Sterling Tate and Jonathan Kelley

00:04 My name is Jonathan Kelley. I'm 48 years old today is October 20th 2020. I'm in Chicago, Illinois on talking with Sterling Tate and he is a friend of mine.

00:22 Let's go to hello. My name is Sterling Tate 49 years old and I'm from Chicago, Illinois today sister October 20th 2020.

00:35 Jonathan is my friend.

00:40 All right, I think when we first talked to you you were 48 years old. So do you have a birthday Tia and then and now?

00:48 Yeah, September 23rd. My father's will September 24th.

00:54 Okay, we leaving AC if you could speak a little just a little louder, that would be great for me.

01:03 Okay. Well, okay after I speak louder thank you so much. I'll write so I want to hear everything. So let's start with tell me where you were born.

01:17 Born on West Side, Chicago

01:22 And I would have been 1971.

01:25 71 and a who are your parents?

01:29 My mom is wondering wondering take and my my dad is a police etape, but she is deceased.

01:41 And what did they do for a living?

01:44 My dad worked at International Harvester truck engines and stuff like that for you retired. Then my mom will retire from you I C Hospital.

02:00 Okay, so International Harvester International Harvester, is that base near where you live?

02:07 No, that's all that's in Melrose Park change the name.

02:15 Okay, Navistar tractor engines and truck engines and trucks up like that.

02:23 And if you live in the same place your whole life growing up.

02:28 Don't know I will always in the westside of Chicago.

02:32 What are some of the different places that you lived?

02:36 I was born there. I was born on Central and Fulton and 71 but we moved on.

02:45 Later on on 1400 in Jackson Jackson and Pulaski on the westside. Give me mood on 13th and Karlov, which is on the west side and it was a two childhood neighborhood I grew up on.

03:00 Okay, so the first neighborhood Pulaski, how old are you?

03:05 Preschool preschool for 5

03:11 So you were pretty young when you move to Karlov.

03:14 That was my mom and dad got divorced. So with me stay don't remove your collar off, which is my grandma or my mom's mom house building.

03:26 Okay, so so stay to stay there with basically my whole childhood wants to divorce.

03:33 What's up, was it a worst difficult for your family?

03:40 Well financially yeah because you got your dad know back in the seventies and work at this company make engine. So he's we got like middle-class family after divorce with no, Georgia mom then his is welfare.

03:58 And you can't get the things you could get in can't get now.

04:03 Okay, how would you describe K-Town is as a young boy?

04:11 Going up in K-Town know you see a lot the block. I stayed on you sync a lot and

04:20 And you have to know how to fight if you have to fight because if you didn't know how to fight gas just come down there and to take your basketball or do something to you cuz I know you not going to fight back but once you know how to fight back it will mess with you no more.

04:34 So did you learn to fight?

04:36 A couple had a couple struggles with not not nothing major because me, and my brother wasn't just was so we stayed in our Lane.

04:47 I see. So what sports do you like to play?

04:51 Blah I play basketball.

04:54 My my brother he played bass music good at baseball and basketball, but I didn't play baseball because I didn't have a right-hand glove. I was only left hand on the Block but never got a chance to play baseball or basketball. Okay, so you wish you would be able to play baseball or were you happy with basketball?

05:16 Well, I wish I could play with my friends through all this on the Block. They had a baseball team after we went to the park when he was in the three teams in the fact that I'm not really mad. Playback is really good in basketball. What position did you play?

05:39 Did you ever play your name of the famous basketball players from the West Side growing up?

05:50 Not not no, not really, but I think it might seem like a teenager. I played again some other two NBA players before they were about the same age as Matt has Chris Chris Webber Jalen Rose. I think another guy named Chris Street that play for University of Iowa later on when he was like some of the major names that I can figure out right now. Okay, you said that you knew Ronnie fields.

06:25 Yeah, Ronnie Fields acid one block down the street from me. I'm on 13th and Karlov. He's on 14th and Karlov. So we all had to go to the Saints so that will be no, everybody's coming to the same store.

06:43 What was the name of the store. That's the name of the lady that the only Murray's grocery?

06:52 Got it and out. What was Hitler like

06:56 Sterling, give it to chips. Everything wasn't have to think the Patriots was a quarterback in.

07:06 Penny Candy stuff like that

07:10 Did you get your sandwiches cold cuts and stuff from?

07:18 I'm in when did you where did you go to school?

