Jump to content

Life's little ironies


Recommended Posts

If you live long enough, some time you get to see things come full circle. After I enrolled  as a Freshman at the University of Illinois in September of 1951, I soon became immersed in a tight little community consisting of about 300 black students on a campus whose total population was an eclectic mix of 25,000 or so young mid-westerners from the farms and villages, towns and cities all over the state of Illinois, fresh-faced sons and daughters of the heartland, venturing out into the world, eager to further their educations at the flagship state university whose alma mater statue towered over the campus broad walk, welcoming all comers with open arms.  Among the black group who converged on this campus during this era was a contingency from Chicago, a  confident, city-bred bunch providing a contrast to us small town squares from Chicago's various suburbs. But we co-existed and learned a lot from each other and the good and bad times we experienced remain imprinted on my memory.

Once my college days ended and the civil rights movement began picking up momentum,  it was not uncommon for me to run into friends  I had attended Illinois with.  We’d chat briefly and they’d always kid me about seeing the inflammatory letters to the editor and later a monthly column I wrote in my capacity as token black person hired by a Chicago newspaper to scold its racially prejudiced white readership. “Give em hell”, my old pals would always encourage and I was glad to be a position to do this.

Among those ol college chums was a gal who I'd never hit it off with.  I was reminded of those days when I started seeing her by-line in the famous Chicago Defender, the black newspaper where she held the position of society columnist, reporting about events and activities, gossiping about who was seen where with whom. By this time I was married, raising a family and working a regular job that had nothing to do with being a journalist.  And I could just picture her gloating, and luxuriating in her glamorous career. 

Years passed and The Chicago Defender fell on hard times, its circulation plummeted, and poor management resulted in financial woes.  Still it managed to stay afloat and cobble together a thin week-end edition and whenever I happened to pick up a copy I’d notice that the society columnist was still around, keeping readers informed of what was happening in Chicago's social circles.
  
Earlier this week, roused from my hibernating, reading my morning newspaper skimming over its OpEd page, I noticed a letter , praising Chicago’s police force, portraying them as victims of political correctness, heroes who should be respected instead of reviled. I set the paper aside and thoughts began to converge in my head. Gradually something began to stir inside of me and a dim flame flickered. Slowing rising from the ashes of my lethargy, I headed for my computer, sat down in front of the console, placed my fingers on the keyboard and fired off an e-mail to the editor, responding to the cop apologist, informing him that the duty of a policeman was to serve and protect, and how every citizen had a right to expect that, where law enforcement was concerned, the punishment should fit the crime and the so-called good cops were guilty of covering for rogue cops who racially profiled and shot unarmed suspects in the back!

Yesterday, once again, settled in with my morning newspaper, just out of curiosity, I checked to see if they’d run my letter to the editor. And much to my surprise there it was, word-for-word, leading off the reader feed-back section, leaving me to chuckle  as the years fell away, and once again my pen was sharp. Smiling to myself, leisurely riffling through the rest of the paper,  a small headline suddenly caught my eye and I paused to read what it announced. It turned out to be an obituary reporting, of all  things, the death of The Chicago Defender’s long time society columnist, my old college acquaintance referred to in the article as a “grand dame” who left no survivors, only a legacy of scrap books and photo albums. I felt a little sad.  No, I wasn’t a grand dame society editor, but beside being a wife, and a mother, I am not only a grand mother but a great grand mother whose irate letters still make it into to print.  Guess we’re even.   May the ol girl rest in peace. Me, I’ll opt to snooze in contentment.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ  

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes! Did you know Theresa, Troy?  Me and another friend who went to Illinois were just discussing this, amused that somewhere along the way, she knocked a couple of years off her age because we were all down at Illinois at the same time during 1951 so she couldn't have graduated from high school in 1953 as the article states, but should've  been the same age as we are  which is 82. But it's not unusual for women to lie about their age as they grow older. ;)

Which last line struck you as funny, Mel.  :o

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Cynique said:

May the ol girl rest in peace. Me, I’ll opt to snooze in contentment.

This line... it really tickled me!  

This is a great story - one that you'd see play out in an irreverent type tv comedy.  Grace & Frankie (Netflix) comes to mind with Jane Fonda & Lily Tomlin...

Btw, My middle daughter graduated from UIUC in 2015 ... She says she loved every moment! 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

OK.  

