Life in Tidewater, Virginia in the 1920’s was not unlike life in other southern cities at the time. There were concerns about the growing menace of communism, the production and consumption of illegal alcohol and the emergence of the Ku Klux Klan. Segregation was of course a fact of life for residents in the area. In the city of Norfolk there were ordinances that prohibited blacks from living in white neighborhoods and whites from living in black neighborhoods. Not only did citizens have to live in separate locations there was also a great disparity in the standard of living for blacks and whites. Norfolk’s City Health Commissioner reported that the death rate of the city’s blacks was twice that of the whites in 1920. Certain amenities were not made available to blacks in Norfolk. In fact the first park for blacks, Barraud Park, was not opened until 1928. Despite all of the prevailing racial attitudes the black leaders in Tidewater were determined to make sure all black citizens were given a fair chance to succeed. They encouraged blacks to be active in pursuit of their rights.

In an attempt to gain a voice in social matters many blacks joined organizations that they hoped would help them gain their rights. These organizations included the NAACP and Marcus Garvey’s Universal Negro Improvement Association. Another source of organization for black protest was the church. Through each of these groups leaders emerged that would eventually come to represent the black community of Tidewater in many important matters. One of the leaders was Plummer Bernard Young. Mr. Young was the owner of Norfolk’s Journal and Guide Newspaper and was the president of Norfolk’s NAACP chapter. Local ministers such as Rev. Richard H. Bowling of First Baptist Church, Rev. Harvey N. Johnson of Mount Olive Baptist Church, Reverend B. W. Harris of Grace Episcopal Church, Rev. C. J. Henderson of Metropolitan A.M.E. Zion and Rev. B.B. Evans of United Presbyterian Church. These churches often served as the meeting places for black organizations that had no official meeting halls. In their search for equality blacks were a non-denominational group with a uniting goal in mind. The religious leaders were not the only black leaders.

Many of the black leaders achieved their status as leaders simply by virtue of the profession they held and the respect people had for them. This group included Dr. Samuel F. Coppage a dentist in Norfolk, D. G. Jacox, an elementary school principal and Dr. Winston Douglas principal of Booker T. Washington High School. Quite often when there was an event or discussion that had a bearing on the rights of local blacks in the 1920’s these names were normally associated with it. One such occasion where these men joined together to create the opportunity for blacks came when they endeavored to provide a boy scout program for black boys. In spite of overwhelming odds against them, these black leaders were able to establish a successful scouting program for black boys that touched thousands of lives. This is the story of how these men were so dedicated to establishing a first class scouting program for blacks that they would settle for nothing less than full accreditation from the national Boy Scouts of America (BSA).

The BSA was established in 1910. The organization was formed as a way to train boys in practical skills, promote strong moral character and encourage patriotism. Unfortunately, as with most organizations of the time, the benefits of the scouts were extended predominantly to white people. While there was no official policy, segregation in the scouts was a de facto segregation that followed societal norms of the day. Of course this prevailing attitude did not discourage blacks from aspiring to set up troops for their boys. The ideas of strong moral character, useful practical skills and patriotism appealed to blacks as much as it did to whites. The black leaders of Tidewater realized that instead of beginning their own separate organization they should appeal to the BSA for an officially recognized program.

In January of 1928 some of the black leaders, led by Mr. Abner Lee the first black postal clerk in Tidewater, wrote a letter to the national BSA headquarters in New York to inquire about starting a black scouting troop in Norfolk. The names of the rest of the men responsible for the letter read like a list of the usual suspects for those involved in race matters of the day. They included Dr. Coppage, P.B. Young, and Dr. Douglas. The men were not requesting that the BSA do something it had not done before. In fact there had been an effort by the BSA to establish scouting among black boys in Norfolk as early 1926. In December of 1926 a Mr. Stanley A. Harris, the Regional Field Scout Executive of the national BSA came to Norfolk from New York and addressed the Norfolk Boy Scout Council about accepting black scout troops. Mr. Harris advised the men that it would be a courageous step for them to allow black scout programs. The Norfolk council did advise Mr. Harris that they had previously considered the "colored Boy Scout troop question" and Mr. Harris would hear from them soon. By 1928 no black scout troop had been started and the community leaders sent their letter to the national BSA. The national BSA responded to the letter favorably by scheduling a meeting with black leaders. Mr. Stanley Harris, the scout executive who had previously spoken to the Norfolk council in 1926 was one of the men dispatched by the national BSA to meet with the men interested in starting black scout troops. These meetings between the representatives of the BSA and the local leaders were the first official steps taken toward beginning black scouting in Tidewater.

