The march of progress

I don’t remember the March on Washington, and I doubt at the time I even knew or understood what the March was all about.

However, I remember vividly an incident that left an indelible mark on me, an incident that underscored why the March was necessary and why I’m glad many people made the sacrifice on Aug. 28, 1963, and during that era to protest.

You see, I was 4 years old in 1963, and I believe this was when I was on my way to visit my grandmother in rural Gretna, Va. There was a gas station at the intersection where my father would turn to take the dirt road to Grandma’s house.  

As we approached the intersection, I begged him, pleaded with him to stop at the store to buy me some treats.

He stopped, and I jumped out of the car and began to run excitedly in hopes of getting a lot of good things from the store. Just as I started to go through the door, I came to a halt as my father grabbed me by the neck and aggressively pulled me back. To this day I can still feel his large hand around my neck as he yanked me back.  

What I remember more is where he pointed. I couldn’t read at the time, but I can see the sign above the door that said “Whites,” and another above a door close by that said “Coloreds.” It was my first lesson in how to survive in the South in the early 1960s.  

That was a painful and frightful period in our history, but I am grateful that 50 years later, I can look back in amazement at the progress I have witnessed in my own lifetime.

Indiana University should also look back on these 50 years and even further back to acknowledge the progress we as a community have made.

IU was one of the first schools to allow African-Americans to play sports and opened its doors to African-American students to receive their master’s degrees when their home states barred them from receiving them.

Former president Herman B Wells made it clear in many ways that racism would not be tolerated in Bloomington or at IU.

Although IU has a rich history of living within Dr. King’s dream, we must also remember that we are far from perfect. The Office of the Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Multicultural Affairs must be at the vanguard to ensure that, in the words of Herman B Wells, “everyone can do their best work” here at IU.

­— jwimbush@iu.edu