Constance Perkins, Jr.

Subject

People; Work/Business

Description

This is a collection of materials relating to Constance Perkins, Jr. According to Florence historian Lee Freeman: "Constant, Jr., a son of Constant, Sr. and Victoria Perkins, also worked as barber. By 1900 he was in business, probably with black barber Jack Gray, in the firm Perkins & Gray, Tonsorial Artists.” In 1915 he opened “a very handsome barber shop” at the Jefferson Hotel, first door south, on Intelligence Row (behind the courthouse, named because of all the law offices that were located on that street). In 1895 Constant, Jr. drew up the plans for St. Paul AME Church’s new sanctuary, built on the corner of Court and Alabama Streets, after the congregation demolished their old building. In 1903 Constant, Jr. was awarded the contract to deliver the US Mail in Waterloo, replacing African-American Ab McKelly. In 1904 he built “one of the neatest cottages erected lately in Florence,” on South Court Street, near St. Paul’s AME Church. Afterward, for a brief period, Constant played in Mahara’s Minstrels with a young W. C. Handy. Constant was reportedly forced to leave Florence around 1921 over his refusal to comply with Florence’s segregation laws and relocated to Kentucky. Constant, Jr. was married twice, his first (unknown) wife dying by 1910 after giving him at least one daughter Emma (1890-1902); his second wife was a widow named Willie Bertha McMillan (1890-aft. 1942) and they had at least two children, sons Carranza and Christopher Wallace Perkins, born in 1915, who became a noted Jazz musician in Cincinnati. Constant, Jr. died in Kentucky in 1942."

Source

Florence Times (1, 3, 4)
Florence Herald (2)
Jessica Perkins (5)

Publisher

Florence Times (1, 3, 4)
Florence Herald (2)

Contributor

Lee Freeman

Rights

Images are available for educational and research purposes. This image may not be reproduced for commercial purposes without the express written consent of the copyright holder. It is the responsibility of the interested party to identify the copyright holder and receive permission.

Format

JPG

Language

English

Type

Still Image

Identifier

cp1.jpg (1)
cp2.jpg (2)
cp3.jpg (3)
cp4.jpg (4)
cp5.jpg (5)

Original Format

Newspaper; Photograph

Files

cp1.jpg
cp2.jpg
cp3.jpg
cp4.jpg
cp5.jpg

Collection

People

Citation

“Constance Perkins, Jr.,” Shoals Black History, accessed April 25, 2024, https://shoalsblackhistory.omeka.net/items/show/456.