Life Before the 70's

Life before the 70's are drastically different from life in 2005 for the black community in terms of family, religion, sex and alcoholism, music and other social institutions that are supposed to be the glue, the eternal bond in the black neighborhoods. Talking to Kenneth Saunders and older gentlemen I found on Cornwallis right outside the quick stop gas station can attest to that.

We talked for awhile about being a young black man in the 70's and how things aren't like they used to be. We touched everything from racism in the service to life overseas.

When I began my interview he briefly discussed the history of Haiti now known as Durham. Kenneth explained that back in the day there was a lot of urban gentrification in Haiti forcing all the blacks in the area to move to further in the country and basically start from scratch with no support from anybody. He recalls one incident when the burned a mans house and his business because he refused to be bought out, and that's when Kenneth knew that this problem was not just going to go away on it's own and something had to be done.

When the blacks starting moving back into the city it was known as Durham, but things significantly changed. He told me that there used to be patrol officers which they called "foot soldiers" walking around terrorizing the black community, he remembers a time where one of his friends was sitting on his own front yard and was beaten severely by the police, and his Kenneth's father had to come out with the shotgun to get the officer off of him. He said if his father hadn't of come out when he did he would have been beaten to death that night by the cops. Durham was going through a rough time as there was a curfew issued that nobody under eighteen could be outside past nine o'clock. This curfew resulted in a riot in Durham in 1970, for six straight hours all the blacks in Durham revolted against the whites and left just about the whole city in ruins. Kenneth was actively involved in this uprising and recollects being cut so deep by the police his whole shirt was almost red but he kept fighting until it was over.

Life in the army for a young black man was basically no different then life on the street maybe even worse. The commanding officers were racist, the pay was low and they constantly had to watch their back not knowing if they were going to make it home. Kenneth told me about one time when the racism in the service got out of control and one night one of his commanding officers snuck into his sleeping quarters put a gun to his head and told him that he doesn't like "niggers" and if he sneaks up on him again he was going to shoot him. That is one if the incidents that stuck out in Kenneth's head the most. He then briefly talked about life overseas and how they were some of the best times he had while enlisted in the service. He said over there he was looked upon as an equal and racism was a thing unheard of over there. He said he could freely walk the streets and not worry about being looked down upon or shunned away because of the color of his skin.

When his tenure was up in the army and he went back home to Durham things hadn't changed much blacks were still given a hard time, and we financially struggling as the weren't being given any jobs forcing them to work long days and nights doing manual labor for cheap pay.

After that we switched directions and talked about how family bonds in the church and in the community were stronger then ever in the 70's and it is nowhere near how it was back then compared to now.

Like most older people they blame the problem on rap music. Kenneth psychologically broke it down and said if all the young people are listening to is "bitch this, nigger that and bling bling" then that's what their mind frame is going to be like when the get older. He says kids today don't have as strong as bond as they should have in the home and they grow up idolizing these rappers who are leading them in the wrong direction.

Back in Kenneth's day he was listening to Earth Wind and Fire, Temptations, The Spinners, and the Four Tops just to name a few. He said music back then really meant something and it wasn't just about killing people or selling drugs which he contributes to one of the problems in today's society in the black community.

The black community was more family oriented, people in the neighborhood looked out for one another like they were family because all they had was each other. The kids were watched by everybody in the neighborhood and if one of them got in trouble and one of the adults took the liberty to straighten them out then they would send them back home and their parents would straighten them out. Kenneth mentions a time where everybody in the community would gather round and watch TV at night outside and play games and not have to worry about anybody coming in and bothering them.

Kenneth also blames some of the problems today on a lot of the parenting that is going on today. He says that if parents would take the time out and really discipline and nurture there child growing up meaning guide them in the right direction then there wouldn't be a lot of this gang violence