Looking back . . .

Dear you,


History.  Things are changing.  Americans are questioning the machine and those who run it.  The veil is lifted.  We are seeing.  We are also seeing the need to take down monuments that keep twisted philosophical policies alive; those confederate statues are falling.  Bad history is being acknowledged and rejected.  We are looking back without the veil.


As for looking back, other than learning from history and reflecting on choices, I tend to not want to do that.  My goal for self has always been a Bob Dylan lyric:

“She’s got everything she needs/She’s an artist, she don’t look back.”

But I am looking back during these hot summer days amid the rush of new history, and I thought about my high school days.  And this:

Homecoming court, the autumn of my senior year.  That’s me on the stairs, the fifth gal from the bottom in this tiny photo.  To the right, you will see the queen and runners up.  Yes, the queen was (is) an African American woman.  The first ever for our school and our section of Birmingham.  Wonderful!  Being a part of that little but huge shift in history.

I also recall something else not so wonderful about that event.  A herd of racist students wanted to organize a unified vote for the head cheerleader to make sure the “black girl” didn’t win.  Hell no.  Most of us on those stairs wanted no part of that ugly bullshit.  And I was not about to throw my votes to Pasty Priscilla (not her real name) for a lot of reasons.  (But you know I did defeat her in the Miss Ensley pageant the previous spring, but that’s another story .) In fact, “Priscilla” opposed that nonsense too.  She did not want to be a “pawn” in their stupid game.  Well, I am not sure the pawn reference applies since I am pretty sure none of us knew how to play chess.  But that’s another story too.  Anyway, in the end, the best woman won.  And we were better for it.

I like remembering that shift in history.

Looking back is not so bad after all.

Love,

Joyce