The first meeting between the local black leaders and the BSA occurred on February 28, 1928 in the boardroom of the Metropolitan Bank and Trust Company. The group that met was made up of both black and white men. This group was called the Inter-racial Committee of the Norfolk Council, Boy Scouts of America. The first meeting of this group, according to minutes, lasted only one hour and consisted solely of the BSA’s representative Mr. Harris explaining the scout program and "the conditions under which it could be extended to the Negro race". According to the personal notes of Dr. Samuel Coppage one of the conditions was that the black scout troops could not use the scout uniform for at least one year. The blacks at the meeting were not happy with these conditions and stated that they would only accept the full scouting program and nothing less. The BSA determined that the black troops would be allowed to wear the scout uniform once the troops officially began functioning. The Inter-racial Committee had a second meeting on April 17, 1928. This meeting was more productive in terms of tangible results by the committee. It was at this meeting that the black scouting district committee was established and the officers were elected. The members of the black district committee were Abner Lee, Chairman, Rev. J. Alex Valentine, Vice-Chairman, W. C. Fulford, Secretary, Rev. B.B. Evans, Treasurer, Rev. G.W. Watkins, Rev. B.W. Harris, Rev. O.J. Allen, Rev. Harvey N. Johnson, Rev. C.J. Henderson, Rev. R. H. Bowling, P.J. Chesson, Rev. L.L. Berry, Dr. Coppage, and D. G. Jacox. This group of black men was responsible for organizing black scouting troops and then submitting all requests for troops to Norfolk Council of Boy Scouts. Also at the second meeting of the Inter-racial committee it was determined that the first black troops would be started at only three locations in order to minimize mistakes and make sure they were operating in an efficient manner. The committee agreed to start troops at Mount Olive Baptist Church, Grace Episcopal Church and Bank Street Baptist Church all located in Norfolk. The scout council decided that once these troops proved to be operating well then the black district committee could recommend that other chapters be approved by the Norfolk Scout Council. The success of the first scout troops was the key to the rapid growth of scouting in the black community.

The first black scout troop to be chartered in Tidewater was number 72 at Mount Olive Baptist in the spring of 1928. Soon after that the troops at Bank Street Baptist number 71 and Grace Episcopal number 70 were officially chartered. Evidently the members of the Norfolk Scout Council who were responsible for voting for the new black troops felt that progress was being made because by the end of 1928 there were five black troops functioning. The early troops were founded at churches for the most part. It is possible that the pastors used scouting as a way to attract and retain young members to their congregations. One pastor, Rev. Harvey N. Johnson Sr., was responsible for starting scout troops at two churches.

As pastor of Mount Olive Baptist Church in 1928 Rev. Johnson oversaw the chartering of the first black scout troop in Tidewater. When he became pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church he endeavored to bring scouting to blacks in Portsmouth. Through his efforts the first black scout troop in Portsmouth, number 82, was chartered on December 11, 1933. This led to a growth of black scouting troops in Portsmouth similar to the growth black scouting had experienced in Norfolk. Just as had happened in Norfolk the early black troops in Portsmouth were based in churches. These churches included troop 83 at historic Emanuel A.M.E.

Church, troop 85 at Third Baptist Church and troop 86 at First Baptist Church Pinners Point. A new scout district, number 7, was created to govern the black troops of Norfolk and Portsmouth. By 1935 there were over 400 scouts and 19 troops in the district. The district pooled its resources to produce a weeklong celebration of the BSA’s 25^th anniversary. This celebration included parades, awards ceremonies and church services. The growth of black scouting was quite an accomplishment considering the condition of the country during the 1930’s.

