The AC Phoenix
December 2004
Page 17
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By: Rodney Sumler
Seeing the gleem in the eyes of children as they await Christmas, it
seems like yesterday that we were youngsters.
Just as the children of today get excited about Christmas, so were
we. The whole world seems to be filled with enthusiasm as the calendar
moves forward to that very special time of year.
But my, how the times have changed. Perhaps as children we were
too caught up in the season to understand what was going on
elsewhere. In the neighborhoods I remember, there was more unity
among black people.
Christmas was a time for giving. Not of gifts, but of giving ourselves.
Maybe our economic condition forced us to be that way. There were no
elaborate gifts to parents, siblings and friends. But what was given, was
given with love.
The tradition that first comes to mind, in thinking back, is roller
skating. Every black child in Winston-Salem, it seems, looked forward
to opening a box of Union’s, Kingston’s, Fly-Away’s or some of the other
popular brands of skates.
Skating then, was never an individual activity. It was almost always
done with a group. From the time a five or six year-old learned to skate,
there was always the thought of becoming proficient enough to join the
“older” kids. Their conquests included barrelling down some of the
more notable “skate freeways” in Winston-Salem.
Among the most notable places to strut your stuff was Foster Street
in Happy Hill Gardens. Another was Derry Street and Glenn Avenue in
Kimberly Park Project. Those with loftier goals set their sight on “The
Lawn,” which was in front of the old Union Train Station.
There probably will never be another place like “The Lawn.” Teenage
blacks were forced to congregate there for a number of socio-econom
ic factors. First of all, blacks were’t allowed to go to the city’s indoor
skating rinks. Secondly, skating on the lawn was free. The only thing
needed was a pair of skates and the courage to speed down the steep
incline.
From sunup to sundown, blacks would challenge the hill. A wide
assortment of different styles would be seen. From the eagle-spread to
skating backwards and everything in between.
Skating, however, wasn’t all that happened on “The Lawn.” From
Christmas day until after New Year’s, black kids gathered to meet
friends, old and new. In between skating sessions was time to grab
something to eat. There were several black-owned spots to check out,
depending on your taste. There was Pronto Grill, Mom and Pop Cason’s
Cafe and - for the more daring or more mature - College Grill, which was
across the street from Winston-Salem Teachers College, or T.C. as it was
called.
When you think about it, the naivete of our youth probably has very
little to do with how pleasant it seemed at Christmas forty four years ago.
There could be some lessons that can be learned. It has often been said
that you have to know where you came from to know where you’re
going.
Forty four years ago, there was a central place where hundreds of
kids gathered at Christmas for wholesome, clean fun. Today, is there a
similar place? Forty four years ago, there were viable, thriving black
business districts throughout the city. How many can you think of
today? Forty four years ago, black parents didn’t worry about buying
their kids the hundreds of toys that are pushed at them today and then
have to wonder whether their kids would be playing with it a week or a
month after Christmas.
My, how times have changed!