Racial inequality has often created a divide in communities, both past and present. 67 year old Lucille Shannon faced many challenges growing up as an African American woman in the 1960’s.

Shannon is now a retired school teacher, a mother, and a grandmother.

Shannon, when asked to reflect on her experiences, stated, “it was very difficult for me to understand the separation of blacks and whites.”

“We were limited to certain things back then, like restaurants and the theater,” she continued,  “When we would go to the theater they would make us go through the side door and go up to the balcony. They took our money, but I thought that it was terrible for them to separate us, and I just couldn’t understand why they did it.”

Racial inequality was not only present at social outings, but also affected professional business:

“If a black person was to go into a bank and ask for a loan they would be asking them about everything in their life, and them not end up getting the loan,” Shannon explained. “But if a white person was to walk in and ask for a loan, they wouldn’t ask them all the questions and give them the loan.”

Shannon also recalled an experience in which racial intolerance almost resulted in violence:

“There was a time when I was on the bus and a girl had 2 seats. I asked her if I could sit down in the extra seat, and she said no. We ended up getting into an altercation, and I ended up with the extra seat.”