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Hambone (see an earlier post) has been on my mind lately.  Recent events, a Roots marathon…a lot of things bring it up those ideas.  Hey Hambone – we got some ham!

I’ve been a bit busy lately.  My grandfather passed away a week ago last Sunday.  Although it was expected (he’d been sick for awhile) and he had lived a long life (he was nearly 90), it’s still…a thing. 

So while getting back to work on this blog, I thought I’d share a story from him.  He wrote this a few years ago, I’ve just transcribed it.  As you can see, stubbornness runs deep in my family. 

In 1943 I bought a 1939 Chevy car on a Friday.  Paid cash.

That Saturday night it was two carloads of white men came to my mother’s house.  Told her to tell me to have the car back to them Sunday morning.

I did.

I asked them to return my money.  They wanted to charge me $8500 for keeping the car two days.

Remember I paid cash for the car, therefore I did not owe them anything.  When I finished talking with them, they were more than glad to return all my money.

One Saturday evening my brother Bennie and I was up town (that’s what we call it – up town).  Three white men push my brother into the street.  He came and told me.  I went with him.  He pointed them out.  I waited in a ally for them. I had piled some bricks and watch for them to come pass.  They did in about 45 minutes.  The rest [is] history.

Not long after that I came to Trenton.  My mother had just about had enough of me.  I think she thought the same thing would happen to me that happened to my Grandfather.

3 Feb 1921: Grandfather Jim was lynched because he would not dance.

The white man pulled out a gun and ordered my Grandfather to dance.

My Grandfather took the gun and shot him.

This happened three years before I was born.