Crazy in Alabama

The movie "Crazy in Alabama" played on my grandmother's 37 inch plasma TV. I had never seen the movie before but, the title sounded familiar so, I decided I was going to educate myself. Within five minutes I realized that the movie was going to touch issues about race in a divided southern society in the 60s.

After the local sheriff ordered two black boys out of the elocal swimming pool and accidentally killed one when her tried to escape, my grandmother began to recall those days in her own life.

"When I was real young, I remember seein' a nice lady in the grocery store and she had on some real nice shoes. I said to my mother, 'look, that lady has nice red shoes!'"

"'That's not a lady,' my mother said, 'we don't call them ladies'. I just remember bein' so surprised and thinkin', why not? I've never been racist although my mother was. I've just always thought that they felt the same things we did and they were people just like us."

"Do you remember seeing black people walk by and not being able to talk to them?" I asked her.

"No, not really. I remember when there were separate drinkin' fountains and when they had to sit at the back of the bus. I remember one time when we were about to get on and one went to get on first and, Rupert grabbed him and pulled them back. And I just always remember Rupert saying, 'They know there place. They know their place.' What does that mean!?" she said, feeling the same feelings of bewilderment she must have felt back then.

"And I remember when Rosa Parks ya know, did her thing and I just remember being so proud of her!"

"Was grandpa a racist?" I asked.

"Yeah, well, he grew up in Mississippi remember. So he was more so than I was. It was mainly the boys."