MY SOUTHERN HERITAGE

MY  SOUTHERN HERITAGE
Who I Am and Why 


The Dunn-Fairly-Bonner-Field House was built circa-1825 and is Camden's oldest documented structure.

I have spent some time lately looking back at my life and wondering if I am racist.  After the murder of George Floyd by a white policeman, the issue of racism has become all you see on the news and talked about on social media in our country and other countries as well.  Is it a problem, yes.   There are some respected leaders who say it is not as bad as presented by the media.  David J. Harris, Condoleeza Rice, and Larry Elder are 3 which I listen to and they are speaking from experience to say it is being used to divide our country and keep it divided.  This is another issue which I won't address here.  I will urge you to listen to these people and make up your own mind. 

How does all this affect me?  Should I feel guilty as a Southern white women living in the South?  I don't think so for I will admit to being racist at times and prejudicial sometimes. What do I intend to do about this?  Well, that is a process and I am working on it. 

My heritage is Southern - southern born  (South Carolina), southern reared ( Alabama), lived only in the South (Alabama, Mississippi, North Carolina and mostly in Georgia) and I do not apologize for it and I am proud to be a Southerner.  As far back in my heritage as I have traced,  we have lived and died in the Southern part of the United  States of America.  I am a southern, older, white woman.  Am I racist because of this heritage or who I am?  No! Let me try to explain how I view myself and I think I know me better than anyone else.

My parents moved to Camden AL when I was about 11 months old.  Daddy worked for the Soil Conservation Service and served Wilcox County Alabama farmers. This area is in South Alabama, next to Dallas County and Selma and just west of Montgomery.  It is in the Black Belt with some of the finest farming, hunting and fishing on the planet. There is less farming there now due to a paper mill buying up much of the land to grow pine trees but that brought much needed jobs.  This county is one of the poorest in the state and struggles economically.  When we moved there in 1943, it was mainly farming and daddy worked with all the farmers to grow better crops and save the land.  

As you can see, if we moved there in 1943, I grew up in the deep South during total and complete segregation according to race.  The only contact I had with the black community was with the sweet black ladies that came to the house to help mama when she was sick or overwhelmed with work from our garden.   We were taught to respect and mind these sweet ladies and we said "Yes mam" to them just like we did to all women.

  Many of my friends had black maids that came to their homes every day or lived in a small house in their back yards and took care of their families.  Most of the time, these families  became a part of the family they served and were loved and respected but there was that black/white separation in the rest of their lives.  We thought nothing about it for that was the way it was during those years.  Was it right? No, but it was the culture of that day and time in that area of the world.

Daddy would come home after work and tell us about sitting on the porch of some of the black farmers he worked with and tell us about their families.  He was friends with many or most of these men and spoke highly of them and "Mr. Polk" was liked and respected by these farmers.  There was mutual respect and friendship but still a line of race was drawn in the sand.  Was it right? No, but again it was respected by both races and we just accepted it as life during that time. 

I could go on for pages about those days but the point I need to make is that mama and daddy taught us to respect everybody regardless of race or skin color.  That was the Christian way to treat others and that is what we did.

It was not until I was grown, married with children that I experienced the question of racism because of color - whether is was right or wrong.  I lived in the middle of the Civil Rights Movement.  We lived a short distance from Selma Alabama and knew all about the Civil Rights marches, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Freedom Riders and integration.  Were we happy about it?  No.  Was it the right thing to do? Yes. Was it difficult for me to accept? Yes.  Was I racist? Yes.  Was that a good thing? No. 

Life has carried me many places since that time in my life and it you ask me if I am racist now, I would answer  no but if I am completely truthful, I would have to admit there are a few times I am.  Will I confess to you all these times? No for that is between me and my Heavenly Father.  

Someone told me recently that in light of the events in our country now, I am complicit if I don't speak out about racism.  Not sure I agree for I would rather show you by my everyday life.  I would rather go the the church and talk to my friend "Miss Emma" and get a great big hug and tell her how much I love her.  Volunteering at the Senior Living Center at our local hospital and visiting with my friends, reading the Bible to them, holding their hands and showing I care for them.  Checking on our security guard at the hospital to see if he is OK, along with my other friends working there.  

Did I tell you all of these friends are of another race?  No, for it doesn't matter.  They are my friends.  I have one friend who calls me 'Mama" and guess what, she is a little darker than me.  Who cares?  Not me.  Very seldom do I describe my friends as black or white for that is not important.  They are just "my friends".  If one of them were to ask me to speak out or march with them I will for that is what a friend would do. If this makes me complicit with racism, until the Lord moves me into thinking differently, I will continue to show my love not talk about it. 

We are living in unusual times in our world, nation, and home.  There is a killer virus, Corona Covid 19, racial unrest and violence.  I almost give up some days and just pray for the Lord to take the church home to Heaven.  It is a time of confusion, negativity, insults, murders, robbery, and a disease that is killing thousands.  I know our Lord is waiting for more to call him Savior and for the Christians to do what we are called to do and tell others about our Lord and how to spend eternity with Him and will He hurry?  

I could write a book about how I have become the woman that I am but those who know me know my heart and see my life as I live it out each day.  If you don't know me, words will not show the real me so why waste time writing them or you wasting your time reading them.  Think about your life and make your own decision.  Are you racist?  That is between you and the Lord. 

Nuff said for today

Frances