Black pearl

It is odd how our thoughts connect, one to the other. I saw the word "energize" and my mind conjured up a picture of the energizer bunny, with his little flip flops, beating on his drum. That picture brought back a memory from years ago when I was writing true stories about residents in Grants, NM. I had stopped by to ask a friend if I could interview him for a story. He was a little hesitant and asked me why I choose him. I replied, "You remind me of the energizer bunny, you just keep going and going. He then granted the interview. His story first appeared in the Cibola Beacon then in my current E-book, "Spirits of Cibola County". Now you can read it for yourself. enjoy!

Black Pearl

Always allow room to change your mind, sometimes you need time to think. With the diversity in Grants, New Mexico, one would assume that color is not an important issue. It probably isn't if one belongs to a majority group. Being black in a small town, that mostly is not, is a challenge that Frank has faced since he first set foot in Grants.

It was a December day in 1957 when Frank, his brother and a friend stepped out of a restaurant into the waiting arms of the local police department. He thought they were just being friendly. The group soon discovered jail was their destination.

The next day a call was made to a preacher in Farmington, NM, on their behalf. When the preacher determined they had been arrested for suspicion, he made some threats of his own, with positive results. He told the officer that he would send in the National Guard if they were not immediately released. 

This was not the first or the last time Frank experienced prejudice in his lifetime. As a young man he was drafted into the Army at Fort Bliss. At the time it was still segregated. He recalled living off base in a run down motel room and being issued a meal ticket for food at a restaurant. Frank complained about the way he was treated, which attracted the attention of a commander. After talking about it, the commander saw his point and also recognized that he  might be officer material.

Frank told him that he had really wanted to join the Air Force. He was granted a discharge and given a ticket home. Realizing that the Air Force was volunteer and noting that Fort Benning, Georgia was having serious racial problems, He chose not to report for duty. He was arrested as a deserter.After checking out the discharge papers, the judge released him. Because Frank had moved to another state, mail had problems catching up to him. It took ten years for the government to change his draft status.

Frank and his wife of 48 years have raised five children in Grants. He was a lead man at Kerr Megee and a crew leader at United Nuclear. At one point he had two auto repair shops and now owns and operates his own auto repair business. He wanted a business partly to give his children a place to work, if they had problems finding a job. One daughter is an expert Mechanic. Frank likes to give people a chance to work and encourages education.

He admits he has always stood up for himself as a h7uman being. When he was a teenager his parents really thought he would be killed. He looked people in the eye instead of at the ground. He also had white female friends, which was not tolerated.

Frank has the unique distinction of having Indian blood. He is one fourth Crow and one fourth Cherokee. When his family lived in Hobbs, NM blacks could go places Indians could not. People were afraid of the Indians, who often stayed with the blacks.

Frank is very active in his church and says that he lives his life from Genesis to Revelations. He likes to check on residents at the Good Samaritan Center. Visiting residents makes him realize his life is not so bad after all.

His goal for the future is for people to realize they are all children of God and are brothers and sisters. Frank shared the following story. He was driving several of his grandchildren in a truck one day and they were fighting about who would sit next to him. One child announced he was her grandfather and another made the emphatic point he was her grandfather too.

Frank believes prejudice of any kind is learned and we can make the choice to unlearn it. It is often safer to stay with the opinions of the majority rather than risk an individual view.