Autobio Mio continued

First volume of Charles Dehaven Brown's autobiography , "ontogeny", Life story <


http://take10charles.blogspot.com/2026/10/blog-post_339.html<


Start of Volume 2 <

Cordelia Betty with her granddaughter and great grand children Sonitra and , Serenity and Kevin J

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http://take10charles.blogspot.com/2014/05/is-human-nature-social-or-selfish-i.html


http://take10charles.blogspot.com/2014/07/for-womens-liberation-comradely.html<

Autobio Mio

The Sunday Bulletin <

PHILADELPHIA, Sunday June 2, 1968 <


NEGRO CADET at VALLEY FORGE WINS TOP HONORS in CLASS<

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This is the only time i was featured in a newspaper article making it , among other reasons a place to start My Life Story . It was the fullfillment of my childhood ideals which I got largely from my parents and grandparents and aunts and uncles and school teachers and friends and neighbors , like on 2533 Sturdevant Detroit , 218 River Street , East Lansing, and 1365 Joliet Place Detroit 48207 LAFAYETTE PARK - obviously smiles <


“Negro Cadet …” stop right there . The important point was I was a _first_ Negro at VFMA. I was a Firster , integrating that school .~

As a Civil Rights Firster , I was in the Civil Rights Movement, a thing many Negroes were doing at the time.My mother Cordelia Elizabeth was a Firster at Cornell My grandfather Dehaven whose name I have was a Firster in medical school and the US Army … Being in The Movement has been the heart of My Life . So that’s a logical place to start .

( Eventually i did this : <


From: Charles Brown Date: November 8, 2021 at 2:47:05 PM EST T



Subject: Resume of Charles D.Brown 

CHARLES DeHaven BROWN 1365 Joliet Place Detroit, Michigan , 48207 (313) 393-9656 landline (313) 205-9086


Member of Connecticut Bar, October 1979 Member of Michigan Bar, November 1984


2013 to present Anthropology Professor at Wayne County Community College District


Experience: Chief of Staff and Legal Counselor to Detroit City Councilmember JoAnn Watson October 2003 to December 2013 Advise and prepare councilmember for decisions on budgetary, legislative and a wide variety and range of municipal policy issues. Special areas of work were municipal law, economic development, labor and environmental concerns.


Staff attorney at Michigan Legal Services Detroit, Michigan March 2003 to July 2007 Representing low-income clients in court and administrative hearings in eviction defense, divorce and child support, public assistance, tax foreclosure, mortgage foreclosure, consumer, juvenile, probate matters.


Staff of Congressman John Conyers March 1996 to October 1996 Policy analysis ; help with response to Detroit newspaper strike


Staff analyst and attorney Division of Research and Analysis Detroit City Council March 1990 to June 2002 Legal and public policy research, analysis and practice for the Detroit City Council. This work included drafting numerous city ordinances, City Council resolutions, legal opinions and public policy memoranda, and several court pleadings and briefs. It also required counseling and advising the City Council in its committee of the whole and subcommittees individually. These communications for the City Council concerned every City department and a wide variety of issues. Major concentrations were Charter questions, separation of powers, housing, land sales, and real property, privatization, ethics, subpoena enforcement, planning and development and pensions. Specially assigned to Councilmember Mary Ann Mahaffey<


Associate attorney Webb and Hildebrandt, P.C. Detroit, Michigan July 1988 to February 1990 Represented labor unions and individual employees in a variety of legal forums, including representation in unfair labor practice proceedings before Michigan Employment Relations Commission and employment cases in state court. Researched and drafted a variety of briefs, pleadings and motions.


Administrative Assistant to Detroit City Councilmember Mel Ravitz February 1985 to July 1988 Advised and prepared councilmember for decisions on budgetary, legislative and a wide range of municipal policy issues. Special areas of work were municipal law, economic development, labor and environmental concerns.Memorandum and Brief writer


Staff Attorney New Haven Legal Assistance Association New Haven , Connecticut June 1979 to June 1981 Represented low income clients in legal services for the poor program in housing and income maintenance cases. Frequent appearances in court and administrative hearings


Education : <


University of Michigan Law School J.D. Degree , May 1979 Ph.d program 1981 to 1984

University of Michigan M.A. Degree , December 1975 Anthropology

University of Michigan Anthropology B.A. Degree, April 1972

 )


; and onward... <




CHARLES BROWN I am Black and proud in Detroit, where | live with Lisa and Alexander , our Son and where I work for the City . I grew up in Philadpgua , Washing-ton, D.C., Detroit and Michigan. I went to college at the Univer- sity of Michigan in anthropology and law. I have practiced in neighborhood legal services for the poor, in labor law for trade unionists, indigenous peoples* land recovery and municipal legislative law. I enjoy softball, basketball, child-care, Afro cabarets, philosophy, political activism, writing. et al. My Committees of Correspondence/ Communist Party motto is: Power to the membership as a whole!<


