Biddle Street-1907-Baltimore, Md.- Housing Conditions in Baltimore

My father, Eddie Green, was born on a street like this in Baltimore, 1891.  According to my research, these dwellings were known as alley houses.  There was no public sanitation system until 1904 when a fire destroyed most of the area, and a system was built.   Leukemia was killing those people who had to live here because of their poverty and those people who had to live here because of the color of their skin.  Black people were confined to these areas by city laws.  Eddie hated his living conditions.  In 1900, when Eddie was nine years old he left home.

Eddie taught himself to read and after reading some magic books, he decided to become a magician.  This is how he chose to earn money, which wasn’t much because of his age, and I believe he did handy work.  It is remarkable to me that he went out into a world that was facing a Depression, and a necessity to help a large immigrant population, Eddie had to move in with an uncle for a while in 1910, but by 1917 he had a comic act going and wrote his first song.

I believe that every human being possesses the ability to progress.  Finding that which motivates us is the thing.  Some motivation is inherent, such as the desire for food. Eddie found his living conditions intolerable and he made a determination to change these conditions for himself.

This is a pamphlet that was found in the ashes of a fire in 1990.  It is a pamphlet written by Norman Vincent Peale.  And it is in the rubble.  Like Eddie was.  People need inspiration and motivation to help them have a better, happier life.  My motivation, is the desire to help others realize that we all have our own individual strengths.  We can all attain our goals for a good life.  And as we learn to get through our own tough times, we can, perhaps, motivate others.  Look around.  Look within.  Be inspired.