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He picked cotton as a child growing up in the Jim Crow South.

But Willie Stewart overcame through education, moving north and finding a new home in Tacoma, where he's now a living legend.

We are sitting down with Willie Stewart on this edition of northwest now You.

on my list of regrets about northwest now is having missed some of the people we really should have had on this program over the years.

Some of it was admittedly, just not having those people on our radar until a death jolted our memories.

Some of it was bad luck or scheduling problems.

Some of it is that there were just so many opportunities to get people on.

And that's why we've got Willie Stewart on tonight, a Tacoma legend who just turned 90 at the end of last year.

Stewart was a teacher, administrator and board member for 40 years in the Tacoma public school system.

He became a colonel in the Army Reserves and has served extensively with the boys and girls Club, Kiwanis, the Housing Authority, and the Tacoma Athletic Commission.

Willie, thanks so much for coming to northwest now.

Great to have you in studio.

I think, congratulations are in place.

Or, you know, the right thing to do here.

You were born on Christmas Day, and you just turned 90 years old.

So what are your thoughts about being 90?

Well, first of all, to me it's a real miracle because I had seven brothers.

Six brothers.

I'm the seventh one, and not a single one lived beyond 85.

Okay.

I'm very fortunate in that in, my father had a short lifespan of 55, my mother's 66.

However, I have had an old sister to live to 95, and another who is living now, who is 94.

Then I have a baby sister, 85, so we have a mixture of longevity there.

You were one of what, ten kids, right?

Want to be 11?

11 kids?

I'm number ten.

Okay, so I'm the mayor.

My mother is 35 as well.

Wow.

Wow.

What was it like having, ten brothers and sisters?

Did you.

Do you feel like you got shorted on Christmas presents because you were born on Christmas Day?

In many ways, yes, but the uniqueness of this because, number ten down the line, the older brothers had left the house because of the World War two.

Okay.

I had four brothers who were active in World War two, one who was drafted.

But because he spent that, people reject yourselves never home.

More than two brothers and two sisters.

But even at that, when it came to Christmas time, I feel left out because I've got the same number of gifts of they did right.

Birthday and Christmas was right.

And today it doesn't bother me.

I'm just happy to be alive.

Right?

That's the Christmas present.

That's right.

Having another Christmas is.

Talk to me a little bit about what was life like in Columbus, Texas?

It was the South.

Talk a little bit about.

Let me talk.

Let me address it in a couple of categories.

One in in the education system.

A total separation of the black students from the other students.

Separate building, separate facilities, separate basketball court, separate gymnasium.

No.

Swimming pool.

No.

No.

Cafeteria.

There was other schools also because ministers were related to the farm work.

Some of our students didn't get, you know, school would be from the 1st of September until May.

Many of our students could get started till late October because our parents were involved in farm work, and they had to pick cotton in East and West Texas.

Okay.

So consequently, many of the students had to repeat that classes.

The rich reach received inferior education because work was essential for the families.

Also, because of total separation.

You didn't get a chance to really know the community other than a work relationship, not a living situation.

You worked.

You worked in agriculture too, right?

Right.

Like a little bit about that.

What did you do?

In my work.

First of all, I was seasonal.

I picked pecans in the fall personally, because you didn't have the machines to whip the trees during the summer months, heavily of all of July and up until the end of August.

I was in the cotton field picking cotton.

I would lose a few days in May to join my father to go.

Then the cotton that was developing.

So it wouldn't be an overabundance of plants in one location, so I did.

Here's a question I want to ask you about.

Young people thinking of you.

Picking cotton, of course, brings up a lot of ideas about the Jim Crow South and, and the, you know, the 1800s and problems.

By the same token, there was a lot of kids who grew up here picking bulbs in the Puyallup Valley and berries and all those things.

And and that's the story of a lot of people's youth having a job, getting paid and doing some egg work.

How do you balance those two ideas?

Was there some positive in that?

Yes, I think that in terms of the work, it would be the same.

But I think in terms of the students didn't get denied an opportunity for education because our parents had enough resources so they wouldn't miss school.

Yeah.

And but in terms of the hard work in the labor, the strawberry fields and all that from that concept.

Yes.

However, the pay would probably be quite different.

Oh, yeah.

In terms of that, for the long labor, say, and also let's take a cotton picking experience in the South.

You're talking about picking cotton with the temperature.

All right.

In the 90s.

Yeah.

And, and you have to go for 8 to 10 hours in a day, and it you stand up, you're back where you're down.

If you get on your knees, it's tough because the black soil is now very hot.

Yeah.

So it was labor intensive but different type.

So talk a little bit about your evolution.

You were living in Jim Crow South.

Your brothers and sister.

Your family's down there.

When did it dawn on you, or when did you say to yourself, can you remember a time when you said yourself, you know, some.