07:21 I went to I went to Hanson Elementary in the elementary school from third grade and then I went to Crane High School High School.

07:34 And what was school like for you?

07:37 School was good.

07:40 I really enjoyed school. So I would like more most popular. Let all the girls just like me. So I was going to school everyday.

07:59 Other siblings or just your but you and your brother just me and my brother was supposed to us.

08:06 4948 in in January

08:18 So we basically best friends in.

08:24 Not. Not really but somewhat be in the same household, but all the Kids on the Block no play Everyday. So we I did a lot with the other kids more than my own brother. But we use he's already that's always the other friend sure and then what was your favorite class in school?

08:48 English

08:49 Social studies back in the day when that dead Daisy teach the social studies about stuff that happened back in or after American history to get to learn about the history of African-American.

09:04 Yeah.

09:06 And then did you say you live with your grandmother? And your mom? Who is the main cook in the house?

09:14 I stay with my mom and my grandma.

09:22 So my mom was no be cooking won't on Sundays you get that Grandma cooking on Sundays go downstairs. You know, she could cook the spread.

09:32 Was that did you go to church first?

09:35 Yeah, we went to church we was to our church on to family and my mama my granddaddy was a deacon in the church. My mama wasn't singing in the choir and my grandma went to church to ask me to church every Sunday and what church was that?

09:51 Unity Fellowship Baptist Church

09:55 How far is that from your house?

09:59 Cicero Cicero and Fulton

10:03 From from 15 minutes every Sunday now they can get my mama dry. Okay.

10:16 Did you do much exploring of the rest of Chicago when you're going up or did you pretty much stick to North Lawndale?

10:24 Growing up Muslim North Lawndale. And if I had to go over with my grandma she always to take me away when she's going out South with her now. I got to know my streets when I was younger cuz I just told her to take Western Boulevard always take you outside. So when I got hold it go cuz I ran with her when I was a kid.

10:49 Where would you go on the Southside?

10:52 I go visit one of my aunties her daughter on like King Drive or something like that, or she go on her girlfriend house and tell me to ride with him.

11:03 Did you notice much of a difference between the west side in the south side?

11:08 Knock knock

11:13 Now young. Okay. No, did you hear any stories going up about the 1968 riots?

11:22 Yeah, my dad my dad. He got hired from the job. I was telling you about you got hired at 21 years old. He said when he came back to Chicago the whole West Allis Smokey you got hat on April 4th.

11:38 Same day happy

11:42 And all I could see was smoke.

11:45 Smoke the whole left side on fire. You come back on expressway come back from Melrose Park and see the whole West Side on fire.

11:53 Was he scared?

11:55 I don't know. He didn't tell me that you just told me know how it went down today is the raft of 68 and then by living in K-Town Roosevelt Road to have a lot of theaters and stuff like that. And my mom said this was about the other right here and this and that everything burned down.

12:19 Yeah.

12:21 Are there places that you remember growing up that aren't there anymore?

12:26 Well, Mercy, Mercy Church is right down Comiskey and Roosevelt. It was a big old Big Lots Tacoma used to come there be up.

12:56 It's a lot of places up-and-coming wasn't there back in the day, but they got a new construction.

13:03 The gas station on gas station on Keeler and Roosevelt and I think it's a strip mall the mall at them cost me from the office is a gas station that years ago.

13:16 Okay.

13:18 What was your first job that you ever had?

13:22 First job I had was in high school. We had to work program at school you get to work and go to school at the same time standard oil used to be late on which is BP now. I should work stand up or down in downtown Randolph.

13:43 You work in the Mailroom you guys like a couple extra credits cuz you worked in the program.

13:49 Okay. How did you get to work?

13:55 Garden State Blue Line

14:01 Yung Bleu now I'm coming from and then I tried to take a blue line back to go to school and get off at Western and then go go to go to school for now.

14:11 So did Queen have a good basketball team?

14:15 Yeah, crane. Crane got a head a good basketball team my first year 87 a lost in the city Championship to King High School was Marcus Liberty. He was the number one player in the nation at the time. We had a good team that you I was a freshman. So I came in as a as a freshman in watch that though.

14:45 Did they have the 3-point shot when you were in high school my freshman year.

14:52 If you ever were you at did you like to shoot the tree?

14:56 That was I was out of the three-point man in the streets 3, that would be good at that.

