White Doug/Black Experiences
I find myself doing a lot of reflecting as we observe Black History Month, 2025. After all, Black people were not a part of my early life as a white boy of Dutch descent, growing up in a white neighborhood in Muskegon, worshipping in a Christian Reformed Church and attending a Christian School. But then, I remember seeing a Black kid walking past our house on his way to school. Turns out Billy Green was much nicer than many of the white kids I knew. My dad, a Muskegon grocer, entered into an agreement to sell unused and discarded produce to Mr. King, a Black pig farmer. He was nicer than many of the white guys who serviced our store. My parents invited a Black woman from the local county hospital, formerly known as the poor farm, into our home for a Thanksgiving dinner. This delightful lady, with no legs and sitting in a wheelchair, was nicer and more fun than many of our relatives at Thanksgiving dinners. When getting started in radio broadc...