Ella Baker - May 11, 2011
Motivation
So let me ask you this, what motivates you to be out spoken and to speak up to help others?
This is my answer to my atrocity.
Uh-huh.
When people say I hope never happened well what are you doing about it.
Uh-huh.
Licking your wounds?
Uh-huh.
You have to do something about it. You--I have established a, a Jewish holiday in 1 of the nursing homes 8 Mile and Middlebelt, I was from a agency as ombudsman area of aging. But I always went beyond to 1 of my uh, I was watching implementations of rules and regulations, but I have noted that that is about 8 Jewish people. And holidays there are all holidays celebrated, but I see nothing about Jewish.
Uh-huh.
You know.
Uh-huh.
So he had me go. I couldn't accuse them of racism because probably they just done things in their own image. But I was talking to the administration, would there be space if, if I am going to activate it for, for this and this. And they were very cooperative and, I, I didn't put in accuse them of nothing, actually I says this is the place that we want the same thing, to have a good reputation. I want the same things as you want.
Mm-hm.
And then they were very, very cooperative so I made lots of, lots of calls, finally I has, had established a Purim celebration, Seder and Hanukkah.
Really?
The people, I was always there, the people were dressed...
Mm-hm.
And the room was ready and there was, there, there were Yiddish songs and everything. You could cry some of them wasn't so coherent and when the Jewish song came along they tapped. I could cry.
That's beautiful.
I am not a very religious, I'm really not a very observant person but I am talking about somebody else's needs.
Yes, yes.
That's where it all begins, right there.
Yes.
And so uh, that, that was and twenty some years later I talk to a Jewish resident living there, that, that Jewish holidays are still on our agenda.
Really?
Yes, it's still on there, Jewish holidays are being remembered. Yeah. So uh, you have to hear that's what came out of my, my experie...experience that it never happens again. You know, just to talk uh, and sit there and, and be present doesn't do nothing.
Mm-hm. Got it, let me just write this down.
Okay.
This is beautiful, what you're saying.
Yeah, this is a very serious message because more than everything that they know what they have done to us, in addition, or maybe a most important see how you can prevent it. And this is protecting everybody's rights.
Mm-hm, mm-hm.
It begins right there.
How did you come to uh, this conclusion that we must, that you must speak up, you must try to make the world a better place?
Yes.
How did you come to this?
It is just spontaneous as everything, I do not, It's not out of books...
Mm-hm.
It's spontaneous and I am all the time uh, all the time analyzing and asking questions. Where ever I am I am taking it apart and I am alone and, and I'm asking questions of sometimes I follow up. And up to date I am maybe not so challenging, I am almost 87...
Wow.
And I am not uh, not so challenging but still like I was leaving just 2 years ago at Trowbridge.
Yes.
And they are the best to remember the Jewish traditions there.
Mm-hm, mm-hm, mm-hm.
But never really has it came out that they have uh, matzo ball soup and I wasn't fighting for the matzo balls.
Yeah.
Uh, they stopped it. Even--and there was a new chef. The new chef would be Jewish...
Uh-huh.
I wouldn't even second thought about the matzo ball...
Yes, yeah.
It just more work, but was a Hispanic.
Uh-huh.
This is not such a, I didn't hear nothing uh, in reverse from him, but I became skeptical.
Mm-hm.
How come the, the matzo balls are being taken off and this, I never eat matzo balls ???...
Yeah.
But that wasn't the issue, I wanted to know why.
Why.
This was bothering me and more like 50/50 chance that it's just more work. If it would be a Jewish chef ???.
Sure.
So never the less, I talked to the uh, manager. I confronted that matzo ball uh, uh, issue.
Yeah.
I made an issue out of it. And I says uh, what's happening with the, with the matzo ball and I says I assure you I didn't talk to residents about it and a half way trays I told her. I says, and at this point I don't feel it necessary to talk to the manager--to the administration, like saying I might do that.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
It different to say...
Uh-huh.
I will report you...
Right, right, right, right, right.
Then say.
Good for you.
Yeah, so, so anyway, she said every uh, we are making it and, and we are have to throw it out nobody wants it, I said oh. I got ??? I says, so you tell me then that about 70, 80 percent residents here are Jewish, show me 1 who would be rejecting matzo balls.
Uh-huh, yeah.
And I says, I am sending a message to the chef that he made a uh, wrongful uh, a wrongful judgment on that 1.
Mm-hm.
And the matzo balls came back every week.
Good for you.
It is not the matzo ball but why, I still don't know why but chances are it could be uh, ??? Jews.
Uh-huh.
But it could be also it's more, you know, you have to give it the benefit of the doubt.
Yes, yes.
So this is at I am hitting it whether it might exist not letting it go.
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