Kelly Cameron and Ernest Washington

00:00 Hello, my name is Ernie, Washington Jr. Age 73 and some days.

00:10 Wednesday January 27th, and I'm at home at the in Boston, Massachusetts.

00:18 Hello, my name is Kelly Cameron. I am a 52 year old black American today is Wednesday, January 27th, 2021. I am currently in my home in Boston, Massachusetts and my conversation partner is Mister Ernest, Washington Jr. My relationship to mr. Washington is through concerned black men of Massachusetts Incorporated.

00:44 List of why you left off to the bottom part of that Witch Doctor Kelly's mom is a member of concerned black men in Massachusetts and Anna Beltran proud one like myself and that's my relationship in the organization very near and dear to me. So I think very highly of concerned black men of Massachusetts Inc.

01:14 Thank you, sir. So, let me just Begin by saying mr. Washington man. I'm delighted to have this time with you and we we've known each other for some years now, but rarely are we you as a founder and me as a leader member of concerned black men in Massachusetts have opportunities like this. You're you're you're you're a dear friend a father figure in a mentor to me and to many others, but truth be told I I've been both nervous and excited about today. Okay. I just I just didn't I think I might know I'm I'm obviously I'm flattered but it means a lot to me. The organization means a lot to me being one of the founders and being at the first table.

02:07 Discuss

02:09 What are we as black men? What are we going to do with the things that are happening around violence the lack of Education to the promise for our young men and so just to the notion.

02:25 Being a part of an organization that those going to be their first goals.

02:31 Work with young men from the second grade through the 12th grade and Beyond and over the years to see the progress of some of those young men and actually keeping track of all of them because once they become gri alone, we still keep in touch yasko extend a hand of support and it's family support and that's that's the beauty of being the founder of this organization and the other founders of incredible individuals are young man to The Advocates all it's a it's a dream for me to be involved in an organization like this and to be able to lend any kind of support I can to

03:27 Organization especially our young men the little guys are so important to me. I don't say it enough but regardless of where they come from their past if they're a member of PRI, they have my support for sharing that I think I think today is one of those days where we're both you and I will will learn a considerable amount of things about each other you mentioned the organization in the programming and I don't know if you know this or not but I joined concerned black man back and I think it was 2010 or 2011 and I'm unsure how I learned about the organization. But when I did I I knew I wanted to be a member and at the time I was delighted to know a military veteran was among the members of the founding team. I'm of the organization while I have

04:28 Expensive education. I'm not a member of of a of a black fraternity or anything like that. But I am a member a veteran member of the US military in a different kind of attorney. I'm sure you will agree. And I know I've never told you this but I graduated high school and in June of 1989 and by September of 1989 and I was I was in San Antonio in basic training for the Air Force operating. So it's funny how you know, we find out these things and then and how things mean certain things to our lives and you know, it's interesting because fortunately or unfortunately depending how you look at it by 1990. I found myself supporting efforts to liberate Kuwait through the Operation Desert Storm, and I can honestly say as a 22 year old black man from in the city Boston who who rarely even left, Massachusetts to visit family in Alabama or once in, California.

05:28 Never imagined supporting a mounting foreign conflict and I'm curious, you know, if if you don't mind sharing with me, sir. Can you tell me a little bit about where you grew up and even more when you join the military, did you think about serving in Vietnam at the time? Well,

05:48 Then I grew up in Roxbury and

05:53 A different type of Roxbury than a lot of others that grew up in Roxbury and my dad was a proud veteran and all of his friends and

06:06 Subsequently became my mentors for all that and I went to a Vocational High School. The intent was to be multilith press operator and work at the Boston Globe printing newspapers as you very well in that trade school, but

06:28 Fortunately, unfortunately, I got a draft notice I was drafted into the army.

06:38 I didn't know anything else other than go and do the work and come back home.

06:44 And resume your life cuz that's what my father told me on near his Deathbed.

06:52 I know it's the draft and things are hot around civil rights right now sixties and seventies were hot hot on that subject still many questions up anybody that volunteered or went into the military at the time as the whole white versus black thing. And and why would you serve Rivera and you have work to do here in Roxbury and all of that had its context but to me, I never had any fear of being a veteran and I have plenty of orientation for lack of a better term a gentleman that were devoted to my father that she needs designated to look out for me. And yes Vietnam was raging and I was worried about that and especially my mom was worried about anything that would happen to me in Vietnam.