15:03 Nice who's your coach and he worked at crane also, so when you graduated so that was like a no-brainer father to call your coach to his high school. So when I went went play for him at the crane.

15:23 So what was I'm curious? What were the gang situation like when you were a young person?

15:31 The game situation you couldn't go a lot of places and back in the day.

15:39 I actually have to stay in your stay in your own neighborhood. But if you went somewhere else, you have to go some ghost go with somebody that knew somebody on the other end or they won't mess with you. Like perfect example, like not Elementary friends. I went to school in a different game neighborhood. I stayed on 13th and call off but then I went to elementary school and Hansen which is across Pulaski 13th and Avers. So the guy the guy that for my school couldn't come to my house without me or my brother because if the guy from neighborhood would think they have another game from somewhere else.

16:19 Even though you weren't even a teenager yet.

16:22 I was a teenager. I was a teenager. I was a teenager when I was younger. I didn't really go too much when I was young. I stay on the Block a lot. So we have a lot of friends we get a lot of stuff on my block.

16:37 Were there ever bother you but

16:44 What was your favorite thing about a block party?

16:47 Well, you're jumping in the jumping jack. They had that back still back in and riding the bikes. No one kid stuff.

16:59 Tell me about your connection with Franklin Park.

17:03 Franklin Park, so it's the same neighborhood that I'm in. So that's the best a big part. That's when I'm promised to three blocks away. So no answer as a teenager that way everybody go to swim and play basketball in.

17:22 About my back. Was a teenager. That's why I should be at all my time to be going up there playing ball from from sunup to sundown and as I got older and older as a grown man.

17:35 Volunteering at the at the park district with the with the kids with basketball as you have doctor of physical instructors all the time when they needed help and stuff like that. I would help with the team and then I became a referee at the time so they needed head basketball tournaments going on and now the referee anything that they had.

17:59 And so on and so on.

18:02 And are you still connected to the with Franklin Park today?

18:07 Yoyoka covid-19 the way but yeah, if it has something going on I would have had my I have a 8th grade elementary All Star boys and girls game every year that hosted at Franklin Park have like 80 kids at40 boys 4T girls and I invite all the High School coaches to come in and look at these kids.

18:33 And this is that every young is basketball and I want to adult softball league that run every year at Franklin Park. I've been doing it. I was 20 years or every summer we have a softball leaving out there.

18:49 So that's how I'm connected. No one knows what the neighborhood cuz I've been around for a while and you finally get a left-handed glove.

18:58 Don't stay right here for you. And I but I just do it for the people in the community if you would have wanted want to do something. I got my hands on that make it happen. So what kind of music did you listen to Growing Up where my mom used to listen to Marvin Gaye and just go back in Raleigh. Disco, which is like 79-78 music, but then it became house music.

19:45 So, you know house music and stuff like that was big big on me and high schools and my preaching.

19:52 Where would you get the music from or did you just listen on the radio?

19:57 Well back, then that we used to record on the radios on WGCI. They have the party or what was at the DJ and you get your U2 all cassette ready to record off the radio.

20:13 That's how we know you play the Knicks and stuff like that.

20:16 Or know what when they all you wanted by our table some you go to George music room, which is on Roosevelt.

20:29 Remember some of your favorite tapes that you got from George to get tapes or records CDs. It was it was it was

20:41 That was a big daddy came fan up. No rap a lot like George rap and stuff like that.

20:51 Nice and what was your favorite place other than the corner store to eat in the neighborhood?

21:00 Back, then it was called Trailer Court. It was on 14th and Pulaski.

21:08 That they took it took food stamps for food so that then you can use the food stamps to go out food out of the restaurant.

21:18 So that me and my brother have my friends we go to church, so I guess a good meal.

21:23 Cheeseburger fries low like that

21:27 Wow, you can really do that these days now, you can't you can't do that at all back. Then you can use the food stamps to buy the the food cook food that again.

21:38 Yeah, so tell me, so did you graduate then from crane?

21:48 Yeah, I graduated in 1990 when I graduated nice. Okay? Okay. So remember your graduation ceremony?

22:00 Not really really I do because I'd rather have summer school. I have one credit short and I had to do in summer school. So I grabbed out of summer school.

22:13 And then what did you do right after After High School?

