Those Who Saw the Sun by Jaha N. Avery

Author:Jaha N. Avery
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Levine Querido

INTERVIEW NO. 7 PHYLLIS TAYLOR

My dad’s mother’s name was Julia Allen and his dad’s name was Charlie Allen. My grandmother’s name on my mother’s side was Phyllis Coles Lecars. And my grandfather was John Henry Lecars. My mother was Corinne Lecars Allen. And my dad’s name was Booker T. Allen. I grew up in a section in Richmond called New Town. We were approximately in the area where the Maggie L. Walker High School is now. There was two parts to New Town. One part was called New Town, and that was the section on Moore Street and Lee Street, and it ended at Hermitage Road. And the other part, which we did not call New Town, was called The Hill. And that’s where the Black neighborhood on the other side of the railroad was. And it was on a hill. And that’s where our church was. And it was started by my grandfather and grandmother, along with 14 other people. And it’s called St. Paul’s Baptist Church.

But in the area that really was New Town, there was a church called First Union Baptist Church. And my grandmother and grandfather were formally members there, and they, along with the group I told you about, asked to start a church of our own, and that’s what became St. Paul’s Baptist Church. And it was started on Thanksgiving night. In 1909. And most of our family still have family members that are part of St. Paul’s, including me. I was baptized when I was five years old, became a legitimate member of the church. And I’m still an active member at my tender age!

I’ve held a number of positions in the church. As a member of St. Paul’s for years, our pastor at the time, Reverend J. A. Mosbit, had a lot of confidence in the members and in the young people who were growing up in the church. Before he became pastor, whenever we would have an activity or something, they would go out into the community and get people to be in charge of it and sponsor or train the people who were going to be a part of it. But once he became pastor, he said, we will no longer be going into the community of neighbors to secure people to do our work. We will be doing it ourselves. So, the members started using their talents, which were many, and were very effective to start having programs in the church.

One of the main things that we did have growing up was what was called the Baptist Training Union—the BYPU—which met every Sunday evening at six o’clock. He was a very forward-looking minister who would make the young people feel comfortable. So, he allowed us to have activities in the church that other churches would not allow, for instance, debates, quiz contests, oratorical speeches.… So, we got a lot of training. We also had youth choir. But he was saying to the congregation that, once a person is baptized and they fellowship into the church, they are full-fledged members, regardless of their age.

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