Su Stevens
Dallas, TX
I spent the first 24 years of my life in Mississippi. My father was from New Orleans and my mother was born and raised in Mississippi. I am Caucasian. My parents believed and taught us that every person was the same no matter what was different about them. At such a young age I really didn’t understand that others saw a difference. I saw and heard many uncomfortable things. I can remember seeing people dressed up in white garb and pointed hats. Questioning, I said, “why are they dressed like that and riding horses and carrying torches”? My friend said, ” lets get out of here”. I asked “who are they and why are their faces covered with the hoods”? She replied” probably the fathers of some of our friends. Yes, I saw signs that said where you had to eat, go to the bathroom , and even sit. But until that night, I never knew the hatred a person could have for another human being, for being different.
