Surprises abound in the midst the unfolding landscape of C&P days gone by, but what about when the opposite happens? What about when C&P workers of the past find out things about themselves they did not know prior to responding to our anniversary call?
By KEVIN ‘CHILL’ HEARD
Managing Editor
Often times, in the process of searching out Call and Post history in lieu of our 95 years anniversary, I am met with information that catches me off guard.
Surprises abound in the midst the unfolding landscape of C&P days gone by, but what about when the opposite happens? What about when C&P workers of the past find out things about themselves they did not know prior to responding to our anniversary call?
A perfect case in point is the Banks sisters – Bertha, Shirley, and Alene.
Until the call for former employees went out and stories started about various people who used to deliver the paper, they had no idea that each one of them individually had done C&P delivery!
As it was told to me, by Bertha, none of them knew until they were adults (a few months or so ago) that all three of them delivered the paper as children, starting with Bertha in the late ‘40s, then Shirley in the early ‘50s, followed by Alene after that.
The funny thing about it is that, when I sat down with them, they pretty much recalled the exact same experiences. While two of the sisters hawked C&Ps in and around the 40th Street projects and the other dispatched “The People’s Paper” around 61st and Cedar, they all chimed in with tales of a loving community eager to read up on what was happening in “Black Cleveland” and a village of elders happy to see young ladies like the Banks sisters exercising an early work ethic.
To see these lovely ladies together and sharing their experiences, laughing and comparing all the similarities they shared selling newspapers, it was no doubt that they did it well and had fun while at it.
The most telling part of their key to success was the way all three of them said they called out the name of the paper for sale – “CALLLLLL AND POOOOOOST!”
Indeed I asked all three of them one-by-one to “shout it out” and all three theatrically re-animated their vocal sales technique that made them all the rage in the inner-city.
Finally, my trip to “Back in the Day” with the Banks sisters came to a conclusion but certainly their youthful spirit of little girls doing a day’s work for the Call and Post will live on. It was a pleasure to sit and share.
The story continues.
The upcoming articles in this space will be dedicated to telling the story of the first year to this current year of former C&P employees. From the names you may have long forgotten, to names you may have just recently come to know.
The Call and Post Newspaper, 95 years and counting, stand up and be counted. Be a part of the history that you or your family helped to build. Email us at Info@call-post.com or give us a call at (216) 588-6700. Yes, we are still looking for you!
