Cruz Louisiana Rally: A Throwback to Saner Times

I saw America that night, folks – the America I grew up with in Pumphrey, Maryland, a black suburban community outside Baltimore. The unspoken philosophy of our tiny all black community was education, hard work, respect for elders and God. Pumphrey birthed numerous successful blacks. My sister-in-law's brother Butch Keaser from Pumphrey was the first black wrestler to win an Olympic medal. We kept score at sporting events in Pumphrey. There were winners and losers. Such is real life. Rev. Lemon was pastor of the Baptist church. My dad, Rev. Lloyd E. Marcus, was pastor of the Methodist church. Pete was my mom's homosexual hairdresser. Mom and Pete were good friends. Pete would never think of demanding that my mom approve of his homosexual lifestyle. Dad treated everyone with respect. Local drunkards, we called "wine-os" were guardians of my four younger siblings and me. A wine-o would say, "Hey, that's Rev. Moccasin's (Marcus) kid, don't mess with him!"