07:53 None the less I was able to some some arrangements that my mother made that father made it try to change the draft status.

08:05 Too and it's ironic today because it might work out with me different me. If I was in the Army. I ended up somehow another inemuri and

08:21 You might want to say the rest is history, but that was a big.

08:25 Piece of formation of my life was the time. I spent in the Marine Corps. It was a tumultuous time between blacks and whites in the Marine Corps and

08:38 I went through an experience that why I was

08:43 Some might say unfortunate than to be in the field to be on the battlefield and dilys have the sensitivity of some of the blacks that were around me. The reason why we were there was bad, but to me, it was all encompassing and including in that is we are killing another colored man. Why are we doing this? And we all said we were Proud To Be A Wrinkle we were well-trained and

09:24 After the first 30 days in Vietnam, I was acclimated into

09:33 Dealing with what was happening at hand doing the job.

09:38 And

09:40 Doing the best we could to deal with the backlight issue.

09:45 In a combat situation, it was very tough. Yeah, that's fascinating. I'm sure it was extremely difficult. You don't hear you are brothers in arms yet. You have these these civil and social constructs that you got a navigate through, huh? It and still during Desert Shield Desert Storm was was voluntary. I was already in service and you know and it was mainly in the air air lift support role mean we move car go around and equipment and stuff like that. So I don't I couldn't even imagine what being a Frontline person was yet and still the person next to you doesn't doesn't have a particular fondness to you because you're an African American male question that I can imagine the difficulty associated with that.

10:40 Marry you when I return from to civilian life. Let me know was a very different different time is 1991 for crying out loud and I was not met with same the same as the Vietnam veterans were a black Vietnam veteran. Can you talk a little bit about returning home? And you do you face those challenges on the battlefield in amongst your military service members and then you come home and then there's another kind of battle. You got to face future a little bit about that. Well, yes all of us.

11:19 That work

11:22 In survival mode, so to speak out of state and Vietnam when we knew we were going to be able to go home because we put in the work and

11:32 It was always a question of our reception when we got back just because the nature of the times

11:40 And

11:42 Reception was negative.

11:46 When I got off the plane.

11:49 Very nasty reaction from folks will waiting for me at the bottom of the tank baby killer.

11:56 You're not an American and a host of other.

12:02 Not positive remarks about our server.

12:06 And

12:09 Actually for me to PTSD started then I think I could have been able to deal with.

12:16 And my colleagues in war weibull to deal with their lives after they got home, but we weren't prepared for that type of reception. We saw what the World War II guys got and

12:32 We wanted that we expected that we expected a parade so to speak some acknowledgement, but did not expect to be spit on and call baby girl.

12:46 And

12:49 All of my colleagues that are not living today.

12:53 That went through that and we went through it together. I'm embarrassed. You know that the Washington Inn in in you as a black man. You have another title to go with that. I'm sure and that would be me and go along with it. So that's why I added peace for you to carry in service in a unique part from me.

13:16 In the war because if I was in a hole with a racist white person who just got through calling me that n word.

13:27 Marine Corps had us thinking both of us and that hand grenade came in that hole was going to jump on it first.

13:37 Is mentality with the same as mine?

13:40 We have to fight to see who jumped on it.

13:43 Changes my perspective of some of the things that happening today in front of the race relations.

13:50 And I had to

13:53 Rethink it because

13:56 Many of the whites were honest enough with me.

14:00 Tell me when they met me.

14:02 I never seen a black person before.

14:07 Yeah, I never know what it would be like until I got the boot camp.

14:12 Never saw a black person where I lived didn't talk about them didn't care about didn't know anything about.

14:20 And his mind changed in that hole and

14:26 When we are in the area where was relatively safe, but right back to the n word.

14:31 Truly fascinating both learned to learn behaviors learned behavior hate. Yes, and then there is the learned behavior of service members being able to decide like you just described who would who would who would be the one to land on the on the hand grenade should have come into the Foxhole exactly. So they both learned behaviors and in a lot of different ways except in a one is one of hating one is actually one of love, I would imagine and and

15:07 The same love exists today, which is why I still have some hope that the things were going through can be repaired and something can happen. So with that we could

15:19 White and black to become comfortable and and some things that have happened in the past.

