It Ain't All Black and White
by
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Riverview Cash Store sat poised in dilapidated glory some three miles from town and only a quarter mile from the river. Two gas pumps on the front huddled under a white painted wood canopy that leaked incessantly when it rained. Old tires and Royal Crown Cola signs decorated the sides of the building, and at the rear was a trash pile some five feet high, with discarded oil cans and beer cans vying for supremacy. The tired old building rested serenely on a small green knoll about halfway up Gibson Hill. Because we were as poor as it was, it was my home. We lived in the rear where there had once been a dance hall, and there were still gunshot holes in the walls where jealous lovers had taken their vengeance on wayward fiancés. Being so close to the river, the Riverview made a great starting point for fishing trips, and the five of us agreed to meet there on Friday at lunch.
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About the Book
Childhood in 1950's small town Alabama approached nirvana. But only if you were caucasian. Living within that Camelot was another race. People who had nothing. People without rights. People who were abused, despised, and ridiculed. This engaging novel of adolescence presents a living picture of youth struggling with a social system that no longer worked. It details the lives of two long time friends trying reach a new understanding of equality while trying desperately to hold on to the teachings of prior generations. But amidst the turmoil, young men grow and know the joys of being young and in love. This is the message of "It ain't all black and white".
About the Author
The author grew up in a small town in the Southeastern United States during the 1950's. His childhood was a time of joy and camaraderie. However as the 50's came to a close, he like many other young people of the time were forced to see reality in a different light. Impending intergration of public schools initiated a profound change in cocepts and attitudes. The tumoil of the time provided the author with a special insight to the prejudices and bigotry of segregated Alabama. But the joy of being young, and free, permeates this tale from its innocent beginnings to the stunning finish. His own personal experiences are woven into the lives of the characters contained in this bittersweet tale of racism, friendship, and basketball. John Cameron currently lives with his wife in Dothan, Alabama. When not writing or reminicing about his youth, he beats a little white ball around an 18 hole track and then returns home to curse about it.