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Johnson: --60s when young Black people were running around talking about
equality, we want more rights, uh etcetera, etcetera. How did you feel
about what they were doing? I mean, sure, they had riots, civil disorders,
burning, looting. What are your reflections on that, at that time?
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Beamer: Well, I don't agree with that. I realized that they wanted their
rights, which, I approve of that and everything, but I did not approve of
this rioting and burning and all of that. And they just--especially in the
Brushton-Homewood area, they they lost. There was a time when Homewood was
built up, well thought of and everything, but the idea was they wanted to
run the Whites out of there, which they did, but they weren't financially
able to build it back up. As you know, today, it's still not built up.
There are plenty of places there that have boarded up dormant, nothing in
or anything. There was times when there wasn't a vacancy on Homewood
Avenue. And but I think it's mostly these illiterates and everything got in
there and well, [unintelligible].
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Johnson: Okay. Is there anything else that you'd like to talk about?
Anything you'd like to comment on and in retrospective to. What you have
experienced while growing up here in Pittsburgh and in Cedar Grove. That
would be of some importance, you know, in--
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Beamer: I enjoyed it. I've enjoyed it all. I. Uh, I like to. Now, May I
love to fish. I love to hunt too, but I love to fish. And that's what I'm
looking forward to now. April the 15th, when fishing season comes in. I
don't know if I'm going back to the park to work this season or not. I
haven't made up my mind. And as I tried to explain to you that, I did build
up something, you know, years ago. And. Uh, I've never bothered any
D-D-P-A--D-D-P-W. Whatever--whatever it is, you know, welfare. I don't
bother that. And what I would get from unemployment compensation is
minimum. I don't bother with that. But as I said, I have outside of my
pension, you know, I have drawn from savings and that can last for another
50 years or something. So what I figure is to get me a part time job. But I
mean, a part time job is three days a week or six half days a week or
something, you understand? Something like that, because I do want to do my
fishing. I said, I've got up at the age now. I've got to do the things that
I want to do. And my idea is, Francis says, I can take this room down here
and I'll put me a pool table in there. And I love to shoot pool, you know,
and I love to fish. So I don't intend to marry anymore. And I'm just going
to take it that away. And I--I can understand why you figure I shouldn't
interest myself in some community affairs and everything, but I--I--I just
don't want to. I don't want to be obligated to nobody but Del. I'm just
putting it the way it is. See?
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Johnson: Okay--
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Beamer: I know I'm wrong! I know I'm wrong saying that.
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Johnson: No, you're entitled to your opinion. Beamer: Right. Johnson: But
one final question. Beamer: Right. Johnson: It's 1976. This is the
bicentennial year for the United States-- Beamer: Right. Johnson:
--commemorating its 200th birthday. What do you feel or what do you think?
Should be the degree of the Black participation in our bicentennial year.
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Beamer: Well, I figure. I figure we should. Well, we do have legislatures
and everything now. I figure that everything should be on an equal basis.
And. All right, now, you remember, I think it was the year--the other year
that Chisholm was on. She was on the--on the roster, you know, for
president. She didn't get many votes, which is--I don't think we are ready
for a woman president today. I don't think so. I really don't think they
have the qualifications for it. They haven't traveled enough to know, you
know, now you take a senator, he's got to travel. He's got to know the
different countries that we got to deal with and everything. These women
haven't done that, you know that? I don't think a woman is ready for
president. I don't think a woman is ready for--well, I'd say--even--even
senator, I don't think so.
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Johnson: We have women senators.
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Beamer: I know it, but I--I don't think--I know that, I know that, but
I--I don't think they're ready.
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Johnson: Okay, but what of the--what of the Black participation in our
bicentennial year? You think the Blacks should get out there and rejoice,
or do you think we should just sit back? No.
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Beamer: No! Uh uh. Rejoice. Stand for [??] Speak your piece. That's the
idea.
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Beamer: And now. Bunch! That's who I was just talking about, Ralph Bunch.
You remember [??] Well listen here. I figure like this now, Jonathan. Now,
I've noticed, right here--lately. Here. Last year, year before last, I was
down at the Social Security office. And I was interviewed about my Social
Security, see. Okay. Now they. They requested me to come down there, see.
Okay. There was--there was a Black there and he treated me just like I was
a dog or something. Okay. I'm only coming to get what I'm entitled to. I
didn't go on my own, they sent me a letter to come, you know, said I was
eligible and everything, you understand? And, man, that dude cheated me.
And so I said, I don't want your business. I said, I'll forget this. So
this woman, this White, in the front desk is [unintelligible]. And she
said, Well, what happened? Why didn't you give him the--I tried to give him
the information. I told her, but I said he was so indignant and everything
I said, I walked out on him. So she said, Well, you'll deal with me. And I
did. But I mean, it's a funny thing, Jonathan, about a lot of these guys,
since they get out of pit and get that portfolio under they arm, they
figure they ass weighs a--
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Johnson: No, go ahead. Say what you feel.
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Beamer: --weighs a ton or something, you know, and all of that. But I
mean, don't look at it the other way, you know, and it's a funny thing. I
mean, there is a difference in the Blacks and the Whites in business. Now,
shoot, I know a lot of--I know a lot of guys that's really nice in
business. Now, you take you take, uh, these, uh, brothers that, uh. Uh,
what's the names now? I know them both. Well, they know me, and we chat and
talk, you know, for half hour at a time and everything, and, uh. But a
White, he'll go ahead right in here and try to reason with you and
everything. Understand?
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Beamer: It's like he just wants to make you feel that he's so superior to
you. You know, you're inferior to him and everything. And because you don't
have that thing under your arm, and that burns me up. Get the idea?
Unidentified voice: I wish I had 4 or 5 apartments. Beamer: That burns me
up, you know, things like that. But I said very seldom you can go to a
bank. You can go to a bank right now up here in East Hills. There's a nice
guy, Mr. Harris.
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Beamer: And then there's this young Black back in the back there. Now,
when I got ready to transfer my security, my checks from me to the bank,
see, then I had to go to him, you know, And he was so nice young guy, your
age and everything, you know, back in the back in the [??]. He's so nice.
But, I mean, he's one out of ten that'll be nice to you. The rest of them,
they want to feel that you something under them and everything. I don't
know. That's the reason. I don't know. I could ever, you might say,
associate myself with them. If you don't have the same degree they have,
hell, you ain't nothing. Now you know I'm telling the truth, Johnson. A lot
of them are that way.
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Johnson: Okay, I'll go ahead and terminate this interview and appreciate
your personal reflections on it and appreciate you giving me the time.
Well.
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Beamer: Well, I've got nothing but time. [laughs]
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Johnson: Okay. Beautiful.
