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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 13, 1996)
■HM M »-r . , •Z9».- ‘• r t T * - k , - . v ^ t ó s ^ ^ í ^ u s ’ CA »? P age A 7 T he P ortland O bserver • N ovember 13, 1996 Cross. Cross finally com es to term s with her father’s memory when she goes to Harlem and discovers som e home movies o f Jim my Cross standing out side the Apol Io Theatre holding a baby “ It took m e a couple o f more replays before it hit me...that the baby was me," says June. "This is the only pic ture o f us I’ve ever seen I played it over and over." And, ultim ately. C ross finds a full er understanding o f and forgiveness SECHET DAUGHTER took june and m oved to an apartment on New Y ork’s W est Side, ending a five year relationship with Jimmy cross. During the next year and a half, N onna began to feel the pressure o f raising a black child in a segregated society. She becam e convinced that being brought up in an all-white world would ruin June’s sense o f identity. When June was four, N orm a sent her to live with her A frican-A m erican “ Aunt” Peggy in Atlantic City. N orm a had gotten to know the Bush’s when she and Jimmy C ross rented an apartment in the Bush’s house when J immy play ed Atlantic City in the fifties. “ I d id n ’t think it w as right for you to be brought up in an entirely w hite household and n eig h b o rh o o d and life,” N orm a tells June. “ I knew you w ere going to have problem s. You can ’t blend in when y o u ’re different." But N onna was not concerned about her daughter’s sense o f self. She mar ried Larry Storch in 1961, and they moved to Hollywood two years later. Larry storch was an em erging star. He was on the cover o fT V Guide. Norma was afraid her new husband’s career would be destroyed if the truth about June were d isco v ered -th at the Holly wood o f the 1960s was not ready for a white man w ho’d taken in his w ife’s illegitimate black daughter. W hen the Warner Bros, publicity department was taking photos o f the families o f the stars o f F-Troop, N orm a decided to tell them that June was the Storches’ adopted child. This kind o f “cover story” was a familiar and painin I part o f June’s Hollywood life. But even today N orm a fears her rich and socially glam orous friends will think less o f her i f they find out she has a black daughter. At a party thrown by one o f N o n n a ’s friends, she keeps her distance from June fearing her secret might be uncovered. “My story is far from unique,” says Cross “The census used to keep track o f mulatto children. In 1910, there were just over two million o f us, a number that dropped by around h alf a million aftertheG reat M igration north enabled some ‘p as’ as white in their new environm ents.” Cross discovers that her father’s side o f the family had mixed racial heritage going back to slavery days, and her m other’s side may have in cluded a woman who “passed” for white. Her journey uncovers a cousin June Cross, above front, with her m other Norma. PBS airdate: Tuesday, November 26, 9 p.m., 1 2 0 minutes. Growing up, Frontline producer June Cross lived two very different lives. During the school year, she lived in Atlantic City as the foster chi Id o f an African-American fam ily-the “niece” o f a school teacher and county clerk. On summer vacation, she lived in the shadow o f Hollywood as part o f a w hite show business fam ily with Norma, her biological mother, and stepfather, television star Larry Storch Norma, who left June’s father-A fri- can-American vaudeville perform er Jimmy C ross-had given June away when she became “too dark to pass for white.” In “Secret Daughter”, airing Tues day, N ovember 26, at 9 a.m., on PBS (check local listings), producer Cross takes Frontline viewers on an epic journey across the racial divide, into the hidden world o f Hollywood and black vaudeville and deep into com plicated relationship between a daugh ter and the mother who gave her away. “This film was ajoum ey to uncover feelings I never knew I had when I was young,” says J une Cross. “ I was raised as an only child in the bosom o f the black middle class: nurtured, support ed, encouraged. But my own fam ily’s real story was a mystery to me. I want ed to find out what had happened to me and why it had happened.” Producer Cross interviews distant relatives, close family members, and Jimmy Cross’s entertainment contem poraries, including com edian Jerry Lewis, to reconstruct the mosaic o f her life. She explores her father’s history, tracking down old friends, exposing the racial tapestry o f show business in the post-war era as well as forming a picture o f a man she harbored anger toward her entire life. Jimmy Cross was h alf o f the com e dy team “Stump & Stumpy" and had appeared in Irving B erlin’s 1943 film This Is the Army, starring Ronald Reagan. But to this day, neither he nor any o f the black singer-dancers re ceives screen credit for their perfor mances. The docum entary reveals that although blacks couldn’t share the stage with whites, backstage the races mixed freely. But the on-stage segregation meant many black acts never got the recognition they deserved. June’sstepfather, Larry Storch, who starred in the W arner Bros. TV com e dy F-Troop during the mid-sixties, says he was am ong those who used to go H arlem ’s Apollo Theatre and get ideas for material from the black com ics tim ing from the black acts, includ ing “Stump & Stumpy.” Producer Cross went to discover what led to her m other's decision to give her away. Did N onna make the