Saturday, August 26, 2017

Race Relations

As we grow older we slowly realize that:

**** Whether we wear a $3000 or $10 watch - - they both tell the
same time.



Tonight my thoughts on the race controversy.

Most things never happen as fast as we want it to. A kid thinks Christmas will never get here, but it does.

I can remember when I thought I would NEVER reach 16 so I could get my driver’s license.


We have a touchy subject here in the good old USA. Race relations. I smile, sometimes get irritated when I hear race relations haven’t changed.  Believe me, a white man, I think they have changed. Mostly for the better. I do not have any real close friends who are black, but I do have many who are my friends. If I needed them they would be here. If they need me I hope I would be there.


An example of change hit me hard a couple years ago in the small town of Valdese, NC. This town was founded by the Waldensians from Italy. I lived there in the early 1950’s. Segregation was still in full swing. No property inside the city limits was owned by a black man. The movie house was white only. There was no place in Valdese where a Black man could sit down and eat.

I was12-13 years old and had lived in 4 towns in NC and none were this ‘segregated’. Keep in mind my mama and daddy came from North Georgia. BUT in our house if you used the ‘N’ word you could get a swat or a ‘talking to.’  To my mama saying Negro was about as bad, she insisted we use the term ‘Colored’ because it was respectful, and Colored folk appreciated it.

Mama told me once she could not understand Christians who would send money, clothes and food to Africa and would not fellowship with colored people here in our country.

So at the time there were colored water fountains and colored ordering windows at some cafes. Some service stations did provide ‘Colored Restrooms’ but not all.

The only black athletes I heard of were Jackie Robinson and Joe Louis.

So to let you know that there has been change in Race relations. We were in Valdese a few years ago to meet our childhood friends Jim & Bub Page and Robbie Cook and his wife Betty.  As I sat at Myra’s CafĂ© in Valdese I saw a mixed couple enjoying a hamburger and fries. As far as I could tell no one paid any attention.

Sherry or I were never in a school where a Black kids attended. The only black person there was the janitor.  Both our sons and all our grand kids have attended integrated schools. So change did not come easy, it HAS come. 

I consider Sticky (John Moore) a friend.  We seldom even see each other anymore but I could depend on him helping me if needed.  The same with Denise another good friend.

I respected ML King. He advanced the cause of race relations more than any other in the last century. A fool killed MLK, I wish another would arise.

I realize I am looking thru White Eyes, but that is how I was born. None of us can get into another’s mind.

Changed?  Yep one black athlete now can earn more in a year than Jackie & Joe earned in their lifetimes combined.

I loudly repeat the words of Rodney King,



                      




”Why can’t we all just get along?”


Nite Shipslog

7 comments:

jack69 said...

As a post Script: No one can erase over a 100 years of distrust by blacks nor reformat the minds of all whites, but we have made some big steps in that direction. WE must continue to try on both sides..

Mevely317 said...

Thoughtfully-presented, m'friend.

I've not many clear memories from childhood, but recall making a beeline for a water fountain when we docked in NYC and my mother's arm jerking me back because it was the "colored" fountain. There was only one black student in my high school; and as far as I knew he never dated because (in '68) that wasn't done.

We've come a long way, yes. But there's lots of tolerance to be learned ... by BOTH sides.

betty said...

I agree with Rodney King, why can't we all get along? My mom was a bit set in her ways. I wouldn't call it prejudiced but she felt races shouldn't intermingle with each other. However, she would oppose the segregation of whites and blacks in school, using water fountains, etc. I do remember my sister's kindergarten class picture with a few African American children. Two years later my brother's with 30% African American children and mine a year later with only a handful of Caucasian children. We lived where there were projects and some African Americans slowly worked their ways out of them and started buying into neighborhoods similar to where we lived. Property values went down as a result, which is sad when looking back on it.

Fast forward to the year 2017. DIL is a lady of color and the wee one is biracial. When taking him shopping, we get lots of smiles from people of all colors. So it is good times have changed. I'm just not 100% sure if my mom was still alive how she would have felt about it all.

betty

TARYTERRE said...

we've come so far regarding race. but we still have a ways to go, imho.

Lisa said...

The only place I see racial tensions is on tv and news. Every colored person I come across wether black, white or green seem to have no problem with each other. I guess Im in a good place.

Happy Sunday
Lisa

I'm mostly known as 'MA' said...

Amen! We are all precious and unique. We do need to get along and love one another.

I'm mostly known as 'MA' said...

Surprised that my comment went through. My internet seems to be very intermittent. What ever is going on, I'm glad it works once in awhile anyway!