation, he will sorely be missed”…Another Crawford relative Memphis Police woman Tonya Able further added “he was truly dedicated to the cause to see African Americans and people in general treated fairly”
Mr. Crawford’s exceptional public service record, character and business savvy also made him an important political power broker albeit a quiet, behind the scenes one…Career politician, fellow public servant and close friend John Ford stated that “Mr. Crawford was a personal friend of the entire Ford family…He was an excellent businessmen and one of the best public servants we ever had…”
It is evident by the high number of people of color as well as women in positions of high rank at the Memphis Fire Department that his status as a pioneer was well earned and deserved…Robert Crawford also has a fire engine named in his honor (The Robert J. Crawford Sr. No. 19 Fire Engine) for the invaluable example and service he provided the greater Memphis community for 30 plus years…Mayor A.C. Wharton stated that Crawford was “a pioneer in every way of the word, he was not a selfish pioneer because every door he opened he made sure to leave it open”…Lt. Ralph Collier of the Memphis Fire Department echoed Mayor Wharton’s sentiments by stating that Crawford “was a man of ubiquitous taste…If it hadn’t been for him a lot of people wouldn’t be here”…
Tn State Rep. Barbara Cooper’s late husband John Cooper was also a member of “The Original 12” with Robert Crawford…Whereas her husband was vocal and more demonstrative, Robert Crawford was “kind, conservative and respected authority”…She also noted Crawford’s diplomatic nature for “he had a soft hand in handling problems and never wanted to upset anybody”…She feels that Memphis youths should be better made aware of the sacrifices made and triumphs won by the members of “The Original 12”…”It’s our history, those are the shoulders we stand on and they opened the doors for our young people…”
Making history was not easy and came at a price for Robert Crawford and the rest of his comrades of ‘The Original 12”...You can say that they were in many ways treated like the famed World War Two all Black fighter plane squadron The Tuskegee Airmen for comparison…Although fire fighters live a very Spartan life, the racism endured by “The Original 12” could be counted as excessive baggage…They had to sleep in the ‘black bed’ at the fire house and job security was constantly in jeopardy…The men had families to support which made their historic roles and ‘speaking out’ all the more precarious…
Although they would routinely pass their officers’ exams for promotion they would constantly be denied their rightful promotion on the basis of race…Eventually according to State Rep. Cooper, Carl W. Stott’s (one of “The Original 12”) father loaned the pioneers the money to secure proper legal representation which eventually led to a victory in a landmark U.S. Supreme Court Case (Memphis Fire Department v. Carl W. Stotts)
Some Black firefighters thought that Robert was too quiet and did not do enough…However, Delores said that Crawford did things in his own quiet way…”He would call them (Black firefighters) at night and tried to warn the Black firefighters, he was up there in the meetings and he knew the things they were planning against the Black firefighters”…
Robert Crawford set high standards of excellence for himself and others…Antoinette Crawford-Willis stated that her father was “very linear, he had a vision and a very particular and direct way of doing things, he didn’t give you anything, you had to work for it”…
”He was a perfectionist and very well prepared, detailed, a true disciple” noted Father Geaney, Crawford’s pastor at St. Augustine…Father Geaney also said that “people commended Robert for the work he did”…He also mentioned that people’s talents and abilities can be taken for granted by those closest to them and who they also serve...”Sometimes you are too close to the people to notice the great things they have done”
Father Geaney also spoke of Robert Crawford’s passion and unlimited support for St. Augustine Catholic Church…He not only gave financially, but also he helped to build the church as well and personally oversaw all of the construction…According to Robert’s wife Delores Crawford ”he was on the building committee at the diocese”…She also said with pride that “nobody taught Robert how to build a house, he had the eye to look and see how things were done”…Father Geaney agreed that Robert “was a builder who knew the difference between a tent and a house”…
In a day and age where some married couples don’t last 57 days or seconds, Delores and Robert Crawford found a way to keep the magic going for 57 years…”We first met through a mutual friend, we were both going to Catholic schools at the time,” Delores recalled…They both attended school dances on a regular basis…”We hunged out together, played records, and danced”…
