MAD magazine in 1968:

[electric_blue68]

92. Got it...

My mom a first generation Greek-American was an amazing woman, with some amazing experiences in her earlier life including being very cognizant of racism Southern and Northern.

She had a sports acquaintance in HS. My mom was a tennis player, her acquaintance who was black was a runner. It's possible that since my mom also played basketball in HS perhaps her runner pal also was on the team.

Anyway she saw on TV (while I was yet not watching TV News) the Bull Conner response to Civil Rights peaceful protesters among other terrible things. But she'd also occasionally hear stuff from other moms in the park as I was running around playing.

Going out and about in NYC as a professional and non-job stuff she'd run into African-Americans here and there. Since she'd already had positive experience she saw them just going about their days just as she was.

As she learned history, and seeing the difference between being welcomed as a first generation American contrasted with a people who'd been here 300 - 400 years, and usually couldn't catch a break she decided this was very unfair.

So she started to point stuff out to me about down South, BUT also what was said to her from other white mother's in the park. So she raised me right. My dad didn't usually talk about it per se but I had some black friends from 5th grade on and they welcomed them into our house, and I could go over to their homes too. My dad was also one for fairness.