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character sketch based on city history...

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1 HON 1000 It’s All About the Power June 12: Today I saw a man who caught my attention. He was tall, young, but seemed unsure of himself. He could not have been more than 24 years old and was arguing with another man who looked similar in age. I tried to hear what they were talking about without causing commotion. Within seconds, I learned that the man was named Timothy Johnson and he was with his flat mate, Jerry. “Jerry, listen. I am gonna talk to my uncle tomorrow and we’ll sort this out. He told my Mama he’d take care of me so I’m taking his word for it.” “Timothy…” I could tell Jerry was not satisfied with Timothy’s attempt of coercion. “Timothy look at us! We have been living in the worst places possible for weeks! Too many people are moving here and there is not enough space. 1 We are no different than the other poor people we live with and nothing is gonna change because we are stuck with our color.” “No, Jerry. Don’t tell me it is too rough up here. Do you know what they are doing down there? They are making it impossible to live! We have no power over our own lives! I will talk to Uncle John tomorrow, I promise.” Usually, I would not focus so much on one person, but something kept me from walking away. What was he talking about? Why was he so keen on obtaining power?

June 15:

1 Henry C. Dethloff and Robert R. Jones, “Race Relations in Louisiana, 1877-98.” (1968): 321.

2 I didn’t think I would get lucky two days in a row and see Timothy, but I jumped for joy when I saw the two men deep in discussion again at Cheap Eats.2 Since it was a pretty busy day at that cafeteria, they didn’t notice me sit down in the booth behind them. “Listen Jerry…I am sick of not getting a choice to decide what I can and cannot do with my life. So what if I am darker than some other people? White men could not even look at me down there!3 Whose fault is that Jerry? Jim Crow’s. That man is the reason I had to leave that terrible place. There are even laws now that require separate accommodations for transportation for people of color and whites!4 Even worse, we can’t even attend the same schools! Education is something we all need, Jerry. Those people down there, they want us to feel below them.5 It is about the power Jerry, and right now they have it.” I left Cheap Eats that day knowing one thing for sure: obtaining power carries a large role during a time when race heavily determined how successful and positive one’s life would be.

June 21: I went back to Cheap Eats today, expecting to see Timothy and Jerry arguing again. After accepting that they weren’t there, I was about to leave, but someone stopped me. “Son, come back here.” I freaked out, I thought I was in trouble again. When I turned around though, I could not believe my eyes. It was Timothy. “Hello, sir. What can I do to help you?” I asked, while attempting to hide my terror.

2Arnold Shirecliffe, “The Fascinating History of Early Chicago Restaurants.” (1945). 3 Race Relations in Louisiana, 312. 4"A Jim-Crow car for Negroes only, Fayetteville, N.C." The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1929. 5 Race Relations, 318.

3 “I saw you here the other day…you remind me of myself. The sparkle in your eye, so curious about the world. But let me tell you…the world is not as great as it seems. In fact, it takes away people most important to you. My own father, was sent to the Spanish-American War without a choice.6 He died without any recognition. It was because of our color, son. They just want power.” I was confused about how easily Timothy was talking to me. Regardless, he continued, “What is your name?” “Tucker, sir.” I responded. “Well, Tuck. Why don’t we go on a walk?” My fear slowly turned into excitement. I quickly accepted his offer and we would discuss how we would meet tomorrow at the same time and place.

October 30: For the past few months, I have met with Timothy almost every day to discuss how he is adjusting to his new life. He told me what was going on with him and his Uncle. His Uncle was known as John “Mushmouth” Johnson, the “Negro Gambling King of Chicago.” 7 He had opened his own saloon and gambling house in the heart of “Whiskey Row” which was on the west side of Chicago’s main thoroughfare.8 Yesterday, Timothy was introduced to “Hinky Dink” Mike Kenna and “Bathhouse” John Coughlin, who were both alderman and held their own power as they took care of their own saloons and gambling halls. This relationship proved to be extremely important because Kenna 6Andrew D. Amron, "Reinforcing Manliness: Black State Militias, the Spanish-American War, and the Image of the African American Soldier, 1891-1900." (2012): 410. 7 Robert M. Lombardo, "The Black Mafia: African-American Organized Crime in Chicago 1890-1960." (2002): 33. 8 Ibid.

