Loving honored for community activism

Date: 3/5/2012

March 5, 2012

By G. Michael Dobbs

news@thereminder.com

SPRINGFIELD — As part of an observation of Black History Month, the National Association of Black Veterans (NABV), chapter 0045, honored one of their own on Feb. 28: Ruth B. Loving.

Loving, prominent in Springfield for decades for her community activism, was honored with a plaque and succession of testimonials at a program that was presented at the Mason Square Senior Center.

Eugene Brice, a member of the NABV, recalled that when he was 5 years-old his family lived on Congress Street and one of his neighbors was Loving, whose house was the only home on the street with a flagpole. Every day as he walked by the Loving home, he stopped and saluted the flag. When Loving asked him why he did that, he said he was planning to be a soldier.

Brice served in the military for 25 years and said that Loving "had been a great inspiration to me and many others."

According to an oral history she gave to Memorial Hall Museum's "American Centuries" project, Loving, a native of Pennsylvania, came to Springfield when the company for which her husband was working transferred him to the city. During World War II, Loving joined Massachusetts Women's Defense Corps, the first Massachusetts National Guard unit for women. A singer and dancer, she formed a group that performed at USO shows as well as churches.

Loving became active in community events when she advocated for a Parent Teacher Organization at her son's junior high school. She was also the host of a long-running local radio program and was the first person to be awarded the title of "Ms. Senior Massachusetts."

Most recently, Loving was a member of the group that worked on the return of a full-service library to Mason Square.

City Councilor Timothy Rooke presented a resolution honoring Loving, as did State Sen. James Welch. Rooke mentioned that Loving had edited and owned a newspaper and was a member of the state's African American Commission.

Welch spoke of the respect Loving has inspired and added, "She sets an example for the rest of us to follow."

Still an activist, Loving spoke to both elected officials about ideas she had prior to the presentation.

Springfield resident and fellow veteran Mildred Dunbar said that if she spoke about Loving for an hour "I couldn't cover everything."

Loving, who will be 98 in May, said, "When I go, I'll go with great memories."

She added, "It takes all of us to keep things going straight."

Helen Caulton-Harris, director of Health and Human Services for the city of the Springfield, read two poems in honor of Loving, one of which was written about her.

Harris wrote, "You need only to look in her face to see the substance of the woman."