15:27 During a pandemic and after of things that hopefully will lead to that because the experience that I had I think I was going to have the same experience not combat-related, but he's going to have Sam experience with black lives matter see it. I see black and white marching together and white chairs with black garbage bags on what the face is cut out saying, I'm black.

15:55 That was a little different struggle in a little different situation than the civil rights movement and

16:05 For me, I have a dimension there because

16:09 I was behind the shield and ride situation going down Georgia Avenue in DC during the Civil Rights Movement as a member of the Marine Corps stationed at Quantico, Virginia.

16:20 And we will call to provide that kind of assistance.

16:27 And the brothers the black man behind those Shields while we were marching. What are we going to do? If we get the word open fire on our own people?

16:38 Yes, luckily for us that did not happen but it would happen and we couldn't come up with an answer for the question. You going to kill your own?

16:51 Marine Corps

16:53 It turns out we didn't have to do that. But the experience sticks with you. Thank goodness, you know with you because now you see Riot Detachment the capital being overrun just the proud proud boys having a lot of veterans in them as members it forces you recollect what you've already gone through and hopefully in this the same with our young men in PR. I just hope to be able to present it in a way where I can come out positive. Yeah, you know, that's a good point because I think about some of these supremacist groups that have form of military members as as members in I'm a little conflicted about that. You know, what one of the biggest challenges we we Face being black men in America.

17:53 Yo are service the country and being viewed as American and then the struggles of being considered a whole person present person in American society. And then you you add in things like an opposed War for yourself, you know people not understanding what the the mission was behind Desert Shield and desert storm in the 90s. No, I can't I can't even imagine what the challenge was like for you but I'd like the kind of pin it a little bit here and when I think about military service and you know, what what what is to follow you know, I've always I've always wanted to ask you what what was it that led you to become an entrepreneur and to say to yourself. I Want To Be My Own Boss.

18:44 Well

18:48 Dimensions of the answer I did my undergraduate study at Bentley college is Bethany University now, but let me call accounting and finance and

19:05 That was I took advantage of the GI Bill obviously and I wanted to get undergraduate work done and several things happened.

19:17 In that civil rights experience cuz I graduated in 1973. So use pride of that. I just got out of the Marine Corps and going to college. So I

19:31 The contacts of my responsibility band was the educator at the University and I'm hope I'm answering your question correctly what you asked?

19:41 About to experience right after the military.

19:45 I heard you and led you into entrepreneurship right and going to a business school and undergraduate business quarter, and I'm not ask one of the finest in the country was the preparation for that. But also it was at a time when it was racial upheaval on Bentley campus.

20:04 I had something to offer as being one of the founders of the black United body at Mountain College and the same thing I felt I could contribute to sound black manager, but the business piece was formed there and

20:23 In the dream started for me. I met a Vietnam veteran who at that time.

20:31 Vice president business for Northeastern University, we walked across some of the same ground in Vietnam.

20:40 Wow, I know him then I'll see but we met.

20:44 And

20:47 Northeastern University at the time is which is where I went to do my graduate work. They

20:56 Offered me an opportunity.

20:58 To develop their entire in the city employment and training program.

21:05 Four Oaks to lived in the

21:09 345 housing projects around Northeastern University

21:15 Logistically kind of similar to Yale

21:22 And she asked me to head that effort up and in the process I developed to.

21:31 Parking company on parking services and a cleaning company Vanguard General services

21:39 All supported by Northeastern and on my add to black community the city of Boston that help me get the word.

21:51 It was a unique opportunity for anybody.

21:56 It lived in the in the city of Boston to work on off Houston's campus and I park in the show the that a black man on a company's. I'm sorry and cleaning company of black. So I was able to afford opportunity to folks.

22:12 And is that that time?

