Riverwest, Race and the History of Kern Park

Dear Tanya, Sonya, and Jan,

I very much enjoyed each of your articles in this month’s issue of Riverwest Currents. They all evoked memories of a little known story in Riverwest that deserves, I think, some attention. It pertains to ways of union that overcome “sin,” to the village that raises children, and to bringing the races and social classes together in harmony.

In the 1980s Kern Park tended to manifest the heritage of racial segregation in America. The “blacks” dominated the higher west end of the park, where “whites” rarely played basketball or had picnics. The “whites” peopled the lower or east end of the park, playing softball or tennis. When I moved into the Kern Park neighborhood I was completely bummed out at how few of the whites in the predominantly white northeast end of Riverwest took advantage of the glories of the Park (the softball players tended to be from outside the immediate neighborhood).

One day Dorothy Dean, then County Supervisor of the area, told me that the whites were organizing to get rid of the basketball courts and replace them with tennis courts. She wanted me to attend a meeting on the subject at the park, which involved a group of whites from the immediate area facing a table of primarily blacks from different government bodies or agencies.

It soon became apparent that the very articulate and congenial black officials were in no way going to succumb to the pressure to end the basketball courts. But a new idea emerged. “Why not begin a series of pot luck picnics for all of God’s children, right next to the basketball courts.” Such events might enable people to experience one another as people, bring enough whites to the upper park and enough blacks to the picnics to “normalize” Kern Park race relations.
And, in many ways it worked! I would guess that about 10 to 15 monthly potluck picnics happened at what became known as “The Kern Park Country Club.” The basic picture involved from 10 to 25 participants, the vast majority white, having a picnic within 10 or 20 feet of the basketball courts, peopled during the good weather by about 10 to 20 blacks. A few of the whites ventured onto the basketball court. A few blacks came to the picnics. But there was absolutely not one hint of tension or animosity between the two groups. And I swear, from that year forward, more and more whites wound up hanging out on upper Kern Park or playing basketball with “the brothers.” I felt much, much more at ease about my kids hanging out in the neighborhood and Kern Park. There were now people from a 4 block area who recognized my children. The essentially genial nature of the basketball players had been affirmed. The Country Club withered away after one of the main organizing families was broken into and an anger filled debate occurred. But good relations persisted for years afterwards.

Imagine a year’s worth of potluck picnics in each of Riverwest’s neighborhoods (say 4 square blocks). Let the kids make up flyers and pass them out. Get phone lists and e-mail addresses. Share food with neighbors you’d otherwise never likely swap stories with. Pocket parks and real parks for the good weather. Perhaps neighborhood pubs (workingman’s country clubs) during the cold season.

Overcoming separation.
Creating urban villages to help raise the kids.
Giving dignity deserved by all of our neighbors.

James J. Godsil