A Place for Remembering and Changing

It is about time you found us. We have been waiting for you! Please make yourself at home as we conjure up some memories for you about the “good ole days.” Did you have an Aunt, Uncle, Grandma, or Grandpa who loved to share his or her memories? Weren’t those times enjoyable as the past was connected to the present? Have you ever gotten lost in a story, a movie, or even a song that took you back to a specific time, place, or person? If so, you have found the right place for remembering.

However, if memories are all that you are looking for, this is NOT the right place for you. What you will find here are real life anecdotes designed to show you that Blacks and Whites are quite similar but unique. You will be challenged to put aside ignorance which causes preconceptions and stereotypes. Don’t worry. You will not be scolded or preached at. In a subtle fashion, you will discover and remember what you already know in your heart. This site will allow you to put your life on pause and then cause you to be refreshed by your reflections on the “good ole days.” Perhaps this site will even help you improve your perception of racial issues in America. Please enjoy.

Buy the Book

The story revolves around two people who lived during the same time, roughly 1950 through the present. The setting is the Detroit Metropolitan Area. Now available on Amazon!

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Spread the Word

Do you know someone who grew up in Detroit in the 1950’s and 1960’s? Or maybe that someone is you! Let’s spread the word about this site and the book so we can reminisce together.

Join the Conversation

Each blog article has open comments, why not jump in and tell us if you had a similar experience. Or maybe you’ve got a story of your own to share – we’ll be publishing guest posts soon! Get in touch.

Uncle Toms and Wiggers

Who was Uncle Tom? In black author Harriet Beecher Stowe’s 1852 novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin, he was depicted as a martyr and not a sell out to his race. His devotion to his fellow slaves was so unshakable that he suffered immensely and sacrificed a chance at freedom to...

The Source

A concept that I could never get through my thick skull was the difference between the mouth and the source of a river. In fact, I had to look up that information before writing this because it just doesn’t seem logical. The source part is quite easy to understand...

Blackie and Brownie

I recall early in high school, probably 9th grade in 1963, when my English teacher, who was certainly sympathetic to the social issues of the time, made us aware of the causes of skin color and pigmentation. Why, even within the races, is one person’s skin lighter or...

Hit Me with Your Best Shot

In 1988, Pat Benatar released her smash, albeit angry, “Hit Me with Your Best Shot.” There is no wonder why listeners back then and even today have gravitated to these lyrics: You’re a real tough cookie With a long history Of breaking little hearts Like the one in me....

A Picture is Worth a Thousand (or at least 567) Words

Looking at some old childhood pictures of Cookie and me, I couldn’t help smiling. How darn cute were we in some of them with our “Sunday go to meeting” (old-fashioned saying meaning your best outfit) clothes on? We would have a sports coat with a white shirt and a...

Stick to Your Own Kind

Jackapoos, Yorkipoos, Puggles, Labradoodles, Sheepadoodles, Goldendoodles, Cockadoodledoos ( I’m just messing with you on that last one to see if you were paying attention; no way would a rooster mate with a poodle, a St. Bernard maybe, but a poodle…?) Growing up, I...

Take a Look Back

Derek Palm, a contributor to Black and White Like You and Me, took a trip down memory lane last week with his younger brother. They drove by many of their former homes and schools and actually were invited into one of them. Derek reports that the home that they were...

RIGHT? . . . WRONG? . . . JUST DIFFERENT!

Sitting in the Fisher Theater as one of a handful of white people enjoying TJ Hemphill’s fantastic production of Perilous Times, I was filled with many thoughts. The first of which was why was I in such an overwhelming minority when the play was about a personal...