22:15 I just formed to corporations with a lot of help from North Easton. I might have and the black community of many of the leaders in the black community support support of the acid which is ended up producing 35 years of work with no fish university over a hundred fifty employees and the most important part 2 made in the business equation employees had an opportunity to study at Northeast and I let them

22:48 No in a positive sense that they had the opportunity to work work, wherever our relationships extended in Massachusetts or Beyond to go to school and go to work that that could happen if you work for one of these two companies and that's really what exploded into what what

23:11 Ended up again over a hundred fifty deploys some credible business relationship of supportive folks in our community that wanted in a city training program like this that especially the way it was developed by myself and Northeastern in combination and and and and some of the vet that helped that transpire like, dr. Joseph Warren and a veteran ID by 2009 the year before I joined concerned black men in Massachusetts as a part of a of a leadership training program at will let me back up a little bit.

24:11 Mm, and I went to the Bridgewater State College the former Bridgewater State College Bridgewater State University now and I too went on a GI Bill and you just mention veteran relationships right with some folks email walk on the battlefield. So in 2009, I was a part of a leadership program over at UMass Boston and the the program was funded in part by Marsh Car Doctor Who the former head of the New York Stock Exchange and I later learned that he was your Vietnam unit Commander at the dress. So I'll let you know again, just some interesting intersecting point between our lives and yes, you know, if you if you dig a Little Deeper, you know, you do you learn these things not learn these things and I was I was so surprised to hear that and I said wow, and I had a chance to get to learn a little bit about him. He talked about his Vietnam experience and then at one of your retirement parties you made men

25:11 I love him and he sent the statement sending his congratulations to United States. I'll be doggone and I never ever would have made those connections between never have one of the few commanders that I know of.

25:31 Stayed in touch with his man touch with all his people that he directed in Vietnam and I might add to that.

25:42 As my opinion I'm alive today. Cuz every decision you made was the right one. Yeah, he's a great and we still have

25:57 Communication with each other folks it when his command so it makes it beautiful in every now and then I can have lunch with him and and and he's been so supportive incredibly supportive of concerned black men in Massachusetts after joining concerned black men in Massachusetts and learning more about the founder specifically you I I saw a lot of myself in you and these are the reasons why I say that because there's a lot of intersecting points from your life and not have an opportunity to share in his well, you know, it's funny because at the time you and others were forming concerned black men in Massachusetts crime and violence in Boston and across the matter among black males was Robert. Hi. Yes, I'm with you organization trying to address the problem and you know here we are 32 years later.

26:53 Which is very impressive for a small nonprofit organization. In fact, it's quite unheard of many have come and gone. But you know, can I can I just ask it mean? I don't know how Wild of a dream this may have been but did you ever think it would last this long?

27:10 Yes, those are the founders and the workers like yourself that did the work and the the creative way in which we did it.

27:27 You know, one of the big moments for me was the Mount Washington hike we did every year.

27:37 I've got a chance for me to have all young guys in the out-of-doors to see what they could do physically and mentally and after we did that to my straight up and got to the top the look on their faces of achievement, but it wasn't easy getting to the top.

27:58 And the brothers were right with them when they wanted to quit cuz it got that tough and it did not quit. They all made it to the top and we had all the ages of our PRI young man and even know that some of the parents are complaining that they thought that was too tough for them. They got on the bus at 5 in the morning. We drove up to the Appalachian Mountains to the Ravine and we started that two miles up and yes, it's a tough hike but I think all of us knew a young guys going to make it cuz we will see to it that they may and the

28:44 It's that experience alone and got me involved for all these years and the things that have happened after was because I know that the Brotherhood is sincere about what you're doing and to answer your question.

28:59 With the meeting we had the zoo many we had the other night, but the other dachshund balls and haven't seen them a lot with still committed after all these years. So anything that comes down the road that I young man could take advantage of

29:14 We going to see to it that we connect or make that connection and we still have all this incredible support from businesses and individuals Northeastern University where we do most of our events and you can ask me any better than that and if I had to look back

29:33 I want to try to see that it continues on cuz I see it didn't stop with a pandemic. We still kept watching on and to me that's the same as that trip.

29:47 Mount Washington one year we had to stop in the middle and an end because it started snowing on Sunday trail and I know how young men are going to say well.

30:03 What what are we going to do? And the key word is the same keyword in Vietnam was we have to be patient.

30:14 So when a little dogs came with the

30:17 I could just around the neck and got it to the top.