The Great Depression was at its peak during the early years of scouting yet these groups were still able to raise the money necessary to have uniforms and other scouting paraphernalia. Because many of the troops were based at churches they were partially able to collect donations from the churches for their camping outings. However this still did not pay the entire cost that the boys incurred. Many of the boys simply saved what little money they could get. In a time where there was little money to go around the fact that the church community would help the scouts seems to show that people felt that scouting was a worthwhile cause. But even though the churches showed support for the troops the scouting leaders had concerns about the amount of support the parents gave to the scouting program. District Chairman Winston Douglas felt that the parents’ listlessness was the "darkest spot in scouting" and believed they should be more involved in the scouting events. For many of the boys scouting exposed them to events and situations that Depression-era Tidewater could never have shown them. It sometimes removed them from the crowded inner city and gave them a night outdoors in fresh air.

One experience that was afforded to some of the local scouts was the opportunity to travel to Washington DC and participate in the National BSA Jamboree of 1937. This Jamboree exposed the black scouts, for whom segregation was a way of life, to the true Boy Scout spirit. In an attempt to show the progress that they had made on matters of race the BSA authorized the black and white scouts to camp together. Progressive influences such as these possibly inspired the scouts to strive to make changes in their hometown. Many of these boys grew up to be leaders in the Tidewater area. The accomplishments of the former boys scouts may not have been directly attributable to having been in the boy scouts, but the success that former scouts enjoyed was significant.

The achievements of the black scouting troops in Tidewater were exciting to a great number of people in the area. There can be no way of actually measuring whose lives were changed as a result of being a scout or working with the scouts. However, it would be safe to say scouting touched a significant portion of the, black community in its early days. The ability of blacks to organize efficient and effective scout troops was another step toward refuting the negative stereotypes that strengthened segregation. The fortitude displayed by the boys deserves recognition. They must have known that all other black scout troops would be judged based on their performance, but these 12 and 13 year olds performed admirably. But they weren’t the only people who persevered in order to bring scouting to blacks in Tidewater. The men who had the foresight to realize that scouting would aid black boys also deserve recognition.

During the 1920’s and 1930’s when blacks were treated as second class citizens the black scout leaders sacrificed their time and effort in an attempt to make sure there was a first class scouting program for the boys. Some of these men, including Dr. Winston Douglas in 1947, P. J. Chesson in 1949 and Rev. Harvey N. Johnson in 1953, were awarded the Silver Beaver Award from the Tidewater Council of the BSA. The Silver Beaver award is the highest award for distinguished service to youth that is given by the council. The first black man to receive the Silver Beaver award in Tidewater was Mr. James E. Fulford. Mr. Fulford was not one of the original of the Inter-racial committee but he did serve as Field Commissioner of District Seven under Chairman Winston Douglas. In fact Dr. Douglas stated in the February 15, 1935 issue of the Norfolk Journal and Guide that Mr. Fulford deserved most of the credit for making black scouting in Norfolk the best black program in the south. The national BSA supported the efforts of the black scout leaders. In 1936 a national Boy Scout institute for the further development of scoutmasters, commissioners and other leaders in the program was started. This institute was held at 12 black colleges including Virginia State College. This institute was supervised by Mr. Stanley Harris, the same man who had previously come to Norfolk in 1928 to facilitate the organization of the black scouting program in the area. By 1936 Mr. Harris had been given the position of national director of interracial activities of the BSA. This effort reflects the commitment that the national BSA had to continuing to see scouting grow among blacks. The black troops of Tidewater continued to grow through the 1930’s and beyond.

The lasting success of black scouting in Tidewater bears witness to how important the program was to the community. When the leaders of the black community advised the representative of the National BSA that they would only accept the full scouting program or no program at all, they probably had no idea that over the next 72 years the scouting programs would touch so many lives. But to this day black scout troops are continuing to function and all because this group of men decided that the only way it could be done would be all or nothing.