Words by: Herbert "Wash" WashingtonPublished on: 29 February, 2024
Circa 1964. A family photo without me, which includes Donald’s (my brother’s) wife, Marybelle, sitting to the right and in front of Donald. The baby is Donald and Marybelle’s son. I was at that time stationed at the military base in Alaska between 1962-1966. Photographer: Loring Stud.
1966-1967. A portrait of myself in the military in Augsburg, Germany. Photographer unknown.
Photo of myself and my wife Bibi for a New York Times article published in 1982 about American deserters and my life in Sweden. Photographer: Lars Åström.
Me and Douglas Poe (I am to the left and Douglas to the right), 1970, Malmö. Douglas was also a deserter in Malmö. We met in Malmö and wanted to do something about the conditions of the Black soldiers in the army.We started by writing an article askingBlack soldiers why they were in the military titled-“Why are you here?”. We printed out copies that were sent to Germany, which spread all over the country and Europe. After 2 years and with several articles,we formed a newspaper (‘Lumpen Proletarian’) and a Black Panther solidarity committee in Malmö.
And the purpose was to correct the information that was put out about what was going on in America then and incorrect information in mainstream media about the Black Panther Party in Sweden.We were also selling Black Panther newspapers that we got directly from the party. And in selling the Black Panther Newspaper, we also explained the articles, which could be anything from explaining terminologies to explaining that the Panthers weren’t racist, and so on. The newspaper and the Black Panther solidarity committee lasted for 2 years. Photographer unknown.
News article titled: “He is denied a job because he is colored”, 16/11/1969.
Band photo of the band “Street people” in 1975, taken at Malmö Train Station. I am the one sitting on the train in white cap. I played the keyboards in the band. I was part of the band for around 1,5 years and was part of forming the band. Photographer: friend of the band.
News article titled: “Improvised yard party on a lawn in Rosengård”. “Street People” played for the inhabitants of Rosengård. 1976.
1977 in Pawtucket, Rhode Island at my parents’ house. The picture was taken when I returned home to the States 15 years after being away. The photo is of my family. My father Herbert to the right of the table and my mother Louise to the left. From the right is me, my sister Isabel (who is 1 year younger than me), Donald my brother (1 year younger than Isabel), Lorraine (also a younger sister), Carlton (the youngest of the siblings). Photographer: a friend of the family.
News article titled: ”As difficult to survive in Sweden as in the US” –Dagens Nyheter’s Malmö Editorial Staff.
Here is a family picture taken at my son ́s wedding on 2008-08-08. Photographer unknown.
I worked at Krami as a social pedagogue after studying at Malmö Högskola (now Malmö University) to be a child pedagogue, where I used consequence pedagogy as a method for helping young men who had social problems. I worked at Krami for 25 years because I thought the method and results were very positive for those in involved. However, my work life in Sweden started with me working as part time as a counsellor/welfare officer for American deserters for two years. Next, I became a youth worker at Kirseberg Fritidsgård for five years. After my years at Krami, I worked at Bladins International School of Malmö for 9 years until retirement in 2019. Skånska/Malmö. 25 October 2005.
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