One of the rare privileges in my life was when I worked as administrative assistant to J. Raymond Jones, known as “the Harlem Fox.” Ray was at that time NYC’s most powerful politician. Bobby Kennedy came to him to ask his support for his brother’s presidency.
Because he had replaced a corrupt NYC head pol, Carmine DeSapio, who ended up serving time, Ray was assumed to be similarly corrupt. By chance that we were living in a housing project on 125th St. while graduate students, Lyn and I became involved with Ray and his political club, George Washington Carver on 145th St. Lyn and I were the other white couple connected with the club — the first being a money lender. We were held suspect for several years until people realized that we really cared about Harlem and its people. What downtown ‘reformers’ did not realize was that Ray was a reformer. His motto was that Harlem should “get off the plantation.” Most of its pols until Ray had been sell outs to the highest bidders downtown. Such as the NY Times were completely misinformed about Harlem, Ray, etc. and smeared his efforts whenever, but he managed to bring into office there and later some of our leading African American pols — David Paterson’s father, Basil Paterson, David Dinkins, Charlie Rangel and others (how sad to see Charlie in trouble at this late day in his career).
While we were there, Lyn was supported and elected as our Democratic Committee representative. Ray bailed me out with the administrative assistant job the summer between graduate fellowship support and my first teaching job at Vassar.
As such I saw him at work reforming things, saw the misrepresentations of so-called down down reformers (one turned out to be a drug dealer), the lousy media coverage, etc.
One big gaff on my part was that I was among other things supervising some young girls working as volunteers in the office. They loved to sing together while they worked. One day I told them to stop so that I could concentrate — Ugh!
Ray continued on in office and I greatly regretted missing his funeral where he was finally honored properly.
This period was a fascinating part of our life along the way and brought us close ties to Harlem where Lyn contributed greatly until her untimely death last summer. I recommend an impassioned comment on her shortly after her death by our good friend, Michael Adams:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-henry-adams/recalling-carolyn-kent-of_b_266730.html
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“A war is just if there is no alternative, and the resort to arms is legitimate if they represent your last hope.” (Livy cited by Machiavelli)
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Ed Kent [blind copies]
3 users commented in " J. Raymond Jones, the “Harlem Fox” "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a Trackbackmy name is john raymond jones iam the first and last of the jones clan born in harlem nyc raised in queens iam well awhere of my grandfathers accomplishments my father left my mother when i was about four years old my step father johnny riveria rasied my sister and i so twenty years i lived in newyork city and then in 1969 i joined the army did a one year tour of vietnam and then retired from the army at ft campbell ky i have three dauthers married and four grandchildren
Nothing about the Tammany Hall connection.
I have the distinction of living in the former apartment occupied by Mr. Jones on Sugar Hill in the Hamilton Heights district of Harlem. The building is now cooperatively owned by the tenants. I plan to place a plaque honoring the many ways he helped move the Harlem political
agendas forward thus insuring the success of Mayor D. Dinkins, C. Rangel, The Patterson’s and Percy Sutton and other politicians in the city.
The affair at the Plaza hotel in New York was attended by the creme de la creme of the business and entertainment societies including Donald Trump and Ron Brown, former Secretary of State and was a testament to his greatness.
Although he was suffering from dementia, I faithfully visited Mr. Jones every Saturday
at the nursing home where he spent his final days.
Maybe there is another J. Raymond Jones out there; however, I don’t think he’s on this planet!!!
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