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Natural Historian discoverer of Natural Selection/Phylogeny Evolutionary Theory/Natural Law : CHARLES DARWIN

Back to my high school graduation<




Also , as I said in a poem ( somewhere it is among her library of family documents that she left me ) at the time of Valley Forge Military Academy graduation, “All that I am, I owe to a Grace and a Strength” , Mom and Dad . <


Of course Mother did all the labor on my birthday. So , at age 74 i realized i should celebrate her on my birthday: filial piety . I can’t remember whether I celebrated Cordelia Elizabeth on my birthday before she left , but will do in memorium . All that I am I oh to a Grace, in Body and Soul; certainly most of what i was at graduation ; and she continued to raise me for the rest of my life until she left me ; she borned me and raised me my whole life til 72 . I was born a Libra , October 3, 1950 in Philadelphia , so they tell me , to Cordelia Elizabeth , who did all the Labour for me .She nicknamed me BING <

I had the opportunity to care for her crucially by living with her at 1365 , not letting be alone for 18 years til she was 100. <



Mom was a "wise little old lady " when she was young ( jokingly I remember thinking years ago ). She was well prepared for the role , so she became a real one when she really was one for decades.<

This is Mom's funereal ceremony st Christ Church
https://www.youtube.com/live/HxwJSFt_DGk?si=B5ShcoKTHvVs2US6



This is my Farewell to Mother Cordelia Elizabth Hinkson Brown : <



SO LONG , FAREWELL, ADIOS, LOVE YOU MORE, MOM <

Well, Mom is gone. I’ve never been like this before, that is without her in the world. She lived with such grace and beauty; and she left us all so gracefully. On the Saturday before her Thursday passing, I heard her say happily when waking, “I feel like I’m floating away ! You know the song : So long, farewell, da, da , da ,da, da, da ,da . And the other one is “What a wonderful world !” . She joyfully sang goodbye to us ,commending and praising Life and this World to us. Telling us to live in this wonderful world. That is a very graceful parting word. For she was very much aware and concerned about the problems of our world. But in her summary about it all, she emphasized the positive, and held her tongue on her criticisms of the world.<


Which criticisms she had many in her long life, believe me. Her criticisms of the world were in sympathy with those in oppression and suffering. She was a social and political thinker and activist. She was a secular Mother Superior, very, very virtuous and ethical. She lived a life of caring labor for others, true love as sacrifice for people, especially children. She certainly took care of and raised me , my brother and sister especially well. I wrote a poem upon my graduation from high school; it still is pretty true today:



In Laurem Parentis (In Praise of Parents) All that I am , I owe to a Grace…Mother All that I am , I owe to a Strength…Father

(footnote: She would , however, chastise me for being immodest in praising her so ; Mom was and taught us to be modest and honest to a fault; I’ve tried to learn how to not quite take it to a fault, so I praise her honestly here)

( Dad used to say Mom spoke in footnotes; SMILES )

She and Dad did a tremendous job in raising Phillip and Beverly ! Phil is my Super Star in caring for others. Bev is a True 21st Century Daughter of Cordelia ; true daughter of our Cordelia Grandmothers, Mom’s mother and Great-grandmother. Thank you to Bev for putting together these perfect celebrations, Memorial now and Birthday last November.

Mom’s sister Mary DeHaven, Bunny, was her Soulmate in Life , and a second mother to we children. We were so proud of her Prima Ballerina artistry, bon vivant style, and loved to visit her in the Big Apple, New York City.

Mom really achieved the women’s movement 20th Century ideal of both mother and a careerist . She taught Headstart pre-school and Bi-lingual education . The latter because she had gone to school in Mexico , becoming fluent in Spanish. She had a college degree in French, graduate work in Spanish, and a graduate degree in education. Our house at 1365 is filled with her books, research documents and notebooks.


She was once called the Conscience and Grandmother of Lafayette Park , Detroit . She was one of the Consciences of America.

My philosophy is to practice Filial Piety and Ancestor Veneration, practicing a moral life as I learned from my mothers and fathers . In obedience to the Biblical Commandment I promise to “Honor my father and mother, so that I may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving me,”

And thereby, MOM LIVES ! For I am Cordelia, Phil is Cordelia, Bev is Cordelia….and all her grandchildren and great-grandchildren are CORDELIA ELIZABETH HINKSON BROWN, BETTY BROWN, BET , MOM ! I myself am of very virtous because of her and Dad <



http://take10charles.blogspot.com/2026/10/autobio-mio-continued.html<


Biography of Cordelia Elizabeth Hinkson-Brown Born November 5, 1922 to Cordelia (Chew) Hinkson and DeHaven Hinkson, Philadalphia, PA.; at her home located at 329 North 40th Street.