30:22 Left it up to them and they did their job and decide trips that we have from that and especially coming back home with the young guys with proud of themselves. Dad underwear. We stopped off at Water World and pay them back. That's what it's all about. And one of the again I know some long-winded way of saying but that's what kept me involved and and the fact that sounds like yourself is real commitment that you always hear young people complaining when when you know, they are challenged and pushed and there's always a conversation later about you know, how happy they are that they made it through a challenge so I can I can definitely relate to why there's a reward in why there was thinking around

31:21 A reward for their their efforts to to persevere of a challenges. So that's a good thing to think about when you think about some of the relationships over 32 years seem lots and lots of young men come through the program. I would imagine that you know, you probably haven't had a chance to connect with with too many of them given all of the busy work but you've done but I do know that you provided employment opportunities for a lot of the young man who came through the program creating Pathways for them. They're brought about a lot of change in their own lives and the lives of their families.

31:58 So you don't for that? I don't think you probably heard it enough. Thank you for for for thinking of them and not way you you always say, you know, if there's anything I can do and you're probably one of the few people that actually do something when called upon still without excuse. I'm so that's that's fantastic to know then to hear you to come and say that I want to be sensitive to the time in in and if I could ask this one little last thing was to watch menu, you may not see it this way or maybe you do but I know many of those do you had a pretty remarkable life rich with experiences of all different types some great some not-so-great, but what's next in the life of mr. Ernest, Washington Jr.

32:45 Well, I've been asked to do some pretty interesting things and one of them and they all involve employment and training for young people and people of certain disciplines and the latest has been a create from from some starting point a skilled trades program for the city of Boston and it's a three-prong approach with Northeastern Madison Park will Tech High School in Roxbury Community College really looking forward to that because that kind of cement my future in terms of this.

33:34 Really happened. I was 18 years old so I can say a lifelong desire to really support my neighborhood and all parts of the neighborhood wherever I can and the niches employment training. So the answer question looking for with you just Endeavour and

33:59 Working with my grandchild just you know, I think they were worried about my

34:15 6 year old grandson cuz he caught giving orders already. But you know, it's all a beautiful experience to me and and hopefully he will pass on some of the

34:29 Sincerity that I express for what I feel is the future of our neighborhood which is on young people and with the answers on a young black boys who need the direction and concerned black men again.

34:49 Dream come true for me and maybe maybe just maybe one day we'll have your grandson as a member of the Paul Robeson Institute deposits of develop and what I'm still working on that, you know, I G and his mom moved back to their moms home in Raleigh North Carolina and goes, you know, my daughter's a Olympic swimmer and and she started on business teaching young black kids how to swim using that metal she want and and she's doing all right down there. Yeah. I miss little man knocking on my door this morning, but I stayed the same thing is beautiful, but granddad's showing at the Grand Jihad estate show how you can still talk and be sincere with them called. That's that's what I like to spend the time doing and

35:46 And hopefully and it is saying with my granddaughter Who Wants To Be A Prizefighter, by the way, I'm going to support that 110% and concerned black man to keep the but I don't think you can stop the app wish that we have got to keep I will say if if your grandson were to be a member of PRI, he would receive no special privileges because his grandfather found it. I want you to know that well in advance what your drill instructors thing on it got to say I learned a lot and I can sit and learn a lot from you. Thank you again for allowing me to have this time with you. I'm grateful to you and the other members organization 13 years ago and Counting since becoming a member. I have tried my very best to serve the kids who participate in our programming and all the great alongside the other members.

36:46 The organization with the same level of commitment you and has put forward when you started this thing and we are trying our best again to fill division of the men who met on the campus of Boston College in 19 year old black people the work of improving the lives of boys and young adults who look like you and me it's ongoing but I want you to know sir. It's just as important to me today as it was to you back in 1989. And for those who did single of work long before the formation of concerned black men, Massachusetts Aloo Legacy organizational. Thank you. Mr. Washington for all you've done to support the organization the members of the programming the community and the impact that you left. It's it's it's present and it's whatever before so thank you, sir.

37:39 My pleasure and

37:43 Brand New Day Davis a special thank you, one of the originals and and a firm hiker that that showed our kids something going up my Washington and praises to all the brothers and concerned black man kill yourself. Thank you.

38:02 Thank you.