When it comes to race relations, York, Alabama is like a Piggly Wiggly lunch. People live as separate as the fried chicken, yams, and greens on this here plate. But there are areas of real integration where folks coexist in relative harmony, like the Cracklin' Bread with the bacon inside.
This patch of grass was once a public swimming pool. Back in the 70's the town fathers decided that instead of integrating it, they'd rather fill it with dirt. (A conceptual artist added the concrete diving board a few years ago.)
Things change. This lovely lady I'm standing with is Carolyn Gosa, Mayor of York. The first black female Mayor of York. Now in her second term, Mayor Gosa is a wonderful, wonderful Mayor. She catches her share of hell but everyone respects her. She's really moving York forward. Like most hard-working folks in York, Mayor Gosa wears several hats. She's also the high school nurse and the Preacher's Wife. I met the Preacher too. He is a friendly, down-to-earth fellow. I forgot to ask about his other hats.
I needed a Notary Public. I heard Merilyn (yes. with an E) is one but she's hard to track down. I left messages and put the word out but didn't hear back from her. She's the grande dame in town. Real busy. Keeps a mini cell phone glued to her ear. You can kinda see it there on her right ear. She rides around in her truck checking on all her businesses and properties. With her brothers, she owns Track Side Cafe aka Big Willie's, a ramblin bar/restaurant serving up the best burgers south of Brooklyn. Anyway, I eventually found out that the York bank has a Notary Public as well. So I'm walking down the road to the bank and Merilyn pulls up along side me in her truck. Said she just got my messages and that she'd be able to assist me. I kindly told her that her services would not be needed as the bank could take care of me and that she needn't bother. She insisted that I hop in the truck. I thought we'd be driving to her office across town or something. But, Nah. That truck is her office. She had everything in her glove compartment, notary seal and all. She notarized my document right there. Merilyn is sweet as pie too.
Alice and Tom got Married. The bride's dad, Beanie, knocked on my door a coupla weeks ago because he was driving by and saw my car parked out back. Said he'd been trying to find a vintage car for his daughter's wedding. Asked if I'd be interested in hiring out Queen Esther for an afternoon. How could I refuse?
I drove the newlyweds from the church to the reception hall (mentally wrestling visions of Morgan Freeman in a certain Academy Award Winning movie). Tom and Alice were so happy and cute. Answered "Yes Sir" and "No sir" to all my questions. Just sweet, decent kids very excited about getting started with the rest of their lives.
Like Merilyn and Mayor Gosa, Alice seemed like a strong young Southern woman too. Had a real solid energy about her. Anyways, I got to hang out at the reception, had a beer, some fondue, and lots of tasty grits, then drove the couple back to the church where they then jumped in their own car, heading for Hawaii.
I finally finished the structural elements of Mr. Bones. Took awhile. My physics were a little rusty.
He'll stand about 9 1/2 feet including the 5" casters.
wood, steel pipe, paper mache, straps, grommets, insulation foam, wire, chip board, clay.
SOUTHERN SPLENDOUR
10 comments:
stay calm and be careful. remember, white southerners (at least in movies like mississippi burning) say nice things while you're there and really mean things after you leave. By the way, the crusted bread reference doesn't include some of my less sinful members of the tribe. if the fried chicken is dairy free, maybe that's where many a mot are hangin.
the photos are very cool, not to mention wonderful. keep them coming. both people and places are interesting to look at. are there any jewish houses of worship down there? remember, in driving miss daisy, daisy was a heb, a lost mot in the piggly wiggly.
Garland.
Great photos. the wedding thing is a riot. Did you put on some kind of a southern accent for your role as chauffeur? Did they ever ask who you were and what you were doing in their town? Or did you do the whole thing kind of anonymously? I love how people just find you walking down the street (the notary)and know who you are. Real small town stuff. Must make you feel like you are already very much a part of the community. Are all the people truly hospitable or is that southern politeness what they put out front? The past is not so long ago.....