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CORDELIA ELIZABETH HINKSON , BETTY<


Attended: elementary school at Thadeous Stevens School of Practice (13th and Spring Garden, down the street from the late Edgar Allen Poe's house), a teachers' training school.



She attended Newton Middle School, where her father also attended before her. When Cordelia attended, there was a teacher named Ms Collingwood, who also taught her father.

Accompanied her family to Europe in 1932, when father was invited by Mr Barnes to further his studies in Medicine in Germany and Austria.

Attended Girls' High School and graduated in 1940 (?)

Attended Cornell University from 1940 to 1944, graduated with a B.A. in linguistics; she was one of only a handful of African Americans to attend Cornell up to that time.

After graduating from Cornell, Cordelia spent a year in Mexico, where she taught English at University of Mexico, and at during her time there she learned to speak Spanish fluently.

Continued her studies at University of Wisconsin. While working on her masters, Cordelia met Charles S. Brown, who was attending University of Wisconsin Law School.


Cordelia married Charles in 1949, in a ceremony in her mother and father's home in Philadelphia. One year later, while still living in Philadelphia, Betty and Charles' first son, Charles DeHaven was born on October 3, 1950.

Bing <

They moved to Washington D.C. in ____________________, when Charles was hired by the U.S Government's Department of ____Price Control __________________. <

In 1953 _, Betty, Charles and their young son "Bing" as he was nicknamed, moved to Detroit Michigan.<


Their second son, Phillip was born in Detroit, on June 18, 1955.


In spite of being possessing a very fine on ivy league education, and being fluent in three languages, Cordelia, being the very devoted, loving and caring mother that she was decided that she would not continue with her own career ambitions until her children had reached at least age of five and were in school.

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In 1953, Cordelia's husband, was offered a position on the staff of then freshman Congressman John Dingel . A year later, Charles was appointed the first African American to join the executive staff of then Michigan Governor G. Mennen Williams. In 1958, Cordelia and Charles moved to Lansing . There, Betty's and Charles were blessed with the birth of their daughter, Beverly.


Raising three children...


Active in politics; State Democratic scheduler of speakers for state wide campaigns.


With her infant daughter BEVERLY ELIZABETH BROWN <


( Bing's sister from Paradise ) <


235 Mulberry St. Apt. 1 New York, New York 10012 212-219-8021 EDUCATION Sept. 1974-June 1978 KINGSWOOD/CRANBROOK SCHOOL, Bloomfield Hills, Mich., Graduated June 1978; Activities: Dorm Council, member (1975-78); Head Resident Advisors, (1978); Softball Team, member;<

Also participated in Modern Dance, Weaving, Print making and Itaglio.

June 1978-May 1979 SCHOOL YEAR ABROAD, Sponsored by Andover, Exeter and Phillips Academy; Studied Spanish grammar, history, literature and art while living in Barcelona, Spain.

Sept. 1980-Oct. 1981 SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT STATE COLLEGE, New Haven, Conn.; Major: Art History, Minor: Spanish. Activities:

Local Repertory Theatre group, actress. Aug. 1983-May 1984 GENE FRANKEL STUDIO, NYC, NY; Basic Acting Courses.

EMPLOYMENT Sept. 1982-present D&G BAKERY, 45 Spring St. NYC, NY; Office Manager; Duties: Supervising 25 employees; Preparing payrolls, accounts payable and receivable; Coordinating sales and • deliveries to more than 100 Manhattan restaurants


Jan. 1987-present SPANISH REPERTORY THEATRE, NYC, NY: Stage Manager/Production Coordinator: Duties scheduling rehearsals, local performances and tours; calling" shows; acting as liaison between Producer, director and performers.

April 1982-Apri1 1983 RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL, NYC. NY: Tour Guide, (Part time).

June 1980-Aug. 1980 SELF-EMPLOYED,

Barcelona, Spain; English Tutor.


June 1979-June 1980 GULLIVER'S TRAVEL, Detroit, Mich.; Travel Agent; Duties: Exclusive corporate travel consultant and agent for Smith Hinchman and Grylls Associates Inc,, a Detroit. Architectural firm.


