Bertha N. Rhodes, who led tours of city's African-American historic and cultural sites
Apr 16, 2018Shangri-La Assisted Living in Ellicott City. No cause of death was determined.She was 95.Born in Harlem in New York City, she was the daughter of Wallace Newton, a chauffeur, and Theresa Woodward, a seamstress. She moved to Baltimore as a child and lived on Madison Avenue. She was a 1942 graduate of Frederick Douglass High School.“Bert’s life was a testament to the Harlem Renaissance spirit,” said her son, Medford J. Campbell Jr. “She loved African-American history, art, music, and culture, and made sure her children and grandchildren had opportunities to explore their own talents in art, music and dance. She would pick up the violin she purchased in her early 20s and play a song or two. She also loved to paint.”As a young woman, she joined the Glenn L. Martin aircraft company in Middle River, where she was a riveter. She told her family it was one of her favorite jobs because it assisted the United States’ effort in World War II. She then moved with her husband to Memphis, Tenn., where she worked for the Universal Life Insurance Co.She returned to Baltimore and lived on Shellbanks Road in Cherry Hill, where she sold the World Book Encyclopedia.“My mom socialized a lot and was a member of the neighborhood association,” said her son. “She saw a need for the children to have a better education and thought the encyclopedia was a way to do that.”She joined the Social Security Administration in 1949 and worked in the Candler Building on Pratt Street before moving with the agency to Woodlawn in the 1960s. She retired in 1979 while she was in her 50s and decided to pursue her lifelong interest in African-American history and culture.“My mother loved driving around in her sporty Ford Mustang, but she decided to sell it and buy a 15-passenger Ford van. She then began the part of her career journey she was most passionate about,” said her son. “She launched Bert’s Tours.”He said that for 10 years she conducted tours of Baltimore that included stops at places of historic and cultural interest.“Most importantly, she lifted up sites that demonst... (Baltimore Sun)
