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.

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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!

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.

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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.

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...

Rhythm

If you ever played  Hangman, you know that coming up with a clever word to stump your opponents is a major part of the game.  Just as a review, the game is similar to Wheel of Fortune in that the participants are trying to discover what word was presented by the other...

Get Up

An old traditional ballad called “Get Up and Bar the Door” tells of an old married couple who decided to have a contest that whoever spoke first would have to get up and secure the front door. Laziness, stubbornness, or just a game to pass the time on a dreary winter...

Do – Would – Did – He ?

There she was just a-walkin’ down the street, singin’ “Doo-wah-diddy diddy dum diddy do” Snappin’ her fingers and shufflin’ her feet, singin' “Doo-wah-diddy diddy dum diddy do” . . . Now that I have that iconic Manfred Mann tune bouncing around in your head for the...

Update on the Movement

This weekend the 2nd Annual Black and White Like You and Me Breakfast was held at the restaurant of my former student at Brother Rice High School, Peter Andoni – Shields Restaurant in Southfield, Michigan.  Over the past week, I could not help reflecting on the past...

Who Would Have Thunk?

We all have heard someone say, perhaps even ourselves, “That’s not the way I think” or possibly, “I just can’t understand it any other way.” Pastor Glenn McIntosh at the Renaissance Unity Church in Warren, Michigan made a thoughtful point concerning our ability to...

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...

The Erroneous Legacy of an Unendowed Generation

Special Guest Post by TJ Hemphill Whenever I think of my first days at Wayne State University, I think of a young black boy sitting in the midst of a sea of white faces with straight hair and pink blemishes. The English class was now in full session and so was the...