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Mamie ClarkMamie Clark
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Session:         Page of 100

And as you know, the crisis came at HARYOU with Adam Clayton Powell, and of course I was very much involved in it.

Now, the agency as such was not involved in it, in the sense that other agency staff were involved in it. No. But it is true that the whole HARYOU movement started in Northside Center. And it is true that in all those -- well, the crisis period, with Adam Clayton Powell, I was involved in it with him.

I tend to block that whole period out. It was so terrible. So terrible.

Q:

For history, can you revive some of your memories of it?

Clark:

Well, let's see. What can I say about it? It was a fascinating process, the development of the program itself, you know, and working out programs and different approaches to meet the needs of the children and adolescents in Harlem. That part was fascinating, and indeed I was fine and comfortable in that aspect of it.

The political part of it always disturbed me, for some reason. You know, I just couldn't cope with all the different forces that were coverging on this whole process, you know, which were political, and which were antagonistic, and which were hostile, really, to my husband.

I can't even go through the whole thing. But in the end I know that It seemed to me that he had been completely and totally deserted by all the good people. Actually deserted. He was standing there all alone, you know, waging this war against Adam Powell. And you knew he couldn't win. I mean, he just couldn't possibly win it.





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