After the war, black men like Thad Bryson came home changed. Black men had more choices than Thad had dreamed. But back in Old Fort the War and the Army had changed nothing except Thad. Jim Crow still dominated his life and the life of his family.
Link to Another story “Young Black Officers”
After Thad married, he had kids, worked two and even three jobs to make ends meet. Thad cooked in the kitchen at white Marion High School just a couple of miles from his house. His son Fred rode a rickety bus 13 miles over rough roads to the black school.
Thad’s boss, the white school principle, noted and regretted the stupidity of that rule. He did nothing to change it, but at least he recognized absurdity when he saw it.
If Old Fort and thousands of towns like it didn’t change after the war, Thad Bryson and millions of black men like him had, and nothing could change them back. Thad raised Fred and his siblings with aspirations. Taught them to survive, but to accept no limits. Son Fred is a retired college professor.
And some white people breached the barrier between the races. In 1950 the Sears store in Asheville, NC had two water fountains. Fred, a thirsty little boy, found the fountain reserved for blacks broken. The fountain reserved for whites stood right there. Thad regretfully told his son he’d have to wait.
A white man standing nearby looked at little Fred and asked him if he wanted a drink. Fred nodded. The man picked him up, carried him to the white fountain and helped him to a drink of water.
It really doesn’t have to be so damned complicated.
