In 1963, Mary Evans-Livers simply wanted a job. Little did she know, she’d become a part of a civil rights movement that was happening all across America – a movement that was urgently seeking equality.
‘You’re going to hire somebody’
Livers wanted equality in the workplace. She wanted to be a sales clerk at The Wm. H. Block Co. department store.
“They advertised that they needed a sales clerk out at the Glendale store. When I called, I changed my voice. I said I worked at RCA, but I didn’t have any sales experience. They said ‘it doesn’t matter, come on in. We’re hiring,’” said Evans-Livers.
When she arrived to inquire about the position in person, they saw that she was Black and said there were no more openings, however a white woman was hired in front of her and told to report to the training course.
Evans-Livers didn’t back down. She said she was escorted into an office and answered questions that had nothing to do with Blocks or the position. They inquired about her children, her husband and her cooking. After chatting, the Block employee reiterated there were no positions.
“I said to her, ‘when I leave, you might not hire me, but I’m going to the governor, the mayor – you’re going to hire somebody,” said Evans-Livers. “When I left, I went to my pastor, Rev. Andrew J. Brown. I was tired of them being racist.”
In the Sept. 21, 1963, edition of the Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper, it said that as “a result of action by the Indianapolis Social Action Council (ISAC), The Wm. H. Block Co. accepted a Negro woman as a sales person trainee. She will be employed at the downtown store.
“Mrs. Mary Livers entered the Blocks sales training course after a meeting between Rev. Andrew J. Brown of St. John’s Missionary Baptist Church, ISAC president, and Thomas Kimberlin, personnel manager, revealed that her denial of school entrance was rather irregular.”
The article went on to say, “…the manager explained the white woman Livers referred to was a former employee who was merely being given a refresher course.
“Kimberlin, who did not admit discrimination, said if the situation did happen as explained, it was wrong and an apparent misunderstanding. The personnel head noted that Blocks is far ahead of other stores in hiring Negroes.”
Evans-Livers said that was in fact true, Blacks did work at Blocks, however they did not work as sales clerks. They worked as custodians, stock girls, cooks in the cafe and other menial positions.
She was grateful that she was hired and also grateful that she was transferred to the downtown store, which made it easier for her to take her young children to her mother’s house while she was at work. Her husband, Bellwood, worked at Chrysler Corp.
Because of her efforts, newspapers called Evans-Livers “Indiana’s Rosa Parks.”
Although the trailblazer overcame one hurdle of discrimination, she faced others.
“Girl, they worked me to death. I was supposed to be a sales clerk, but they had me working in the office. I said to myself ‘they’re trying to make me quit,’” she said.
She discovered a part time sales clerk position was opening up on the street floor and got the position. Evans-Livers said the position was a blessing from God – she could keep the job she and many had fought hard for and be the kind of wife and mother she wanted to be for her family.
She faced discrimination as a sales clerk too. Other employees would steal her customers and accuse her of stealing money and shoppers would bypass her in order to be helped by a white clerk.
Evans-Livers said it wasn’t always whites that treated her unfairly. Some Blacks that worked at Blocks were cruel. She concluded it was because she did “white work” and that she didn’t mingle with other Blacks during lunch and break time.
Evans-Livers said she kept to herself because she believed she had a right to eat in the staff lunchroom and use the nicer bathrooms as opposed to eating in a back lunchroom and using a less accessible restroom. She also didn’t want her personal business interfering with the job.
In addition to working as a sales clerk, the mother of six worked in the housewares department among others.
Over time, discrimination against Evans-Livers became less evident and other African-Americans were hired as sales clerks, however new forms of disrespect and bigotry began to form. In the late 1980s, she decided to retire and dedicated much of her time to caring for her grandchildren.
Evans-Livers worked part time at The Wm. H. Block Co., which later on became Lazarus and today Macy’s, for 25 years. Because of it, she was able to put many of her children through college and maintain her home, among many other worthy accomplishments.
“All them years I was there, it wasn’t anything but God that kept me there,” she said.
Building upon past foundations
Roy Jay, president of the National Alliance of African-American Chambers and also the president of Alliance of African-American Meeting Professionals said Evans-Livers’ story is one of many African-Americans.
“Our role was to clean up after people, work in the factory, the shoe shine boy or in a kitchen – the stuff white people didn’t want to do. But never in retail,” he said. “They will take our money but won’t treat us as equals.”
By Rev. Brown threatening a strike and assisting Evans-Livers in her plight to get a position at Blocks, Jay said company brass probably realized Blacks had economic power that would have been lost had they not hire her.
While Livers prevailed, he went on to say that there were thousands of Blacks who attempted to break barriers but were denied. Others were satisfied with the status quo.
“Those other ladies who worked in the back were probably saying ‘how dare Ms. Mary go out there and get that white woman’s job. You’re ruining it for everybody,’” said Jay. “That’s that slave mentality.”
Jay thanks Evans-Livers and many like her for paving the way for others to break into retail and inspiring them to reach for the perceived impossible. He also said that Blacks in Indy should be grateful for Evans-Livers’ courage and strength to stand up against a company that discriminated against her because of the color of her skin and Rev. Brown for going beyond reading Scriptures to help a member of his congregation.
During the civil rights era, many Blacks were taught to aim high. He said today’s Blacks should channel Evans-Livers’ and other Blacks’ spirit and work to further break barriers within areas of business where Blacks are underrepresented. Instead of signing the back of paychecks, Jay empowers Blacks to sign the front.
“We’ll clean the toilets but if you try to get us behind the counter or be the general manager, we’re still lacking in those areas. We have a lot of work to do,” he said. “If we score points and make the touchdowns (whites) are our friends. But when it comes to promotions, ownership and equity, we’re not there.”
Once Blacks reach those high positions, he suggests they reach back and help other Blacks ascend the corporate ladder.