She admits that it wasn’t exactly love at first sight…”When we first gotten to know each other and started dating I didn’t like him and he didn’t like me either…I remembered I was on skates and he had this raggedy car…The car was making so much noise coming up the street…I fell, he saw me and start laughing, it made me angry…We were friends at first and it just grew”…
“My husband was a visionary who always told me he could see farther than me, he could see what needed to be done”…The couple decided to chronicle Robert Crawford’s incredible life story in an autobiographical book entitled Black Fire: A Portrait Of A Black Firefighter…”We wrote it for our children because they needed to know this…Our friends say we needed to get it published because this story needs to be told and available to the community”…
Robert Crawford was a true believer in the benefits of a sound education and he encouraged his wife who dropped out of high school to go back…After she received her high school degree he encouraged her to get one or two years of college…”I went back to school and got my master’s degree”…She became a social worker and worked in the department of human services…
She feels that communication is the key to every successful relationship and marriage…Even when times were rough with both Robert and Delores working in hostile environs, they still were able to find solace in each other and encourage each other to greater heights of success…“We could talk about what was happening and he would get really angry…I told him don’t let those people change you…He told me don’t doubt yourself you are as good as or better than a lot of folks you work with”…
However, sometimes the pressure would be too much and Robert would find other ways to vent his frustrations according to Crawford’s daughter Antoinette Crawford-Willis…”One day Daddy was cutting the grass and the lawnmower stopped working, he took it apart and began throwing pieces all of over the yard and we were like what was he doing…He tore it up because he was angry about something at work and he couldn’t retaliate, but he never took it out on us”…
Robert Crawford had a strong willed nature and pioneer mentality from an early age…He believed in the Catholic faith so strongly that he was willing to go against the wishes of his family who were Baptists and wanted him to be as well…Delores further elaborates:
“His father was a Baptist minister…His father’s and mother’s thing was if he say no (to the Baptist faith) he might not go to church at all…Robert’s grandmother who was the true decision maker in the family ruled in Robert’s favor…Just let him go on as long as he believe in Jesus Christ was his grandmother’s answer”…
According to Antoinette her father possessed a “very, very dry sense of humor”…”He would say something funny and he wouldn’t laugh or have any facial expression, but it would put something on your mind you had to think about”…
Although Robert Crawford was known for his dry sense of humor “he was very serious when it came to the fire department” according to Delores…Dolores said that “Robert was outspoken when he knew he was right”…Father Geaney echoed her sentiments… “Robert knew what it was like to live and fight for justice, he lived his life with the faith that justice will always prevail…”
Robert Crawford was a man who truly judged people by the content of their character and not by the color of their skin said Delores…”He just didn’t help Blacks he helped some Whites too…He made the job not only for Blacks but also for Whites…Some of the White guys of higher ranks would get mad at the White guys in lower ranks…They would not get promoted because they respected Robert, but Robert made sure they got promoted”…
According to Delores and several others, Robert had an intellectual capacity that was astonishing…“He was good at just about anything he touched…At his age a lot of people wouldn’t try to understand the computer…He would take everything apart to understand it”…
His intellectual curiosity “intimidated people” because he was a “very observant person” and would stand over people and watch them while they worked…Robert Crawford treated the world at large as his all purpose university…Although he was a “gentle giant and true gentleman”, he was nevertheless physically imposing which made people regardless of his true intentions nervous…
On Christmas Eve Robert Crawford made his transition…According to Father Geaney, Robert died the way he lived, “he had a beautiful death, he was at home surrounded by family”…
Delores Crawford feels so blessed to have had such a great traveling companion on her life’s journey…”Robert has made me so happy for all my life, we had a wonderful life together…He made my life so beautiful, so many beautiful memories…Who can ask for anything more…”
(Ron Herd II also known as R2C2H2 Tha Artivist hosts the internet radio show “Tha Artivist Presents...W.E. A.L.L. B.E. Radio” at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe . His Website is http://www.weallbe.blogspot.com... He is also the author of James Reese Europe: Jazz Lieutenant http://www.jazzlieutenant.blogspot.com)
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