Baltimore 1960-Eight
Childhood, Family, Fury And then there was the Purple couch!
by
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My mother stopped at the stop sign where there was a dry cleaners on my right. The front doors had been smashed in and the street was littered with glass, and debris. Suddenly, a chair or something came flying through the glass picture window from the inside and a man with two arms full of clothing jumped out through the broken glass. I had not paid attention to the fact that mom had been driving with one hand and the other hand was in her purse, when I saw it as she was pulling it out I assumed she was holding the money in the envelope. I was wrong. Three things happened very quickly. The man fell on the ground and got up with the clothes he had stolen. Mom pulled her hand out her purse with a nickel plated .38 in it, then stepped on the gas and ran the stop sign through a pile of trash, glass and debris and kept going. I sat down in the seat looking through the rearview mirror at the guy running the other way down the street. My mother stuck the .38 back in her purse without saying a word. I would have to talk to my mother and father. When I got old enough to ask those kind of questions; I reminded myself.
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About the Book
Follow this eight year old child through the loss of innocence as he witnesses the war in Vietnam during the 60’s the ‘TET Offensive’ in the beginning of 1968, as he tries to adapt to Catholic school. Hear his thoughts and fears as he grows up in a black family during a segregated country and racially charged Civil Rights Movement while trying to maintain his innocence. Journey with him through nightly televised violence of Vietnam and racial battles of Civil Rights marches. Hear his thoughts of the changing times in music, fashion and art and then the susequent murder of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Terrible violence that follows during the riots in Baltimore City. Hear in his words how he felt, what he saw and his perception of the world as he grows up with the chaos around him.
About the Author
T.C. James was born and raised in Baltimore MD. Graduated from the from high he joined the Army serving four years until honorably discharged. After serving twenty years in city Government he left to pursue a career in the private sector and moved to Atlanta Georgia. He is an award winning playwright and poet. He studied at the university while in Germany and upon his return home continued his studies at community college and adult continuing studies. He always considers Baltimore as home.