John Harrods Legacy and Eastern Market

African proverb
"Until the lion  writes its own history the story of the past
will only be told by the hunter"

John Harrod: Founder

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Think of the above and below words as metaphors.
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Langston Hughes

Note on Commercial Theatre

You’ve taken my blues and gone—


You sing ’em on Broadway

And you sing ’em in Hollywood Bowl,

And you mixed ’em up with symphonies

And you fixed ’em

So they don’t sound like me.

Yep, you done taken my blues and gone.
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But someday somebody’ll

Stand up and talk about me,

And write about me—

Black and beautiful—

And sing about me,

And put on plays about me!

I reckon it’ll be

Me myself!

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Recently, I told a story of one of my oldest and most cherished memories of my mother. She was taught that folk who looked like her had no history.
 In that remembrance, I  saw my mother watching Congresswomen Barbara Jordon  on T.V. during  the impeachment hearing, for then President of the United States: Richard Nixon. Congresswomen Jordon spoke about faith, in this instance of The Constitution of the United States.  She stated, "My faith in the Constitution is whole, it is complete, it is total.  I am not going to sit here and be an idle spectator to the diminution, the subversion, the destruction of the Constitution."  And that is how I feel about "History".  I believe that the recording of history has a value far beyond what one can perceive.   I believe in the importance of the history of the common, everyday, ordinary folk.  After all I am one of them.
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                                                        {The Danger of a Single Story}

http://turtleswebbmyviewfromhere.blogspot.com/2011/08/danger-of-single-story-turtles-webb.html

Angie Brunson , (" Blue Iris Flowers" Eastern Market)

kept the Plaque Honoring John Harrod  (Founder of Market 5 Gallery and The Flea Market at Eastern Market) in her stand inside the market for years.  This plaque was payed for by the Exhibitor Community at Eastern Market as well as others.

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The Mayor's public schedule

Friday, October 3, 2014

10:00 am

John W. Harrod Memorial Plaque Dedication at Eastern Market Eastern Market 225 7th Street SE (Media: Open) Mayor to Offer Remarks

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October 3, 2014...almost ten years after the passing of Mr. Harrod,  The plaque honoring his many contributions to...The World, The Nation, The District of Colombia, The Capital Hill community and his beloved north hall...: was unveiled and dedicated by The Mayor of the District of Columbia Vincent Gray and....

Mayor District of Columbia: Vincent Gray 

John Harrods son

Tom Rall (co- founder The Flea Market at Eastern Market )

Camille Mosley-Pasley 

 The Politicos

{The Danger of a single Story}

http://turtleswebbmyviewfromhere.blogspot.com/2011/08/danger-of-single-story-turtles-webb.html

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Former exhibitor and present assistant  ( The Flea Market at Eastern Market)

Mr. Harrods Family and his grandson 

        Grand Dame of the exhibitor "One of the first exhibitors at Market 5                                                               Gallery in the 1970's"

He was one of the original youth in Market 5 Galleries community programs in 1970s

Long time exhibitors Tom Bucci and Mai Ling with newer exhibitor Erika Rubel

Joe Snyder exhibitor ( one of the main forces behind the creating of the memorial plaque) with other exhibitors and community members

Kim Downes long term exhibitor

The unveiling...with John Harrod's daughter and son...

William Coates... he is not John's son, but John did ... and did and through folk like Mr. Coates who 

was part  of John's youth program in the 1970 - John Harrods legacy is assured.

Witnessing, 

Sonda T. Allen 

Turtle's Webb 

Post Script 

It was only after former Mayor Barry died, that one could take his measure...Mayor Barry in the over 20 years that I have been at the Market is the only Mayor of Washington who use to come to the market and shop...every Sunday he would be gripping grinning and hand shacking...he would buy flowers from Angie (Blue Iris) I hear tell he would even ask for a discount ( he was so wrong and so right).  He would stop into 'the office' and speak to John. Mayor Marion Barry had our backs (the exhibitor community at Eastern Market).  John Harrod and Marion Barry came from the same school.  They witnessed lived manipulated survived the horror the hypocrisy the pain and triumphs of those years before and after the marches sit-ins peace protest ...'the riots:,  They were what Leroi Jones called "Blues People" and to my mind they lived life with a field holler, Yoruba back beat, a Lead Belly hollow colored with a jazz rhapsody. 

Marion Barry dies at 78; 4-term D.C. mayor was the most powerful local politician of his generation

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/marion-barry-dies-4-term-dc-mayor-the-most-powerful-local-politician-of-his-generation/2014/11/23/331ad222-c5da-11df-94e1-c5afa35a9e59_story.html