Have we not all one father? Hath not one God created us? Why then doth every one of us despise his brother violating the covenant of our fathers? - Malachi 2:10
Some time ago I wrote a couple of blogs about the neighborhood in which I grew up. As the violence escalates in these times, especially blacks against whites, I think back to what was happening in the middle of the 20th century. We have our first black president. We have many successful black Americans, in public office, in the military, in the private sector. Since the civil rights movement in the '60s there has been more and more opportunity for our black citizens to succeed. Will there always be some bigotry? Yes, because mankind is not perfect. Has there been less and less of it? Yes, but it takes two to tango, as they say. Elements in black society have been held back, mainly because of poor education - blame the bureaucrats and the public schools. Blame, yes, I'll dare say it, the deliberate machinations to keep American blacks "on the plantation." And that is the work of the Democrat Party. Less educated, more easily manipulated, we now have a large segment of the population who are dependent on the government, can see no way out, are told that they are still being oppressed by "whitey," even in some of their churches, and racial tensions continue to grow. Does our first black president try to change anything? Yes, he and his cohorts in Congress, his Attorney General, his advisors, are making matters worse. Is the ramping up of racial animosity deliberate? I think so. I hate to think of the reasons behind it. The same can be said for hispanics. They are being conned into voting Democrat by appealing to their feeling of being discriminated against. Don't get me started on illegal immigration.
But, back to my old neighborhood:
The first black girls that I knew were students at Mt. St. Mary's College. Black middle class families were moving into the area around Crenshaw and Slauson, but, though my Catholic girls' high school was there, we had no black students yet in the 1940s. There were predominantly black high schools and junior highs in black neighborhoods and racial tensions were always just under the surface, sometimes erupting between students of different schools. As the black population moved more south and west in Los angeles, the neighborhoods began to have problems. Those were the days when neighborhoods were "restricted," if not by law, at least tacitly. Often one could not sell one's house to a black or hispanic.
When I wrote about Uncle Henry, I said that it was different in L.A. from what I saw in Nevada, MO. That was true. Interaction with the black population was a lot more free, some schools were integrated, and in most cases there was respect among the diverse population of whites, blacks, hispanics, and asians. By the time I was growing up, there were some "bad" neighborhoods with some "bad" elements; but they were not necessarily "bad" according to race.
When the family next door on our driveway side, sold their home, it turned out that the buyer was a cover for a black couple. There were a few under-the-breath concerns, but no real problems or animosity among the neighbors. They accepted the change. The couple created a rental apartment from one half of the house, next to our driveway. A couple moved into the apartment, and Eloise became a really good neighbor and friend to Granny. As I remember her husband, he reminds me now of Sherman Helmsly's character (I know - a stereotype) on the TV show, "Amen." Eloise finally shed him. She worked. He did not.
Granny and I moved to Encino, next door to my parents, as Granny grew more dependent and I was gone so much. The Encino house was smaller, and as Granny was in a wheelchair most of the time, it made more sense. Eloise drove all the way out to the San Fernando Valley quite often to visit. In L.A. she had kept an eye on Granny when I was late at college, attending events, or had to stay overnight after late play rehearsals.
When Granny sold her house prior to our move, it also was to a white buyer covering for a black family. The problems did not immediately begin. The people who were integrating were good, family people. The problems began when a tough, race-hating element decided to take over the entire area. Other people couldn't sell their homes to whites as violence around the neighborhood escalated. So people sold to blacks to be able to move. The atmosphere was becoming toxic.
As the neighborhood became predominantly black, the new residents began to harass and force the remaining whites out. Members of these malcontents badly beat our neighbor across the street, who had taught welding to black and white high school students for over 20 years at Manual Arts High School. They almost beat to death little Mr. Teleki, the dry cleaner around the corner. They continued to threaten and intimidate until no whites remained. In a few years it was unsafe even to drive through our old neighborhood. The same thing was happening in various areas in and around Los Angeles. It was particularly bad in Pasadena in those days.
This is why the white population over the years, instead of embracing diversity, became more entrenched in anti-black feelings. It didn't have to be that way. Change was accepted at first, particularly after World War II. Military service threw races together and they began to know, respect and trust each other. The people then, who caused dissention, distrust, and enhanced fear and hostility are alive today in those who aim to cause racial hatred - deliberately. People are consciously or unconsciously re-segregating themselves into enclaves or ghettoes. In any good-sized city, look around. Is everyone around black? Are all the signs in Spanish - or Vietnamese - or Arabic? Are we becoming a country of tribal territories? Is this the 21st century? It doesn't have to be that way.
6/23/12
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