My mother was born in Grand Rapids and my grandparents ended up in Conklin (in an apartment over a tavern which belong to a relative) to the west of Grand Rapids. I went to Kalamazoo College and in the town of Kalamazoo, no hard liquor was available except in private clubs. So this part of Michigan also took and probably takes much pri…
My mother was born in Grand Rapids and my grandparents ended up in Conklin (in an apartment over a tavern which belong to a relative) to the west of Grand Rapids. I went to Kalamazoo College and in the town of Kalamazoo, no hard liquor was available except in private clubs. So this part of Michigan also took and probably takes much pride in their rigid Christianity. My uncle grew up in Muskegon. They were all Rs and racist as heck. My spouse and I were visiting my grandmother and watching the 1968 D convention and riots around that. My grandmother mostly napped, but she awoke long enough to announce...."It's those damn n----rs." We were astounded having just returned from three years in the Peace Corps in Sierra Leone. We also watched Buckley call Vidal a fag on TV. I remember growing up in Elkhart, IN, and hearing lots of causal racism which no one gave any thought to. I was fortunate to have some adult friends (she had been my teacher in grade school) who countered a lot of this.
Oh, I do remember Buckley doing that to Vidal! The man had a vocabulary no one can match but he was an inglorious bigot to the hilt. Glad you escaped your family’s “dynamics” and made peace with your beliefs.
As long as my father was alive, there was no peace around politics. Every time I visited, we had an argument. I also belonged to the teacher's union which was a no-no despite my telling him why it was necessary. I mean we got, among other things, a half hour duty free lunch....before that it was duty with sandwich in hand. He also announced to me, a history major, that history doesn't matter. I often wonder what he would think now. I have to say that for the most part my family were decent people, but accepting of lots of racial talk and other prejudices. For example, I had a younger friend with me and my father referred to a brazil nut by the old name. She had a fit, but I told her you don't change people in their 80s who had grown up with phrases like this.
I was raised in a predominately Southern Baptist town in NC. Unfortunately, the words were used quite often but definitely not in my household. I couldn’t stand it.
We looked up George Taylor and he was the in country director 1965-1967 when we were there. We lived upcountry, so we seldom saw any of the administration except for the doctors. He had quite the illustrious career.
Hi Michele, I am just seeing this! Yes, it is the in country director I had in mind. I was in the Peace Corps in Guyana from 1968-70 and George Taylor was our in country Director. He was a good guy, always supportive and was well respected by volunteers and Guyanese. I had remembered he was previously in Sierra Leone, so thought you might know him.
Yes, nice to meet you too. I don't remember him too well as I was in a place called Pujehun where people didn't come unless they had to. I do remember the American ambassador (not his name) flexing his cheek when the Sierra Leonians had political troubles and the whole group was down for physicals and a meeting. We were in a hotel and the Sierra Leonians had it surrounded with soldiers.
My mother was born in Grand Rapids and my grandparents ended up in Conklin (in an apartment over a tavern which belong to a relative) to the west of Grand Rapids. I went to Kalamazoo College and in the town of Kalamazoo, no hard liquor was available except in private clubs. So this part of Michigan also took and probably takes much pride in their rigid Christianity. My uncle grew up in Muskegon. They were all Rs and racist as heck. My spouse and I were visiting my grandmother and watching the 1968 D convention and riots around that. My grandmother mostly napped, but she awoke long enough to announce...."It's those damn n----rs." We were astounded having just returned from three years in the Peace Corps in Sierra Leone. We also watched Buckley call Vidal a fag on TV. I remember growing up in Elkhart, IN, and hearing lots of causal racism which no one gave any thought to. I was fortunate to have some adult friends (she had been my teacher in grade school) who countered a lot of this.
Oh, I do remember Buckley doing that to Vidal! The man had a vocabulary no one can match but he was an inglorious bigot to the hilt. Glad you escaped your family’s “dynamics” and made peace with your beliefs.
As long as my father was alive, there was no peace around politics. Every time I visited, we had an argument. I also belonged to the teacher's union which was a no-no despite my telling him why it was necessary. I mean we got, among other things, a half hour duty free lunch....before that it was duty with sandwich in hand. He also announced to me, a history major, that history doesn't matter. I often wonder what he would think now. I have to say that for the most part my family were decent people, but accepting of lots of racial talk and other prejudices. For example, I had a younger friend with me and my father referred to a brazil nut by the old name. She had a fit, but I told her you don't change people in their 80s who had grown up with phrases like this.
I was raised in a predominately Southern Baptist town in NC. Unfortunately, the words were used quite often but definitely not in my household. I couldn’t stand it.
Did you know George Taylor in Sierra Leone?
My husband thinks the in country director was named George Taylor. Is this who you have in mind?
We looked up George Taylor and he was the in country director 1965-1967 when we were there. We lived upcountry, so we seldom saw any of the administration except for the doctors. He had quite the illustrious career.
Hi Michele, I am just seeing this! Yes, it is the in country director I had in mind. I was in the Peace Corps in Guyana from 1968-70 and George Taylor was our in country Director. He was a good guy, always supportive and was well respected by volunteers and Guyanese. I had remembered he was previously in Sierra Leone, so thought you might know him.
Nice to “ meet” a fellow volunteer.
Yes, nice to meet you too. I don't remember him too well as I was in a place called Pujehun where people didn't come unless they had to. I do remember the American ambassador (not his name) flexing his cheek when the Sierra Leonians had political troubles and the whole group was down for physicals and a meeting. We were in a hotel and the Sierra Leonians had it surrounded with soldiers.
I need more info. There are many George Taylors in Sierra Leone.