Being Black and hearing republicans laughing it up at watermelon jokes at my expense

[ProudMNDemocrat]

18. I am in solidarity with you.

In April of 1964, my late father was offered an opportunity to head an Engineering Department for Lockheed Missiles and Space in Marietta, GA. My mother OPPOSED that move. She put her foot down and told my father if he accepted the offer, she would divorce him and move back to Cleveland from San Jose, CA.

My Mother told my father in plain words..."Johnny! We have three major strikes against us. 1) We are White LIBERAL Catholics! 2) We have 3 daughters! 3) We ARE NOT Prejudiced!"

She proceeded to give him other points as well. What it boiled down to was that she had a deep fear of the Klu Klux Klan. She read of the lynchings, cross bearings, rapes, the terrible treatment of African-Americans that took place throughout the South. Then that fateful day in June 1964, she slammed down the San Jose Mercury in front of him where the headline read...3 Civil Rights Workers Murdered in Mississippi. She said then..."See Johnny why I did not want us to move to Georgia?"

I came of age during the Civil Rights era. I remember all too well the hate and fear. It has been rearing its UGLY head since 2015, only more obvious and clearer than ever.