Side Porch

After finishing their homework and practicing the piano, the children played outside. They roller-skated and biked together down Auburn Avenue. Once, M.L. was having so much fun on his bicycle that he ran into a car. Fortunately, he was not seriously hurt.

Christine especially enjoyed playing hopscotch and jacks and jumping rope. M.L. and A.D. liked to shoot baskets with the firefighters of Fire Station #6 located on the corner. Because of segregation, African Americans could not become firefighters.

Adjacent to the Fire Station was Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School and playground where the boys often played. These were two times the boys had contact with white adults.

The neighborhood children played football and baseball in back yards and vacant lots. M.L.’s favorite game was baseball. Even Christine wanted to learn to play after seeing how much her brothers enjoyed the game. Although girls were not supposed to play baseball, Grandmother Williams encouraged M.L. and A.D. to teach Christine how to play.