Hey Marth
Actually, everybody already knew who i am. I was kinda surprised. Apparently the new artist in residence is always the talk of the town. But the car has gained quite a reputation as well.
I don't know if of the politeness is fake or not. I don't really care. I can only expect civil, decent behavior.
The south indeed has a crap history with race but it's unfairly singled out. You live in Boston. Are you aware of the recent history in that nasty racist town? I would much MUCH rather live down here. And New York was a major slave port. As big or bigger than Charleston. Rudy Giuliani held a defacto Klan rally on the steps of city hall when Dinkins was Mayor. off-duty Cops subsequently took to the streets and subways, beating up black and hispanic kids. Go figure.
good to see you are doing your thing. it looks so peaceful out there.
garland, you are clearly falling in love with the south. it's beautiful to see. you are making me miss it more and more with every entry. nice to see my beautiful namesake is getting around. i think my friend and i may have to pay you a visit. oh, and more pictures, please.
and for "confused, maybe not": white people in nyc say really mean things after you leave, too -- the difference is, they aren't always so gracious while you're there. to paraphrase kurt vonnegut: you don't have to love everyone, but you can be kind to them. southerners usually pull this off. yankees usually don't.
there are a slew of synagogues in the south. if you'd like to learn a little more about jews in the south, you should check out a photo book called "shalom y'all: images of jewish life in the american south" -- and yes, there's a documentary that goes with it.
jews actually have an extensive history in the south as slave owners and fiercely loyal confederates.
go figure.
queen esther, thanks for the link. i know about those slave owning jews. they are a blight upon us. i had a jewish professor who descended from the largest jewish slave owning family. he was from georgia, but his family was originally in south carolina. i asked what his ancestors did on passover when jews proclaim they will not sit still until all people are free from tyranny. he didn't know. also, with historic shame, i know about jews in the confederacy, such as judah benjamin. he was a senator from .s.c. who became secratary of war and then state under jefferson davis. it's more than a pity and ironic twist of history that the first jew appointed to cabinet position on the continent joined the likes of pharaoh, causing moses to turn over in his grave. strangely, i live in a place where the stars and bars hang from most store windows and benjamin is blamed for the south's defeat. i liken benjamin to neo-con jews joining far right christians who will one day blame those very jews for their perceived demise of the u.s.
some of my peeps never learn that being the court jew ain't gonna help anyone. on the other hand, we make up some of those rude - in your face - new yorkers. although, those jews make me proud - at least from a distance. ;-)
queen esther,
i hope my comments about the south didn't offend you. i'm just messin' with garland, sorry it was at the south's expense.
garland,
it's been more than a week. i want more photos.
Uh. Folks. Blacks owned slaves too. Anybody who had the cash and enough weird moral sense to do it did. Even those Siamese twin Chinese guys joined at the hip had friggin slaves. They used their freak show money to buy a Concentration Ca...I mean, "Plantation"
Go figure THAT.
confused, maybe not -- you didn't offend me in the least. i think the "shalom y'all" documentary is very cool, that's all. i spring it on the yankee jews i know and meet up here and i am always startled by the reaction i get. what they know about their history in this country doesn't seem to extend past brooklyn heights.
now, that's something to go figure.
and you, garland freakin' farwell, you big, overly sensitive wussy. everybody knows that black folks owned slaves, just like everybody knows that they were indentured servants and could eventually own property and vote -- initially. all of that was wiped out in short order, when the real money started rolling in and africans were imported en masse.
and leave chang and eng alone. them and the sisters they married. how each of them had their own plantations and yet all four of them slept in the same bed every night (and had, like, 21 children)is way more interesting to me than the fact that they owned slaves. constant group sex? with your siblings? yeesh.
besos,
qe
ps: oh, el negro -- you wear me all the way out. every plantation didn't have concentration camp-like conditions. or maybe that's something you can't go figure. *sigh* haven't you ever been to the sea islands?
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