Boy, move to the shadows for a while and the
discussion here sure gets lively. I grew up in
relative isolation in rural Mississippi at the end of
a dirt road and in the middle of a National Forest.
You get the idea, we piped in the sunshine and ran to
the front door to see who was passing if we heard a
car. From birth I was taught to hate and fear and
suspect anyone different from myself. Our mantra was:
2, 4, 6, 8, We don't want to integrate; 8, 4, 6, 2,
Send'em back to Toogaloo. Toogaloo being a local
"Black" college. Integration came our way when I was
in 9th grade and at the same time I started listening
to Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Melanie and later Joni
Mitchell. My professional life, 25 years now, has been
in service to a predominantly black community and I'm
proud to say that the black teachers who work under my
supervision and the parents of the students I serve
remind me often that I'm really "one of them."
Exposure to the music of the time, I believe, which
came through at a time social upheaval here changed me
and others though, I'm sorry to say, those that
remained ignorant get the press coverage. I find what
Joni has to say most profound and I crave and miss her
commentary. Hope she's got the cauldron brewing and
we'll get to hear her skewer 'em with new material in
a few years.
Medric
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