Son works to set record straight on mother's historic contributions

FORT WAYNE—Brother Charles Jones has a firm grasp on the importance of history. In fact, one might say that makes sense given that he comes from a history making family that includes cousins two-time Oscar winner Denzel Washington and the late black political pioneer Chicago Mayor Harold Washington. And, there are others including relatives Joe Washington who made a name playing football with the Washington Redskins, Pearl Washington who was a star basketball player at Syracuse and cousin George Washington, an Air Force colonel and Tuskegee airman who shot down two Russian MIGs in Vietnam.

But, sometimes Charles Jones, an ex-soldier and Vietnam veteran, now playwright, author and composer can’t help but wonder if others grasp how important history can be in helping a people to move forward. That’s especially truegiven that he’s well aware that in this day of the cult of celebrity when the vast majority of ink is given to entertainers, including sports figures, the contributions of those who made ground level contributions to the community—contributions that have a more direct impact on the average person—too often get overlooked.

Case in point:

For the past 11 years, Jones has been trying track down definite information on a specific contribution of one of this city’s African American pioneers—his mother, Ruth Mae Washington-Jones.

Jones recounts seeing a newspaper sometime back lauding the achievements of a number of black folks locally who dedicated their lives to uplifting the black community.

“I looked in the newspaper and they had the lions of the civil rights movement… Charles Redd,… Dr. B.K. Stuart,… and others, all very deserving people. But to make a long story short, my mother was no where in the group. I was shocked. That was the beginning of my journey,” explained Jones.

Lest some wonder what he’s talking about, Washington-Jones was one of Fort Wayne’s primer grassroots organizers, particularly in the 1960s and 1970s. Those in the know recognize the name Ruth Jones for her role in organizing mothers on welfare to fight the system for reform some 40 years ago.

“She was a dynamic woman,” said son Charles. “She marched on the courthouse square in 1965 for welfare rights. I was in Vietnam and Larry Montgomery and Rufus Hawkins wrote me and told me they were right there with her. They were her bodyguards.”

His mother also worked hard to provide needed services to people in the area.

“She organized an inner city day care center at our house at 3714 Reed (St.). She was the executive director of that,” said Charles Jones. “We almost brought daycare here, except for the Gingerbread House, which opened some time before then.”

But, one achievement which has been overlooked said son Charles, is his mother’s role in black economic development and self-sufficiency. Back in the early 1970s, she organized the city’s first black credit union—the Allen County Federal Credit Union, he said.

While Jones knew firsthand of his mother’s role in the venture, he was astonished to find no recorded history of that monumental achievement. Although her involvement was mentioned in her published obituary when she passed away Nov. 15, 1990, there were no details on the credit union to be found.

“There was no record, I dug through everything. I had already looked into it and found no mention of her in the black history section of the library,” said Jones, adding that after her passing, that historical oversight made him determined to ensure his mother’s place in local history was restored. “That was the shocking part that kept me digging.”

Jones started doing research about 14 years ago on his mother’s role in the Allen County Federal Credit Union, but other than coming up with anecdotal information and some information from others who were involved with the venture for a time—including the late Agnes Hopkins, whom his mother befriended throughout life, Famious Williams and others— Jones said he found no written records or artifacts of the venture. Again, however, he knew firsthand of her involvement.

“She came home every night, 432 Madison, and worked on this project. That’s where we lived at that time. I was a freshman at IPFW (Indiana University—Purdue University, Fort Wayne. It was 1971, 1972. I had just returned from the war,” said Jones.

In fact, his mother took him to a meeting with former U.S. Senator Birch Bayh, Hopkins, Williams, the late Rev. P.H. Love Sr. and George Simmons, all of whom were affiliated with the credit union, which eventually was established at 436 E. Douglas Ave., ironically, now the site of the Fort Wayne African/African American Historical Museum.

“I visited there and saw all these people working on this great idea,” said Jones.

In another bit of irony, just this year, folks at the museum discovered in the basement the sign that used to hang outside the credit union, proudly announcing the venture’s presence to the community. Jones said he was moved to be able to touch that piece of history that marks one of his mother’s achievements.

The idea of the credit union lasted for a while and gave people hope and set an example, letting them know that they too could do something, he said. Unfortunately, he said the venture eventually collapsed from internal problems—especially after his mother was deposed from her role as a prime motivator in the credit union.

“It was a coup d’etat,” he said. They overthrew her.”

Still, it was enough to inspire Jones who has never lost his spirit for community involvement and zeal for justice for the people.

“I watched her make history. She was very intelligent. She would say to me things like this, “You know we’re making history. Do you have your pen and paper? Write this down,” said Jones, who would later become an organizer of the Student Association of Black Unity here in the 1970s.

A grassroots organizer for the Democrat Party in Indiana, Ruth Mae Washington-Jones also taught her family the value of being politically active.

“She took me to Indy and we met Birch Bayh and his people and they knew her. I thought that was pretty heavy,” said Jones, who himself became the minister of information for local Black Panther Party.

While she stood out as a historic figure, it was the lessons at home and her personal strength that made her even more special to Charles Jones and the rest of the family.

“She raised nine of us. She was a widow and raised all of us, and instilled values in us—perseverance, dedication, you know, so many things, and to have some dignity and integrity about yourself. She had dignity and integrity. She was outtasite,” he said.

She also told them it was important to get and education and a job.

And, he said, his mother emphasized the importance of carrying one’s self correctly to set an example for others.

“Those Washingtons had dignity and integrity. She would walk into the courthouse, her fist clenched and say, ‘Excuse me, my name is Mrs. Jones, We’re not going to have a problem, but I’d like to talk to you.’” And, he said, she carried herself the same with anyone and wasn’t intimidated by people’s “status.”

“She talk to Senator Bayh the same way she’d talk to you and me,” said Jones.

He said all those qualities and record of his mother’s achievements should be important not only to him and the family, but the community in general, especially for the sake of coming generations. Jones said he has gone on to have a successful and fulfilling life and is now enjoying retirement, thanks to the lessons he learned from his mother and others like her. He said he hopes people start remembering how important it is to preserve the legacy of previous generations— just as his mother taught him.

“Firstly and foremost, she said, let’s recognize our great leaders, our great people. I used to sit up around those older people and listen,” said Charles Jones, who followed that advice and bemoaned that fact that the importance of that is being lost today. “The kids don’t have a chance—if they don’t have any role models that are valid, they don’t have a chance.”

This is part of the July 29, 2009 online edition of Frost Illustrated.

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