Ninety-eight years, and the white folks don't care......

[Manifestor_of_Light]

Our friend who was 98 on Dec. 30th died last week. He was born Dec. 30, 1910.

His funeral was on Saturday.

Last year I made him a birthday cake and posted about it in The Lounge:
Archived thread:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=105x7372003

He had worked for my grandparents as a farmhand and ranch hand. He checked up on us nearly every day. He drove his car, and went to the local truck stop on the highway bypass for lunch. He gave us fatherly advice about checking the oil in the car, or making sure the tires were OK.

At the funeral, I met a couple of his granddaughters. Nobody knew how many children he had, or how many grandkids there were, or great-grandkids. He had granddaughters that were 60 years old or so.

And in this community of 1400 people, where more than half the people who live here are Black, how many white people showed up to honor this Black man after ninety-eight years???

Three.

Me, my hubby and a white lady who was married to a black man.

None of the white folks gave a damn. Except us.

The racists are still here. This is in East Texas.

At least he got to see Barack Obama elected President of the United States.

:bounce: :toast:

:cry:

[rusty quoin]

1. I'm glad he got to see Barack Obama elected.

It's sad about the racism there. You three are good people.

[Chulanowa]

2. Well, I don't know about white people...

But I wouldn't show up to a funeral unless I was either invited or related. That's just me. Has nothing to do with skin color, I just don't think "casual acquaintance" is a reason to show up at someone else's funeral.

[emilyg]

6. Agree 100%.

[enlightenment]

3. I also think funerals are generally private affairs.

I wouldn't just show up at one, regardless of how much I respected someone. I wouldn't go to a friend's funeral if I wasn't invited.

People have different views on that sort of thing - it's a bit of a broad brush to call them racists because they didn't attend his funeral.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

9. You missed my point.

This is a very small town. Most people know everyone else.

And the fact is that Mr. R was out DRIVING AROUND just about every day. This town is about two miles by two miles. He was driving his car and checking up on my place, because of the great sense of loyalty he felt to me, because he worked for my grandparents and probably knew them in the 1930s or maybe even before that, working on this very property, and on their farms.

He didn't have to look after my place. Nobody told him to. He would come by and ask us when we would be back. He watered our plants. He told us if he had to scare off somebody who would be parked behind the house, drinking beer in a pickup. In fact, he recently told us that he had scared off some people by telling them he had a gun (which he did) on the seat, and that he would shoot them if they didn't leave, and he would call the police. So we had a badass working for us who had a gun and wouldn't hesitate to defend our property with it.

He told us when we were moving up here, "I hope and pray to see the day that you all move up here". And he did see that day. He didn't have to do all these nice things.


The last time I saw him alive, was the weekend after Christmas. I took him a plate of turkey and dressing and pie. He was on a liquid diet because of his digestive problems that killed him, so he couldn't really eat the food.

There are two families here that used to have grocery stores, before Wallyworld drove them out of business. One of the grocery stores went out of business a few years ago after 6 generations. There is a druggist here, and his father bought the grocery store from my grandfather, in the 1950s. There are two doctors. There is a hardware store that is a family business of several generations.

My point is that Mr. R undoubtedly bought groceries and tools and medications from these people in the past, and the grandkids or whoever didn't give a damn.

And I found out where the separate but unequal cemetery is for the black people ---

OUTSIDE THE CITY LIMITS!! :mad: :wow:

[roguevalley]

19. well, I am sorry about this. He deserved better. WHen you can't

look at another person and see them there, their soul, their humanity, you are a small son of a bitch and have some 'splainin' to do to God some day. I am glad for you. You honored him and yourself.

[Threedifferentones]

22. Fuck'em

If the white folk were racist dicks like that to him all his life, I, personally, would not want them to suddenly change and show up at his funeral.

At least ya'll went, and at least Obama is Pres!

[Manifestor_of_Light]

23. My sentiments exactly.

Fuck 'em.

We really do not have any white friends up here. And I don't want to be friends with them if they are that bad.

[babylonsister]

4. Screw the white bigoted folks. You were there and

honored him. For someone I never even heard about, I wish I had known him. You've done good. Thanks for sharing your love.

