Growing up in the old South, my father talked about how white politicians always try to be the first to buy the loyalties of black preachers. Black preachers would then tell the congregation which white person to vote for.
Had a long time North Florida cracker sheriff once tell me that the way to approach a black preacher was to tell him you wanted to contribute to the “building committee”. That way you could pretend the money was given with a legitimate purpose rather than a bribe, while the both of you knew full well the money was going into the preacher’s pocket.
Not much has changed. Black preachers still wield tremendous influence concerning politics.
My family has bridged that crevasse for a hundred years. ?
My ancestors came to this county from Coryell County, TX in 1889. My father's grandfather was born in Texas during the Republic of Texas.
In 1927, an elderly black man walked across my dad's grandfather's field looking for a job. He was from East Texas. His wife had died, his children were grown, it was just before the Great Depression. My dad's grandfather gave him a job, he lived in a house on the farm until my dad's grandfather died in 1946.
His name was Joe Davis, but he was called “Dad” by all the family members. My father was his grandfather's favorite grand child (large family) and he and “Dad” were very close.
My dad's grandfather died before my father returned from WWII. I was born in 1947, my father took me to see “Dad” before he died in 1948. “Dad” was a part of my family.
Members of a black family in a nearby town cared for my family members when they could not stay alone any longer.
My grandmother, my mother, my mother-in-law (lived with me), my uncle, my aunt, and my father. Other family members did not need home care. But some of the family who cared for my family always sat at the funeral of each family member. My father and I attended that families Mother's funeral. All flavors of people were there.
I know a lot about racial kindness over time.
I also know about the harsh reality of the past, both black and white.
Rural people have bonds that don't exist (or are quite rare) in big cities. ‘’