After being on the battlefield, WWII Army Veteran Marvin Gilmore knew about winning or losing a war, finding the fight against racism in the 1960s wasn’t a battle that could be won. So he turned his energy to economic development within the African American community. Mr. Gilmore founded the first African American - owned bank in New England, led Boston's NAACP branch, created the Boston Community Development Corporation, brought jobs to and impacted thousands in and out of the city. As a musician at heart, he graduated from the New England Conservatory in 1951, he would endow a chair at Brandeis, own and operate a jazz nightclub...and a lot more. We talk about his experiences, lessons from his grandmother born into slavery, his mother who thrived in real estate and would always teach Marvin to "look ahead of the ball." Marvin talks about bringing Sammy Davis Jr. to Boston for a fundraiser, traveling to Jackson, Mississippi with Celtic's legend Bill Russell during the Civil Rights Movement, and how he learned to fight for freedom through business, the arts, and simply bringing people together in any way he could.
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This episode was recorded at the Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, in Boston, MA, on April 29,th 2021.
Marvin Gilmore: Crusader For Freedom - By Paul Katzeff
For more on Mr. Marvin Gilmore, tune in recent story on Chronicle to learn more.
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