[BlooInBloo]

5. +1

[4 t 4]

7. Bless him and his and you too

and god help their small world(in the largest state) but really, Texas?? This is nothing against good people in a bad place but I moved there once. I shipped all my furniture gave up my apt.in Oak Park Il. Quit my job and was going to start a bakery with my boyfriend and sister. He had a bakery rented and a townhouse with a pool. ( I could just feel it was way wrong the day I drove in but I didn't know exactly why the people were very nice but I felt so scared by them, they were on another planet) within 3 days I was on the phone with a airline with a ticket and back in Chicago. Not to mention who claims they derive from there- nough said. But really * is a perfect Texan-no?

[Manifestor_of_Light]

8. George W Bush is NOT a Texan. Neither is his dad.

He was born in New Haven, Connecticut.

He is not a real Texan and we are NOT fooled by his fake "ranch" or his cowboy put-on.

Don't blame us.

[Skittles]

10. this white gal sending this to the Greatest Page

yes indeed

[1]

11. yes. all white people don't care. you just proved it. see?

"None of the white folks gave a damn. Except us.

The racists are still here. This is in East Texas."





that is not a broad brush. that is not any sort of anecdote or stereotype or misconception in any way. that is just a simple fact. proof.

:cry: yeah, i cry for these kind of posts too. so enlightening...

[Manifestor_of_Light]

12. McCain took this county 2 to 1, BTW.

And when I put an Obama sign out right before the election, rednecks drove by several times and yelled "Fuck Obama".....

Suuuure, you're telling me they are NOT racists?????

The white woman that runs the Post Office told us "this is a Republican town" :wow:

I told her I was a Democrat.

[petronius]

13. I'm sorry to hear that you lost your friend. It's clear that he was an important

part of your life, and it certainly sounds like you added something positive to his...

[sohndrsmith]

14. I care, and I'm sorry for your loss - and the loss of a great man.

That white people didn't show up in numbers this man deserved doesn't discount the meaning and contribution of his life whatsoever. It belittles those who chose not to pay their respects, but in no way belittles him.

Clearly you have the exceptional privilege of understanding the true greatness of this individual, I feel sorry for those who weren't able to see that. How lucky you are to not have such ignorance.

I agree with others - I can only hope that, over time, the change about to take place in this country brings such ignorance out of the shadows so that the pain and hurt you feel right now becomes more and more of the exception, not the rule - as it should be, until it is so rare that it fades away.

When we really incorporate that financial or material wealth and skin color or bone structure are not a measure of a successful or worthwhile life but that goodness, character, hard work and service - however humble - IS... we've made a step towards that, maybe no more than a baby step but I'll take it over the alternative...

Thanks for the post....

[Manifestor_of_Light]

15. Thank you!

He was so devoted and loyal. And I'm sure that when he was growing up, and for many decades after, a lot of white folks would abuse him verbally just for the color of his skin.

He didn't have to be loyal to me and look after the place. But he was. He remembered my grandparents and thought a lot of them. I don't know if that loyalty to them was deserved or not. The grandparents were not virulent racists, but still, because of the generation they were in (born 1890s), they were still racists to some extent.

I found out from his funeral program that he was the last of 16 children! :wow:

[Horse with no Name]

17. I, too, am in a small town in East Texas

I feel for you. You are probably my neighbor.:hi:

[Breeze54]

16. My Dad was born in 1910 and a LOT of people knew him but

at his funeral; only family and close neighbors and friends were there, none of the people he worked with for 35 years were there at all; excepting the taxi driver that took him around town when we couldn't. The taxi was in the funeral procession, as a token of affection. I would have felt uncomfortable with people at the funeral that I (we) really didn't know. Maybe your 1,400 townspeople felt the same way? It was hard enough, for me, dealing with family and distant relatives, let alone distant town members, to tell the truth!

I'm sorry for your loss. :hug:

[Manifestor_of_Light]

20. Thanks.

There were over 100 people in the church at his service.

And the choir GOT DOWN!! :D

And the guest of honor ROCKED THE HOUSE!! :D

When everyone went up to take a last look, the choir was singing so loudly that I could see Mr. R bouncin' up and down in his casket.

:yourock: <---Mr. R.

[ThomCat]

18. It's alive and well.

I hope you're making this same point to people around town somehow. :(

:hug:

I hope he was remembered well.

[theboss]

21. Did any of those people know him?

I grew up in a tiny town next to a funeral home. I've been to hundreds of funerals and missed hundreds of funerals.

I never meant to insult anyone.