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August 22, 2019

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Ulysses

Wow Nick, that was an experience. You know when things like this happen as kids, it can really have an influence on us as adults, luckily for you it didn't. That could have instilled hate in you to the point where you could have been taking things out on people that had no such intentions, as far as being racist. I'm glad it didn't happen that way, you were always strong, possessing the ability to hurdle obstacles and that was one. Keep the strength, which you have and God bless.

Earl Nero

Great story. Now I know how you got all the girls at Franklin. While I was playing googie and shooting marbles, you were on the phone. LOL

Terry Parker

No Just franklin but at Lincoln as well.(LOL)While Reading Child's Play- An Eight Year Old's Introduction to Racism,I found myself captivated by every word. It is amazing how far we have come but what is even more amazing is how much farther we have to go. Case and point-the most recent mid-term elections. Again Paul, Great story. I Look forward to sharing it with others.

Mary Drayton

This is truly sad. Here’s two young individual just holding a conversation, and the color of their skin was not the topic or it didn’t make a bit of different to them. They were just enjoying each other being and her comes a so call adult stepped in (the devil) and destroy every thing they had with words. GOD is good if you trust and believe in him we can defeat this type of behavior. I have a story about Racism that happen to my son in 2008 with his school but the other sad part about my story that sadden me to my heart the most too where I can’t forget it, and seem to find it hard to let go is that is that the BLACK families that witness the incident didn’t want to be a part of it, and all I asked them to do was to tell the truth. Thanks for sharing

Rhonda Lyn


I can just see you sitting in the big recliner in the hallway holding the phone with your jaw dropped!
Such a sad thought that things are not far enough away from that today --- 2010!!!


William Deadmon III

Thanks Paul, for being that "Voice in the wilderness" that the whole world needs.
You're doing a great job. God Speed, William Deadmon, III (Bill)

paul nicholas

Yeah, youre right, Ro. But I do believe that one day well get there.

Skip Thompson

I would not automatically conclude that Nicholas is not still affected by this very vivid memory;
especially from that extremely impressionable age. It would be a case of not IF, but to what extent.
Because, I think, we have all had similar experiences in Port Arthur, USA.

Those memories may have faded from your conscious mind, but they are definitely still there, beneath the surface. No matter if we have not consciously reflected on them. They are a part of us.

Nick, it takes courage to share an experience like this. That in itself can serve as a crucial part of the healing process. There are some excellent technologies now available to help eradicate, or at least greatly reduce the effects of this type of negatively charged experience.

There is a reason why Archbishop Desmond Tutu insisted on Reconciliation Hearings when Apartheid ended in South Africa.
Unfortunately, the USA never did this, when Apartheid ended in America.

I'd like to get your take on this, as well as your primary intent in sharing this story. If not publicly, then privately.

It's a excellent article. Thank you.

Stephanie Nicholas-Allen

Great story Cuz, as always you stirred alot of emotion with your style of writing.......Much Love.

Still today I often wonder will a change ever (really) come.

paul nicholas

Skip, thanks for the feedback.

I believe white people agreed to participate in reconciliation hearings in South Africa for two main reasons: they were hugely outnumbered, and black people had taken over the government.

Faced with a choice of fight, flight, or learn to get along, most of them recognized that it would be in their interest to make peace with their former hostages.

The situation in America couldn't be more different. White people are the majority, and they control virtually everything in this country, with the exception, I trust, of our courageous President Barack Obama.

Another reason reconcilation hearings would never get off the ground here is because they would force white people to acknowledge a legacy of crimes against humainty.

My motive for publishing "Childs Play" was to remind everybody, during these times of escalating racial tensions, of just how crazy things can get when we allow blind hatred to overpower common sense.

As for the lasting effects of the incident, I will leave you with an excerpt from my book, "Extinguishing the Flames of Hell:"

"I have made peace with the realities of race relations on Earth. Whereas I once defined the oppression of one race by another as organized evil, I have come to realize that the exploitation of human and natural resources by dominant cultures is as much a part of mankind's legacy as is his powerful survival instinct. Throughout history every group that has clawed its way to the top has fought to stay there, more often than not, by any means necessary."

Paul Howard Nicholas

Hey Steph,

I share your prayers for a brighter day.

Love you too, cuz.

Evelyn Lockett Woods

As children in Port Arthur in the 50s and 60s most of us were protected from overt racism by segregation and the efforts of our parents to develop an entire world for us on our side of town. I was not confronted with racism directly until oollege at the University of Houston. Now I live in Chicago and the most hurtful racial experiences in my life have been those of my two daughters who were among the first black children to attend the schools in our upscale neighborhood. Your story opened the wombs in my own pscye of feeling their pain and trying to help them to overcome the obstacles and not let the opinions of others define them. Perhaps this is a lifelong challenge for us all.

Thanks you for sharing.

Paul Howard Nicholas

Thank you, Evelyn, for your feedback. Hope you and your family are off to a great new year.

Patricia Clifton Keys

Hey Paul, this is my first time reading your article and I was overwhelmed for a minute as my mind raced back to 6th Street and realizing I was just across the street while all of this was happening. It is difficult to believe that Ms. Rosie and Mr. Jack, this so mild mannered pair, had to deal with this outrageous act. Our gang (Ulysses, Popee, and Baby Ralph) would never had guessed your family had to suffer the reality of out times. I guess I am most impacted by the reality that we have not as a nation come very far from this place.

I want my children to read this article. WOW!!!!!

Paul Howard Nicholas

Pat, thank you so much for your feedback. You're right, it was a sad situation then and, unfortunately, it still is. But like the old folks used to say: "If somethin' don't kill you, it will make you stronger."

Two of my other pieces about racially charged encounters in Port Arthur are: "De Segregation Blues," and "Happy Birthday, Miss Teenie Bird!" (dedicated to my sister). Both are published here on Natural Light Network and on the Yahoo! Voices website.

I will say, though, through it all, whether it was winter, spring, summer, or fall, our 6th Street crew had a pretty good time growing up in the little pocket of Port Arthur we called home.

It's good to hear from you, sis. Keep in touch.

Valesca F. Adams

This is my second time reading this and my reaction was just as fierce after reading the story the second time! How could one mother be so cruel and ignorant to two innocent children. Evelyn is right...our parents loved us and tried to keep us happy and protected on our own side of the world, and they did a great job....inevitably, your world gets rocked by something like this and life is never the same. Thank God those same fierce protectors of our innocence also knew when it was time to arm us with the knowledge we needed to survive and persevere.....keep on doing what you do!

Brad Lewis

We fight not against flesh and blood but powers and principalities. Evil has no color, it just kills steals and destroys. Satan hates all of us because we are created in the image of God. If Satan can get us to focus on color we are defeated already but if we can recognize the source of evil we can began to love one another and pray and do spiritual warfare and defeat the one that causes all this misery. God's blessing and love to all our broken hearts. Remember God word says, we are more than conquerors through Jesus Christ.

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