I gotta get out of here.

I gotta get out of the South.

I need a change.

How did that come about?

And what was your.

I would say the process really started in my junior year in high school, when I had this outstanding shop teacher who always stressed to us, I want you to work hard, gain as much as you can, because someday you will be living in a different world and a different world that you will not be in an all black world.

You've been a total integrated world.

I don't know when that's going to happen, but I know it will.

And it's better be prepared to deal with it.

Not out of that.

That was the first one.

Then, with the help of an older sister and her husband, to go to college, but encouraged me to go to college.

I was washing dishes my senior year in high school, and the owner of that place, Mrs.

Bosman, felt that I was a good worker and she said, really, some great things can happen to you because you have great potential.

So that was an inspiration.

So you really saw your path as education, right?

That that was going to be your path out of the South and out of manual labor and into this new world that some of your key teachers were telling you was coming.

But but education, in terms of of a career.

Yeah.

Because all I ever saw as professional blacks were teachers, ministers, undertakers.

Never saw the other.

So I became attached to men in the coaching ranks which directed me to education.

And then upon getting in college and graduate in I taught in an all black situation.

But what really changed is, is that I was drafted by the United States Army that brought me to Fort Lewis, Washington.

Okay.

It was out of that experience that opened the avenue.

And my mother said to me, oh, in 1960, don't come home because you like you, you feel that you can teach any student anywhere.

They're not retaining the black teachers.

So since you're close to the president where she thought Washington was, you might get a job.

Yeah.

And so I ended up here.

But I want to say this, that after I received here, I had an unusual support system from persons who did not look like me.

The first one was a gentleman named Fred Heaney, who was my first principal, who came to my classroom and and could take me and said, I want you to do this, you know, be better than you do this.

I was obligated to be in the Army Reserves for it for at least two years in my command.

It was the late Charles Lawson, who was a pathologist.

He took a liking to me and encouraged me.

And so with all that support, since that's how I feel and I could be like anyone else.

So it was others who in enabled me, you know, the potential was there, but I want person to know that it was really stood alone who did it.

So here comes Willie Stewart.

He's got an education now.

He's been in the army.

He's matriculating.

He finds himself in Tacoma, and you end up in the Tacoma Public School, right where you were a seed that was planted and turned into quite the tree.

Talk about your years in the Tacoma Public School.

Yeah.

First of all, my first six years at God Junior High School, located in Southeast Tacoma, and I still remember to this day during planning periods of students going one class to the other.

Some of the black boys would stop by and rub my hand.

I want to make sure you haven't been painted, because I had never seen a black male teacher so unusual to have it.

Yeah.

Right.

Right.

And so that gave me a strong commitment in attachment to East Tacoma.

And I rejected the opportunity to follow my good friend Fred Henry to Northeast Tacoma.

And out of that, had a good relationship with staff.

The superintendent was impressed with me.

After six years, I was appointed to be assistant principal at Galt.

After three years of assistant Principal of Lincoln for one year and then appointed in 1970.

I served for, eight years there and then later 18 years in general personnel.

How was being a principal the first black principal?

There.

How were you accepted?

Was was that difficult at all?

Were you welcomed with open arms?

How do you how do you.

I want to say that I was well received.

I think part of the reason is I've had a chance to have my feet wet as a teacher, an opportunity to learn the community.

So I kind of took a personal ship with a group of persons who knew me also at that time, with the change in population of the students and all the staff was interested in having someone like me, so the students could have someone that could see.

And they felt because of my competency and my skills, that I would be a person that could relate to both communities.

So you have this long career with Tacoma Public Schools end up all the way up in, in the administration.

Right.

And then as part of the celebration of that long career, along comes the naming of the Willie Stewart Academy.

Talk a little bit about what the Academy is and how it fits into the Tacoma Public Schools.

Okay, first of all, I'll say this.

The first important thing about it is that it's dealing with students who have had a challenging time in the comprehensive high school.

They're usually students who are 17 year who have to be at least 17 years of age, 14 credits short of graduation.

So you're right on the edge yet.

Okay.

You have to make an application to the school.

You have to make a commitment that you're willing to take one class at a time.

Until such time, you can take two.

And also you will have to come on a regular basis.

But since these students have not had all the support before that school, then it's provided social workers, food services, shelter and all to enhance their opportunities to be successful.

And then more importantly, a staff group that's out there who see the students where they are.

They're not that concerned with the kids who can go to Harvard, Stanford University, Washington.

We want them to get that diploma.

They want them to feel successful and, well, what's my name selected?

Because I had a history of not letting students drop out of school.

Yeah, I always want to involve the parents.

I want to involve the administration.

And I was looking for opportunities for them.

And so when Greg Oxen, who was a principal of that, it was region four before it was renamed Willie Stuart Academy, he had a committee that came together and surface my name as the person for it.

