New Card Collection: Family & Black History Month September 27 2012, 0 Comments

                         Grams                                                                                                                                                          (Pruitt family in front of Tennessee home)

The woman, fourth from the left, wearing the blouse with the long white sleeves is my great-grandmother. She was the sweetest person I've ever known. We called her "Grams." She would be thrilled to see how much the world has changed. And in many ways horrified. "A  colored president?",she would say. "My Lord Jesus. God is good." And new styles, "Baby (trying not to laugh); why are those boys' pants falling off?  Lord it looks uncomfortable."

She was a different generation (old school as they say) and said "colored" instead of negro or black. African American? She would not get that at all. "Why in the world", I could hear her say, "would we call ourselves that? We're already Americans we're just colored. White people are American too they're just white." All so simple but not so simple. Now I think about her seeing these African American greeting cards. She would say, "Sweetheart, these are pretty cards. Pretty colors. Is that your cousin Beverly? Baby who is going to buy these cards?"

Here's to Black History,(or whatever you choose to call it) not just a month in February.  Here's to the people who choose to purchase these "colorful" cards. Thank you. Here's to Grams with love for teaching me it's okay to question the status quo and for seeing the humor in all things.