filed under Humans
meet the in-laws
4:45PM ON
07/29/2008
BY
Beth Comery
The most interesting thing to me about Eileen Slocum, who died Sunday, was not her long reign as the grande dame of Newport society and the Rhode Island republican party, but rather her extended family. The year was 1969, a time when many people were far from walking the walk — interracial marriage had been illegal in a dozen states until the 1967 Supreme Court decision, Loving v. Virginia. It was in this climate that Eileen’s daughter Beryl married the son of New York congressman and flamboyant civil rights activist, Adam Clayton Powell, Junior. This particular congressman was really something — movie star handsome, liked the ladies — and fought hard for the rights of blacks in his district (now Rangel’s bailiwick) and shook up the old-boys’ club in Washington. He was a force of nature and the word ‘firebrand’ was pretty much attached to his name. Such was Eileen’s power in Newport society that when she decided to take the grandchildren she shared with Mr. Powell to the all-white Bailey’s Beach, no one dared say a thing. Decide for yourself how ‘brave’ an act this was… somewhat relevant photo after the jump.
This was Beryl’s husband, Adam Clayton Powell III (successful media executive — CBS, NPR, ABC). I mean really, he looks like my dad. You match this guy up with even the darkest Slocum… and … how black are you? But at Bailey’s Beach, it was a scandal! Nowadays as long as Ted Turner doesn’t show up everyone is happy.
(ACP the IIIrd was involved in producing the 2002 Showtime movie about Adam Clayton Powell ‘Keep the Faith Baby’ starring Vanessa Williams.)
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