Arts and Culture

Legendary “Wee Pals” Cartoonist Morrie Turner, 90

Published

11 years ago

January 27, 2014

Creator of the first multi-racial comic strip syndicated nationally in the USA, legendary “Wee Pals” cartoonist Morrie Turner died Saturday in a Sacramento hospital surrounded by his family. He was 90 years old.

Known for saying, “Keep the faith”, Turner was born Dec. 11, 1923, in Oakland, to James and Nora Turner, the youngest of their four sons. He attended schools in Oakland and Berkeley, graduating from Berkeley High in 1942.

Instilled with a strong sense of faith by his mother, a nurse and devout Christian,

and his father, a Pullman porter, Turner proved an inspiration to cartoonists of all races and ethnicities, and he gave continuously of his time and talents.

Word of his death spread quickly through social media, and many comments on his Facebook page referenced special drawings done for individuals or the influence he had on people’s lives. Freelance cartoonist Alex Schumacher of Salinas wrote: “Morrie will forever be in my heart and mind, and an influence on everything I do. Goodbye, Mr. Turner and thank you.”

Turner began drawing cartoons in the fifth grade. After graduating high school, he enlisted in the Army/Air Force, “back in the old days, when it was both,” he is quoted as saying in one of the many articles written about him. Indeed, a local CBS television station recently did a show about Mr. Turner, and he is the subject of the 30-minute documentary “Keeping the Faith with Morrie.”

Produced by Angel Harper, Heaven Sent Productions Inc., the show won Best Direction in the 2001 Christian Film Festival and Best Documentary in the 2002 Hollywood Black Film Festival.

While serving during World War II, Mr. Turner drew strips for military newspapers. In Vietnam, Mr. Turner spent 27 days on the front lines and in hospitals drawing more than 3,000 caricatures of service people; he had been one of six cartoonists asked by the National Cartoonists Society to go there.

Upon his discharge from the military, his main job was working as a police clerk, and he juggled his cartoon strips work until 1964, when he was able to pursue his craft on a fulltime basis.

Modeling his strip after “Peanuts” in 1965, Mr. Turner launched the “Wee Pals” comic strip to convey a world where all people were accepted and appreciated regardless of race, religion, gender or physical and mental ability. The strip led to a Saturday morning cartoon show and numerous awards.

Among the numerous awards he received are the Boys and Girls Club Image Award, the B’nai B’rith Humanitarian Award, California Educators Award, the National Cartoonists Society Milton Caniff Lifetime Achievement Award, Tuskegee Airmen Award, The Anti-Defamation League Humanitarian Award, an NAACP award, and the “Sparky Award” (named for “Peanuts” cartoonist Charles Schulz whose nickname was Sparky). Schulz and Turner were close friends.

Introducing non-white characters to the comics’ pages of the 1960s was not easy given the civil rights struggle was in its heights: when introduced in 1965, the strip appeared in only five major newspapers. By 1968, “Wee Pals” was appearing nationwide; three months after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., the strip was appearing in more than 100 newspapers.

Turner continued drawing until his death. During his career, he also wrote and illustrated children’s books focusing on sports and history, and he created “Soul Corner” to highlight special contributions of untold heroes. He appeared frequently as a quest lecturer at numerous California schools, universities and libraries, and reached 25 million readers through his “Wee Pals” comic strip. “Wee Pals Salute African Americans in the Military throughout History” is the title of his last book; he had been planning to do a book about his life.

Turner, who had been living in West Sacramento with his companion Karol Trachtenburg, is survived by his only son, Morrie Jr., and four grandchildren. His wife Letha died in 1994. A memorial service will be held in February.

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Arts and Culture

Beverly Lorraine Greene: A Pioneering Architect and Symbol of Possibility and Progress

Greene graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1936 with a degree in Architecture — a remarkable accomplishment for an African American woman at the time. She was never discouraged by the racial and gender discrimination that saturated her field.