4 and Coughlin could ensure immunity for the black gamblers as well as those who came to their own white-majority gambling halls.9 I could tell Timothy aspired to be his Uncle. Unlike the black population in the south, Uncle John had created a legacy for himself in the city. As that population was growing in Chicago, there were Italian gangsters in the city but the blacks had their own territories to succeed in—and Mushmouth was thriving. Today was the first time I saw Timothy hopeful for the future. Many of our days had been spent discussing how little he thought his worth was because of the oppression he faced his whole life. But his Uncle was good for him…Mushmouth gave Timothy hope that power can be retrieved again.

October 13: I was walking home today when I heard someone talk about Johnson. I didn’t think much of it until I realized that they were talking about John Johnson, Timothy’s uncle. I hadn’t seen Timothy in two years, so it caught me by surprise. Apparently, Mushmouth Johnson was becoming known as a “card cheat” and it was impossible to walk away from the saloon with any money.10 In fact, his license to run had been revoked. I had hoped to meet with Timothy soon as I hadn’t heard from him for a long time, but it seems that he will be busier now.

January 20: Today, I had just finished eating when I look up to see a man towering over me. “Tuck, my boy! My, my, how much you’ve grown since I first saw you.”

9 Ibid. 10 Lombardo, 37.

5 I could barely recognize Timothy. I remember seeing a lanky man years ago, intimidated by the world around him. The man I looked at today held himself high. He sounded strong and filled with pride. “Timothy, sir, I haven’t heard from you in a while. How have you been?” “Oh Tuck, how times have changed since we last spoke! If only I knew I would be living the life I am today. I have connections all over the city! Yesterday, I met with owners of saloons in the Chinese quarter and I have made a protection deal with them.11 Thankfully, Uncle John helped me talk to Kenna and Coughlin before his license was revoked so I could build trust with them too. I have proven to these people that I am not my Uncle. I have made connections from those in our ghettoes to those in the judicial system!12 Yes, I can be seen as a gangster, but it’s to help my community. The community of blacks that have been pressed down for so long.” “That is great to hear, sir. I am happy to know you are living the dream.” “Tuck! I certainly am! I came here with a dream to make my own decisions. It is possible. You just have to be political. I had to make sure I appeal to everyone—and now, I run my own gambling halls!” He chuckled as he left the diner, and that was the last time I saw Timothy Johnson.

January 4: It has been over a year since I last saw Timothy Johnson. Although I would hear about him here and there in the streets, I was happy knowing he was living the dream he had when he first came to the North. He wanted power. And because of him, I learned how much power can dictate your 11 Lombardo, 38. 12 John R. Logan, Weiwei Zhang, and Miao Chunyu, “Emergent Ghettos: Black Neighborhoods in New York and Chicago, 1880–1940.” (2015): 1065.

6 life once you get it. Moreover, when you have it, it is crucial how you choose to use it. Timothy not only learned through Jim Crow what happens when it is abused, but also through his own Uncle. Thus, he not only has remained the best black gangster of the city, he has kept that recognition going on strong.

7 Works Cited Amron, Andrew D. "Reinforcing Manliness: Black State Militias, the Spanish-American War, and the Image of the African American Soldier, 1891-1900." Journal of African American History, 97.4 (2012): 401-426. Dethloff, Henry C., and Robert R. Jones. “Race Relations in Louisiana, 1877-98.” Louisiana History: The Journal of the Louisiana Historical Association 9.4 (1968): 301– 323. JSTOR. Web. 7 Oct. 2017. Logan, John R., Weiwei Zhang, and Miao Chunyu. “Emergent Ghettos: Black Neighborhoods in New York and Chicago, 1880–1940.” AJS; American journal of sociology 120.4 (2015): 1055–1094. Web. Lombardo, Robert M. "The Black Mafia: African-American Organized Crime in Chicago 18901960." Crime, Law and Social Change 38.1 (2002): 33. ProQuest. Web. 7 Oct. 2017. Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Jean Blackwell Hutson Research and Reference Division, The New York Public Library. "A Jim-Crow car for Negroes only, Fayetteville, N.C." The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1929. Shirecliffe, Arnold. “The Fascinating History of Early Chicago Restaurants.” In Chicago Restaurant Association Buyers' Guide (1945). Web. 6 Oct. 2017....