I have typed up the first installment of Sara’s Civil Rights Era memoirs, which will go online early tomorrow morning. As a rule, I will not be commenting on these posts or  adding background material unless I have something very relevant to contribute. Photos will be included when available.

My memories of these times are those of a child, although a child who was unknowingly living on the edge of history in the making. Sara was in the midst of it every day and was often stressed, worried and even frightened for her family when events began to spiral out of control. I remember the palpable tension in downtown Greenwood and the hubbub in our house when newsmen from all over America piled in to send their wire stories and hook up their telephoto machines. It was all exciting but confusing to me, as my family’s relationship with blacks had always been cordial and pleasant and I could simply not understand the anger and harsh words that we saw nightly on the national news and daily on the streets of our little town.

I will leave the observations of those times to Sara, who somehow juggled the demands of a job that had grown into a challenge she never expected with her intense devotion to raising two girls and taking care of Russell. Looking back at it all from the safe distance of almost fifty years, I am amazed at what she did. Tomorrow we will stand back and listen to her tell the story. Thanks for listening.