A New Era

When I was in high school, there was one black student in our entire school. Now I think how difficult that must have been for that young girl. I also remember going to a “Disco” in Williamsport on a Friday night; the dance was empty. There were my friends and I with about 10 young black men they danced in a circle around us I became very frightened. I was 16 or 17 years old at the time, the young men were not inappropriate but I felt that I was in a foreign environment so we left, and that was my only experience with persons of color. In 1969 I went to Harrisburg for nursing training and we lived in a predominantly black neighborhood. I did see black and white at the time. Brian and Jenni talk about not seeing color, they went to the same high school I did and it is much more integrated 40 years later. To be clear, in 1964-1969 being Jewish was different in our neighborhood. As I write this on November 5th and we have President Barack Obama as our new President. I truly feel that our country is starting a New Era, one of hope and optimism.