22:17 Well that one of my lights turn turn for the worst year bumped my head on the lower bunk with me and my brother and my mom put a board stabilize of my head and forgot. I was on the lower bunk and bumped my head on the support and later on you discovered that the board had a nail in the nail pierce my scalp in the rough when in my bloodstream he's so that they are all the way till November of 90. Was like real real sick cuz I didn't know who that lay. Don't get the the Russells and mice in our blood system and it was actually Killing Me Slowly.

23:19 Wow, so when was that diagnosed?

23:23 Will diagnose when I went to the the first surgery November of 90?

23:30 I need the blood will get down. That was a real a real skin disease I had because if it messed up everything also has my back broke out with my work out here holes in them and are trying to figure out what it was made did without working out that was a rare skin disease that I got from it.

23:53 So, how did you adjust to that would it how did that affect your life?

23:57 Well, it took a whole 360 from having fun and doing all this that can't do nothing no more and then

24:06 You'll be always on my way to the hospital finally illness and you can't go outside because nobody has to wear a little wrapping around my head or the go outside and you walk down the street the first person I think somebody beat you up and you can touch you been hospitalized in society. So they so I just stayed in the house.

24:30 And how long did that last is after you still today? I'm dealing with the same illness. I dealt with since I was 18 years old is in control now. I still got to go around my head because mine's not my scalp still ain't help heal from all the surgeries I had from the previous years.

24:54 That's been 30 years 30 30 years for November on November 6th to be 30 years that I've been dealing with this illness.

25:04 So are you on disability then?

25:09 And what's up? How does that you ever wish that you had a good life? And you might know you your life would be you never know who you'll meet in back in the day. You know, you just can't do anything. You can't work asked if you were going to take your money from your what's your name? So and you know, I'm always never know when I'm going to get sick. So I get disability helps with insurance.

25:44 Don't know. I just got to live with it.

25:49 Has it affected your relationships at all?

25:53 No, because I'm like, I'm straightforward know I got scars and stuff. And this is how many mm is like a used car? No warranty. I come like this you going to like me for who? I am or not. I'm not going to I'm not going to do nothing extra to try to please you.

26:15 How did your how did your other family members how they reacted to this?

26:22 Well, that was always one of the favorites in the family. So they did without family. It wouldn't have got that far.

26:36 Strengthen support is your mom still around. Yes. He still around. She still on Karlov.

26:43 Now she's well, she's on Kildare now. She's like to three blocks. She bought her building like 13-14 years ago after she want to be like 13 years ago.

26:59 And how does she like being a homeowner?

27:03 Well, she have to see that piece Seahawks. What would she do what she should do her own so you have to worry about no landlords.

27:11 My step-dad my stepdad they take them pretty well.

27:16 So when did she remarry?

27:19 Like 2002 or something?

27:22 Okay, so after you were grown.

27:25 You had me wrong.

27:28 So I'm just curious. What was your when you were invited to participate in this project the Lawndale living history project. What was your reaction?

27:38 I was thrilled know James like I say James is from Cape Town to and I watch I watch granny. I watch James new ID came up in the ranks of the basketball coaching nephews. That was real good in Gooding high school basketball. So it was like, okay, I appreciate you know, cuz I've been around for a minute and James and see what I have done with kids and stuff like that. So it was an honor.

28:14 Do you think it was kind of a divide between K towns and other areas of Winedale or do you think it's kind of one phone one coherent neighborhood?

28:26 Well, well growing up. Like I said no games. Like I said, you couldn't like when I was growing up like I was telling you Pulaski Road was dividing line for a lot of places that you couldn't go so save me I'm on the I'm on the way I stay on the west side of Pulaski said that the east side east side of Pulaski because that's another gang territory.

28:58 It's all right now but back then you can go certain places unless you was known and with me my brother who play basketball so it wouldn't ya so.

29:15 As a coach, what would you say is the difference between coaching today versus when you were coming up?

29:24 Today basketball coaching basketball right now if you speak it's more it's more finesse now, I don't want to get hit get back up and we're going to try it again. You guys the kids today don't want to be touched. So that's a difference and they don't listen.

29:50 Know then they know more than you and you.

29:55 Is there a difference between coaching boys and girls?

29:59 Well, I never coached girls, but I know I will always stick with the boys. I wouldn't I wouldn't know how to tell you how to coach a girl.

30:09 If you ever watch girls basketball and wish you could like.

30:22 Sometimes you can you can you can you can tell the girl that one or two when you know tells me to do this and that and in Crazy they'll listen to do.

