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14 GU I D E to Y E L L OW S P R I NG S | 2O22 – 2O23 and Chappelle would often perform stirring skits that brought issues of race and discrimination to light. A review of the curriculum shows that Dunn and Chap- pelle had little desire to simply instruct students on abstract concepts. Instead, they sought to transform students by plunging them into the lives of the oppressed, and have them grapple with the impact of power and domina- tion on the less fortunate. They laid out that goal in their syllabus: “It is hoped that we can all see ourselves as a group strug- gling around an issue for which there are no simple solutions. Thus, there will be only enough structure so as to facilitate that struggle.” A UNIQUE ORGANIZING APPROACH In the 1979 interview with the News, Dunn explained his view of community organizing as starting with oneself. “As an organizer, you need to get in touch with yourself, to develop self-knowledge and self-acceptance and self- discipline,” Dunn said. “I’ll know who I am — I can accept who I am — and therefore I can put what I am into action.” Dunn went on to reflect on the training needed for the work of community organization. “Organizing isn’t just some - thing you go out and do. There is as much skill involved as in any other profession,” he said. The structure of H.U.M.A.N. reflected Dunn’s philosophy of organizing. The early founding document lays out three com- mittees — organizational devel - opment, community education and social action. In the document, the “floating coffeehouse” was listed as a key tactic. The coffeehouses were held in people’s homes around town and at Prether’s Lodge in Clifton, the official gathering place of Mystic Knights. The coffeehouses served as public forums on specific issues and were an effective tool for mobilizing participation in H.U.M.A.N. According to Diana Dunn, Jim Dunn’s widow, he bor - rowed the idea of the coffee - houses from nationally known recording artist, songwriter and folklorist Frederick Douglass Kirkpatrick, known as Brother Kirk, from New York City. The local coffeehouses provided a relaxed atmosphere where members could get to know each other better. They also gave people a place to find their “voice” through musical performances, poetry read - ings, skits and other modes of performance, members recalled recently. One former member referred to the coffeehouses, usually held on Sunday afternoons, as “church.” Another said they were about “raising conscious- ness.” Miller recalled that when someone was giving a moving performance, Dunn would yell, “Spirit’s in the house!” To Miller, the coffeehouses were also a place for members to share their problems and get support. “Jim would give everyone a chance to express themselves about the problems and issues they were struggling with,” he said. Aminnulah Ahmad, a Dayton activist who provided security for several well-known civil rights advocates, including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., also found value in the informal cof- feehouses. As a Black militant working in social services, Ahmad was going through “tough times,” and found com - fort at the coffeehouses. “When I came over here to the coffeehouses, it was a relief,” he said recently. “I set - tled, because people showed me a lot of love. People here embraced me, and I feel like that’s why I’m still alive today.” Pam Davis, a Dayton social worker, also found relief in the Yellow Springs coffeehouses. “It was an oasis. We came to the coffeehouses to get rejuve - nated,” she said. Another H.U.M.A.N. member, Victor Garcia, com - mented on the social aspect of the coffeehouses, which would sometimes last all day and night. “Jim believed in doing seri- ous work, but he also liked to have a good time,” Garcia said. H.U.M.A.N.’S ACTIVITIES Intense training workshops were another key component of H.U.M.A.N.’s activities. One such event was men - tioned in the Feb. 11, 1981, issue of the Yellow Springs News. Featured entertain- ers for a weekend workshop included Brother Kirk; The Creekside Players, a Dayton- based Black theater company; and a number of local area entertainers, such as poet and storyteller Harold Wright, and guitar and banjo player David Finch. The event concluded with a concert cosponsored by H.U.M.A.N. at Kelly Hall featuring the Harambee Sing- ers from Atlanta and guest speaker Ron Daniels, chair - person of the National Black Political Assembly. The annual H.U.M.A.N. Day was a major event, featuring some of Dunn’s far-reaching civil rights connections. The 1979 H.U.M.A.N. Day featured, along with Brother Kirk, Mayor Unita Blackwell, of Mayersville, Miss., the first Black female mayor in that state. Over the years, the ▲ H.U.M.A.N. co-founders and Antioch College professors Bill Chappelle, left, and Jim Dunn. 3 Continued from page 11 Library Loft Daily or weekly stays in a fully furnished apartment. One block from downtown, bikeway, hiking and more. LibraryLoft .weebly.com eeclark45387@yahoo.com 937-361-6581