Playing My ‘68 Race Card
Posted on | March 26, 2008 at 8:26 pm | 1 Comment
Today, I want to tell one more story about my days at the Catholic school. One of my only friends at the school was the only African-American kid there. My area of town was insular and not very integrated; I don’t remember seeing a lot of non-white people around. Although, like Stephen Colbert, maybe I just didn’t “see race” when I was that young. Maybe that’s only an issue if your parents make it an issue, and I don’t think mine did. I don’t remember exactly how close of a friend this kid was, but I do remember hanging out with him, and him coming over to my house and eating lunch with my mom and me at least once, and me doing the same over at his house. He’s the only friend I remember from the Catholic school, though I had a lot of friends in the neighborhood that went to public school.
Anyway, when Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated, I was in second grade. I remember coming home from the Catholic school and seeing the riots on TV and asking my mom about them and about Dr. King. She told me that the people were upset because an important, influential, and beloved leader had been murdered. Then the conversation went something like this (as best I can remember a 40-year old conversation that really stuck with me):
Me: “I think that was the father of my friend _____”.
Mom: “I don’t think so. What makes you say that”?
Me: “Because they’re both black.”
Mom: “There are a lot of black people in the world, honey, and they’re not all related to each other.”
Me: “But he wasn’t in school today.”
Mom: “A lot of people were upset by the killing and are taking some days off to mourn. See how those people on the TV are very upset? Or maybe he’s just sick.”
Me: “His last name is King.”
I think that took my mom back a bit because she probably didn’t remember his last name. “That’s a pretty common name,” she said after a few seconds.
I don’t remember what happened after that, but I think my friend was back in school a few days later and I don’t think I ever discussed his absence with him.
I keep trying to remember my friend’s first name, but all I can come up with is that it started with an “R” like my name. I’m 80% sure it was “Rod”. Rodney King. Although not that Rodney King, who was born too late to be the same guy. And, as my mom said, it’s a common name.
Latre.
Jogged Today: Yes (@ 35°F)
Songs That Came Up On The iPod While Jogging:
- “Boy Said / Girl Said” (Heartbreak Club)
- “Makin’ My Mind Up” (The Turtles)
- “New Town Animal in a Furnished Cage” (XTC)
- “If You Want Me” (Outrageous Cherry)
- “Nag Nag Nag Nag” (Art Brut)
- “Try Your Best” (Kaiser Chiefs)
- “Not My Kind” (Icehouse)
Comments
One Response to “Playing My ‘68 Race Card”
March 27th, 2008 @ 12:43 am
For what it’s worth, I worked on a reality show at one point where a participant was named “Rodney King” – in fact his whole family were involved, it was a travel show.
And yes, they were black; they often made “Can’t we all just get along?” jokes even though the kids were nowhere near old enough to have been around during the ‘92 riots.
I can’t be sure but I reckon the Rodney I saw wasn’t old enough to be your pal either, but now you have even more evidence that your mom’s right and it’s a common name.