I can actually remember -- in my lifetime -- a day when doors like this weren't hung in a museum, but in businesses in my hometown. A lot of bloggers, a lot of people in general actually, are thankfully too young to have ever seen this kind of intolerance in anything but a history book. Thankfully, these doors are now a curiosity in the Raleigh City Museum and serve not to divide people, but to teach the lessons of history so that future generations will never have to repeat them.
Seeing this exhibit which I shot in the late summer of 2007 only serves to underscore the historic significance of last November's election. In forty years, the city that once relegated African Americans to the back of the bus, or their own "separate but equal" drinking fountains and restrooms voted in support of just such a man to occupy the nation's highest office. The election didn't bring an end to bigotry, but it did mark a point of progress in that pursuit.
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17 comments:
I am always amazed at how people can go out of their way to look for the differences between themselves and the people outside their immediate sphere.
Sad to say there are still people out there that would love to see something like this become common place again. The intolerance that still goes on in 2009 is heartbreaking. Since the election the upsurge of hate groups has gotten large here in Oklahoma.
yeah, we used to have them too.
A most excellent choice. I'm so glad you posted this.
WOW! I haven't seen this one anywhere personally. I guess it would have applied to me too here in the past, although in India I am a Shaiva, one of the "high" caste people! ;D
Indians still do that without that "so called" door even today in the name of caste anyway but Govt gives lots of privileges if we belong to lower caste!!
Shaivas had to go on strike to "demand" the govt to classify us as "lower" caste so our children can get into great colleges and jobs easily! Tragedy and circus of it all to survive! Hahaha!
Thought you might like this delicious Jamaican festival for a weekend snack.
http://aromahope.blogspot.com/2009/02/jamaican-festival-fried-bread.html
Exactly.
Thank you for the shot.... I think it is paramount to our humanity to be reminded of our past , even when that past is horrible.
It gives me hope for the future.
The only good thing about this picture, Jazz, is the word "men" following the word "colored". At least they weren't relegated to some sub-human catagory. Thank God we have moved on, at least somewhat.
A chilling reminder, and one that is now thankfully relegated to museums and history books.
As we become an increasingly multi-cultural society, we need to be reminded how fortunate we are. Thank you.
That racist doors photo does show how far we have come. Amazing isn’t it? Lovely photos on this blog – I especially liked the icicle. Nice to connect with you!
Hmm....the ghost of that attitude still haunts many places, doesn't it. Scary to think those doors made perfect sense to whole numbers of people.
Thanks for the reminder.
It's not something to be proud of but it is good to jog the memory so that we don't let this happen again. Look at how we treated the Japanese, and the Irish? It's not a history to be proud of that's for sure. Oh, the photo is very good and goes well with the theme. I rate it excellent!
I do not remember those days. Ouch! Now we're only segregated by sex in the bathrooms. ;)
those doors may have been gone by the time i entered this world, but i do remember facing some prejudice and racism. how can you not when your dad's family is from alabama, and your mom is not white? it's good to see that we've come this far, but we still have a little ways to go.
Mojo - I am sorry to say I DO remember these days. I also remember the separate water fountains as well. This was a very sad time in the history of our country.
You are an amazing person with such a deep conscience for finding the wrong and correcting it, and finding the right and doing it. You have a beautiful soul. Your soul soars like that hawk.
I would love to meet you in person. If you ever come to Memphis, please let me know so I can take you to dinner and share stories and thoughts. God bless you kind person.
@Kathleen: I can't find the link to your blog on your profile, and I have no email address for you, so I can't respond to you directly... but thanks for your kind comments. I don't know that you're not giving me a little too much credit, but thanks all the same.
I'm ashamed that that was ever normal in our country and grateful for the change.
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