My Mom...The Middle Class Rabble Rouser... [View all]

[WillyT]

My mom broke the color/female barrier at our local Tennis Club.

Now before you all laugh at this... and I do understand...

We lived in a fairly nice middle- class neighborhood back in the 60's...

My parents had signed a contract to be a part of this swim/dive/tennis club.

The South Hills Racquet Club

One day... my sisters went down the street to the Yamamoto's...

Dr. Yamamoto... who was a surgeon, taught at UCSD, has his picture on their wall to this day.

Anywho... my sisters were given permission to take their youngest son Akira, down to the club.

The Yamamoto's older kids were doctors, ballerinas, etc... And "Yamamoto" possibly had some effect 20 years after WWII.

But when my sisters got down to our NEW club... the lifeguard on duty looked at Akira, the cute little Japanese Boy, and told my sisters... "He can sit by the side of the pool, but if he gets in, he, and the rest of you will be kicked out... and your parents could lose their membership."

My sisters... being my sisters... basically said... FU...

They took Akira and went home. Said NOTHING to the Yamamotos... Possible family shame and all that.

What Mom DID DO... was pull out the contract she had recently signed... went over it with a magifying glass...and found no such racist rules in the bylaws.

So...

When the club announced that they were having their next membership drive/open house...

My mom grabed a shitload of applications... and started goining door to door.

She hit everybody, but paid particular attention to Blacks, Jews, Asians, Muslims, etc...

Her best friend who became a future tennis coach was one awesomely athletic Lesbian... according to mom...

So when the OPEN house meeting happened... there were all sorts of colors and flavors ready to join... and join they did.

And ya know what??? - Those Black kids that joined... within a year were ranked in the top ten in the state.

But the point I wanna make about my momma...

Was that one of the founders of the club pulled my mom to the side on Open House night...

And as my father used to tell it... "This white guy, curiously red in the face, asked your mother... Grace !!! Did you meet any of these people when you handed them these applications???"

Mom replied, "Yep... Every Single One Of Them."