Bascom oversaw numerous civic initiatives in the Baltimore community.
Early life and career
Bascom was born in Pensacola, Florida,[2] to Mary Anderson and Bruce Bascom. He had four children, the eldest of whom Bernadette Bascom, became an R&B singer.
In addition to his religious leadership, Bascom served on the board of directors of the Reginald L. Lewis Museum, and was a leader in the founding of "Associated Black Charities". Bascom served as Baltimore's first black fire commissioner, and organized a Meals on Wheels program for the community near his church. He developed a 49-unit apartment complex, Douglas Village, for disadvantaged members of the community, and established a summer camp for underprivileged children.
Civil rights leadership
Bascom marched with Martin Luther King Jr. in Alabama, and led marches in Annapolis, Maryland. He also participated in protests at Baltimore's then all-white Northwood Theatre.[2] Bascom led in the desegregation of many of the areas parks and restaurants, and on July 4, 1963, was one of 283 people arrested during a nonviolent protest at the segregated Gwynn Oak Amusement Park. The park integrated the following month.[2]
Death and legacy
Bascom died of a heart attack at the University of Maryland Medical Center. He was 87.[2]
Baltimore mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake stated that Bascom was: "One of Baltimore's great civil rights leaders... who helped shape the religious and political infrastructure we all benefit from today... His faith inspired a commitment to the fight for equality and human rights for all Americans... He spoke for justice and advocated for the disenfranchised."[2]
Former Baltimore mayor Kurt Schmoke stated: "A giant has fallen. He affected thousands of lives in our community and was a positive life force."[2]
A firehouse in Baltimore was named in Bascom's honor.[2]
^Research the Civil Rights Movement in Baltimore, Keep on Movin' Toward Freedom: The "Free" State's Struggle with Equality, A Research Project funded by the Anne F. Casey Foundation, Baltimore, MD. 2006-2007 "Maryland Civil Rights". Archived from the original on 2010-04-03. Retrieved 2010-12-02. 11/15/2010
^Maryland Historical Society, Oral History Office, OH8128, cassette tape #405, No, 5240-5241, and Biography.
^Baltimore Sun July 13, 1963 Historic Sun article (Integrating Gwynn Oak)