Thursday, July 05, 2012

Black Baby Boomers Remember Mayberry Too

"For many baby boomers, the loss of Andy Griffith earlier this week was like a death in the family." This was the opening sentence in an article I read the other day in the Winnepeg Free Press about the death of Andy Griffith.

Yes, Andy Griffith transformed himself into Sheriff Andy Taylor weekly on our television screen when I was a child and I actually believed there was a town somewhere in North Carolina called Mayberry. He, Aunt Bea, Opie, Barney and the rest of the townspeople gave us an up close and personal look at what small town living was like back in the day. Andy wasn't your typical sheriff who used his badge to strong arm folks. If I'm not mistaken, he didn't even carry a gun.

In Mayberry, you could leave your doors open and your car doors unlocked. When you walked down the street everyone greeted you and you certainly didn't have to worry about out-of-control children, drugs and crime. The worst crime ever committed in Mayberry was when someone stole some chickens from a farm and had to spend a night or two in jail.

You always saw ladies wearing dresses and the men were always respectful.


Could that be why we never saw any blacks on the show?

No comments: