GREENWOOD, MISSISSIPPI DINNER
As I continue reading WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE: CHAOS OR COMMUNITY (1967) by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., my mind goes back to 1971, when I was among 90 students from Howard University who had traveled down to Mississippi on busses to campaign for Charles Evers, who was running for Governor.
A colleague and I were walking down the street in the black section of Greenwood, when an attractive young woman came from the other direction . My friend, who was from Alabama, greeted her. He told her who we were, and where we were from. He then said, "We are hungry. Take us to your people." To my utter amazement, she did just that!
As we stepped up into the dwelling, it was saturated with the sweet savor of down-home, dinner-time scents !
She introduced us, first, to her mother, who allowed us to sit in the living room, awaiting dinner. She also introduced us to her father, who entered shortly after from work. After grace, me and my buddy chowed down on fried chicken , pinto beans, greens, cornbread , peach cobbler !
I was so overwhelmed by this show of unusual hospitality, and so busy eating, praising God, and thanking them for our delicious meal, that I don't recall ever getting their names!
My Howard U. friend was a native of Birmingham, and knew the folkways of our people, much better than me!
Still, I was shocked by his audacity to stop that fine woman on the street , much less to request that she take us home! When she actually did and her mother fed us, my faith was renewed, not only in our ultimate goodness as a people, but in the certainty of civil victory in God's own good time!
Friday, July 29, 2016
GREENWOOD, MISSISSIPPI DINNER
GREENWOOD, MISSISSIPPI DINNER
As I continue reading WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE: CHAOS OR COMMUNITY (1967) by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., my mind goes back to 1971, when I was among 90 students from Howard University who had traveled down to Mississippi on busses to campaign for Charles Evers, who was running for Governor.
A colleague and I were walking down the street in the black section of Greenwood, when an attractive young woman came from the other direction . My friend, who was from Alabama, greeted her. He told her who we were, and where we were from. He then said, "We are hungry. Take us to your people." To my utter amazement, she did just that!
As we stepped up into the dwelling, it was saturated with the sweet savor of down-home, dinner-time scents !
She introduced us, first, to her mother, who allowed us to sit in the living room, awaiting dinner. She also introduced us to her father, who entered shortly after from work. After grace, me and my buddy chowed down on fried chicken , pinto beans, greens, cornbread , peach cobbler !
I was so overwhelmed by this show of unusual hospitality, and so busy eating, praising God, and thanking them for our delicious meal, that I don't recall ever getting their names!
My Howard U. friend was a native of Birmingham, and knew the folkways of our people, much better than me!
Still, I was shocked by his audacity to stop that fine woman on the street , much less to request that she take us home! When she actually did and her mother fed us, my faith was renewed, not only in our ultimate goodness as a people, but in the certainty of civil victory in God's own good time!
