The Glenbow - Crumped!

In May, the Glenbow museum payed homage to a select group of Albertans recognized for excellence and ingenuity in their fields. Among that group was Jazz legend Melvin Crump. Recognized above all as a forceful element during the civil rights movement and a strong voice in the black community Melvin continues to inspire musicians and the socially concious alike.


Excerpt from The Legislative Assembly of Alberta
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
The hon. Member for Calgary-Fort

" In 1910, 160 African-Americans from Oklahoma came to settle in a small community about 100 miles north of Edmonton later known as Amber Valley. Out of this group came a very special individual named Melvin Crump. Melvin’s childhood was not an easy one. Melvin’s mother died when he was 10, then right after that his older sister died. At a young age his father and older brother left home. He was raised by his grandmother. He had to quit school after grade 8 and find a paying job, from shining shoes to killing chickens and labouring farm work.
Where Melvin really shone was his strong passion for self-learning, for human rights, and equality. He worked as a sleeping car porter on CP Rail, traveling across the country. He stood up for the rights of the black porters, who worked long hours and were paid the lowest wages. He challenged bigotry and the prejudice of those who practice intolerance. It comes as no surprise that he later became the president of the Alberta association for the advancement
of coloured people. Throughout his life Melvin Crump sought respect. He received it both for himself and others."

Glenbow online exhibit