I remember the first time I went to school with an African American. Now you must remember I am 50 years of age, so this was quite a while ago. I was in the 4th grade. I lived in a town of approximately 5,000 people in Louisiana. Our town was divided by a railroad track that ran down the outside of Main Street. The black community "lived on the wrong side of the tracks"; they had their own elementary, middle and high school. But, that year, Joyce's parents moved into town with the paper mill industry. Her father was in management and had moved the family from "up North". The first day of school, we became fast friends. We sat beside each other, giggled, passed notes and played together on the playground. Other children laughed at us. "Look at the nig* and the fat girl," they would tease. My parents were told by other parents in town and warned me to stay away from her. I could not understand. I had no concept at that time of segregation, civil rights, or any of the other political issues going on. I just recognized someone else that felt as out of place as I did.

Christmas rolled around, and we were best friends. I wanted to get her a gift, but my parents absolutely said no. In secret, I made her a homemade holiday card. I was so embarrassed when she gave me her gift; and I had nothing to give her. She stated she understood. She gave me a lace handkerchief with a strand of pearls in a set. I was so proud of that and kept it for years. When we returned after the Christmas break, Joyce was no longer in our class. In fact, I later found out her family moved away.

I carried the memory of that childhood friend with me for the rest of my life and vowed never to treat others differently because of the color of their skin, different religious beliefs or different cultures. This remained an area of contention between my parents and me throughout my childhood and young adulthood. To this day, they remain prejudiced against difference; although, with age, they have mellowed some. Thank you, Joyce, where ever you are for the lesson you taught me about true friendship.

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