Kinston a few years ago.....

Mom and I used to walk up the hill on Holman Street together and wait for the bus out front of Jimmy Rochelles’s house to take us downtown when we lived in Kinston.  We only had one car then and Dad had it at work, and besides, Mom didn’t get her driver’s license until a couple of years later after we moved to Raleigh—then dad bought her Mr. Prescott’s old 1949 Buick which we nick-named “Old Betsy”, a real heavy hump-back of a ride with a straight-shift.  You could hear mom grinding those gears on frosty mornings.

I loved riding that ole bus—a blue and white dog-nosed city bus.  We would grab a seat and let the fun begin—loved cruising down Queen Street past the Park Theater and our neighborhood grocery, past Nancy Williams’ Tutor-style house at the top of Queen, then down into town to do Mom’s shopping.  The best part was getting to ride with the maids in the rear of the bus on that bench seat up against the rear window, and I would move there as soon as I could. I remember Julia our maid riding on the bus with Mom and I.  A lady in an aisle seat told me not to sit there, that I wasn’t supposed to sit back there, but I did anyway.  Mom thought it was cute that I did as did Julia. I was a kindergarten activist. But the maids with their big paper shopping bags knew Julia and welcomed me to sit with them.  And I took great joy in doing so.  A kindergarten activist—I like the sound of that……

 

From little Kinston, at the age of six, I moved with my family to Raleigh and became a first-grader at Frances Lacy School.  No more Jimmy Rochelle, no more fun bus rides to town.  We now lived on the outskirts of the big city.  As a seven-year old I would occasionally ride my bicycle to school with my big brother who was eleven (think about that).

Our family settled in to Raleigh life as the city absorbed Coley Forest and we took on municipal services like garbage pick-up. 

At the age of eight I remember an outing with my mother, a visit to Dr. Bugg’s office for a measles’ shot—a scary time.  Afterwards, as a reward for my bravery on such an outing, my fun mother would treat me to pancakes at the Cameron Village Kerr Rexall lunch counter.  And boy were they good!  That lunch counter over the years became our go-to place when there were setbacks.

The first visit there I noticed two side-by-side stand-up water fountains near the red Formica counter as I swiveled around on my revolving stool. One of the water fountains had a sign which read ‘Colored’. I thought Kool-Aid…..So I quickly went over to have a drink. But there was a reckoning—Even before I bent down to have a sip, I knew—just like when Julia and I rode together in the back of the bus in Kinston.  There in Cameron Village’s Kerr Rexall in 1958 I became an 8-year-old activist. The waitress did point me to the other fountain, but I resisted, and instead sipped the clear ‘colored’ water.  Mom only smiled.  She was proud of me.

 

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Water Fountains Symbolize 1960s Civil Rights Movement, 59% OFF

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In 1965 the color barrier moved from the physical town dividers (Colored Towns) to the more vague and mystical notions of abilities and academic acceptance and scholarships.  And, of course, to college athletics— Bear Bryant probably was the most influential leader who spread integration across the South and into the national gridiron limelight.  Southern Cal’s Sam Bam Cunningham led his Trojans to a complete route of the Crimson Tide in Birmingham one fall Saturday.  Coach Bryant afterwards appealed to his alumni—basically he asked, “Would you rather have segregation or winning football?”  A no-brainer of course—Winning Football!  And ‘N’ Towns and ‘Colored’ water fountains started to go away.  But I still think the Kool-Aid idea was a good one.  :-)

Southern Cal's Sam "Bam" Cunningham

Alabama's Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant (The Bear)

 

 

 

 

Then there was Ed Leftwich..... a friend and teammate, and a really good college basketball player--virtually unstoppable. Ed was the first big-time black recruit for State. From Burlington, New Jersey he was a looming 6'5" 220 pounder who could bull his way pretty much anywhere he wanted. 

During our freshman year we only had ten players, and on the first day of practice, I got caught tying my shoe laces while the other subs quickly latched onto a man to guard.  When I looked up, guess who was left?  At 6'1" and weighing about 150, I was given the daily task of guarding big Ed in our practice sessions, taking his pushes and shoves, and bumps.  I was sore for most of the season.

 

 

 

 

That sign, that foolish sign (now removed).........Erected on the western edge of Smithfield in Johnston county.

Charleston's old Slave Market (now a museum)

Hey Dan,

I went through the same experience moving from South Dakota to Raleigh in 1958. I came from a family of conservative Republicans. I had forgotten about that sign outside of Smithfield, but I do remember it.  It's too bad that most people do not know the true history of the Democratic Party.  Only 4 Democrats voted to approve the 13th Amendment to abolish slavery on the first vote in 1864. It didn't pass until the second vote by Congress in 1865. Not a single Democrat in Congress voted for the 14th Amendment to give citizenship and equal rights to all Americans regardless of color. Every Republican in Congress voted for it and it passed by majority.  Most Black people today are registered Democrats. They don't know that Martin Luther King was a Republican. Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson won't tell you this. You won't hear the main stream media talking about it either.