decision in her daughter’s best interest or to maintain her own social respect ability? Cross grapples with her moth e r’s dilem m a as she tries to convince her to appear in an on-cam era inter view, which would reveal their secret to all. In 1952, Norm a came to New York and met Jim my Cross. June was bom two years later. However, as Jim m y’s career declined, he began to abuse alcohol and their relationship became increasingly volatile. In 1957, Norm a — on her father’s side in Philadelphia and a half-sister, Lynda Gravatt, who is an accomplished actress. C ross’s cam era confronts some ra cial stereoty pes o f her ow n when she goes to meet her m other’s Mormon cousins in Idaho “ 1 was seized by conflicting em otions , their sincerity versus the reality I think M ormon rac ism perpetrated in my own life," says for her m o th ers’s decision. "The way I look at it, she w as smart enough to know she couldn’t provide a supportive place for a black girl, and she loved me enough to give me to someone who could,” says Cross. "I d o n ’t feel any anger tow ards her for that As hard as it’s been, I honor her for that.” "Secret Daughter” is written and produced by June Cross and co-pro duced by John Baynard and Jean- Phil lippe Boucicaut. Holiday ceremonial remembrance part in the healing process for those grieving that loss. Stratte will speak in conjunction with M ary Lou C ook, co-author o f the new book “ You can H elp Som e one W h o ’s G riev in g ” at Borders Books (708 SW Third, Portland) on W ednesday, N ovem ber 1 3 ,19 9 6 at 7 pm. Me, Too. & Com pany is a free. M e, T oo. & C o m p an y A dult G roup Facilitator, N ancy Stratte. M.A. will speak on the topic o f cerem onial rem em brances during the holidays. Stratte will tell how a sim ple act o f rem em brance or ritual - such as lighting a candle in m em ory o f the loved one before holiday festivities com m ence - can play an im portant eight-w eek ch ild ren ’s g rie f support group sp o n so red by P rovidence Health System ’s: Providence B ridg es for C hildren, P rovidence C hild C enter, K aiser-P erm anente H os pice, Legacy V isiting N urses A sso ciation H ospice and the O regon H ospice A ssociation G roups are held three tim es a year in east and w est-side locations. Pregnancy not required services o f f 'L e a rn in g to Win: A Program for girls Age 11-13” on N ovem ber 19th, 6pm until 8pm at 8920 N W oolsey. “ L earning to W in” , is a special ized curriculum aim ed at minority girls with em phasis on m ath, gram mar. com puter skills, socialization Traditionally, accessing case m an agem ent and goal setting was only available to pregnant girls through social services agencies. H ow ever in collaboration with the H ousing A uthority o f P ortland and C am pfire Boys and G irls will kick- Important!!! Important!!! Parent and Student Night T o discuss how M easure 1 1, Curfew and the new T ruancy Law will im pact you and our young people. At the P eninsula Park C om m unity C enter, Thurs. Nov. 21, 1996; 6:00pm - 7:30pm. Program Sponsored by TLC-TNTand Portland Police- tli e Great program Free non competitive recreation fo r younger children. Refreshments will be served. Call 9 /6 -5 6 6 9 fo r other questions. and pregnancy prevention. “T his is a culturally com petent, perform ance-based curriculum that incorporates the fami ly as partners to challenge and prepare girls for the 2 1 st century,” said Lanita D uke, co ordinator o f G ift Fam ily services. “ W e have a co m m u n ity -b ased team o f talented w om en w ho will expect o f these young ladies no less than what we expected from our own daughters, “ D uke added. The k ick -o ff will include a buffet- style dinner, introduction and o rien tation into the program . Gift is the acronym for G ang In fluenced Fem ale Team . “ L earning to W in” is open to girls living in North Portland. For m ore inform ation call Lanita Duke at 2 8 5 -9 8 7 1. Non-profit’s Day of Caring Clackamas Women’s Services The to-do lists o f o ver 50 health and hum an care agencies in M ult nomah County were severely cut with the help o f hundreds o f volunteers from U nited W ay ’s Day o f Caring. The annual event m atches volunteer team s with hands-on projects at agen cy sites th ro u g h o u t M u ltn o m ah , W ashington and C lackam as coun ties in O regon and C lark County in W ashington. O ver 2,200 volunteers com pleted hundreds o f projects at C lackam as W o m en 's Services in conjunction with Portland W om e n 's Crisis line is offering a D o mestic V iolence Support group for battered lesbians. The group is free and confidential. Call Joyce at 232- 9 7 5 1 or I oni at 722-2366. BUYERS SALE 106 sites o ver tw o days, providing 6,600 hours o f free labor valued at close to $80,000. “The volunteers w ere highly m o tivated and required alm ost no g uid ance,” say sarep resen tativ e from The Parry C enter for C hildren ” T he ben efit for volunteers is im m ense A volunteer from W illam ette Industries said the event, “ I liked w orking for a good cause and the w ork w as badly needed.” — BIG SAVINGS * Prices Effective 11/13/96 thru 11/19/96 at your nearby Safeway store. Safeway Orange Juice • 12-0Z. SAVE up to 620 Beef Chuck Blade Roast • 7-Bone R o a s t $1.09 lb. •SAVEup to 800 lb. Red and Golden Delicious Apples • Northwest grown l Look For Your , Enjoy Extra Savings With The Sa,lwa,.*eekl’ “T ," !. I SAFEWAY EXTRA In-Store Savings Guide In Your Oregonian FOOD day in the Portland Metro Area ...And Save More Shopping At Safeway! i Available at your Saleway store. \
