The Civil Rights Act of 1964 - The Day I Really Got It
I will never forget the day I truly understood the significance of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. My family had just moved to Franklin, Tennessee and it was election day. I was talking with my mother on the phone, and we were discussing the elections in my new home in Tennessee and the elections in my native Baltimore, Maryland. Our conversation went something like this... "So who were you all voting for this time," my mother inquired. "Senators and City Council members, like us?" "Yeah, Senators, City Council, and some other positions too," I replied. "Oh, so did you already vote earlier?" "No, I didn't vote, Mom." My eyes watered as I fought an impending yawn. "We just moved here, and honestly, I don't know any of these folks running for office." A few seconds went by... "Hello?" I glanced at the phone, wondering if she'd gotten disconnected. "I'm still here." Her to...