Reflections of Dallas Past: Neighborhoods, schools, Black businesses and Negro Day

(Special to The Dallas Examiner) – I was born on Aug. 27, 1948. I was the first boy in the family and had five sisters.& We lived half a block from the State Fair with only a railroad track dividing them. In 1950, we visited the State Fair on what was called Negro Day at the fair. This was my first interaction with segregation.& That being said, that was the only day during the entire State Fair season that we could go. Our dad worked at the State Fair, so we were aware of Negro Day, and we went.& My second interaction with segregation was in 1960. A few of my friends and I went to the Cotton Bowl. We got in free with a paid adult.& It was the Dallas Cowboys’ first game at the Cotton Bowl. Ticket sales were terrible because the main team at that time was the Dallas Texans.& It was announced on the radio that adults could bring five children in free. So three of my friends and I stood against the gate and a White guy asked, “You boys want to go in?” He said, “Yes sir.”& We had to sit in the end...