Sitting at the bar last night, chatting with the great-grandson of Emma May, he said:
"Atlanta is 50% white and 50% black. Of those blacks, they are 50% good and 50% bad."
Hmmm. I took out a photo of two young men, who are black, and said,
"These are my nephews."
I must say that it was with pleasure that I saw him squirm.
I guess, if my nephews lived here, they'd be among the 50% of blacks who are good.
The South is still The South, and racism is still racism.
Sure glad I can call Seattle my home.
I recall the fellow you and MM met in the NYC hotel last winter ....
ReplyDeleteI wonder if Emma Mae Suggs Calhoun was connected to the South Carolina Calhouns, specifically John C. Calhoun, architect of Secession as rock bottom right at any interference with the maintenance and expansion of the Slave Power, starting already in 1830 with Nullification (except Andy Jackson sent the Army down to SC, and said o no you don't). That's the only way you can deal with those sorts.
Love, C.
Foxessa, yes, he was a descendant of John Calhoun, a great great etc. grandson.
DeleteWell, I wasn't going to say it, but I dislike Atlanta and dislike the south, despite my heritage. I am so glad to live in Los Angeles, actually --
ReplyDeleteso glad you pulled out that photo -- maybe he had or will have a change of heart/mind. Just a little. The south with its history is indeed an odd place to visit if you didn't grow up there, but I do know that racism exists everywhere. And still, we are (the US) the greatest mix of races on the planet. I hope we keep moving forward. When I was in Greensboro NC last year, I went to the Civil Rights museum housed in the old Woolworth building that was THE Woolworth where the lunch counter sit-ins began. Inspiring!
ReplyDeleteCro, I accidentally ditched yr comment, but I did ask him if the same was true of whites, but he didn't get it.
ReplyDeleteExcellent, T!
ReplyDelete