As a youngster, Dock Fielder and I met at Ammon Recreation Field on Bedford Avenue. There came a time Dock moved to East Liberty and became active in the Democratic Party. I became active in politics in the Lower Hill as a registered Republican. In 1971, I moved to East Liberty and it was the rebirth of an old friendship, almost like we had not been separated.
There were a number of persons who did not understand our closeness since we had spent our time supporting different political parties. However, those persons fail to understand that there was a common denominator that enhance our friendship—our love for our people.
Over my lifetime I’ve met and known the overwhelming majority of Black people, men and women, who profess to be determined to improve the quality of life of Black people. I had marched, picketed, attended untold numbers of meetings across Allegheny County and excelled at reading people. I understood very clearly those persons who loved the Democratic Party more than their people, and those whose only concern was themselves, and last but not least, those who just loved old Massa.
There were some colored persons I would expose, chastise in the public and private to no avail, and others I would not waste my energy saying anything to. My daddy had instilled in us that money, position, education or titles did not make a person. There has to be something inside you that motivates you to do that which is right. Dock’s biggest critics were those persons who did not even know him. They were those colored persons who had some degree of acceptance of certain White folks, those who had been to college and had earned degrees. They saw it as an insult for a man like Dock Fielder, who had not been to college, not been a gifted orator, and in their minds was a street politician who occupied the position Downtown as the spokesperson for Black people.
I sat in meetings where a number of important decisions were made that related to Black folks and one Black man stood head and shoulders above all others who had fooled themselves that they had the ear of the power brokers. It was my man and friend, Dock Fielder. A giant of a man who never said yes when he meant no, his word was his bond. We were offered $50,000 cash to change our minds about supporting Dunn and Kramer over the Democratic Party candidates and jointly the answer was NO. Yes, Dock Fielder was truly a man of his word.
There will always be those who cast stones at the DOCKS of the world, there is a verse in the Bible for you: “There are none perfect, no not one.” I truly knew them all.
(Louis “Hop” Kendrick is a contributor to the New Pittsburgh Courier.)
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