And I want to say that it has an outstanding staff, but what's more important about it is that when the students have completed their credit, they are celebrated.

Most comprehensive schools you have one graduation ceremony of a year.

At this institution you can have as many as three a year more.

The last couple of years it's just been two.

In fact just what two weeks ago would graduate 11 students rather than let them wait.

Yeah.

Until June once they get their credits so they can get rolling.

Get rolling.

Yeah.

But an interesting testimony to this was two years ago.

We had a person, 11, who was from Africa, living with the grandparents here, and his father was invited to his graduation, but he came two weeks early and one of a show created this young man to complete his credit.

The principal, Rene, formally contacted me and said, we're going to have a graduation ceremony for one.

We went through the whole ceremony to cap and gown, and in the process, but, well, I'm used as an example that even though the students are there, the staff is constantly giving them a support system, doing things to encourage them to be successful.

Talk a little bit about your involvement in the community, because in addition to the community piece that came along with your profession in the public schools, First Baptist Church, now urban Grace church, Boys and Girls Clubs of Puget Sound, extensive involvement there, Alpha Phi Alpha, United Way Housing Authority, Kiwanis, the Tacoma Athletic Commission that you've been involved with for 51 years.

You've been the Tacoma Peace Prize, the Peace Prize Board.

And were the 2019 peace laureate cited for being a calming influence, which I think you certainly are.

Talk a little bit about that community piece.

Why have you invested so much in it?

And, and what do you think your legacy is in this community?

I think I want to give credit to the late doctor Angelo, John and Superintendent, who encouraged the administrators to go beyond your building, get into community.

And my first introduction was to the Cabanas Club, one of its staff members, Eugene Brackenridge, supported by the late Shannon Wesley, who just died a couple of weeks ago.

And it was one that emphasized helping children.

And because that started then, I had a great compassion for sports because I've seen sports change lives of persons.

I became involved with the Tacoma Athletic Commission, and that was an opportunity, and I still do today, that we can celebrate the successes of these young men and young women.

What a step beyond that.

As a faith based person.

What are we doing beyond just going to church each Sunday doing this?

So a group of us in 1995 felt that it was important to show some love and compassion for this community.

So we came up with the idea of having a community breakfast every Sunday morning.

And we selected First Baptist Church, which is now urban Grace, which I've been a part of since 1963 at the church.

So in 1995, we started this.

We had a sign in the church who had died, who left us the first $5,000 to to start the program.

And when that ended, they the person almost gave us another 10,000.

Then after that, we went to local members.

We went to, two of deaf foundations and supported because of the cost of food and then being a retired military person with the ability to the military installation, I used to paint by being able to use that facility to add a reduced price for that.

But the thing is, we were able to get people who were not associated with the church, who saw the need for this to come in, and that inspired me.

And that's why I was with the community purpose.

Now, I was requested by one of the former mayors to become a part of the Tacoma Housing Authority.

And that over my eyes to a level of Tacoma I never recognized and knew about, and I knew about the needs.

But being in the decision making and hearing things come, it just reinforce that without a comfortable bed, without a warm house, you cannot be successful in school.

And that's what led me to that.

Do you worry about the younger generation not being joiners, not getting involved in community organizations, stepping away, doing their own thing on their computers or on their phones?

Yeah, but I don't hold them exclusively.

I'm concerned about that, but I'm not.

So sure if they're totally responsible for that, because I look back and I ask the question, did we, as we were in those positions, did we encourage a young person to join with us?

Did we stay in a position so long that they felt that it has to be for a person who is a senior citizen, rather than a young person?

But because we have not had the system to get the young persons involved, I'm gravely concerned.

For example, when I first started Galanis, we had over 350 members here.

Now we're down to 45.

Yep.

When I first joined the Tacoma Athletic Commission, we had well over 200 persons.

Now we're just a low of 100.

So it's there as a challenge.

And how do we deal with it?

I'm not sure, but I yes, I am greatly concerned.

And anyone listen to this, I want to say get involved.

We need you.

The community needs you.

That's also a reason why I still support.

I go to the key club.

I go to the business club.

So young people can see me.

Even at my age of 90.

I feel that as long as I have breath, I'm going to keep pushing for that.

I want to talk to you too, about race relations.

You know, I thought things were really going in a good direction for a long time.

Now, I'm not so convinced of that.

Willie, what's your view on the trend of race relations when you look across the arc of your life from the Jim Crow south?

To to the civil rights era to where we are now?

Are you encouraged?

Discouraged?

How do you look at it?

I think that there are challenges we have.

I don't want to go back to the Jim Crow thing exclusively, but there are a lot of elements of that in our society right now.

A lot of it is the misinterpretation and misunderstanding of words, what affirmative action is, what equity is.

What is a good old boys system?

