Karen Weaver's Fight for Clean Water November 2017 | Page 25

mural chewe
Trailblazer Receives Key to the City
By Mayor Karen Weaver
‘Papa’, as he’s affectionately called by all of his grandchildren, is the beloved patriarch
for the Chewe clan and a long-standing respected member of the Vehicle City. Mural
Chewe was born in Flint, Michigan, June 3, 1926. His father died when he was only
14 years old, however, his strong faith in God gave him purpose and determination.
Chewe graduated from Northern High School in 1944 and immediately became
employed with General Motors, Chevrolet Division in Flint.
In the early 20th century, most movie theaters in the United States were still
segregated. Alfred Eisman opened the Richard Theatre in 1920 with 468 seats for
African American customers, and an all-white staff. In the 1940 the Richard was taken
over by Co-Op Theatres of Michigan. Under Co-Op’s leadership, the Richard Theatre
hired its first African American employee to sell tickets to theatre goers, Maggie
James. One Saturday in 1946, Mural went to the movies and met Maggie. They have
been together for 67 years.
However, shortly thereafter, Mural was drafted into the United States Navy for World
War II. He was sent to the South Pacific Theater, Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. He worked
as a coxswain. Coxswains are responsible for steering the shell and commanding
rowers for a safe and efficient operation. In these days the Navy was segregated, and
military life was challenging. One passion that helped get him through the war was
reading the Bible specifically – The New Testament from beginning to end.
CONT’D