by Michael Daecher
On Friday, October 15, Howard Goins was honored by the
Southern Dutchess NAACP for his contributions to the community. As a member of the
Star of Bethlehem Baptist Church, where he enjoys singing in the Men’s Chorus and
Gospel Choir, and former Worshipful Master of the Hebron Masonic Lodge here in
Beacon, his connections to the African American community run deep.
As a member of the Prince Hall Masons, Howard is part of an
African American tradition that goes back hundreds of years – one that created
its own separate identity when the white Masonic establishment would not allow
integration. Though it is no longer enforced in most places, one of the
traditional requirements to be a Mason is that you have to “be free,” rather
than born a slave. While that might not be a problem today, when the first
African American Masonic order was created, slavery was still common, even in
the Northeast.
As Howard tells it, the Hebron Lodge is mainly a social
organization, and they spend as much time as they can working in the community.
Howard’s wife, Ruth, has also devoted her life to service. In 2000 she retired
as a teacher after more than 40 years in front of a classroom.
Howard and Ruth were gracious enough to invite me into their
home so I could hear more about their lives, and the ways in which Beacon has
changed over the past 50 years:
Thanks for sitting down with me tonight. Can you tell me
where you’re from originally, and why you came to Beacon?
H: I was born in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and came up to Beacon in
1951, when I was 18, to work in the veteran’s hospital (Castle Point). My aunt,
Arlena Warner, worked there first, and had good things to say about it, so I
decided I’d come up. They put me to work in the kitchen, and I worked my way on
up. I was made supervisor, but then moved over into the paint shop. I worked
there for 35 years.
R: I was 24 when I came to Beacon with Howard, after we got
married in South Carolina.
And, Ruth, you were a teacher?
R: Yes, in the Newburgh School District. I taught
kindergarten all the way up to 12th grade – mainly science,
chemistry, and math. I taught four years at North Junior High, and spent the
rest of the time teaching in elementary magnet schools. I was a program
specialist for the magnet schools for many years.
Did you ever teach in Beacon?
R: No, at that time they weren’t ready for me (chuckles).
When we came here in 1960, there were no black teachers on staff. They didn’t
have black teachers in Beacon until the late 60’s.
Did you live in Beacon?
H: When I came up from Spartanburg,
I lived with my aunt for a while on Ferry Street.
But I lived out at Castle Point when I started working there. They had rooms on
the grounds. If you worked there you could stay there. That’s why I fell in
love with it. It was a home away from home. You get off the job, and you could
go right to your room. They had everything right there. They had a canteen, so
you never even had to go to Beacon, if you didn’t want to.
How did you meet?
R: We were high school sweethearts in South Carolina. I
went to college at South Carolina University at Orangeburgh, and Howard went into the service.
H: I was right out of high school, working at Castle Point,
and I got a letter from the government: ‘Mr Goins, you have now been selected
for such and such a unit…’ I went up for training in Albany and Massachusetts. And after that
they sent me back to Fort Dix.
What branch of the military were you in?
H: I was in the infantry, in the Army. I stayed in there for
two years, and never went overseas. But every morning, we’d get out there in
the cold, and the officer in charge would start calling out the orders. Some
would go to Iceland,
others to Japan,
and others to Korea
where the fighting was going on. After I
got out of the service in 1957 I went right back to Castle Point. A lot of guys
got out of the military, and had a rough time finding work. But I was lucky and
got right back to work.
What are some of the most important changes you’ve seen over
the years in Beacon?
H: The main thing I’ve seen is all the renovation,
especially when they tore down all the streets and buildings down by the river,
and built it back up again.
R: At that time (around 1960) urban renewal was happening in
a lot of towns. In areas that were very poor they tore down all the run-down
houses.
H: There were even some nice homes, but they took them too.
R: Ferry Street,
Beekman Street, River Street, the lower end of Main Street, that’s where most of the black people
lived. If you had to go to the hospital, the nurses thought they already knew
where you lived. Even after we’d already
moved out to Hughsonville, people still assumed we lived down there.
And your aunt lived on Ferry Street?
R: Right. Howard’s cousin was the first one to come up from South Carolina in 1924 when Castle Point was built. The
hospital brought in a group of people from Greenville, South Carolina to help work there. And when
they came up and got established, they’d send for the other members of their
family.
Once one member of the family came, the rest were sure to
follow. It was like one big family. You could walk down the street in Beacon,
and everyone knew you (and all about you.)
At that time a lot of the workers were working out at Castle
Point, and most of the people came from South Carolina,
North Carolina, and Virginia.
They all came and it was like a melting pot. They all lived together in Beacon.
How did you get involved with Star of Bethlehem Baptist
Church?
H: When I first came here, my cousin was a regular member of
Star of Bethlehem, and I got involved through her.
Was that when they did baptisms in the river?
H: Yes, they didn’t have pools in the church, so that’s
where they went to be baptized. They don’t do that anymore.
How did urban renewal affect the African American community?
H: A lot of people ended up in the Forrestal apartments, and
others moved to Davies Terrace. But it wasn’t the same kind of community
anymore. After that, you didn’t see the same people around town. You might see
the old timers at church or coming out of the bank every so often, but other
than that…
R: Until urban renewal we had a friendly community in
Beacon. When I first came here I wanted to know where the black doctors,
teachers, and lawyers lived.
H: Well, in Beacon everyone lived together. And that was
really unique, really different -- in a good way.
