Former White House Butler Reflects On His Service

[struggle4progress]

All Things Considered, January 15, 2009 · ... Slaves helped construct the building. Black men and women worked in the White House as servers, cooks and maids, sometimes as property of U.S. presidents.

From that shameful past arose a proud tradition: the Butler Corps. Until recently, almost all the White House butlers were black. Lynwood Westray, who spent 32 years as a part-time butler in the White House, was part of that tradition ...

Even though he dresses informally, Westray still has a quite distinguished air. His pride is evident as he talks about his White House years. He served eight presidents, starting with John F. Kennedy, before leaving the White House in 1994 ...

"A lot of black folks, especially, were wondering if it was ever going to happen," he says. "And here it is happening. And they're tickled to death. I'm surely happy. I wish I was 30 years younger so I would be there ... when he came in. Let's see, I worked for eight presidents. The ninth wouldn't hurt."

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=99418917&ft=1&f=1012

[ejpoeta]

1. that's nice. ya know, never really thought about the possiblity of slaves building the white house

don't know why that is.