I remember it very well. I was a child in Eastern NC in the 30's, 40's and
early 50's and saw discrimination and segregation in all facets of life -
schools, churches, theaters, restrooms, buses, drinking fountains, on the
farm - everywhere. At our home, for example, blacks were expected to come
to the back door, and when helping us on the farm, had to wait until we had
washed up for lunch before they could wash and had to wait until we had
finished lunch before they could eat or sat at a crude table outside under
the trees while we sat at a table inside. My parents always tried to treat
everyone with proper respect and give everyone (black or white) his/her
proper "due," but because they went along with the status quo, they were
guilty, too. I was very saddened by this sight many times, but I don't
remember confronting anybody about it, so because of my lack of action, yes,
I'm guilty, too.
I have never been able to understand how anyone can treat another person
with disdain or lack of respect because of his/her color. I have never been
able to understand how anyone could ever think that it was OK to OWN another
person like owning a mule, a dog, a tool, a thing. I feel very strongly
that slavery and the Civil War were, by far, the nation's greatest
tragedies. We're still feeling the effects of slavery and the attitudes
that allowed it, and I'm afraid that it will be a long time before those
attitudes are fully overcome.
I'm proud that NC was one of the more progressive of the Southern states in
ridding ourselves of "legal" segregation (that is, facilities segregated by
"law") and got through that time without so much turmoil and unrest.
Wilton
----- Original Message -----
From: "Mountain Man" <maontin....@gmail.com>
To: "Mercedes Discussion List" <mercedes@okiebenz.com>
Sent: Monday, January 17, 2011 3:16 PM
Subject: [MBZ] OT - MLK
Not that *we* need to honor the holiday here, but...
I got to wondering about persons that have a clear recollection of the
time period when MLK was a vibrant spokesperson amongst us (I would
quiz my mom but she don't speak to me). Me? - I was a kid growing up
in those days, and by the time I was really cognizant of the apartheid
in america I had already been indoctrinated into the proper way of
thinking. I remember having a summer job with a young man my age but
dark skin color - hey, we worked together, and I don't recall any
tension or animosity between us. But then, we were both working
together doing summer maintenance together at a religious school.
There are some here that are older than me and have some adult
recollections regarding the issues of today's honorary holiday. Were
there really persons that had bad attitudes - both white toward black
as well as black toward white? Did you have either of those
attitudes? I realize this email exchange has zero knowledge regarding
our racial make-up - except that if I want to say a wrong word I get
banned - but was there a terrible attitude during the 50's and 60's?
I completed high school at the end of the '60's so that puts me in the
first class of properly trained persons regarding color issues. I
don't have bad ideas about persons of color - I only have bad ideas
about persons that have the stereotypical (no, this is not harmon
kardon...) bad attitude regarding things other people *owe* them.
Did anyone here live in a bad attitude living situation?
Did anyone here know segregation as a reality that was cruel and inhumane?
Or, is this issue blown out of proportion in the media that I hear today?
In listening to MLK recordings today - the dude sounds downright
reasonable and coherent and peaceable. I could hear him.
mao
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