On becoming a militant.

This was the day that John F. Kennedy was shot and killed. I was writing for the Vero Beach Press Journal then. And I was on a lunch break when I heard of it. The restaurant and Florida was full of rednecks. Some customers cheered over the news. Thought it was good riddance. Blacks lived in the adjoining town called Gifford. They weren't allowed to reside in Vero Beach. And the schools were not yet integrated. No blacks allowed in white restaurants. Had their own drinking fountains. Sat in the balcony of the movie theater. Had separate swimming beaches. Wasn't so long ago. In my lifetime. I was 28. Joined the local chapter of the NAACP. And became a militant. --Jim Broede