“My Dad, Roy Austin” My Black History Hero – by Betty Austin Jennings
At the opening of Washington DC’s National Museum of African American History & Culture,
the director of the Smithsonian Institute, Lonnie G. Bunch III said “There is no more powerful
force than a people steeped in their history, and there is no higher cause than honoring our
struggles and ancestors by remembering”. I am remembering my father.
My parents, Roy and Rachel Austin were two awesome and wonderful people (of course I’m
prejudice). They had fifteen (15) children; nine (9) boys and six (6) girls. They also adopted two
(2) other children. My dad was born in 1899 in Atlanta, GA and my mother was born in 1905 in
Jacksonville, FL. I am the twelfth child.
I honor both of my parents, but my dad was an exceptional man, husband, father, provider and
servant of God. His deep faith in God directed his life. It did not matter what situation with
which he was faced, he always sought direction from God.
My dad was the eldest of five boys. After his dad died (he was 12 years old), he had to help
provide for his mother and brother. So, at the young age of 12, he took on some great
responsibilities. He became the “Man of the House”.
My parents were married when my mother was thirteen (13) and my dad was eighteen (18).
Again, he realized that his responsibilities had increased and before long they were having a
child every two years, and he had to find whatever job he could to support a wife, family and
mother and brothers.
As a black man in the early 1900’s my dad would often tell of the tasks he endured to bring
home $5 or $10 a week. He took jobs that were so menial but he never quit. In fact, he always
felt the favor of God on his life, in spite of all that he had to go through.
In the late 1920’s, my dad worked as a Carrier for the railroad. He then got a job building and
delivering refrigerators with a white employer, Mr. Hughes, who took lots of interest and
concern for my dad and our family. My dad felt that Mr. Hughes was a “God sent” and respected
him and continued to work for him many years. He was loyal and said many “yes sir’s”, but he
felt compelled to make sure that his family was fed to the best of his ability.
While working with Mr. Hughes, my dad learned many skills. He worked on airplanes, did
carpentry, refrigeration and many other jobs. However, working installing the refrigerator, he
was exposed to toxic chemicals which became dangerous and caused him to be blind for 3
months. My dad would no longer work with refrigeration, so he decided to become a carpenter
full-time, and that became his life’s work. However, he developed asthma and suffered
tremendously. Though asthma affected him drastically, he was able to continue supporting his
family, and in the 1940’s, along with my brothers, would build our family’s first house, helped to
build my sister’s house and a house for my grandmother.
We struggled to make ends meet, but with God we never missed a meal. One of the greatest
things about my dad was that he truly loved the Lord. To him, being successful and a black man,
with knowing and loving God. I remember as a little girl, my dad taking us to the Baptist Church
where he was the head Deacon, and would often lead the church in singing. He also led the
church when there was no pastor and served the church members with as much care as he did his
family. I can still hear him singing, praying and his praise to God. He was a quiet man, a man of
deep thought and commitment to God, a caring man and a man of great integrity.
Because of health and asthma, Roy Austin was advised to move north. So, in 1951 he left
Jacksonville to find a house up north and decided to move his family to N.J. in 1952. While my
dad was up north, my mother, six children, and family members became SDA. When he
returned, he wasn’t happy that the family was no longer Baptist, but he was happy that my
mother had made a decision to follow her conviction to follow Christ. In 1958, my dad was
baptized in the SDA church. Over the years he served as a Deacon, Lay Activities Director,
Elder and an even more committed servant to his God.
Besides being a Christian, I believe that another great gift my dad gave to me and all his children
was the love he showed for our mother. He loved Rachel Austin, and she honored him and
always felt there was no one like “Roy”. All six of his daughters tried to find a husband like dad.
When I was a child, never did a day go by that my dad did not prepare breakfast early in the
morning before leaving for work. Never was a day missed that we did not gather to have
morning devotion with singing & prayer before going off to his job. He worked, cooked, did
most of the baking and loved taking care of my mother and family. She trusted him explicitly
with her life for 64 years until she gave her last breath.
My dad was a small man in statue, but a giant in my sight. Things we had little of materially, he
and my mother gave us what we needed most. They gave us Jesus. He loved to sing, serve and
praise God. No! He made no great contributions to some, but to the Austin Family, he was a
great black man. From my parent’s union there were over 600 of us born. Every two years our
family gather to celebrate “A Legacy of Love” dedicated to Roy & Rachel Austin at our family
reunion.
What a day of rejoicing that will be “When we all get to Heaven”. I hope to be there because I
know my dad and mother will. Praise God for such a man!
Roberta Mants Hubert
“My brother Robert ‘Bob’ Mants is standing
just behind John Lewis as they crossed