ROCKING & REMEMBERING MY CHILDHOOD IN SEGREGATED MEMPHIS

                              v

Rocking chairs have always been important in my life. I only started my pretend traveling via rocking chair in October, 2011.
But I guess I have rocked a little almost every day of my life when  I  would mostly be thinking. But now I find I am mostly remembering. 
I will share a little with you today about what I  remember about my childhood in segregated Memphis, Tennessee.


  facsimile  Louise Beavers whom Ironer favored. The first black person I ever knew was a maid  hired because Mother was very sick and had to stay in bed.    
I was around 3 years old. (1936)
"Ironer"  only helped us a few weeks, but was very sweet to me. When her work day was over, we often played dolls before she went home;  I was very lonely. As I sit in my rocking chair remembering that time,  I see a dark screened- in back porch and a kitchen; in my mind the memory is surrounded by blue and gray... a hard time made easier by "Ironer." Never saw her again...but she made a real impression on me as to how important kindness and thoughtfulness are.


My next black friends were people I only heard on the radio. 
                                 
In Memphis we had a station that played mostly black music. 

As I continue to rock and remember,   I see Mother ironing in the back bedroom of our house.  I am sitting on the floor leaning against the bed; I am listening to Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Mahalia Jackson, Albertina Walker, James Cleveland and other greats!  The first black gospel song I ever heard was "YES, GOD IS REAL."   

I am guessing that about that time Elvis was listening somewhere to the same kind of music.  With this recording Elvis showed he was not only comfortable with black gospel, but had a passion for it!!

At our church we didn't have that kind of music at all; we sang traditional hymns in a traditional way. I loved our music, but I was crazy about black gospel then and still love it today.


It may be hard for younger people to realize what living in a segregated city meant. Half our population was black. Yet, we  knew virtually none at all.  By 1944 I had two younger brothers. When Mother got sick again, Helen came into our lives for a few weeks. 
                           facsimile...Helen favored Ethel Waters
She was entirely different from "Ironer." For one thing she was old. But she was loving to our family and knew how to give hugs.  I have heard that some people, who had black servants, had special dishes for them to eat out of, because they were afraid of germs. What?! Nonsense! When we sat down to eat, Helen sat at the table with us as part of our family.  


So in my youth I only KNEW 2 black people: both women, both maids,  both were my friends.  "Ironer" & Helen are still remembered and  of course I'll never forget my black radio friends. I still hear them on You tube!


I guess I should get up out of the rocking chair and cook supper now...just thought I'd share a little about living in Memphis during segregation.  
I am closing with what some people consider to be the FIRST rock and roll song...
sung by my radio friend, 
Sister Rosseta Tharpe
                                      annie in memphis

********************************************************************************