The Lees did not face this ordeal alone, however: his fellow workers from the post office, joined by fellow World War I vets, came to the Lee home to stand guard to protect the family from the mobs outside.
On Saturday, the south Minneapolis neighborhood where the Lee home still stands marked the 80th anniversary of these events: saying “never again” to the racial intolerance faced by the Lee family and celebrating the people who stood then — and stand now — against racial bigotry.
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| Arthur and Edith Lee |
Members of Branch 9 of the National Association of Letter Carriers helped commemorate how Arthur Lee’s co-workers from the post office came to his aid.
NALC Branch 9 member Bruce Okeson, who lives just one block away from the Lee home, served as a member of the event’s organizing committee.
Okeson said he got involved when his 5th grade daughter, Sydney, learned about the Lee story and researched what happened for a school project. Sydney was one of the featured speakers at the event.
“It’s kind of a unique story,” Okeson said. “You’ve got the white rioters who are trying to oust him… You’ve got the white postal workers who came to the aid of Arthur.”
Okeson said USPS records show Arthur Lee was a postal service laborer, who in 1931 was not allowed to join the then all-white postal workers unions.
“He had to reach out to somebody,” Okeson said. “He reached out to World War I veterans and postal employees.”
Okeson said that Arthur Lee’s daughter, Mary, was interviewed several years ago and recalled “postal people in the basement and surrounding the house.”
As members of the community came forward 80 years ago to stand against racial bigotry, event organizers hope Saturday’s event will continue the effort to achieve racial justice.
Steve Share edits The Labor Review, the official publication of the Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation.
For more information
Visit the July 16th website.
Read a Minneapolis StarTribune report.
Read a StarTribune blog entry.
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The Lees did not face this ordeal alone, however: his fellow workers from the post office, joined by fellow World War I vets, came to the Lee home to stand guard to protect the family from the mobs outside.
On Saturday, the south Minneapolis neighborhood where the Lee home still stands marked the 80th anniversary of these events: saying “never again” to the racial intolerance faced by the Lee family and celebrating the people who stood then — and stand now — against racial bigotry.
|
| Arthur and Edith Lee |
Participants marched in a solemn procession east on 46th Street to the Lee home at 4600 Columbus Ave. South. There speakers including Arthur Lee’s grandson, Robert Forman, told the story of the Lee family and what happened. A commemorative sculpture was also dedicated.
Members of Branch 9 of the National Association of Letter Carriers helped commemorate how Arthur Lee’s co-workers from the post office came to his aid.
NALC Branch 9 member Bruce Okeson, who lives just one block away from the Lee home, served as a member of the event’s organizing committee.
Okeson said he got involved when his 5th grade daughter, Sydney, learned about the Lee story and researched what happened for a school project. Sydney was one of the featured speakers at the event.
“It’s kind of a unique story,” Okeson said. “You’ve got the white rioters who are trying to oust him… You’ve got the white postal workers who came to the aid of Arthur.”
Okeson said USPS records show Arthur Lee was a postal service laborer, who in 1931 was not allowed to join the then all-white postal workers unions.
“He had to reach out to somebody,” Okeson said. “He reached out to World War I veterans and postal employees.”
Okeson said that Arthur Lee’s daughter, Mary, was interviewed several years ago and recalled “postal people in the basement and surrounding the house.”
As members of the community came forward 80 years ago to stand against racial bigotry, event organizers hope Saturday’s event will continue the effort to achieve racial justice.
Steve Share edits The Labor Review, the official publication of the Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation.
For more information
Visit the July 16th website.