Rosalie Turner | Can Sharing Our Stories Heal Racism?

April 8, 2013

Comments

25 comments posted.

Re: Rosalie Turner | Can Sharing Our Stories Heal Racism?

I don't have a story to share. I guess that is a good thing but I would still like to be entered in the giveaway.
(Kathleen Yohanna 3:48am April 8, 2013)

Looks like we Marched into April showers.
(Kent Cook 8:08am April 8, 2013)

A wonderful post which fascinated me. Best wishes. I lived in
Canada at that time.
(Sharon Berger 10:11am April 8, 2013)

March With Me sounds like a fantastic book to read. I grew up
in a small farming town in Kansas and Yes, I went to school
with black and white friends. Thanks for the great contest.
God Bless Everyone! Thanks, Cecilia CECE
(Cecilia Dunbar Hernandez 10:30am April 8, 2013)

That is so true. I think stories often make it easier to
share painful truths about life. I definitely see it happen
in The Help as well as The Secret Life of Bees (one of my
favorite stories).

In my story DEAD: A GHOST STORY, I wrote about women who
immigrate from India to the U.S. and end up living invisible
and, sometimes, very vulnerable lives because of reasons
like language barriers, economic dependence and not being
familiar with the legal systems. This was my way of sharing
the immigrant story.
(Mina Khan 10:46am April 8, 2013)

this sounds great. thanks, good work
(Debbi Shaw 12:56pm April 8, 2013)

As a resident of Alabama and a teenager during the 60's I
can remember a lot of that time. I saw black people being
stuck with cattle prods on our courthouse yard. I was
working in a small soda fountain in a drugstore when people
came in, lay down and cover the floor. I remember separate
public bathrooms for blacks and whites. I saw Paul Newman
visit to help the people being mistreated. I graduated from
high school the last year before graduation and there were
no blacks in the nursing school I attended. When I was a
student at this Catholic hospital all the black patients
were in a basement ward. It was a long time before I had the
chance to really get to know and have black friends.
(Peggy Probus 1:48pm April 8, 2013)

As a resident of Alabama and a teenager during the 60's I
can remember a lot of that time. I saw black people being
stuck with cattle prods on our courthouse yard. I was
working in a small soda fountain in a drugstore when people
came in, lay down and cover the floor. I remember separate
public bathrooms for blacks and whites. I saw Paul Newman
visit to help the people being mistreated. I graduated from
high school the last year before intergration and there were
no blacks in the nursing school I attended. When I was a
student at this Catholic hospital all the black patients
were in a basement ward. It was a long time before I had the
chance to really get to know and have black friends.
(Peggy Probus 1:50pm April 8, 2013)

Back then, I was a kid, but lived down the street from a housing project. I remember how a riot broke out in that area - starting at the housing project, and branching out to the stores across the street from it, then down the road, towards the downtown area. The Mayor and Governor, I believe, had to call out the National Guard, as well as the Police to stop the riots, as well as the looting. I remember that our family had to stay locked in the house for a few days until the danger had passed. You could see some of the flames from our upstairs window, and the smoke would billow down our street, since it was that close. It was a scary time in my childhood, and I couldn't understand why people wanted to burn down their houses and beautiful shopping area to get a point across.
(Peggy Roberson 9:09pm April 8, 2013)

This book sounds great. Thanks for a chance to win.
(Linda Hall 9:24pm April 8, 2013)

As a military brat, I too was not exposed to the types of behavior spoken about in this book. In spite of that, I have heard many other talk of their experiences, and it makes me want to cry inside to know how hateful people can be just based on something like their race.
(Donna Holmberg 9:27pm April 8, 2013)

I am white, but I remember how kindly my father treated blacks and how much the blacks loved him. My father set a great example for me and everyone who witnessed his actions. Actions do speak louder than words.
(Gladys Paradowski 9:38pm April 8, 2013)

As a child of the 50's in Omaha, I grew up in an all white,working class neighborhood where Mothers stayed home to raise their family.
Not until my first high school job at a country club busing dishes in the dining room, did I encounter daily anyone of another race.
I learned over that first summer how lucky & easy my life was compared to some of my coworkers. My paychecks were used for "extras", while my co-workers used their paychecks to help their parents pay for food,rent, and necessities.
The worse situation at the country club was the way members treated non-white empolyees.Instead of addressing non-whites by their names as listed on their name tags, members would use the insulting word: girl.
By college I decided I change my hometown's attitude by changing my thinking about other races first.
(Joanne Hicks 10:11pm April 8, 2013)

