In the early 1960’s, Dick Gregory, comedian and political activist was credited with saying these words, “I know the South very well. I spent twenty years there one night”. Those of us who lived in the South felt the same way. One night can seem like twenty long years. Individual and systemic racism destroyed many black families and poor people.
One day as I walked with Dad on the long gravel road from “The Bottom”, we discussed our career ambitions. I was nearing my teen years old but I still enjoyed walking and talking with Dad. He was a man of faith, insightful and a very wise man who was displaced in the south. He still enjoyed writing editorials for The Commercial Appeal, the local newspaper. One day, his editorial was selected for publication. He wrote about how the white led labor unions and racist politicians in Memphis barred non-professional black people from obtaining meaningful employment. All men wanted to provide for their families and black men were no exception. He wrote that he was excluded from meaningful work after being honorably discharged from the Army and he was still being excluded. It was 1965 and he was discharged twenty two years ago.
Read more in my memoir. It’s available for purchase in the book section of this blog.
My second memoir is available on my website, www.franciewrites.com or Amazon
With MaDear and Dad’s nurturing guidance, I learned to live life to the fullest. No one gets to choose how I want to live it. I continued to volunteer in the school library because it helped counteract the angry feelings I had and because it gave me a sense of purpose. I remember reading in one of the insightful books that a person has to free themselves. Freedom moves from the inside out. It started with me. This was another step in my escape from oppression to opportunity.
MaDear and Dad could only pray and trust that my siblings and I would continue to take the long road, avoid shortcuts and hidden roads. I didn’t know that a rough road lay ahead. We were prepared to be resilient so I learned how to bump along the long rough road. I figured it wouldn’t last forever.
Prior to the beginning of my tenth grade year, we moved from “The Bottom” back to Memphis. I was now a poverty veteran and thought it couldn’t get worse. I transitioned from absolute poverty to a different type of poverty.
Success is determined by your mind, not by your conditions!