“The Bronx Slave Market.” That’s what African-American journalists called it when they called the issue to public attention. A shameful period in Bronx history. During The Great Depression of the 1930’s and ending with the USA’s entry into World War Two (brief rebirth from 1947 to 1950), “Bronx Slavery” was a disgraceful fixture in the Jewish neighborhoods of the West Bronx. With unemployment disproportionately high in Harlem (and other African-American enclaves), African-American women would line up on Bronx street corners to be hired by Jewish women for a day’s housework. Top pay was 75 cents an hour (went down to a low of ten cents an hour). Many of the workers were viciously exploited and cheated. Marvel Cooke, an African-American journalist, went undercover to line up with the day workers in 1935 and wrote a fiery article about it in the magazine, “Crisis.” Harlem photographer Robert H. McNeill photographed the Bronx “slaves” as they waited for a job on a bitingly cold day. There were many outcries about the injustice from left-wing whites and African-American activists. But, the “slavery” continued. In 1939, ten-year-old HG was old enough to hate the “slavery” and tried, to no avail, to arouse HG’s friends and classmates to action. That year, there were five in HG’s family living at home: HG, Mother and Father; late sister Beulah Naomi (working during the day and attending CCNY at night); late elder brother Bernard (studying to get his optometry degree at Columbia University). So, lots of work for Mom including hand scrubbing and clothesline drying of laundry. Bernard insisted that Mom hire a Bronx “slave” for a day. The family protested but Bernard insisted. Mom was a socialist (liked Trotsky, hated Stalin), a militant trade unionist (friends had died in the Triangle Shirtwaist fire). Finally, Mom gave in and hired a worker. But, first, Mom cleaned the house (“Don’t want her to think I keep a dirty house”). The dignified African-American woman arrived and polished “company” silverware and washed a light load of shirts and table cloths. Worked a few hours. Mom made her sit down and have a lavish lunch of tuna salad, lettuce, tomatoes and scallions plus rugelach for dessert. Mom paid her five dollars and emptied much of the refrigerator and pantry for the woman to take home “For the kinder (children)”. That was it. Never repeated. One “shandeh” (shame) was enough.
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