E-mail about Camp River Cliff

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "St Louis and Camp RiverCliff":

I found this blog searching for a specific reference about my grandfather, the "Mr. Cook" the writer describes as "short and pudgy." Note that he says nothing else of my grandfather, leaving the impression that he was little more than the greeter for the campers. Far from it!! I can only assume that Uriah knows nothing of the origins of Camp Rivercliff and nothing about how Camp Rivercliff was the first such camp in the country for inner-city Black male youths. I would be the first to admit that my grandfather was very overweight, but he was not "pudgy" and his stature was not what people remembered about him. He was a man of average height with an enormous heart and he had a warm and generous spirit. Reverend James E. Cook, my grandfather, was minister of the largest Black congregation (Antioch Baptist Church) in St. Louis at that time and, simultaneously, the first Black Executive Secretary of the Pine Street YMCA. Camp River Cliff was my grandfather's brainchild and he personally faced down the KKK's threats to make it possible for Black boys to escape the heat and tedium of the long summer months and to learn to swim, dive, fish, master archery and complicated crafts, and receive counseling. The camp offered educational programs and training skills for personal development and enrichment. Camp Rivercliff was a place where Black boys built self-confidence and were mentored by a caring, giving, dedicated staff. Though he could easily have delegated responsibilities such as meeting the new, incoming campers, my grandfather always chose that special duty as one of many that he eagerly, personally undertook. Rev. Cook never forgot his St. Louis roots and he lived his entire life in service to the Black communities of St. Louis. I assume the writer also knows nothing of the fact that a public school in St. Louis was named in honor of my grandfather or that Camp Rivercliff was operated with money earned from the "Y Circus," an annual gala at which big-name talent such as Nat King Cole, Eartha Kitt, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Cab Calloway, Earl Hines, and Sammy Davis Jr., among others, performed for crowds specifically to generate funding for Camp Rivercliff. The "Y Circus" was another one of my grandfather' concepts. I could go on...but I think you understand where I'm going with all this. Uriah is free to post his memories, but unsubstantiated statements and ignorance of facts do little to enhance his soliloquy. It pains me when we Black folks know so little of our history yet feel so free to ramble! By the way, my grandfather died of a heart attack while at Camp Rivercliff. We ached to lose him, but we knew he died doing what he loved. Brenda Mitchell-Powell P.S. I hate listing myself as anonymous, but I don't have a gmail account or URL. You can reach me at

To Ms Mitchell-Powell,
I would like to apologize for any impression I gave of disrespect to your grandfather, Rev James Cook. I was writing from the vantage of a 12 year old going to camp for the first time. Not only did I know some of the history of Camp River Clift, I knew about Jodie Bailey and some of the other staff that made the camp so special.  I also remember the Camp Chapel on the hill overlooking the dining hall where every Sunday we would sing " The Old Rugged Cross." I was not writing about the history of the camp or the Pine St, YMCA. My chronicles are just a memoir of my life. If you read further in the chronicles, you will see I did my medical training at Homer. G, Phillips Hospital where my father was one of the first 27 interns to train there. I lived in thePruit-Igoe projects during my  5 years there  I know or am friends with most of the pioneer physicians in St.Louis. Camp River Clift and the Pine St Y have a warm place in my memories as does your Grandfather and I write this to you in that light, so I posted your comment to acknowledge your Grandfather properly.
Sincerely ,
Uriah/Earle U. Robinson,   Jr
( I would welcome a call @ 317.299.4781)