Growing up I was never taught that there were differences between white and black. My parents always ensured that we (my brother, sister and I) never felt any different from anyone around us. We grew up in Naval communities in California and New England, never feeling strange as two of the only three black students in the entire school.
The first time I was ever called a racial slur was in college in Virginia - surprising to find such ignorance at an old, revered educational establishment.... To this day, I think that may have been the last.
(Mickey McCall 10:54pm April 8, 2013)

I was fortunate to grow up a little later and in the very diverse military town of San Diego, CA. There was never any blatant racism or prejudices. I find it very scary that in my lifetime and even today there are people and locales that still people are not equal. I think racial equality has come a very long way and still has some ground to cover. I think that with the right attitudes we can continue to make progress and do away with the ignorance that has no room in a country that welcomes so many.
(Tracie Travis 11:36pm April 8, 2013)

Born in 1957, I missed most of the 'excitement' of the 60's. I was raised in a small town in western Massachusetts in a military family. I did not encounter anyone of a different race until I was 8 years old. Although I do not consider my family to have been racist, we were very 'pro-government', which made whatever they did in Vietnam or Alabama in our best interests. Having been from New England and sharing a birthday with JFK, I became interested in his politics in my teens. I began to read all I could on the war in Vietnam and the Civil Rights movement. I still carry that with me 55 years later and am still enthralled with the time and the events. I would love to win a free copy of Ms. Turner's book, but if not, will probably head down the street to Barnes and Noble on the 15th if I am not selected.
(Marybeth Olson 8:11am April 9, 2013)

Well done on producing this book and I hope it helps some people. I have no particular story, since I live in Ireland, but I have read 'Small Island' where British Jamaicans came to Britain after the second world war and could not get proper work although they were qualified teachers and aircraft mechanics. They found it hard to rent rooms in London and many people would not speak to them. This was just ignorance, and fear of the strange. For many English people the GIs were the first coloured people they had ever seen.
(Clare O'Beara 9:30am April 9, 2013)

I've had a chance to sleep on your question overnight,at least the title to your blog comment. I think that sharing our stories can help to heal in a small way to those that care enough to want to understand, but racism is something that's bred into the population - either by the household itself, or by personal experience. Once a person has that feeling inside of them, it's very hard for them to let it go. I don't feel that reading a book is going to change the feelings they carry, especially if they're older. Your book does sound interesting, and after all of the accolades you've been receiving, I would love to read it!!
(Peggy Roberson 1:32pm April 9, 2013)

My Mom was racist and blamed my Grandma. But my Grandma would walk down street to visit friends who were black often with me. I am glad she shared with me these friends as they were all special.
Therefore I never grew up judging people because of their race.
(Jane Squires 3:55pm April 9, 2013)

My Dad always told us that good and bad were not dictated by one's race.
(Mary C 4:54pm April 9, 2013)

I was always taught that the races were equal and had friends of other races. I thought my parents believed that way, too----until I told them that I was marrying a Filipino. They lectured me and pleaded with me not to marry outside my race. I did anyway, but we were never close again. My husband never knew and he loved them dearly---but when he died unexpectedly at at early age---I asked them to not come to his funeral---I just couldn't handle it because I think they were actually glad that he was gone.
(Sue Farrell 6:45pm April 9, 2013)

I look forward to reading MARCH WITH ME. I did love THE HELP.
I must say I don't see race, I see the person.
(Mary Preston 12:22pm April 10, 2013)

I would like to read "March With Me". I have a bi-racial who
at three all ready experiences some nasty comments from both
black and white people who should know better in this
enlightened time.
(Carole Stabile 8:00am April 10, 2013)

The HELP is a wonderful feel good book. I have read the book and seen the movie. The movie has all of the lines in the book but it doesn't follow in the event order but the story in the movie works. The best lines in the book are "You is kind, you is smart, you is important."
(Kai Wong 9:37pm April 10, 2013)

Oddly enough, I have never read The Help or seen the movie - my bad - we were always taught, as well, that it is the PERSON who matters and not one's race or ethnic background.
(Felicia Ciaudelli 8:56am April 11, 2013)

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