Once in the South there was a thing called segregation.It was wrong and for it I'm sorry.As a small boy living in Roanoke,Alabama the high light of my day was when the Lady who helped my Grandma came over.A black Lady.
Often I stayed with her at her home and I loved it.She had a house full of children and that meant there was someone to play with.
Long walks we took on those red dirt back roads.I remember the smell of those dusty roads after a summer rain.
At times I was given a spoon and old stocking and the white clay on those hill banks where gathered and now I know where used as medicine and for vitamins.I remember tasting that clay.
At 5 years old we moved back to LaGrange.I remember waking up on Saturday mornings to the smell of Spic and Span and pine oil.Momma was cleaning house.Just me and her would always go downtown.That was the day she would have here hair done at JC Penney which was on Main Street at the time.
After that we always had lunch at the Plantation Cafe or at Holmes Drug Store.I was old enough to notice things.
At all the stores I noticed separate rest rooms for men and women.But something confused me.
At a downtown 5 and 10 store I was thirsty.There where 2 water fountains.Momma I asked which one is for the boys and which one is for the girls?
Rest rooms where separate so water fountains had to be also in my innocence I thought.Not so.
It seems so shocking now but one fountain was for whites and the other was for blacks.
Thank God things are improving.
Often I stayed with her at her home and I loved it.She had a house full of children and that meant there was someone to play with.
Long walks we took on those red dirt back roads.I remember the smell of those dusty roads after a summer rain.
At times I was given a spoon and old stocking and the white clay on those hill banks where gathered and now I know where used as medicine and for vitamins.I remember tasting that clay.
At 5 years old we moved back to LaGrange.I remember waking up on Saturday mornings to the smell of Spic and Span and pine oil.Momma was cleaning house.Just me and her would always go downtown.That was the day she would have here hair done at JC Penney which was on Main Street at the time.
After that we always had lunch at the Plantation Cafe or at Holmes Drug Store.I was old enough to notice things.
At all the stores I noticed separate rest rooms for men and women.But something confused me.
At a downtown 5 and 10 store I was thirsty.There where 2 water fountains.Momma I asked which one is for the boys and which one is for the girls?
Rest rooms where separate so water fountains had to be also in my innocence I thought.Not so.
It seems so shocking now but one fountain was for whites and the other was for blacks.
Thank God things are improving.
