More historical prose from The Soulful Poet.
Hey Nigger, high yellow nigger boy being a black man in this country has been hazardous to their mental, emotional and physical well being. When you are constantly being called boy, and The ‘N’ word or some other type of vile word, it can take its toll on a man.
The 1390 Civilian Conservative Corps located at Camp Gallion in Prince Edward County, Va., and members of this Company built the dams and recreational area which were for white only. This company, which was one of the few who had Blacks built beautiful sites that they and their families would not be able to enjoy.
My father, Rev. John Henry who is now 96-years-old, was one of those Black youth who were employed to construct the park.
In 1941, a young black man, was hungry, never had a new pair of boots nor three meals a day in all his 15 years on this earth. His family was so poor that he was hire out by his mom to work on chicken farm or he did day work to help build nearby roads in Saxe and Randolph,Virginia, Charlotte County.
Using a shovel as the only tool to put, gravel and sand in the back of the old Chevy black truck and being called ”NIGGER” every day.
Another time later in the same year 1941, at the post office, he overheard a conversation about President Roosevelt Program, the Civilian Conservative Corps. It sounded great and it would enhance the quality of my life. I was only 16, so I told them I was 17.
My Mom did not care because she would be getting paid each month and she had money to feed our family.
At the CCC camp in Burkeville, VA, we were housed in Army like barracks in racially segregated barracks. The work gangs, mess hall and outdoor toilets were all segregated. Even though we worked hard all day long using picks and shovels, it was like I had things that I had never been privy to before. YES! YES! I got three meals a day, my first pair of new place.