PLATTSBURGH – Jay LePage watched the American riots roll out during the Vietnam War, the race riot of the 1960s, and the assassination of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy unfolded.
He shares his thoughts on these turbulent times during the Martin Luther King Celebration 2020, which took place on Monday at Mountain Lake PBS.
NC NATIVE
LePage was born in Chateaugay and graduated from Peru High School in 1967.
He went to St. Bonaventure University, where he studied psychology.
The teachings of the Franciscan Brothers took him throughout his life as a civil servant, businessman, Region 7 legislator, and commissioner of the Clinton County Department of Social Services.
“The Franciscan Brothers were special,” said LePage.
“Most religious leaders are wonderful, wonderful teachers. When I went there in 1967 you had to wear a hat and you weren’t allowed to walk past anyone on the sidewalk without saying hello. “
LePage called the brothers peaceful and kind people who taught him a lot about life.
“To this day, I still don’t go past – I don’t care, black, white, pink purple – I don’t walk past anyone on the street without saying hello. Everyone drives past my house, I wave to them. I don’t know who it is half the time. That’s what I am, and I think you’ve helped. “
HARLEM USA
His ability to get along served him well in his education and was assigned to the Social Security Department on 125th Street, Harlem, in January 1977.
“I was designated as a claims agent for the Social Security Agency,” he said.
“It was the first class to ever specialize in SSI (Supplemental Security Income). This is part of the public support for the elderly, the disabled and the blind.
“I was dealing with a very underserved, poor population. Back then you were getting about $ 300 a month and you lived on it. It was quite an eye opener and exposure down there. “
His wife, Angie, and their three then-children moved to NYC.
“I would have worked there forever,” he said.
“I absolutely loved it. I’ve been exposed to things I haven’t been exposed to up here and I’ve sharpened my awareness I think. “
STANDING OUT
LePage got off the train on 125th Street and was one of the few whites in a 180-person office with mostly Black and Hispanic employees.
“It was different, but I didn’t mind,” he said.
“I would get off the train and see no other white face except these five or six people.
“I would walk three blocks and I wouldn’t see another white face until I got back on the train.
“It definitely exposed me to black and Hispanic culture, and that was a good thing. Back then, Harlem was really one of the historic capitals of black culture. “
LePage played softball with colleagues at Jefferson Park East Harlem.
“I was overwhelmed by poverty,” he said.
“I had never seen such poverty before. I could look out the window of my six-story building. I was in the building where Bill Clinton later set up his office at 55 West 125th Street, about two blocks from the Apollo Theater, just around the corner from Sylvia’s. I’m not saying that I am smarter than anyone, but it was a great experience for me. It opened my eyes to a lot. It doesn’t feel like I’m an expert when I talk about how black people see or feel things, but I have some understanding and always try to be aware. “
SHADOWS FROM NOW
LePage was not surprised by the political turmoil that sparked in the US Capitol on January 6th.
The first words he said to his wife were, “Can you imagine the black guys storming the Capitol or Black Lives Matters?”
“They would shoot,” he said.
“Even if it had been rubber bullets, they would have shot something. I was horrified on Wednesday, but I’ve been horrified for four years. It’s been a terrible, terrible, terrible four years. I am so glad it’s coming to an end. “
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Twitter: @RobinCaudell
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