Category Archives: 60s

Who Killed the Kennedys?

The night Barack Obama was elected president, people danced in the streets of New York. Our man had beaten the GOP. I looked into the eyes of a man my age and we started crying, not out of joy, but in relief of having endured the lost years since November 22 1963. Obama was one […]

Danger Mr. Smith

The 1960s Space Race between the USSR and USA exterminated young boys’ worship of westerns. Cowboy hats, vests, guns, and holsters were retired to the closet next to toy boats and teddy bears. I pleaded with my parents for an astronaut costume for Halloween and my father answered my dream with a gleaming space suit […]

ODE TO LOUIE LOUIE – 1980

ODE TO LOUIE LOUIE Louie Louie Oh No we gotta go 1963 Eleven years old A Boy Scout at the Hyde Park YMCA Looking to get my Swimming Merit Badge Scared of Polio in the pool Scared of the chlorine Scared of drowning The Scout instructor shouting, “Twenty laps.” “One lap underwater.” “Rescue your buddy.” […]

March On DC Plus 50

Written on Aug 26, 2013 August 28, 1963 hundreds of thousands of Americans assembled in Washington DC for the Jobs and Freedom March. The demonstration had a good number of whites, but the marchers were predominantly black and very brave considering how the police treated any congregation large and small of America?s minority with violence. […]

JFK on the March to Washington

Written August 13, 2013 Two years ago the BBC News reported that JFK had attempted to block the 1963 March on Washington for fear of violence and painted a picture of a president apathetic to the plight of blacks in America, however the article ignored to mention the Justice Department descending on Birmingham after the […]