SPECIAL INTERESTS Photography, weaving, bike riding, Spanish literature, Art history, Foreign travel.

on her lap, and two energetic boys, Cordelia still found time to serve as the Michigan Democratic parties speaker scheduler, working directly with Soapy Williams, Phil Hart, John Swanson and Neil Stabler, and other top Michigan Democrats.


The move to 1365... the next 57 years, and beyond


Launching her teaching career.... pioneer with the head start program...


her friend Thelma Curtis bilingual education... political activist: Soapy's wife, Doris McCree, Millie Jeffries, Geraldine Beldsoe-Ford... <


Her sister, Mary De...

The Library Company and genealogy.... good character because of the wise way she raised me ( for my whole life so far). All that I am I owe to a grace , Mom , and a strength, Dad , because of the Good Start they gave me.


I ,Bing was well fed when first born by Mom, Grandmother DeDe and Grandfather Dr. Dehaven Hinkson , md ; living at DeDe and De’s house , 329 North 40th Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania ( before they had zip codes); where grandad had his doctor's office ; so i lived in a doctor's office when first born

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Being a Firster and a good student , going to college . <

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http://take10charles.blogspot.com/2022/11/cordelia-100-years-old.html








And of course again DeDe , Cordelia and De ; there I was in a school in Philadelphia, in Lt. Colonel Hinkson’s field of service. And did you see De was in the Movement, the Struggle, leading effort to integrate the National Guard ! That was militant . Put guns in Negroes hands.<


He also had correspondence with Dubois on race issues in the Service ;it was online ) https://www.google.com/search?q=letter+from+dehaven+hinkson+md+to+web+dubois%C2%A0&client=safari&hs=rdsV&sca_esv=cc00ade159e5020c&hl=en-us&sxsrf=APpeQntHqWyvAugPdAbACilXA4u95WPoVA%3A1788184721047&ei=kYiVaqTDAqC1mLQP6NTe2QU&biw=390&bih=663&oq=letter+from+dehaven+hinkson+md+to+web+dubois%C2%A0&gs_lp=EhNtb2JpbGUtZ3dzLXdpei1zZXJwIi5sZXR0ZXIgZnJvbSBkZWhhdmVuIGhpbmtzb24gbWQgdG8gd2ViIGR1Ym9pc8KgMgUQIRigATIFECEYoAEyBRAhGKABMgUQIRigATIFECEYoAFIkmZQphBYzl1wAHgAkAEAmAGwAqABoBqqAQgwLjEzLjUuMbgBA8gBAPgBAZgCE6AC-BrCAggQABjvBRiwA8ICBBAjGCfCAgUQIRirApgDAIgGAZAGA5IHCDAuMTMuNS4xoAfSWLIHCDAuMTMuNS4xuAf4GsIHBjEuMi4xNsgHUYAIAQ&sclient=mobile-gws-wiz-serp#lfId=ChxjMe . <

One Hinkson correspondence ( De was a famous letter writer in our family ; i have lots of letters and postcards from him and ; DeDe ) is reflected in a Dubois column in _The Crisis_ magazine . Dubois quotes Dr. Hinkson by name , or rather quotes a white supremacist reply from War Department denying equality to Negro soldiers <


I bring in all family because I am My Family ; my "I" is "We" ; and the We is more than Familia Mia. De , Debaven Hinkson , Md was super proud of my top honors /Cadet Captain gradution from VFMA . I am Debaven Hinkson ; I am Cordelia Hinkson . <


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My Great Father Attorney Charles Shelton ( WWII infantry combat (!) Sgt ) can be segued in on military and Firster - first Negro aid to Michigan Governor; Wisconsin Law . Cordelia Firster at Cornell ; maybe Mexico City University. Wisconsin .

Dad's father , grandfather Papa Reverand Russell S Brown, General Secretary of African Methodist Episcoipal Pastored churches in Montana , Tennesee, Georgia , Ohio ( City Council membsr in Clevland ) Denver ,St.Louis, Chicago <



partial resume of Charles Shelton Brown, my Dad : <



Charles Shelton Brown Born: Atlanta, Georgia April 23, 1921 Education: Public Schools, Cleveland, Ohio and Denver, Colorado University of Denver, Lincoln University, of Missouri-B.A. Degree (1943) Major Political Science Army Specialized Training-Basic Engineering(1943-44 Howard University Law School(1947-8); University of Wisconsin Law School, J.D. Degree (1950) Experience: Attorney Advisor-Office of General Counsel, Office Price Stabilization, Washington, D.C. 1951-53, Pre Audit Section and Post Audit Section, Interpretation Division, Grade GS-11. <

