Marion Curtis Bascom (March 14, 1925 – May 17, 2012) was an American

civil rights Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and political life o ...

leader and Reverend at Douglas Memorial Community Church in

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

, for 45 years. Bascom oversaw numerous civic initiatives in the Baltimore community.

Early life and career

Bascom was born in Pensacola, Florida, to Mary Anderson and Bruce Bascom. He helped rear four siblings, one being Bernadette Bascom, who became an R&B singer. Bascom attended grade school in Pensacola at the Spencer Bibbs school. This was followed by Booker T. Washington High School,

Florida Normal and Industrial Institute Florida Memorial University is a private historically black university in Miami Gardens, Florida. It is a member of the United Negro College Fund and historically related to Baptists although it claims a focus on broader Christianity. History ...

in St. Augustine, Florida, and

Howard University Howard University (Howard) is a Private university, private, University charter#Federal, federally chartered historically black research university in Washington, D.C. It is Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, classifie ...

in Washington, DC. He also attended

Wesley Seminary Wesley Seminary is an evangelical Christian theological seminary that was founded by the Wesleyan Church denomination and Indiana Wesleyan University (IWU). Wesley Seminary is located on Indiana Wesleyan University's main campus in Marion, In ...

and Garret Biblical Institute and became a Reverend. He started his ministry in St 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 the Douglas Memorial Community Church, which is the oldest in Bolton Hill. This church was an independent, after splitting from Bethel A.M.E. in 1925.Baltimore Sun July 13, 1963 Historic Sun article (Integrating Gwynn Oak) 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 a Meals 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.

Civil rights leadership

Bascom marched with

Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister and activist, one of the most prominent leaders in the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968 ...

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County , LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham , area_total_km2 = 135,765 ...

, and led marches in Annapolis, Maryland. He also participated in protests at Baltimore's then all-white Northwood Theatre. Bascom led in the

desegregation Desegregation is the process of ending the separation of two groups, usually referring to races. Desegregation is typically measured by the index of dissimilarity, allowing researchers to determine whether desegregation efforts are having impact o ...

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 segregated

Gwynn Oak Amusement Park Gwynn Oak Park is a park that was the site of a privately owned amusement park, located in the community of Gwynn Oak, just outside northwest Baltimore, Maryland, in Baltimore County. The park is at the corner of Gwynn Oak and Gwyndale avenues ...

. The park integrated the following month.

Death and legacy

Bascom died of a heart attack at the University of Maryland Medical Center. He was 87. Baltimore mayor

Stephanie Rawlings-Blake Stephanie C. Rawlings-Blake (born March 17, 1970) is an American politician and attorney who served as the 50th Mayor of Baltimore from 2010 to 2016, the second woman to hold that office. She has also served as secretary of the Democratic Nationa ...

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." Former Baltimore mayor

Kurt Schmoke Kurt Lidell Schmoke (born December 1, 1949) is an American politician and lawyer who was the 47th mayor of Baltimore, Maryland, from 1987 to 1999, the first African American to be elected to the post. He is the current president of the University ...

stated: "A giant has fallen. He affected thousands of lives in our community and was a positive life force." A firehouse in Baltimore was named in Bascom's honor.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bascom, Marion C 1925 births 2012 deaths American civil rights activists American Protestant ministers and clergy Howard University alumni