Published

2 weeks ago

March 3, 2025

Oakland Post

Beverly Lorraine Greene. Public domain photo.

By Tamara Shiloh

In the mid-20th century, Beverly Lorraine Greene was recognized as the first African American woman licensed to practice architecture in the United States.

Greene was born on Oct. 4, 1915, in Chicago during an era when opportunities for African Americans, particularly women, were severely limited.

Her parents, James and Vera Greene, were deeply invested in her education, instilling in her a belief in the power of intellect and perseverance. She grew up during the Great Migration that transformed Chicago starting in 1900.

Greene continued her education, earning a master’s degree in City Planning and Housing in 1937, also from the University of Illinois. Her ambition was not merely to design structures but to shape spaces that fostered equity and community. In 1942, she became the first African American woman licensed as an architect in the United States, obtaining her credentials in Illinois. This groundbreaking achievement, however, did not translate immediately into job opportunities.

Early in her career, she faced significant discrimination from firms unwilling to hire a Black woman. However, her determination never wavered. In 1945, Beverly moved to New York City, a place she believed could offer broader professional opportunities.

She joined the architectural department of the New York City Housing Authority, focusing on affordable housing projects. Her work during this time reflected her commitment to using architecture as a tool for social justice, ensuring that marginalized communities had access to well-designed, dignified living spaces.

Greene’s talents soon drew the attention of prominent firms. She was hired by Isadore Rosenfield, a respected architect known for designing hospitals. She contributed to the design of healthcare facilities, including the modernization of Harlem Hospital. Her portfolio expanded in collaboration with architectural personalities such as Marcel Breuer and Edward Durell Stone.

Notably, she worked on the prestigious UNESCO headquarters in Paris — a landmark project that brought her skills to an international stage. Her involvement underscored her ability to navigate the intricacies of large-scale, global projects, proving that her talents transcended the limitations society sought to impose.

Greene’s career was tragically cut short when she passed away unexpectedly in 1957 at the age of 41. Though her life was brief, her impact was profound. She shattered entrenched barriers, paving the way for future generations of Black architects and women in the field.

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Activism

U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Rep. Lateefah Simon to Speak at Elihu Harris Lecture Series

The popular lecture series is co-produced by the Oakland-based Martin Luther King Jr. Freedom Center and Peralta Community College District. Jeffries’ appearance marks the 32nd lecture of the Barbara Lee and Elihu Harris Lecture Series, which has provided thousands of individuals with accessible, free, high-quality information.

Published

3 weeks ago

February 19, 2025

Oakland Post

U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (left) and Rep. Lateefah Simon (D-CA-12) (Right).

By Scott Horton

United States House of Representatives Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY-8) will be a speaker at the Barbara Lee and Elihu Harris Lecture Series on Friday, Feb. 21.

The event will be held at the Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts, 10 Tenth Street in Oakland, at 7 p.m.

The popular lecture series is co-produced by the Oakland-based Martin Luther King Jr. Freedom Center and Peralta Community College District. Jeffries’ appearance marks the 32^nd lecture of the Barbara Lee and Elihu Harris Lecture Series, which has provided thousands of individuals with accessible, free, high-quality information.

The overarching goal of the lecture series is to provide speakers from diverse backgrounds a platform to offer their answers to Dr. King’s urgent question, which is also the title of Jeffries’ latest book: “Where do we go from here: Chaos or Community?”

In addition to Jeffries, Congresswoman Lateefah Simon (D-CA-12) will also speak.

“Certainly, now is a time for humanity, in general, and Americans in particular to honestly and genuinely answer Dr. King’s question,” said Dr. Roy D. Wilson, Executive Director of the Martin Luther King Jr. Freedom Center and Executive Producer of the lecture series.