R: We moved out here to Hughsonville a few years before
urban renewal, and it was tough because this was a segregated area. They didn’t
want black faces out here. I told one
lady who was complaining, “all I hear are horses. I’m not glad to be here
either!” (chuckles.) There weren’t many houses out here at that time. They even
had petitions they were sending around saying they didn’t want us living here.
It really was ugly at times. But they had upset Beacon, so people were coming
out of Beacon to find a place to live.
Can you tell me more about Castle Point?
H: It’s a veteran’s hospital, where I worked until I retired
in 1988. There are veterans from all over the Hudson Valley there. But now they’re
trying to turn it into an old folks home. I went back there the other day to
visit a friend, and it took me half an hour to get a parking space. There are
more cars in there now than when they had a full hospital full of patients!
It used to be you could there for anything and get taken
care of. If you had a cold, they’d take care of you, and keep you overnight if
need be. But now as soon as they treat you, you hit the road. They used to do
operations, but you have to go to another veteran’s hospital in Albany to get that done now.
R: The whole VA system is different now. They’ve changed so
many things.
Not a lot of people know about the Prince Hall Masons. Can
you tell me a bit more about it?
R: Masonry is something that we’ve all looked up to. And not
just blacks. It’s an organization with secret rituals, though everyone knows
who the Masons are. The Prince Hall Masons were a carbon copy of the earlier
Masonic organizations, but the races were separate. There were some blacks who
were part of the white organizations, but it wasn’t widespread.
R: From the beginning Masonry has been something that would
help people with their character, education, and well-being. People who come
from other countries really look up to the Masons. We look at it mainly as a
social thing. But when you look at the history, they’ve always been involved
with educating people.
H: We used to meet in the space next to BJ’s soul food on Main Street, where you can still see our sign in the
window. But now we use the main Masonic
Temple on Fishkill Avenue in Beacon.
What is the Hebron Order?
R: It’s a branch of the Masons. Just like they have
different names for churches, and what have you. This is the third district,
which covers a large area. But our younger people are not interested in the
Masonry. It must be a sign of the times that we live in. Maybe there are other
things to do. We’re learning to live on our own, separate, rather than coming
together as a community.
For instance, I was involved in the Order of the Eastern
Star, the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, and the National Association of Colored
Women, which is the oldest organization of black women in the U.S. I belonged to all of them, and I enjoyed them. But my kids are interested in
other things.
H: During the holidays we do a lot of things for the
community. For instance, next week we’ll be having a Thanksgiving dinner for
people who need help. And at Christmas we focus on the children with a gift
drive and party.
Do you help with the cooking?
H: Yes, I do whatever I can.
What’s your favorite dish to cook?
H: Well, I mainly cook soul food here at home. Baked
chicken, black eyed peas, collard greens. That kind of thing…
Do you have a favorite soul food restaurant in Beacon?
H: BJ’s has some good soul food. They’re doing good business
with the people coming up from New York to see the new museum. People walking down the street need somewhere to eat,
and they often have a full house. Pig’s feet, catfish, what have you…
How do you stay busy?
H: Since I retired from Castle Point in 1988, I keep busy
helping a friend of mine paint houses, doing odd jobs. You have to keep moving
once you get older, or you’ll stop for good.
R: I retired in 2000, but the last two years before I
retired I taught multiculturalism. I learn so much from the children, because the
school I taught at had people from all over the world. It’s called Meadow Hill
and it’s a global school – a magnet school.
And the children are proud of their culture. There was no
thinking you’re better than someone else. And you know, there are so many
similarities between our cultures, even down to wise tales -- some of them are
the very same thing! That was a wonderful experience, something we can all
learn from.
More Information:
Prince Hall Masons:
In 1775 an African American named Prince Hall was initiated
into Masonry by members of the Irish Military Lodge No. 441, along with
fourteen other African Americans, all of whom were free by birth. This group
then applied for a Charter from the Grand Lodge of England in 1784, and
established the separate, African American tradition of Prince Hall
Freemasonry, which then spread across North America. The
Hebron Lodge is one branch of the Prince Hall Masonry.
Order of
the Eastern Star:
The largest fraternal organization in the world that
both men and women can join. It was established in 1850 by Robert Morris,
once an official with the Freemasons. It is based on teachings from the Bible, but is open to
people of all faiths. It has approximately 10,000 chapters in twenty countries
and approximately one million members under its General Grand Chapter. Its
symbol is a five-pointed star. Members of the Order are men who are Masons and
women with specific Masonic relationships.
Freemasonry:
A
worldwide fraternal organization whose members are
joined together by shared ideals, of both a moral and metaphysical
nature (and, in the majority of branches, by a common belief in a Supreme Being).
Freemasonry is a secretive organization, in that certain aspects of its
internal work are not generally revealed to the public. Masons give numerous
reasons for this, one of which is that Freemasonry uses an initiatory
system of degrees to explore ethical and philosophical
issues, and this system is less effective if the observer knows beforehand what
will happen.
Worshipful Master:
The traditional title for the Master of a Lodge,
who presides over the meeting of Masons. His duties are similar to that of the
President of the local chapter/branch of any other state or provincial
organization. The term is one of respect and does not include “worshipping” of
an individual. It is an ancient title with a meaning similar to how judges are
referred to as "Your Honor."
Sources:
African American
Review
Masonicinfo.com
Wikipedia.org
