Shipslog: Wednesday Southern boy, learning about Colored People

Monday, September 22, 2025

Wednesday Southern boy, learning about Colored People

Photo of the day:

Not a great picture but the dude sitting is 'Sticky' Moore. When I was a builder, His company did a lot of dirt work for me (Digging, leveling and hauling dirt). HE also inspired my first book 'Sticky'. I did not realize until later he sang in this quartet.

So for today:

None of us could control when or WHERE we were born. Nor can we control standards set up for citizens at our time in the world.

Sherry and I attended segregated schools. We did not question it, that is just the way it was.

Strange that, as a child my closest friend was ‘colored’ . The Davis Family had a farm near us when we lived in High Shoals, NC. Shirley and I played with the kids for a couple years. At our house, the Davis kids ate at our table, but I was not allowed to eat with the Davis family. I had to sit on the firewood beside the kitchen stove. Mama Davis always said, ‘It ain’t fittin’ for whites and coloreds to eat together!’

It was many years before I learned that her decision was to protect HER FAMILY not any required standard. Her Mixing the races could have brought the KKK in the 1940s.

My ancestors settled in Georgia. That was a VERY Segregated state and segregation was strong there. BUT our house was open to EVERY RACE. If the ‘N’ word was used in our home, it would get you a lecture or a switching and most likely both.

Mama, In the hospital, when a Black Nurse came in her room I could not stop her, she would say, “Honey do what you must, at my house there was no difference in the coloreds and whites.” (Most of the nurses and workers understood)

I tried to educate my mama, but she could not hear of using BLACK! “Son, COLORED, is respectful, USE IT!”

The Muppets, True story that opened my eyes:

Granddaughter Sherece and I were watching the Muppets one Saturday morning. Ben Vereen came on dancing, his name would not come to me, so I said, “That dude can dance, I know that colored fellow’s name, but I cannot think of it.”