“Dr. King teaches that time is neutral but not static. Like the water in a river, it arrives and then quickly moves on,” continued Wilson. “We must urgently create conditions for listening to many different answers to this vital question, and generate the development of unity of action among all those who struggle for a stronger democracy.”

In his book, Jeffries shares his experience of being unanimously elected by his colleagues as the first African American in history to ever hold the position of House Minority Leader.

In January 2023 in Washington, Jeffries made his first official speech as House Minority Leader. He affirmed Democratic values one letter of the alphabet at a time. His words and how he framed them as the alphabet caught the attention of Americans, and the speech was later turned into a book, The ABCs of Democracy, bringing Congressman Jeffries rousing speech to vivid, colorful life, including illustrations by Shaniya Carrington. The speech and book are inspiring and urgent as a timeless reminder of what it means to be a country with equal opportunities for all. Jeffries paints a road map for a brighter American future and warns of the perils of taking a different path.

Before his colleagues unanimously elected him Minority Leader in 2022, Jeffries previously served as Chair of the House Democratic Caucus and as an Impeachment Manager during the first Senate trial of the 45th President of the United States.

Jeffries was born in Brooklyn Hospital, raised in Crown Heights, grew up in the Cornerstone Baptist Church and he is a product of New York City’s public school system, graduating from Midwood High School. Jefferies went on to Binghamton University (BA), Georgetown University (master’s in public policy) and New York University (JD).

He served in the New York State Assembly from 2007 to 2012.

Admission is free for the Feb. 21 Barbara Lee and Elihu Harris Lecture Series featuring Congressman Jeffries. Please reserve seats by calling the Martin Luther King Jr. Freedom Center at (510) 434-3988.

Signed copies of his book will be available for purchase at the event.

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McClymonds High Names School Gym for Star Graduate, Basketball Legend Bill Russell

William “Bill” Felton Russell was born on Feb. 12, 1934, and died on July 31, 2022. He achieved fame as a U.S. professional basketball player who played center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1956 to 1969. He was the centerpiece of the Celtics dynasty that won 11 NBA championships during his 13-year career.

Published

3 weeks ago

February 18, 2025

Oakland Post

Bill Russell and Brian McGhee in McClymonds High School Gym, 2011. Photo courtesy of Brian McGhee.

By Ken Epstein

West Oakland’s McClymonds High School, “the School of Champions,” this week named the school’s gymnasium in honor of one of its most famous graduates, basketball legend Bill Russell (class of ’52).

Russell is widely known as one of the greatest basketball players of all time. In 2011, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the country’s highest civil honor, from President Barack Obama for Russell’s contributions to basketball and the Civil Rights Movement.

The McClymonds’ naming ceremony was held on Wednesday, the same day as Russell’s birthday. Oakland leader Bill Patterson, a longtime friend of Russell’s, was scheduled to cut the ribbon at the reopening of the gym, which had been closed for several months for renovation. Russell’s daughter Karen was scheduled to attend the ribbon cutting.

Russell’s name and signature are now printed on the gymnasium floor.

Patterson was working at DeFremery Park when he met Russell. “I befriended him as a boy and during his years at University of San Francisco” said Patterson. “We stayed friends for the rest of his life.”

Said McClymonds Principal Darielle Davis, herself a McClymonds graduate, “We are excited to honor Bill Russell for his sports accolades and because he broke color barriers. He is part of our legacy, and legacy is really important at McClymonds.”

Brian McGhee, community schools manager at McClymonds and former football player at UC Berkeley, said that Russell meant a lot to him and others at the school. “He was a beacon of light and hope for West Oakland,” he said. “He did a lot for sports and for civil rights.”

Starting in 2018, Ben “Coach” Tapscott worked with Patterson and other McClymonds grads, community members, and former coaches to encourage the Oakland Board of Education to endorse the naming of the school gym, which finally happened recently.

“We worked hard to make this happen,” said Tapscott. “He’s an important part of McClymond’s history, along with a lot of other famous graduates,” he said.