What is nepotism?

And all these things will surface.

So you see elements of it and and it's just not it's across the board.

And when someone will say at a high position that you want to have that position because of affirmative action, you never make generalizations.

What we are still to do is look at each person as a person and evaluate looking at the content of the character, look at their level of performance.

That's what.

We've taken a back step on that to some degree.

So is Dei helped or hurt?

Has it made people more resentful and or is it driven them apart or is it brought people together?

It has not brought people together, but it's making us talk more now.

Because we did take some steps back.

Yeah.

And it's how we approach it.

When you make a generalization that positions the, then you get that feeling.

So what's important is, is the leadership of the country.

Or there's two types of people oppressors and the oppressed.

And that's it.

That's it.

It's not who those people are.

That's right.

And it's in every phase of life.

And for example, when you have experienced something that's positive, you know, what?

Did you go back?

For example, Mr.

Rooney, who was the owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers, said to all of the, you know, owners, it's time for us.

We have 70% of our participants African-American.

We need some African-American leadership as coaches.

So at the end of each year when there like that, ten vacancies this year, six have been filled and not a single one has been of color.

Then the then there's a question mark, you know, are we stepping back?

Are we going forward?

So what the decision will be made on what the next role would be like the arc of history.

If you look at it seems to show things gradually improving.

It's slow.

It's been painful for us over a long period of time.

Also the better sections of the country and I. I'll say this.

I'm very pleased with the state of Washington.

There are some challenges we have.

Yeah, but they're not as great as some other places I know where I have family.

So you don't think we're doomed forever with with racism and problems?

You think?

What?

Do you see the future in 90 years from now?

How do you see things?

I think nine years from now, we'll have very little about pigmentation of the skin.

We're we will be so immersed because the world is coming together with communications and movement and, but right now, I think there's a feel of a threat because the population is changing so quickly.

And that's why there's an, One group is having a large number of children.

Another group not.

So they were what the majority might look like.

And we have to look at it beyond pigmentation of the skin.

Yeah.

It's a kind of leadership at all.

And the content of the character.

Yes.

Right.

Of course, Martin Luther King is famous.

And in spite of all of our challenges, I don't know of any places better, but we shouldn't sit back because other place is not right.

Right.

We can always make it better.

That's not a stop sign.

That's a good sign.

So, you know, as long as we have the homelessness, where we have as long as we have, the housing challenges, we still haven't arrived.

And, and those things have to be attacked independent of race.

So, Willie, you're 90, and I hope you have many good years in front of you.

With that said, how do you hope people interpret your legacy?

What do you when people think about Willie Stewart?

What would you like them to have in there?

First of all, there was a gentleman whose concern was concerned about others.

Others above himself.

That's one thing.

Secondly, a person who was willing to volunteer, a person who was willing to share his resources with a person who was a good listener, a person who was willing to be a part of a team.

A person who emphasizes the positive and thing rather than the negative.

I would like for them to think in terms of a person who, just in talking, the one who walked here.

A person who can reach out when there's an opportunity.

He can talk to the senior citizens.

He can talk to the middle aged group.

He can talk to the teenagers.

And he can talk to the children.

And I practice that today upon the celebration of my 90th birthday celebration.

The two persons at the door receiving people were elementary school students with also a senior citizen present.

I try to do everything to involve all age groups.

I put emphasis and thanks to Carl Anderson who got me involved with community Program.

One of the things I didn't talk about there at the end of each year, there's a village to a community scholarship.

Yeah, that's given to seniors who have been certified by agencies for so much volunteerism started 20 years ago under the leadership of Carl with the golf tournament this past May of 19 and 20 or 25.

We gave out 14 scholarships, $5,000 each, just $70,000.

And and this was there were students who had volunteered at the hospital and other agencies.

That's what I want to be known for, a person who's been a, an aggressive person to get others, get involved and to be volunteers and not want to have your name mentioned all the time.

Really great conversation.

I think your name is going to be mentioned all the time, for a long time to come.

And, I sure appreciate you coming to northwest now and continue to be one of the real treasures here in the South Sound.

Thank you sir.

Well, thank you for the invitation.

Thank you for the opportunity to share.

Whenever I speak with somebody like Willie Stewart, I'm always asking myself, how will we ever be able to replace the community minded servant leaders were losing?

The bottom line is we can't.

Our only hope lies in growing a new generation of people who can acknowledge America's problems while simultaneously loving it, and who are willing to dedicate themselves to constructively improving it.

My thanks and my best wishes to Willie Stewart and the broader community of peace he represents here in Tacoma.

I hope this program got you thinking and talking.

You can find this program on the web at kbtc.org.

Stream it through the PBS app or listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

That's going to do it for this edition of northwest.

Now, until next time, I'm Tom Layson.

Thanks for watching They.