Bigotry and Prejudice

​Just deleted a post over on Facebook that someone found offensive. I find prejudice offensive. I'm Southern born. Lived in the South for most of my early childhood. Most of my relatives on my father's side come from Alabama, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, i.e., the deep South. My relatives pointed with Confederate pride to "Stonewall" Thomas Jonathan Jackson as our famous relative.

My Dad couldn't stand the bigotry he experienced as an olive complected, curly, black-haired boy. He left the South for NYC as soon as he gained admission to Parson's School of Design. Dad was a talented artist who worked on 5th Avenue in Manhattan in the midtown area climbing the corporate ladder to become an executive. He made something of himself despite being told he was "less than" his blond, blue eyed cousins.

In childhood, Dad took us back to the South to reconnect with our relatives, especially my grandmother who lived with her only daughter. I can remember being thrown out of a restaurant in the South when I (a brunette) walked in behind my Dad, but ahead of my redheaded Mom and blond brother. We were told "Your kind aren't wanted here."

Another time when we were thrown out, we were called "dirty Melungeons", i.e., mixed breeds.

As an adult, we went to Baton Rouge for the Special Olympics. My son ran in the 50 and 100 yd dash. He took a medal and the podium in the 50. On the trip home, my dark haired half-Italian husband and my two daughters and I used a rest stop in Georgia where free cola was offered for refreshment. There were two counters. One with a black lady behind it. The other with a white. My kids were clueless, as was I. My blond, blue eyed son lined up with his two sisters behind him. He was served as was my chestnut haired, green-eyed daughter, but my olive complected dark haired daughter was refused service, told to go to the other counter. Segregation had supposedly been abolished by then. Not. We've had a taste of being labeled "less than".

I remain unapologetic for stating in no uncertain terms that hatred leads to more hatred. If there are those who take offense, from this post, tough. Yes, not all who live in the South are bigots, but those who are tarnish the name of those who aren't.

I take offense at bigotry in all its forms.
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End of rant.