When I graduated from high school in 1948, my education had taught me that in this great country, every person had a right to succeed, regardless of race, color, or creed. And when I finally did see racism, I wasn't paying attention, even when I saw it right here in Des Moines, Iowa. A black person could not find work here, except in doing yard work, as a servant, or other menial work, and certain lunch counters wouldn't serve them, and downtown hotels wouldn't accommodate them. It wasn't until 1968 that I was finally awakened to the reality of racism that I had ignored all those years. My neighbor, a black professor at Drake University, had a 19 year old black student from Memphis, Tennessee, visiting his home one Saturday afternoon and invited me over to his picnic table to meet and visit. Being at the height of the black push for equality, I asked him about life in Memphis as a black. He told me that if you were black and walking down a sidewalk and met a white, you got off the sidewalk and into the street until the white had passed. If you were in your car and had an accident involving a white driver, you were ALWAYS at fault and a ticket issued. If you were downtown shopping and needed to use a restroom, you had to find a colored restroom even if you wet your pants while trying to find one. FINALLY, my eyes were opened and finally, at age 38 I discovered the facts about racism. And it still exists here in Des Moines, as it does all over this country, although to a much lesser degree. I am deeply ashamed of my long time ignorance, but at last can say that I now stand up and speak out against racism. Did you do better than me, I hope?