BTW, what is UIUC?  University of Illinois at Chicago?(UIC)   If so, this is the Chicago extension of the state university and many of its students are commuters. The "flagship" university of Illinois is a Big10 school known as the U.  of I,  and this is where I attended.  it is located in the semi-rural area of central Illinois in  Champaign-Urbana which is about a 3-hour drive from Chicago. In the tradition of all big 10 schools, it has been around since the 1860s. (Its sport teams are nicknamed The Fighting Illini.)   There's a world of difference between the 2 campuses. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, Cynique said:

OK.  

BTW, what is UIUC?  University of Illinois at Chicago?(UIC)   If so, this is the Chicago extension of the state university and many of its students are commuters. The "flagship" university of Illinois is a Big10 school known as the U.  of I,  and this is where I attended.  it is located in the semi-rural area of central Illinois in  Champaign-Urbana which is about a 3-hour drive from Chicago. In the tradition of all big 10 schools, it has been around since the 1860s. (Its sport teams are nicknamed The Fighting Illini.)   There's a world of difference between the 2 campuses. 

UiUC=University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign .  

We lived in Naperville while my daughter was in attendance.  I'm all too familiar with that 3 -hour drive -(one way). ;)

Btw,  I'm familiar with UIC too! My oldest daughter worked in the engineering school there while she was in undergrad.  

U of I degree  is definitely a great value. My daughter was awarded her degree (psychology/statistics) and found enployment at the salary she wanted within 1-month of beginning her job search. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

You're really sick.  The educational institution located in the twin cities of Champaign-Urbana is the flagship university of the State of Illinois and is a charter member of the prestigious Big Ten midwestern college group. You obviously don't what that means. Who doesn't know that the privately endowed University of Chicago is one of the best schools in the country?? You're a total imbecile!  SMH 

Why don't you tell the name of the community college you got your AA from?.LOL  If you weren't such a sniveling, obnoxious little coward you'd reveal your identity but you're afraid to show us your ugly face while subjecting us to your ugly personality. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Chicago Defender ???

I still remember little Michael Evans talking about that paper on Good Times when he was a young "rabble rouser" and James was still living...lol.


I'm not much on sending opinionated letters to the media because I don't think it's the MOST effective way to either change things or even have my views heard.  Plus, I don't like the idea of someone sitting around deciding whether or not they want to make my opinions public or just keep them to themselves and dismiss them. I'm the type who likes to put my opinions out in a way that guarantees they'll be noticed regardless as to whether folks agree with them or not.
That's why I like message boards.

Don't get me wrong, I HAVE used the media to change things in my community, but I had to personally go down to the television station and ask to speak with a journalist and explain to him and her what was happening and constantly hound them to investigate in order to get those in authority to take notice and make the changes.

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

i hear ya, Pioneer, but back in the '50s, '60s, and '70s, newspapers were all we had.  The Internet didn't exist. I never worked for The Defender but the white Chicago newspaper I wrote a column for, always printed my articles because I was their token black reporter. The more controversial my columns were, the better they liked it because, as we all know, the media loves controversy. and the response to my columns was piles of hate-mail.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

The more controversial my columns were, the better they liked it because, as we all know, the media loves controversy. and the response to my columns was piles of hate-mail.


I've also noticed that most White people tend to like Black people who can effectively articulate themselves and their frustration without being too emotional.

One of the problems I've seen on jobs and even in community matters is that too often Black people will get frustrated with something going on but when they get before those in charge they are often completely unprepared as to what to say or even WANT.
They just start shouting and cussing.

You're angry because there's no traffic light or stop sign at a particular intersection and 2 kids have already been hit by cars this year.  So you go up to City Hall cussing and shouting and talking about the FBI's files on Martin Luther King and Black men being locked up in jail..... everything except what the actual problem is.
And when you are marked a nut and ignored...or actually escorted out of the building....now you have a problem with the "system".


I've found that many if not most Whites in authority tend to be cereberal and wish to "understand" why people do and say what they do and say so those who can best help them understand why are often the ones who have their ear on matters even if what they have to say is quite controversial.

Malcolm X used to call White people devils out in the open, but he did it so articulately that most educated White people couldn't get enough of him because he helped them understand the frustrations of Black America at that time.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...