VAN F. WHITE:

Van Freeman White was born on August 2, 1924, the first of five children. When he was just ten years old White's father died, leaving him with instructions to take care of the family. Half a century of community service and a rise from laborer to city council member suggests that White took his charge seriously.

After graduating from Patrick Henry High School in 1943, White worked in construction and as a shipping clerk, followed by a twenty-five year stint as an employment interviewer and office manager for the Minnesota Department of Economic Security. A lifelong north Minneapolis resident, White was dedicated to improving his neighborhood, known as Willard Homewood, a once thriving community which had become economically depressed. A veteran of welfare and the projects, he became involved in numerous organizations devoted to job creation, crime reduction, and the development of parks, community centers, and economic opportunity. In 1971 White founded the Willard Homewood Organization (WHO), a watchdog group established by residents concerned about the deteriorating physical condition of the neighborhood. The group was one of the first in a burgeoning Minneapolis neighborhood improvement movement to seek government loans and grants for the rehabilitation of the area. White also served on the boards of organizations including National Neighbors, Inc., a group promoting multi-racial living; the Minneapolis Age and Opportunities Board; the Phillis Wheatly Community Center; and the North Side YMCA.

White's concern for the neighborhood and its people eventually led him to his decision to move into the political arena. White made history when he became the first African American elected to the city council in 1979. He represented Minneapolis's 5th Ward for ten years before being defeated by neighborhood activist Jackie Cherryhomes.

White married his wife, Javanese, in 1955. The couple had two children. White died on July 14, 1993.

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The Van F. White papers include newspaper clippings, correspondence, photographs, campaign materials, awards, memorabilia, and other materials documenting White's civic activities in the 1970s and 1980s.

The bulk of material in the collection relates to White's service as alderman (city council member) for Minneapolis's 5th Ward, comprising a large part of north Minneapolis, including White's Willard Homewood neighborhood, as well as part of southeast Minneapolis. The collection contains a great deal of campaign-related materials, including campaign flyers that outline White's background, endorsements, and accomplishments in the neighborhood. Among the oversize materials are charts that White's campaign team used on election day to tally the votes as they came in from each precinct. Also of particular interest is a small notebook of index cards with responses on key issues. These cards provide an insight into the controversial issues of the time and White's position on them.

Also included is a folder of materials relating to the Northside Residents Redevelopment Council (NRRC), an organization which White convinced the Minneapolis City Council to save from folding. Jackie Cherryhomes, who succeeded White as city council member for the 5th Ward, was particularly active in this group and the materials document some of her activities in the community in the years just prior to her defeat of White at the polls.

Personal papers and memorabilia in the collection include materials such as various versions of White's resume, programs from various events in which White participated or was honored, a church youth group photo album given to White, a 1981 appointment book, and a Willard Homewood neighborhood promotional booklet, which includes a profile of White. Although White is readily identifiable in the collection's twenty photographs, most are unfortunately unlabeled and give few clues as to date, event, or location. The collection also contains a helpful collection of newspaper clippings documenting some of White's activities in the community and his election campaigns.

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Availability:

The collection is open for research use.

Preferred Citation:

[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. Van F. White Papers. Minnesota Historical Society.

See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples.

Accession Information:

Accession number: 15,212

Processing Information:

Processed by: Lara D. Friedman, May 1997

Digitized by: Minnesota Historical Society, April 2024.

Digitization was made possible by the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund through the vote of Minnesotans on November 4, 2008.

Catalog ID number: 990017338320104294

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This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.

Topics:

African American politicians -- Minnesota -- Minneapolis.

City councils -- Minnesota -- Minneapolis.

Local elections -- Minnesota -- Minneapolis.

Urban renewal -- Minnesota -- Minneapolis.

Places:

North Minneapolis (Minneapolis, Minn.).

Willard Neighborhood (Minneapolis, Minn.).

Persons:

Cherryhomes, Jackie.

Organizations:

Minneapolis (Minn.). City Council.

Northside Residents Redevelopment Council (Minneapolis, Minn.), author.

Willard Homewood Organization (Minneapolis, Minn.), author.

Types of Documentation:

Photocollages.

Photographs.

Political posters.

Occupations:

City council members -- Minnesota -- Minneapolis.

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