30:39 So how is Coronavirus affected your life?

30:47 As we speak right now I have my daughter was in a bad car accident September 20th, and she stays in Danville and Champaign cuz that's where the big house with that and that meeting her dad. I can't see it.

31:05 So that was really in took a toll on me with coronavirus right now today.

31:11 She still in the hospital right now.

31:14 How old is she see what 28?

31:19 So you had her not too long after high school?

31:23 Yes somewhere 21

31:27 Is she your only kid?

31:30 Now I have three.

31:33 I d rather kids live in Chicago or

31:37 I want the oldest one is in Texas in my youngest Chevy 19 November in Chicago. She does graduated.

31:49 North Lawndale College Prep

31:53 Oh, that's great.

31:55 So your daughter in the hospital? How's she doing?

32:02 Well, well, well, we'll see. What was he went through the car was driving at night time. It's across the road and it might have panic and cut the wheel hard and the cops lip flip and went down the embankment. So the good thing about it that she had a seatbelt on and save it from ejected from the car with the seatbelt did a lot of damage to her in the stomach area. So every time flipping over in the car jerking to

32:41 So the seatbelt been messed up in stomach area and will come back and everything.

32:47 She had surgeries.

32:50 Yes, he had like five I'm so far.

32:54 What percent of our love even though she doesn't know us, you know, I can see you. Are you able to talk to her?

33:20 Yeah talk to a FaceTime about looking at her pain know by me being hospitalized. I can I can feel the pain.

33:30 Of course.

33:31 Call Hunter Lee Henry Ross. Yeah, I didn't realize you could have been that bad. Yeah to me so far.

33:43 What's a subject of younger people? I know JS this when when we had that first photo session at Unity Park, but I'm really serious like what you know, what advice do you give to young young people coming up or would you like to give if they would listen?

34:08 Well today you only you only help who want to be want to be helped until today these kids. They didn't turn 360 Degrees the ones that won't help you help them for help advice on what should I do? Not listen to me.

34:40 You can't force it down your throat.

34:43 So the ones that do come listen to you, what do you tell him?

34:48 Well it all the time with the action me and they trying to job leads and I know somebody was job lead let him know when he coaches that they play basketball to get back in school. I will reach out to a coach and see if we have any spot of the budget. What what can I do to help?

35:10 Small stuff like I said job assistance or something like that, but I would share with them.

35:20 Okay, and then is there any advice you wish you had gotten when you were younger that you didn't really get and had to learn for yourself?

35:30 Well, not really because like I said, my life turned turned at 18, so I really didn't really know really get the rice out the Note 5.

35:50 Colette now I tell you yeah.

35:55 Blessed to be able to do what I can do you have for 30 years.

36:05 Are you an uncle?

36:07 Yep.

36:09 Are you close to your nieces and nephews? I will see him often because your mom moved to West Virginia.

36:34 Okay, and then do you travel much are you able to get out of other than to like Danville? Are you able to get to other states or pretty much like to stay in Chicago?

36:46 What happened to you too much this year this year or last year? So don't understand you mean sometimes.

37:03 That's for sure.

37:05 Well, that's pretty much all my questions best. You have any other questions that you like to ask of Sterling?

37:15 Call a bet that that that I appreciate you guys for a bug in your honor to express my opinion. What's going on in North Lawndale?

37:29 Thanks darling. I just have one question. How did you start was it just a natural transition going from your involvement in the Park District 2?

37:42 You know Jose, you know, having those events and becoming a coach or where or what else that that are right there like affiliated with the park district volunteering know what was the first Constructors up there and you meet people along the way relations your bill off of it and that's what I ever have done.

38:15 What would you say your most most proud of in your life?

38:24 Able to talk to use and like I said get him same thing.

38:29 My All-Star game I get kids seen for high school and this detached choices that they making for their career and someone went from from Elementary 5th grade All-Star game. Now. These guys went from high-school to college.

38:45 Ultra Instinct in my in my game

38:50 Oh, no career move the able to see a kid on College TV and play play them all star game.

39:03 That's what I had a hand on one of them kids.

39:08 Have any of them ever told you?

39:12 Express their appreciation couple kids eat overseas playing ball and he's going to call it finish college and he's overseas now making career over there.

39:37 Thank thank you so much for

39:40 Doing this weekend ended I just wanted to say something off the air.