CHAPTER 33

At dinner the next day, I went to the mailbox and got the newspaper. “Come look at this, Fancy.” She put her head alongside mine. There were pictures of police dragging colored people by feet and shirt collars.

The story was about ongoing civil unrest, showing photos of folks on a hunger strike at the post office in Chapel Hill, and protesting in front of the Howard Johnson hotel in Durham. There were pictures of police using clubs on anybody who didn’t move. “We talked about how things would change one of these days, Fancy. I think it’s coming fast.”

She read over my shoulder. “I don’t know if I would be as brave as them.”

“It’s 1963, Fancy. Ten years ago, them police would have been shooting instead of clubbing. And the Boo Boys would be out there helping them.”