Marion C. Bascom | |
|---|---|
| Born | ( 1925-03-14)March 14, 1925 Pensacola, Florida, U.S. |
| Died | May 17, 2012(2012-05-17) (aged 87) Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Howard University |
Marion Curtis Bascom (March 14, 1925 – May 17, 2012) was an Americancivil rights leader and Reverend atDouglas Memorial Community Church inBaltimore,Maryland, for 45 years.[1]
Bascom oversaw numerous civic initiatives in the Baltimore community.
Bascom was born inPensacola, Florida,[2] to Mary Anderson and Bruce Bascom. He had four children, the eldest of whomBernadette Bascom, became an R&B singer.
Bascom attended grade school in Pensacola at the Spencer Bibbs school. This was followed byBooker T. Washington High School,Florida Normal and Industrial Institute inSt. Augustine, Florida, andHoward University in Washington, DC. He also attendedWesley Seminary and Garret Biblical Institute and became a Reverend. He started his ministry inSt Augustine, Florida, where he developed feelings about the problems among the black people at his church and elsewhere. He was asked to come to Baltimore in 1949 to join theDouglas Memorial Community Church, which is the oldest in Bolton Hill. This church was an independent, after splitting from Bethel A.M.E. in 1925.[3][4][5][6][7]
In addition to his religious leadership, Bascom served on the board of directors of the Reginald L. Lewis Museum, and was a leader in the founding of "Associated Black Charities". Bascom served as Baltimore's first black fire commissioner, and organized aMeals on Wheels program for the community near his church. He developed a 49-unit apartment complex, Douglas Village, for disadvantaged members of the community, and established a summer camp for underprivileged children.
Bascom marched withMartin Luther King Jr. inAlabama, and led marches inAnnapolis, Maryland. He also participated in protests at Baltimore's then all-white Northwood Theatre.[2] Bascom led in thedesegregation of many of the areas parks and restaurants, and on July 4, 1963, was one of 283 people arrested during a nonviolent protest at the segregatedGwynn Oak Amusement Park. The park integrated the following month.[2]
Bascom died of a heart attack at the University of Maryland Medical Center. He was 87.[2]
Baltimore mayorStephanie Rawlings-Blake stated that Bascom was: "One of Baltimore's great civil rights leaders... who helped shape the religious and political infrastructure we all benefit from today... His faith inspired a commitment to the fight for equality and human rights for all Americans... He spoke for justice and advocated for the disenfranchised."[2]
Former Baltimore mayorKurt Schmoke stated: "A giant has fallen. He affected thousands of lives in our community and was a positive life force."[2]
A firehouse in Baltimore was named in Bascom's honor.[2]
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