J. Raymond Jones
J. Raymond Jones | |
---|---|
New York City Councilman District 21 | |
In office March 1, 1963 – December 31, 1965 | |
Preceded by | Herbert Evans |
Succeeded by | Daniel Diggs |
Personal details | |
Born | St. Thomas, Danish West Indies | November 19, 1899
Died | June 9, 1991 North General Hospital, New York | (aged 91)
John Raymond Jones (November 19, 1899 – June 9, 1991) was the last Grand Sachem of Tammany Hall, a New York City Councilman for Harlem, a district leader, ran the Carver Democratic Club, and was Adam Clayton Powell's campaign manager in 1958, opposing Tammany Hall, and Carmine DeSapio.[1]
Early life
Jones was born on November 19, 1899, in St. Thomas, Danish West Indies.[1] He moved to New York City in 1917 and became involved with politics, serving as an election inspector in 1921. His focus was on registering and organizing African American voters in the Harlem area, and placing black officials in the court system. Jones worked on the John Francis Hylan campaign for mayor in 1921 and was enthused by his proposal to keep the 5 cent fare. However, Hylan did not reward Jones's effort.[2] As a result, Jones formed a political club to help create political room for African Americans. "Ray worked on a coal barge, and I carried ice...Your only hope was to get in with the right white person because they had it all. White political leaders ran the old Chicopee Club on St. Nicholas Avenue."[3]
Rise to power
In 1944, Jones was elected as leader for Assembly District 13. He then worked closely with Mayor
Grand Sachem of Tammany Hall
Jones ran Tammany Hall from 1964 to 1967 but he had forces to contend with. Robert Kennedy had a grudge against him. During Kennedy's tenure as United States Senator from New York, he did everything he could to take down the prominent Black political leader.
Old timer Stanley Ferris observed glumly, "Harlem hasn't voted Republican in 30 years. And this was our reward (Jones ousted). Black leaders get discouraged. You work hard, deliver the vote, get a little power, and they pull you down. I don't know, maybe if Kennedy would adopt some Negro leader and boost him up, we might get some initiative back."[5]
Political legacy
Jones also served as a mentor to many younger black politicians who later became prominent in New York politics..
Known as "The Fox," Jones was leader of Harlem's Carver Democratic Club.
Further reading
- John C. Walker,The Harlem Fox: J. Raymond Jones at Tammany 1920:1970, New York: State University New York Press, 1989.
- Black, Blind, & In Charge: A Story of Visionary Leadership and Overcoming Adversity. New York, New York, 2020
- David N. Dinkins, A Mayor's Life: Governing New York's Gorgeous Mosaic, PublicAffairs Books, 2013
- Rangel, Charles B.; Wynter, Leon (2007). And I Haven't Had a Bad Day Since: From the Streets of Harlem to the Halls of Congress. New York: St. Martin's Press.
- Baker Motley, Constance Equal Justice Under The Law: An Autobiography, New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 1998.
- Howell, Ron Boss of Black Brooklyn: The Life and Times of Bertram L. Baker Fordham University Press Bronx, New York 2018
- Jack, Hulan Fifty Years a Democrat:The Autobiography of Hulan Jack New Benjamin Franklin House New York, NY 1983
- Clayton-Powell, Adam Adam by Adam:The Autobiography of Adam Clayton Powell Jr. New York, New York 1972
- Pritchett, Wendell E. Robert Clifton Weaverand the American City: The Life and Times of an Urban Reformer Chicago: University of Chicago Press 2008
- Davis, BenjaminCommunist Councilman from Harlem:Autobiographical Notes Written in a Federal Penitentiary New York, New York 1969
References
- ^ a b c d Fraser, C. Gerald (June 11, 1991). "J. Raymond Jones, Harlem Kingmaker, Dies at 91". The New York Times. Retrieved 2015-10-17.
- ^ a b c McInelly, Cade (3 April 2017). "Jones, John Raymond (1899–1991)". BlackPast.org.
- ^ Good, Paul (29 October 1967). "A Political Tour of Harlem; THREE OF THE "NEW BREED" DEMOCRATS". The New York Times.
- ^ "A Political Tour of Harlem; THREE OF THE "NEW BREED" DEMOCRATS". The New York Times.
- ^ "A Political Tour of Harlem; THREE OF THE "NEW BREED" DEMOCRATS". The New York Times.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-04-29. Retrieved 2014-04-29.
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: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) A Mayor's Life: Governing New York's Gorgeous Mosaic