An effort at creating an economic base for the black community
Spaulding remembers the United Organizations for Community Improvement (UOCI), an organization that sought to build an economic foundation for black communities. The group came to Spaulding hoping for his help in building a grocery store, and after turning them away, Spaulding reflected on this effort by members of the black lower class to help themselves. He changed his mind and helped launch the project. Here, Spaulding remembers his thought process and the successful fundraising drive that led to the creation of the store.
Citing this Excerpt
Oral History Interview with Asa T. Spaulding, April 16, 1979. Interview C-0013-3. Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007) in the Southern Oral History Program Collection, Southern Historical Collection, Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Full Text of the Excerpt
I remember UOCI.
These were a group of people, low income and so forth, and so on. And
they got together and wanted to do something to improve their lot. It
was the United Organization of Community Improvement. And they came up
with the idea that they wanted to get in business. And what kind of
business they could get in. And they decided a grocery store, because
all had to buy groceries. And they wanted to
organize a grocery store and to raise money. And they needed twenty-five
thousand dollars to get an SBA loan. And this was after I had retired. I
think it was the first year after I retired. And I was busy at that
time; I had gotten connected with General Electric to do some consulting
work, and also the Ford Foundation. And Ben Ruffin and Nathan Garrett
came to my office to see if I would help by being chairman of the
committee to try to raise the twenty-five thousand dollars. If the
relationship had been a strained relationship, they wouldn't
have come to me for that. And really I didn't feel that I had
the time or anything else. Because I had just moved into my
office—if I am recapitulating it as it was—and was
trying to get lined up and trying to keep my contacts and do the
consulting work and all. And had no help; I did have a girl come in
part-time, certain days of the week. To make a long story short, I
explained to them what my situation was and told them, "I just
don't see how I can." And they wouldn't
take no for an answer. I didn't say no, you know, but it
looked like I was getting there. They said, "Well wait, you
just think about it tonight and let us come back and see you
tomorrow." And sure enough I did. After they left I got to
thinkingabout it. I said now, here is a group of people who are trying
to do something for themselves, and they're always criticized
for wanting to be on welfare, and never wanting to do something for
themselves. And also the charges that have been made over the years that
the black middle class, or middle class, forgets those on a lower level,
or does not reach down to try to help pull them up. If you get up, you
forget about trying to pull them up. I came home and talked to my wife
about it that night. The first place, they were going to run it. And in
trying to get it set up, they wanted two classes of stock, A class and B
class. I don't recall which one was to be the voting stock,
but the voting stock would only be sold to the low
income people, so that they would always be sure to have control. Well,
you know what the reason was for: to elect the directors, officers, and
operate it. And those who were sympathetic toward them and willing to
make an investment in it, would get the other class of stock. Now, I
don't recall now whether or not the one limited to the
non-voting stock would be permitted to buy one or two shares out of a
certain number, or not. But anyway, there was no way that the low income
people could lose control. That was firmly fixed with the limitation of
stock. So I talked to my wife about it and we went over everything. You
know, thinking about these things and what people would say about it.
And I said now, these people need to be encouraged instead of
discouraged. And one way to bridge gaps—and this might be an
opportunity—that is, coming to me to help bridge a gap in the
community. To make a long story short, I decided to do it. And when they
came back the next morning to see me, I gave the answer yes. So we went
through the rationale of the whole thing. And I arranged—I
don't know if it was the next day or the end of the
week—for a press conference. The press and the T.V. and the
radio to announce the formation of the committee and the purpose of it,
and that we needed the twenty-five thousand dollars. And I used as part
of my argument that here is a group of people that's trying
to do something for themselves. And instead of criticizing I feel that
we ought to encourage them. And two things would come out of it. They
would either make a go of it, or, if they didn't, they could
see how hard it is to operate a business and be more sympathetic to the
people and the problems that they have in trying to run a business. So
it would be an educational experience. So something good would come out
of it. And we had this press conference and we had the stock classes and
certificates planned, and set up a campaign. And
the T.V. man, white, who came to the press conference bought the first
twenty-five dollars worth of stock. He was so impressed with the
rationale of the purpose and so on. In other words, whether it succeeded
or failed, he would give that as a contribution for the good of it. And
instead of twenty-five thousand dollars, I think we actually raised
thirty-one thousand dollars. And a lot of people who bought it
didn't ever expect any return. Well they didn't,
and they didn't expect any. They felt it was worth the
effort. And sure enough, they were able to get the SBA loan to either
buy the land or lease the land, I've forgotten which now. And
they built this store on Mangum Street, North Mangum Street. And had it
well stocked. But, in the meantime, Mangum Street had become a one-way
street, and it was inconvenient to get in. And most of the black
community was on this side of town. There was a black community over on
that side, but to run a grocery store, you know, and especially your
fresh vegetables and things of that nature. And getting someone who
understood the art and science of buying, and cost counting and
everything else. Well, it operated for a while, and it never did get to
the place where it broke even, and so it went by the way. But they did
form the United Durham Corporation and got funding. So out of this UOCI
came UDI, and out of that came UDC, United Development Corporation,
which now has this tract of land off of Fayetteville Street, with this
industry coming in there, the industrial park. So the descendants of
UOCI, just like a family tree, it's still going and going
well. It looks like it's really going to make a significant
contribution.
- WALTER WEARE:
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The idea is to provide jobs through industry here.
- ASA T. SPAULDING:
-
Yes. So, I have never let differences prevent me from doing a good deed
when the opportunity comes to do it.