We're going to Savannah GA by train soon.
After working for an International airline and flying all over the world... I'm curious as to how I'll feel about this mode of transportation. The trip takes almost 11 hours. I'm reminded of my first train ride back in the day. We went from Miami to New York City... on the train called Florida East Coast Silver Meteor... It took us 26 hours to get there. Can you believe?
Racial segregation was the norm at that time. African Americans [were called Colored people] all rode in the same car which was behind the baggage car up in the front part of the train. Only one car was needed beacuse not many Blacks rode the trains..
At meal times the Blacks had to walk back through many moving cars to get to the Dining car. Just as curtains on airplanes are used to separate First class Passengers from the rest of the passengers... the Dining Car had a curtain to separated the Coloreds from the Whites.... The same food was served to all passengers but they could not sit together. When a white family traveled with a child and Nanny... the Nanny had to eat with the other Coloreds. There was no Club car nor a car for sight seeing. There were a couple of sleeping cars which were for the white passengers.
Whenever there was a long layover of 20 or more minutes at a station, the passengers were allowed to get off and stretch their legs. There were vendors on the platform selling fruit, cookies and candy. There was a change of engines at one of the stops enroute. As the train passed through small country towns the people stopped what they were doing and waved at the train.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
10 comments:
And we will be on the Siver Meteor again. The seats are comfortable and not segregated. In the dining car you might even sit with othr nationalities. Bring a book, magazines, MP3 player, snacks, water and plan to take a nap or two. You really get to relax and unwind. It'll be fun.
way to go bunni - have does one start their own blog ?
Three years ago I treated my sister to a train ride from Seattle down to San Fran. It was on Amtraks "premier" train called the "Coast Starlight" It was suuuper ! -
Nice private roomy accommodations -(even fresh flowers) Lounge car had entertainment and the food in the dining car was superb -- hope you enjoy your ride !
is Gladys & The Pips going to be on the Midnight Train to Georgia too ??? lol
nice restart...I like the flavor of this one. I'm anticipating your next entry
Bunni ... this blog entry is educating and triumphant. I've read about segregation, I saw "Mississippi Burning", I've read about Dr. King and Rosa Parks - but never before have I heard a "real" person who lived the experience discussing it. (I know that Dr. King and Rosa Parks were real people, but I couldn't interact with them!)
Racial discrimination has its roots in human greed and the love of power.
Thank you for sharing a page from your reality.
Ant Judy H. (See you on the QMB)
Bunni you are such an elegant lady.
I met you in St. Louis at the Convention,I enjoyed meeting you.
I just wanted to say that when I first came to the U.S.A.(from Canada) I was not familiar with racial segregation,I had never witnessed it before, and there were black folks in Toronto,but they lived where they wanted to and sat on the street cars where they wanted too etc.etc.
Although they were called "colored folks" I don't think the name was ment to be derogitory(sp?)and as far as I ever noticed no one disrespected them.
But when we were first married DH and I went to Arkansas for DH's Gr. Grandmother's funeral.
I was stunned when I saw a window in a resturant where the black people had to pick up their food orders,they could not come inside.
But before that I had a job as a waitress in a very busy resturant on Route 66 and the first night I was there 4 black people came in and sat down in a booth.
I was instructed not to wait on them, I picked up the menus to take them over to them and the waitress in charge said "Are you lookin' to get fired already"? and everyone just left them sitting there.I could not believe what I was seeing.I remember thinking"Oh my God what kind of a place have I come to.
Shortly after that things began to change for the better,but the injustice of the things I saw when I first came here will always stay with me.
I am proud to say that I was not raised with that kind of prejudice and neither was anyone I raised.
I am looking forward to hopping down the bunnitrail with you as you keep us updated on your life's adventures, past and present.
Maybe next time I will get to take a train ride with you on your next adventure! ;-)
I was 9 years old when my parents sent my brother, cousin and I to Hope, Arkansas via train to spend the summer with our grandparents from Kansas City, Mo. There was the "colored" car and we had the shoebox lunch...fried chicken, homemade cake, and fruit. By the time we arrived the shoebox was empty!! Our parents would drive to Hope for our return to KC.
Post a Comment