Steve Simms
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51 Years Ago In Little Rock, AR -- My Memories
||September 12, 2008|400 reads
 

To add a comment to "51 Years Ago In Little Rock, AR -- My Memories"
MarJay HizWay
September 12, 2008
Thanks for sharing Steve...Unfortuately for some people...some things will never change.
Cindy
September 12, 2008
Steve, I wasn't born when all this happened, but I live in western AR  and in 1954 here's what happened in the town that I live in.
Aug. 23:

Public schools in Charleston admit 11 black students, making that Franklin County community the first in the former Confederacy’s 11 states to end school segregation. Charleston’s school superintendent waits until Sept. 14 to disclose the desegregation to the news media. Dale Bumpers, later the state’s governor and a prominent U.S. senator, served as legal counsel to the school board at this time.


MarJay; I agree with you :(

Steve Simms
September 12, 2008
Cinderbarb:  I've never heard that story.  It sounds like the folks in Franklin County were real heroes to so rapidly end segregation.  Some cities didn't end official segregation until the early 70's.
Jerry Webb
September 12, 2008

Steve,

Wow it is great to hear voices of people that actually experienced some important moments in US History.

Did you know that(desegregation) somewhat started in my home state of South Carolina? One of the first cases of five that were combined began with a few parents in a little town called Summerton over adequate busing for their children.(see Briggs v Elliott) I have met some of those that were involved personally. Many did not see the fruits of their labor after Brown V The Board of Education. Sadly they were physically forced to move out of the state.

It breaks my heart that so many young African American kids waist their opportunity for a good education, not knowing what their ancestors had to bear. But then, we don't exactly teach it either.

By the way. Do you know the story of Elizabeth Eckford and Hazel Massery?

Steve Simms
September 12, 2008

Jerry:  I am inspired to hear about the heroes of Summerton who stood up for equal rights even before Brown V The Board of Education.  Even though they were forced to move because of their actions, they were still heroes.  Many of the most courageous people in American history who stood up boldly for human rights are now forgotten and ignored:  William Lloyd Garrison,  William Monroe Trotter, the Grimke sisters, the founders of NAACP, Thaddeus Stevens, David Walker, and many others. 

Patrice Barner
September 12, 2008
Wow...we, as a country, have come so far but yet we have so far to go.  But we must come to the realization that some people will never change!  All I can say is PRAY!!
Steve Simms
September 12, 2008
SoBlessed:  Prayer is the key!  We do still have a long way to go until we love one another as Christ loves!
GrammyB
September 12, 2008

My Grampa Pledger lived in Havana, Arkansas.  Mom remembers when Grampa would have to get permission from the sheriff to go into "colored town" to pick up a wagonload of people to attend Revival or come play baseball with the new "high tech" lights at the ball field. 

Mom said she remembered greeting a black lady in town and calling her Ma'am -- and another white woman in town pulled Mom aside (my mom was probably 5 or 6 at the time, 1930's) and proceeded to threaten to spank her if she ever spoke to a black person like that again.  Mom ran home crying and told Grannie what happened.  My little 5' tall, featherweight Grannie proceeded to march over to that woman's house and give her a Bible-based chewin' out that stopped all further threats. ;)

Even with all that, I have been so ignorant of how prevalent racism still is... It stuns me to think anyone could consider themselves "better than" based upon skin tone.  I find it hardest to stomach when it is so-called "Christians" who spew hatred.

Steve Simms
September 12, 2008
Wonderful comment, GrammyB.  Your Grampa was a real man of God to stand for racial justice in a time of force segragration!  What a great heritage you have.
Cheryl Whit
September 12, 2008
How awesome, thank you brother.
Steve Simms
September 12, 2008
Thank you, Cheryl, for the encouraging comment and the star!
Steve Simms
September 12, 2008
Very thoughtful comment, Christeena.  Thank you.  Past racial injustice should not be used as an excuse for present day negative behavior, however, past racial injustice should not be forgotten.  It is an important part of American history and should be remembered and studied.

Racism isn't dead.  All groups today contain people who are racist against some other people.  However, as individuals we can overcome racism and prejudice within our own hearts and be an example to the world of Christ's love as we walk together in the Spirit.  That is the calling and the role of the church today.
Jerry Webb
September 12, 2008

Hey Christeena,

Tell us what you really think! Say the word! Racism comes in all shades and there is no excuse for it. My entire family grew up in the deep south and experienced all the hatred first hand. However, my granddad and my dad never discussed it at the dinner table, never!!! I will not with my sons and daughter. Sure I will share history lessons. But hatred for another race will never flow from my lips, period.

Steve Simms
September 12, 2008
That is a very powerful, heart-rending scene, Dan.  Evil is in all of our hearts and we must continually seek God so that we can overcome it.
Jerry Webb
September 12, 2008

Christeena,

What never entered the discussion was was hatred. They discussed the challenges we would face. That's what I am talking about. I won't waste any energy teaching my children to hate. It serves no purpose.

I can remember when my wife and I moved from Florida to my home in South Carolina. I warned her that she would face some types of racism. But I could not truly prepare her for the experience she would face when job hunting. It was most disappointing to her to the point that depression almost set in.

The thing is sister, we do not talk about the ignorance of the people, we talk about the experience. It serves no purpose to advance the hatred but we can talk about our experiences.

Kim Knaus
September 12, 2008
Steve, wow so neat to get your view of how that event in history happened and so true about this country still holding onto old desires to keep people separated. This happens in more then just the racial conflict that still goes on to this day and is so unjust, it also happens to Christians. How sad that a nation that was founded by bible believing Christians has gone down to it being your a hater if you read and believe God's word about the sins that happen in this society, then dare to say they are wrong for committing them.
Denise Frenette
September 12, 2008
Good Blogging. wonderful follow-up comments. thanks st sims
Steve Simms
September 12, 2008
Thanks Kim & Denise.
Cindy
September 15, 2008
Steve, I have to add that years later after Charleston Schools stepped out, Ken (my hubby) had for a baseball coach the father of those black children. What an honor, he was an awesome man and awesome ball coach. So, here's a white team with one black boy and a black coach. He treated each of those boys as his own. He'd load them up in the back of his pick up truck and drive them to games. At those games out of town was where Ken first learned racism. He told me that their team was very good, beating everyone, and that didn't help the situation. Their coach would come around before the game was over and tell them very strictly that the minute it was over to run to the truck and be ready to leave. And that's what they had to do :( He knew there would be trouble. And he protected all the boys. Ken went on to coach in the same league and used everything that man ever taught him proudly.
Steve Simms
September 15, 2008
Very touching story, CinderBarb.