Thinking Back

Looking back and trying to remember what the feelings were during the 1960's....it was a time to celebrate youth and believe that you were invincible..to be 17 again.

I like to think that I grew up without prejudice..although it was all around me - I took no notice of the slights & wrongs that were done to people of color.  Not until the riots, not until the marches and not until Dr. King's words rang from the hallowed halls of our cherished monuments.....did my eyes open and see the injustice of our world.

As a young child visiting my southern Grandmother in Virginia I could not understand why I could not sit at the back of the bus...like I did in New York.  It was the best place to enjoy the ride, especially hitting bumps...in New York I always ran for the back.  Well, it was just too much for a nine year old to fathom and I remember saying to my Grandma..."But why can't I do that?" She told me that there was a line that you did not cross...I took it literally and looked for a line on the floor of the bus.....seeing none....I told her "There's no line!"  Now Grandma was born in South Carolina and raised by a black Mammy, she had alot of respect for the black folk as she called them.  While they lived in Norfolk my Grandma had a black lady, named Maybelle,who helped clean house, ironed etc., who I loved as much as any member of  my family.  She was a constant in my life for so many years.  They were all getting up in age and Maybelle had to stop working, but every so often she would come for a visit.....when my Grandpa died I remember Maybelle and her whole extended family came to pay their respects at the Greek Church...it was a wonderful gesture that my Grandma treasured.

I am very glad that there was a Dr. King and that he was able to bring his people the freedom that he spoke so eloquently about.  It's a shame that it took all these years.