African American Pioneers
|
 |
 |
(Continued from home)
A desire to make a difference in the lives of hurting people is what drew McMurray to this field. She began at the agency in the 1950s as one of four social workers located in the office at 50 E. Mound Street. She stated that the caseloads were segregated, although that changed after the move to Franklin Village in 1954. “It was a very difficult time,” said McMurray. “We had to do everything from intake and preventive placements, to going to juvenile court and placing children in foster care or up for adoption.” The climate of those times even made advocating for the children challenging. McMurray recalls not being able to find homes for black children available for adoption in Franklin County. They were placed in Zanesville or in other counties. But despite the difficulties she faced as a social worker during that time, McMurray stated that there were many rewards, especially in the connections she made for children and families. She added, “Social work is like teaching. You invest your time and knowledge … then you have to wait to see the results.”
The climate of social work had changed somewhat when Martin Burns came to the agency in 1967. He was a part of the agency’s effort to reach out to the community by setting up offices at locations like Mt. Vernon Avenue and the Southside Settlement House. “We became vested in the community,” stated Burns. “Most of the social work was done on a relationship basis.” Because of this connection, Burns explained that they were able to place most of the African American children in those neighborhoods with relatives or friends. Although Burns cited many changes in the practice of social work over the years, throughout his career he practiced and taught the importance of getting to know families in order to serve them effectively. That drive to serve the community by helping people and a true sense of altruism are some of the common characteristics demonstrated by Burns, McMurray and others who define what's best about the social work field.
