Old family story.

I saw this on Facebook today:

and I had to laugh.  I don’t know if it’s made up or not, but I tend to believe it’s true.  And, like I said on Facebook, if my Grandma Ida were alive today, it could have been her.

Why do I say that?  Because of an old family story that I know is true.  My mother wouldn’t lie to me, and if you knew my Grandma Ida, you’d believe it too.

My mom grew up in Harlem, NYC, in the 40’s.  One day my grandmother came home to their apartment building and saw an elderly man berating an 8 year-old girl because she was playing with a black boy in the lobby.  He was appalled that she had let “that boy” in their building.

My grandmother, who was a lot of things, but shy and demure were not two of them.  She told him to shut the hell up and leave those kids alone.  An argument ensued in which they “debated” the benefits and problems with inter-racial friendships.  Finally the man got fed up with arguing and told her “You wouldn’t think that if that was your daughter!”

My grandmother pulled herself up to her  full 5’2” and told him “That is my daughter.”

If there had been a fly swatter in her hand, I have no doubt she would have hit him with it right then.