Associated in general practice with Harold E. Bledsoe, Hobart Taylor Jr, Wade H. McCree Jr, Geralding Bledsoe Ford, Detroit, Michigan. Assistant to U.S. Representative John D. Dingell, 15th Congressional District. Administrative Assistant, Honorable G. Mennen Williams, Governor of Michigan, Lansing, Michigan, policy advisor on Agriculture, Labor, Welfare, Conservation, Tourism, Migrant Labor, and Civil Rights. 1057-60 Member, Michigan Employment Security Appeal Board 1960- Detroit Street Railways (DSR) City of Detroit. (1963) Trial and Labor Relations Counsel. Founder and Executive Director, Wayne County Suburban Legal Services (1966), merged with Detroit Legal Services to form Wayne County Legal Services 1968 Executive Director Inner City Business Improvement Forum (ICBIF) minority economic Development (Detroit, Michiive, vide P-Bident One America, Ino, Washington Executive D.C. Minority Business Consulting firm. (1971) Consultant, Community Relations Office, Department of, U.S. Department of Justice. General Practice, local, state and federal courts, federal appellate courts, civil <

<

Eulogy for Charles Shelton Brown by Charles Dehaven Brown My father, Charles Shelton Brown, Bebe, Chuck, Charlie Brown, was a very smart fellow, accomplished and brilliant attorney, pragmatist, great guy, an all-American for the ages. Dad was a young athlete and a life long sports fan, especially football, an Ellingtonian jazz aficionado, a race man and an integrationist, part of the Talented Tenth. My father was a soldier. He was worldly, yet essentially very virtuous. He was self-reliant and independent. Dad was a provider, a dedicated family man, good neighbor and very sociable. He loved to have a goodtime, eating, drinking and being merry with friends. He had a special love for the Italian culture, from his years in Italy during WWII and his schooi days study of Latin. My father had longevity, yet he faced life and death struggles in military combat and in a successful fight against cancer over thirty years ago. My father was a survivor, as he once told me. Charles Brown was a wise man, with sharp wit, subtle and nuanced intelligence; frugal; an orator, writer and philosopher; an avid reader for both knowledge and entertainment; a crossword puzzler. He was funny and quiet. a whistler Charlie Brown was a fighter for the underdog, the working class, the little guy, for Black people. He was a political activist in the Democratic Party<<

He took care of me, made me happy, taught me, loved me. I say to you sincerely that I don't think there is any father better than he. And of course, I don't mean our whole life was just a bowl of cherries, though my name is Bing, although there were lots of cherries, and now, thankfully, I know I am experiencing a profound personal celebration of Dad's life with an emphasis on the cherries we all had. What a wonder for me that the feelings overwhelming me in response to my father's death are to almost time travel back to the early days of Lafayette Park. That time, place and community somehow for me embody much of the spirit of our Charlie Brown, in his prime. I know he was glad and satisfied that he and Mom were able to raise their family in this neighborhood which was so fresh and_a la mode For some reason the album of songs entitled "Charlie Brown's Christmas" from then, with its children's voices and whole Peanuts characters' theme bring me tears of joy and profoundly happy memory, for my father _was_ Charlie Brown, but he was also a Peanuts comic fan. And Lafayette Park was just filled with Peanut-like children. (And then I'm Charlie Brown too, and my sister has naturally curly hair, our dog was a beagle) But more, if you knew my Dad, you know that even though he was very much a grownup, he also retained a real-ehild's- Kid's humility and modesty in many ways. I always thought of him as a little giant. This characteristic was also expressed as unusual gentility and tolerance as a parent that evidenced a great empathy with children, I think. He showed this as well with my son Alexander, I know, most often scolding me for being too harsh with Alexander <


was also quite cunning, for he never pushed me or Phil to become lawyers, yet here we are two lawyers following in his footsteps. He left these two little lambs alone, to explore anthropology and journalism, but in the end we came home to law. Since I'm in church I will make a confession. I have a streak of ANCESTOR VENERATION in me that might technically be a bit heathen. I mean, being an anthropology hobbyist, I am interested in how ancestor worship is really what made the difference for our original human ancestors. And I don't see why I shouldn't rededicate my life to living up to my father, Charles Shelton Brown's, life and principles. He has now joined the ancestors, and furthermore, he is a special ancestor of mine. I can hear him now " Not so loud, Bing" (speaking in a whispered shout). So, let me lower my voice and say softly. Dad, you took care of me so well, you taught me and still teach me, you loved me so well. I love you. [ity sonet so, Dad, Thave to say this loud T a prul of you and you of Aesopim pock Yes, Charles Brown lives ! I am Charles Brown! Phil is Charles Brown! Bev is Charles Brown, Alex is Charlie Brown, Celeste is Charles Brown.... Charles DeHaven Brown, Son<




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