Seeing is believing!!!!!!!!!!!

OMG, do you believe this. Never in my life did I think that this would ever happen. I really feel I have never had a racist bone in my body, and believe me, I am thrilled. I just never even thought this is something that might happen. I even thought a woman would run our country, before a black man. OMG, when a Catholic became president elect in 1960, my Lutheran family members were all in shock. Holy Cow, what would my ancestors think now?

My first encounter with people of color, were in the early 50s, and my cousins pointed out a "colored" person, in the grocery store, across from Welch Jr. High School, here in Ames. Since I lived in ALL WHITE, Norwegian Roland, I had never encountered such. I was told that if I said the "N" word, they would cut my tongue out. Imagine my fear, a year or so later, when my mom stood on main street in Ames, and actually talked to one of them. I remember being scared to death.

My next encounter, that I recall, was in the late 50's. Like I said, living in "white Roland", it was just a subject that never came up. My parents divorced in 1957, and my biological father moved to Des Moines. I recall him talking late at night, with my stepmother, about a "N" family moving into the apartment building, and how horrid that was, and it would mean all sorts of problems. The next time I went to see him, he had moved.

At the age of 11 or so, on one of our visits, my step sister and I walked to the Hinky Dinky store, and there was a little black girl outside the store, and Randy started playing with her. I remember distinctly thinking, "Why is my Daddy afraid of her?" Those were my exact thoughts. It really seems like a grown up thought, but I realized that she was no different that me and Randy.

There were very few encounters growing up in Story County, but I do remember never feeling fear, superiority, or anything negative. I know there was a curiosity, but I wanted to learn. I wasn't taught anything in school about the struggles of African Americans. The only teaching was briefly when talking about the Civil War. That was it. I graduated from high school in 1966.

I do remember an incident in the early 60s, where we had a gospel group of African Americans come to our school, and they told us they weren't allowed to stay in either of the two hotels we had in town. I found that appalling that they could come and perform, but couldn't spend the night.

In 1994, we went to Gulf Shores, Al. and stopped at the Civil Rights Memorial in Montgomery, Alabama. The shock we felt when we realized that there were still killings of innocent humans, whose only "crime" was being born the wrong color, going on in the 60's. On our way home we drove through Mississippi, and faced one of the most fearful events of my life. My beautiful, gorgeous 4 year old, African American granddaughter stated she had to go to the bathroom, at the very same time we drove by a barn, with "KKK" spray painted on it's side. We found a restroom, separate from any other building. We whisked her in and out, and were on our way. I just never want my grandchildren to ever know fear and hatred because of the color of their skin. With this beautiful man holding the most powerful position in the world, hopefully they never will.

Thank you America, WE DID IT!!!!!!